from the editor ~ april.07

This is the last change... promise.

Do you remember me talking about change back in January? Actually, I suppose that I have been talking about it for several months now. You may have even noticed new functionality within the site and it is kind of nice, but to me, fails on several points. Consequently, after mulling it around and talking to a lot of random people, I have decided to implement yet more changes.

Overall, the concensus is that the web site has really gone off on a tangent of sorts. Initially, we were a photoZine, with the idea that one photo is worth a thousand words. After a couple of years, we started up the eZine / message forum with the idea of telling the story behind the photos and providing people with an outlet for promoting themselves and their events. It has worked out really well too, but I think I have to agree when I am told that the site has lost... focus, for lack of a better word.

The change you will find on the other side of this page will seem a bit extreme at first, but it is only the first of many positive changes about to take place. The software that I am using for the gallery has made some awesome enhancements since I first started using it and is really the backbone of this site. So... needless to say, everything is about to be gallery based. I am reviving the newsletter and this particular column may go that route in a few months time. After this month, unless there is an announcement, clicking the cover page will take you directly into the gallery. Before you go there, let me tell you about a couple of the things that have changed.

Some, but not all of the albums are public now and the first change you will notice is an unfortunate set of circumstances. You will need to sign up again. I am sorry to say that the old database will not convert. Everything tested ok, so let me know if you have any problems

The last good version of the message forum will be available until the end of April. You will still be able to login and get to your messages. At the end of April, that version will be removed from the server.

The first significant change in the gallery will be the "calendar". Instead of posting your event to the forum calendar, now you will be able to upload your flyer to the appropriate month. Members should have just as much space to comment as a regular message forum and I don't see how it's really any different. You have space to enter a description and other information, just like the forums. Any event posts that were already made have been posted to the calendar category of the gallery.

Since the galleries are primarily "members only", I will be retaining the albums for a longer period. I hope to be able to get everything that has been done since the inception of the site reloaded to the server someday. As well, I hope to be able to bring in other's photos from before the time of phocas.

More changes are on the way too. The navigation will remain much the same, but the layout will be morphing over the month... or two. haha!

For now... it was a fun month, with St Patty's day and all. That's where this crazy shot comes from by DJ Johnny Treymayne (sp?) on at Harling's in Kansas City. It was a great surprise running into them, so we posed for a shot. When he shot this, I was in the middle of saying, "Are you sure you know how to do that?"

And for the cover this month, we have Bassnectar pausing for a shot by Aaron at Abe & Jake's in Lawrence. Kundalini Rising was definitely the one event to totally go off this last month with a reported two thousand in attendance. There's big things being posted already for April too, so until next time...

i will see you on the dance floor

~phocas~

 

click here to go directly to the gallery

did you really read the above?

click here to go to the old site