Webshots Blog

We’re supplying our engineers with lots of coffee while they work on the issues on the new site. As soon as a problem arises, they tackle it with a vengeance–must be all that caffeine. Their hard work has paid off, though, as they have resolved the following issues:

Spamming
You may have noticed some spamming when the site first launched. We found the hole in security that allowed the spamming and fixed that first. Then, we went through and cleaned out all the spamming that appeared in your about me section in your profile tab. We’re pleased to say: No more spam!

Guestbooks
We’ll finish moving the guestbooks over to the new site today. We’re keeping all your messages safe, and we have to say, some of you have gotten some great comments on your photos and albums!

Sort by date
We’ve fixed the sort by date feature for albums on member homepages, so now you can see which photos are the most recent. Sort away!

Bookmarked People
Your friends and bookmarked members can now be found in the people tab on your member homepage. We found that the links on the people page were causing an error, so we fixed the links and now they work properly.

We’re prepared for any other issues that may occur on the new site: We’ve just made a fresh pot of coffee for one thing. But we’re also combing the blog for issue you find, too. Thank you for your help and patience while we make webshots the best it can be.

The new webshots launched yesterday (yeah!), and we received a ton of great feedback from our members both during our redesign process and since we’ve launched. We understand that it may take some time to adjust to the new site, but we redesigned webshots with you in mind. Here are just some of the awesome new features:

• More storage
• Improved image quality
• Easier navigation
• Color options
• Ability to search members’ albums for specific terms
• Coming soon: video, updates to member homepages and search by date!

However, with any major release of a new website, issues and bugs can arise. We’ve found a few and so have you, and we’re fixing them as fast as we can. Here’s what we know so far:

ISSUES 

Looking for pro shots (daily photos)?
On the homepage, scroll down a bit to see the four new daily pro shots. You can also find the daily photos at the top of the pro shots page. Just click on the pro shots tab on the navigation menu. If you’re a fan of our professional photos, we recommend that you bookmark this page: http://www.webshots.com/g/

Featured albums
The featured albums and so much more editorial content await you on the new site. We now offer many places to see all the great photos on webshots:

• 11 featured photos–one on the homepage and one on each of the 10 channels
• 2 featured editor’s collections on the homepage–right now, we have rebuilding after katrina and extreme sports. Check them out!
• 2 featured members on the homepage
• 3 featured albums on the right-hand side of the community page.
• 1 related featured collection on each channel page. For example:
• Family: amusement parks
• Pets: cutest kittens
• Travel: national parks of the U.S. 

Missing photo dimensions
We’ll be bringing these back shortly, so you’ll be able to see the resolution of community photos before downloading.

Wider page design
The site is optimized for 1024×768 screen resolution. To browse the site without having to scroll, update your screen resolution to 1024×768.

Square thumbnails
Our new look features square thumbnails, but soon we’ll give you the option to display your photos in either square or rectangular thumbnails in your own albums. The choice is yours! 

Album guestbooks: We’ll be temporarily disabling the album guestbooks today so we can move them to the new site. They’ll be accessible later today or tomorrow, and then you’ll be able to view all your comments under your messages tab on your member homepage in addition to being able to see comments on individual albums and photos.

EXIF data (camera make & model information)
You liked the camera make & model information, so we’ve added more! We’re still experimenting with the display options for the EXIF data. We’ll update you on the progress in this blog.

BUGS 

Security hole
In any extensive website, security holes are evident. We had an existing one that enabled members to change other members’ profiles - you may have seen this show up as unwanted link in your profile page. As a result of the changes we made to the new site, we were able to identify that the security hole was being exploited. We’re working on this bug right now, and the changes will be rolled out today.  As part of the fix, we’ll be restoring your previous version of the about me section, no action required on your part.

Downloading pro shots
When we launched, some of you noted having difficulties downloading the daily pro shots. We’ve fixed the problem, and we ask that you close your browser and then reopen it for the changes to take effect.

Access to parts of the site
For a while, access to the new 10 channels and the tour wasn’t available. The bug has been fixed, so why not take our tour now and browse our millions of photos!

If you discover any further issues with the new site, please leave your comments on this blog posting. You know the site as well as we do, so your help will be invaluable. When any new issues arise, we’ll let you know about them in this blog. Our team is hard at work to fix the problems, and we thank you for our patience while we work on them.

Enjoy the new webshots! 

It’s finally here! The new webshots launched today, and we’re so excited to show off all the great features and functions designed especially for you.

To see all the improvements we’ve made, take our tour. Here’s just a taste of what the new webshots is all about:

• More storage: Premium members get an extra 500 photos and free members get an extra 100 photos for each month they’re a member with us—it’s our way of saying, “Thanks!”
• Improved image quality: When people check out your photos, they’ll be able to see every last detail! See for yourself.
• Easier navigation: By creating 10 main channels, your photos will be better organized and searching and browsing will be a breeze. Each area has featured content and photos, so you can build relationships and meet people into:

• Color options: Vote on what color you want your webshots to be. Go to the blog to see the 12 color options, such as sage and lavender, and then vote in our poll.
• Coming soon:
• Video: You’ll be able to upload your videos and photos into one place and share them with your friends and family.
• Updates to member homepages: We’re adding new personalization and customization features so you can make it your own.
• Search by date: Now you’ll have the ability to search by date, so you can see which photos were recently uploaded.

