Gang,
I think I should say that Adelheid didn't ask me first before putting
the poll question forward to the list. :-)
Still, it's a question that's been preying on our minds for a long
time. The first signs of decline were already there in spring 2004,
and I remember we discussed it on our trip to GFM in June.
The hacker attacks at the komkon server that spring was one important
stab in the vigour of PUG. While Igor had the ungrateful job of
putting it back together, the PESOs were suddenly playing the first
fiddle as a concept for sharing pictures.
PUG never really caught on to that tune again.
There was even an attempt for a while to ban PESOs for at least a week
when a new PUG was published, to give people time to look and comment
without distractions, but nobody adhered.
It's beyond recall to have PUG as the main way of sharing photos for
the PDML members. Many of us even posts PESOs as links into other
online communities where we might get some cross-fertilising of
comments; harvesting from two sources at once.
PUGs remaining strong side is that it is purely and solely a product
of the PDML community. It has all the time been maintained by members,
hosted by members or members' friends, and not the least populated
with members' photographs. It has tradition, and a huge archive of
images. For example, Bill D. Casselberry, who hasn't posted to the PUG
for as long as Adelheid has maintained it, has about 40 entries in
there. Bruce Dayton probably have more, as have Frank Theriault.
If the PUG cease to attract new submissions, however, it also cease to
be tradition. It will still be worthy of web display, but will become
a dusty document of history and bygones.
Everyone's private decisions on whether to submit or not will
determine it's future, not whether or not you'd like to see others
submit.
It's your call.
Sincerely,
Jostein
