Over the years, I have participated in the forums at DPReview, Photo.net, POTN, Fred Miranda, GetDPI, Zuiko mailing list, and elsewhere.  Some months ago I had the idea that I could build a better photography forum and launched the Camera Work forums.  Those forums gained a handful of great members and then fizzled.  Looking back, I think that the software platform for that site was too feature limited to offer a significant improvement on what one would find elsewhere.

I'm now excited to reintroduce Camera Work.  I think it has great potential and hope some of you who read this blog will help it get off to a good start.

Here are some of the reasons why Camera Work will be a great place to share photographs and discuss all things photography related:

1. Unlike our current discussion group (which is full of fantastic, talented folks), Camera Work does not require a Flickr membership, nor is it limited by the Flickr platform (single forum per group, need to use html, etc)
2. Unlike all other forums I've used, Camera Work allows members to use html codes for embedding images and links.  BB code is also supported, but the ability to use html makes it really easy for Flickr users to copy and paste code provided by Flickr to put their photos in our forums with a link back to their respective Flickr page.
3. Camera Work provides a ton of free image file hosting for members.  You can upload as many albums as you like using the easy to use software.  Each album can contain up to 50 photos.  Each photo can be up to 1MB in size and up to 1024px in greatest dimension.  Compare that to any of the other photography sites, many of which ask you to pay for lesser file hosting.
4. In addition to uploading albums, you can attach files to any forum post.  A very cool lightbox functionality is implemented to display multiple attached photos in sequence.  All members can upload attachments of up to 1MB each without a limit on total number of attachments.  Based on post count, members may become eligible to upload zip attachments of up to 50MB each (for sharing RAW files, etc).
5. Camera Work puts a randomly selected assortment of public member images at the top of the homepage to remind everyone why we're there and to give everyone exposure.  If you don't want certain images there, just designate those albums as private.  If you don't like to see the photos on the main page, just click to collapse that row, and it will remember your preferences unless you click again to expand it.
6. There are no forum distinctions for sharing photos versus discussing gear, nor are there distinctions based on brand preference.  I don't see any purpose in those constraints.
7. Camera Work will be carefully moderated to be free of personal attacks which are so common in the larger forums, yet members will be absolutely free to link to and promote external sites and interests provided that they don't do so by spamming.
8. Camera Work has integrated blogging software, so if you want a free blog which is as easy to use as a typical forum post, you can do so there.
9. The "Buy and Sell" forum is and always will be free to use for all registered members.  Again, some other sites will make you pay.
10. I am very, very open to adapting the forum to member feedback.  This includes adaptations that cost me money like the lightbox functionality and the blogging software add-on.
    

Regardless of functionality, a forum doesn't come alive until a critical mass of members and discussions occur.  I think there are enough of us to get off to a great start, but it will take some time.

The following URLs will take you to Camera Work:

• www.cameraworkforums.com (easy to remember)
• www.camwk.com (easy to type)

If you think this forum is worthwhile and want to see it succeed, please take a minute register at Camera Work and post something there.  Upload an album.  Introduce yourself.  Ask a question.  Request a feature.  Comment on your favorite or latest gear.  Recommend a book.  Better yet, do all of those things :-).  You may not see much of a response initially, but I'm confident that before long we can build a better photography forum.