Lounge Gallery Proposition:

[SOteric]

I'd like to propose a Lounge Gallery that would be separate and independent from the excellent work that GregW does for us with the DU Gallery.

I very much hope I'd not be stepping on anyone's toes and will be sensitive to, and receptive to any and all concerns. Concerns will be well-considered and/or addressed before I undertake such a project.

What I propose is an open concept gallery. No posting requirements, no secret access, completely voluntary participation. I have neither the time nor the resources to screen for participation, so if you want in, you'd be in. The link would be widely available.

It would be a no frills site. Those of you lucky enough to have viewed GregW's site in the past know that it's a labour of love and he's done some excellent things with it. I'd be slapping up photos in a generic format.

This is just a straw poll. I'll likely poll again based on result or comment, unless the response is overwhelming in one direction or another.

Please feel encouraged to explain your sentiments if you're comfortable doing so.

[Wonk]

1. My thoughts about posting personal photos online, expressed as a picture.

[SOteric]

5. *LOL*

Yes, and I can quite agree in many ways. But I do think it adds to the sense of community to have a picture to go with the name. I also think it helps us to become more tangible in the minds of posters. I think it slightly harder to indescriminately bait and flame someone when you have a picture of them in your mind as a living, breathing, laughing individual.

[Booberdawg]

2. Sure. I have several pics to add myself.

One other person from the LA meetups is sending me pics and then I planned on posting a thread of all the pics of both meetups anyway. I could contribute all of those pics.

[Melsky]

3. I'd really like to see this happen

Great idea! I've never figured out how to see the other gallery.

[supernova]

4. I think it's fine

I've never gotten access to the other one anyway. Too much bother with secret locations, and what not. I'm just not that uptight about it.

[5thGenDemocrat]

6. I'm already in the Gallery

I don't have any problem with my pic being posted. Heck, I'd rather everyone know what I look like.
John
Heck, I already deal with Andy the Right Wing Republican on a near-daily basis -- Freepers don't scare me.

[SOteric]

7. Kickity

:kick:

Folks need not comment, - though it helps. But let's keep this kicked for the evening at least, so that folks get a chance to see it and register an opinion.

[VOX]

8. I like the idea. Although we here at DU have had a few larks...

by posting the various portraits from FR and adding our comments.

Personally, I don't give a hang, but there are probably some here who wouldn't want to have their image ridiculed or used as the subject of boorish "jokes" on a right-wing site.

And it's a no-brainer that FR would get around to doing this pretty quickly.

[SOteric]

10. I agree, they probably will,

and the only way I see around that is to make the participation voluntary.

The Lounge Gallery would in no way replace GregW's DU Gallery. So folks more nervous about security could still have that little haven to fall back on.

Those fairly unconcerned can have a public place to post.

And it may actually relieve some of the burden on Greg's inbox.

[VOX]

20. Sounds good. But I may keep my sunglasses on!

Just in case, y'know.

I know you're no stranger to shades -- :toast:

[Booberdawg]

13. As long as they can't get actual names or other personal information

like locations or addresses I don't see how much real harm they can cause.

It's really a stupid way to get kicks if you ask me. How can you tell the difference between a liberal and a conservative by looking at a picture?

[VOX]

21. IMPORTANT: If we do this, posters should be warned...

Not to link images directly from their personal home pages. Any troll can check the properties of the image that's posted on DU (which reveals the Web host), then do a WhoIs search:
http://www.networksolutions.com/en_US/whois/index.jhtml

9 times out of 10, WhoIs will produce a name, address and phone number, as used when the Web site was registered.

IMO, a neutral host, such as villagephotos.com, should be used for any public gallery images here at DU.

Just my concerned nickel's worth.

[SOteric]

27. What I proposing is to obtain a separate and distinct site

and a corresponding web-based mail box. To particpate, posters will have to send their jpgs or gifs to the mail box. The photos would then be uploaded and stay resident on the site, identified only by the username of the photo in question. So, your photo for example would only identify you as rezmutt, or possibly rezmutt1, rezmutt2, etc.

In that way, inadvertintly providing a path back to a home page is not an issue.

Further, should some little twerp of a cyberpunk decide to get funny with the website, no one's personal data is lost, and the photos can't be tracked to specific people, and the entirety of the site can be reloaded from back ups.

[BlueJazz]

9. Sure...sounds like fun to me.

I've been trying to get to the gallery for 14 months with no success....but I do realize that the requests for the other site are overwhelming.

[Philostopher]

30. Same here.

And I think I asked back when everything went down the hole at some point, it was when the search function was disabled. I spend more time in here than I do posting anywhere else, though I read the other forums. Why not?

I never post in the 'show us what you look like' threads here because of the same concerns as rezmutt posted -- the only server space I have available to me could be tracked back to someone who wouldn't appreciate being hassled -- but to have the relative anonymity of a separate server would make me feel better, too.

[DS1]

11. Yeah, why not

Are we suddenly ninjas? If someone recognizes me and picks a fight, I'll gadly fight back, harder.

[SOteric]

12. Kickity

:kick:

Again.

[SOteric]

15. And again...

:kick:

[SOteric]

18. And again...

:kick:

[SOteric]

28. And yet again...

:kick:

[prolesunited]

14. Please check your inbox, SOteric

:hi:

[Zomby Woof]

16. well yeah!

As long as a picture of Yakima the Yak is included: The Lounge mascot. :-)

[SOteric]

17. But of course!

;-)

[BritishHuman]

19. Seems like a good idea to me

I don't have a problem with people knowing what I look like (or conversely, knowing that I'm associated with DU).

You already have lots of pictures of me, I believe (but please don't put up an embarrassing one (which rules out almost all of them)).

[SOteric]

22. Oh puhshaw.

You're a smokin' hottie. Hmmm... maybe you have a point. Maybe it's not in my best interest for the world to find that out.

[bearfan454]

23. Hell yes !

Everyone should be able to see everything if they want to.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ulysses]

25. kick

:kick:

[THUNDER HANDS]

26. Sounds good to me

My awe-inspiring photo would love to be there. :D

[SOteric]

29. New set of kickities...

:kick:

[SOteric]

31. Kickity

:kick:

[ScreamingMeemie]

32. kickity....snicker.

that's just struck me as funny. :)

[SOteric]

33. It is kind of, isn't it...?

:kick:

[Capn Sunshine]

34. Huh?

what is this recent obsession with pics?
we should ban them all EXCEPT Soterics.

[SOteric]

35. Obviously, you haven't spent enough time looking at the

amazing collection of hunks, dudes, babes & cuties we've got lurking the hallowed halls of DU.

[Blue-Jay]

36. Sounds like a plan to me.

I posted a couple of pics one night, but deleted them after realizing that I had linked from my band's website. I didn't want people crapping all over our message board. Plus, my hunchback was showing in one of the pics.

[pmbryant]

37. I think I like this idea

The other DU gallery is an excellent production, but it seems people have an extremely hard time getting access to it. It would be great if there were an alternate version where people didn't expect secrecy.

Sounds intriguing, at least.

--Peter