The new site is still…well…new, so please keep in mind that not all of the functionality will work flawlessly. We’d love to hear what you think of all the changes we’ve made, so please leave your comments in our redesign blog.

Enjoy the new webshots!

A year ago today, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and left a trail of destruction and devastation. The city of New Orleans and coastal Mississippi were affected the most, but the hurricane couldn’t damage peoples’ spirits.

This photo, taken by Webshots member jackswisher, is just one of the many ways that survivors showed their hope and determination as they began to pick up the pieces.

Many events are planned for the one-year anniversary, and we’re honoring all those affected by the hurricane with our Rebuilding After Katrina Editor’s Collection.

The gates to Black Rock City open today, marking the beginning of this year’s Burning Man, a week-long celebration of art, self-expression and so much more that just can’t be explained—you have to experience it to understand it.

One of the many reasons why people attend Burning Man is for the art exhibits. Through funding from the Black Rocks Art Foundation, artists can unleash their imagination on the world for all to see. Many artists also finance their own work and share it with the Burning Man community, known as “Burners.”

Taken by Webshots member megaflow, this sculpture is of a mother and daughter with a trail of footprints behind them. It was one of the highlights at last year’s event.

While walking along the beach in Bermagui, Webshots member caz161 snapped this happy fisherman and his net full of fish. This area of New South Wales, Australia is known for its deep blue waters and is often called the Sapphire Coast.

As this lone young farmer taken by Webshots member kelseyagnew stands with his pitchfork, he reminds us the famous painting American Gothic by Grant Wood, a native of Iowa.

Painted in 1930, the image portrays a man holding a pitchfork and a woman standing slightly behind him in front of a Carpenter Gothic–style house. The painting is located at the Art Institute of Chicago, which is home to some of the most well-known works of art.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast with a vengeance. It destroyed entire portions of cities and left many families homeless. In particular, New Orleans—known for its wild nightlife on Bourbon Street—became a ghost town as many of the city’s inhabitants and visitors had to evacuate.

Once the hurricane had passed and the damage was done, people slowly started returning home—or what was left of their home—to rebuild what was destroyed. Aid money poured in from countries around the world, but it was the helping hands that really put back the pieces.

We honor those who helped reconstruct the lives of those affected by the hurricane and its aftermath in our Rebuilding After Katrina Editor’s Collection. We’re not the only ones remembering Hurricane Katrina. Here are some events for the anniversary:

• Spike Lee’s documentary about the New Orleans devastation, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, will be shown on August 29.
• The Great Flood memorial march, sponsored by the Peoples’ Hurricane Relief Fund, will begin ay 10 a.m., the time of the first levee breach in the Lower Ninth Ward, and end at Congo Square.
• Numerous services and vigils held at churches, town halls, schools, cultural centers and other memorial sites. Check to see what’s going on in your local community, and if you’re attending the event, upload your photos to News so we can feature them.

Quick and agile, crabs have a certain authority when they scurry sideways down the beach with their intimidating claws. Standing guard, this little crustacean taken by Webshots member rickreh is armed with a tough shell that’s camouflaged to match the grainy sand.

The crab is the astrological symbol for Cancer (June 22-July 22) and has quite an interesting mythological history. The story of Cancer begins when Zeus had an affair with Alcmene, and that union produced Heracles. In a jealous rage, Zeus’s wife Hera swore to kill Heracles, so she sent Cancer, the giant crab after him. Cancer used his claws to nip at Heracles’s feet, but he was soon smashed to pieces by the strong Heracles. To honor Cancer’s valiant efforts, Hera placed an image of the crab in the night sky.

We have some exciting news: We’re about to launch a brand-new Webshots. We’ve totally overhauled the site from top to bottom to make everything better for you! Before we launch the new site, we’d love to get your feedback, so we’re inviting you to a sneak peak of the new Webshots: htpp//:beta.webshots.com.

Check out the new site and tell us what you think in our redesign blog—we want to hear it all!

Plus, you get to vote on what color you want your Webshots to be. We like red, but we know that having choices is important, so we’re letting you decide. Go to the redesign blog to see the 12 color options, such as green and lavender, and then vote in our poll.

To see all the new features we’ve added, take our tour. Here’s just a sample of how we’re making Webshots the best it can be for you:

• More Storage: Free members get an extra 100 photos and Premium members get an extra 500 photos for each month they’re a member with us—that’s on top of the 1,000 storage capacity for free members and 5,000 for Premium. 
• Improved Image Quality: When people check out your photos, they’ll be able to see every last detail. See for yourself!
• Easier Navigation: By creating 10 main channels, your photos will be better organized and searching and browsing will be a breeze. Each area has featured content and photos, so you can build relationships and meet people into:

• Coming Soon—Video: You’ll be able to upload your videos and photos to one place and share them with your friends and family.

The new site is still getting some final touches, so please keep in mind that not all of the functionality will be complete or work flawlessly. Be sure to check it out soon and leave your thoughts on the redesign blog before we go live.