Website Photo Comments

[ElChingon]

Hello CN,

Wondering if the Site (not forum) has considered adding the feature of comments to the photo's? Figure with the addition of the forum adding the ability to comment on the photo's would be an added plus in communication and discussion?

Just wondering.

Thanks!

 

[Greg Johnson]

Hello CN,

Wondering if the Site (not forum) has considered adding the feature of comments to the photo's? Figure with the addition of the forum adding the ability to comment on the photo's would be an added plus in communication and discussion?

Just wondering.

Thanks!

Due to the nature of the existing website this isn't possible. It would be achievable with the new website which is due for launch shortly, but I don't believe it's a feature already included in the scope.

The idea is that we will get the website moved to a CMS-based system, ensure it can handle the load, then see just how much load it will take as we add more and more dynamic features like that which you've suggested.

Cheers
Greg Johnson

 

[Sunroofsurfer]

Better captions on photos

Just a further suggestion on photos, the captions used to have a bit of attitude, and you'd want to actually read them. But now, they purely describe what's happening in the picture and are so dull. 'Petacchi kisses the pink jersey' really doesn't add anything to the photo, I'd prefer to read a more intelligent comment about the picture, some statistic, comment about his ego, something. (This based on captions on Giro pics for 12 May.)

 

[Sculptor]

Photo cropping

It seems that many of the shots on the site are now cropped way too much. Very often one is merely left with a head-and-shoulders shot of a rider. I want to see a rider in context ... what is happening, where they are, who else is alongside them. All this 'makes the picture' - cropping pictures until they are almost mugshots is pointless. It seems to be a habit the site has aquired over the last year or two? I used to look forard to the pictures for the Mallorca Challenge every year (early season) so I could spot where I too had ridden. Waste of time these days as you only get 'ID' shots of the rider who were taking part!

 

[Greg Johnson]

Just a further suggestion on photos, the captions used to have a bit of attitude, and you'd want to actually read them. But now, they purely describe what's happening in the picture and are so dull. 'Petacchi kisses the pink jersey' really doesn't add anything to the photo, I'd prefer to read a more intelligent comment about the picture, some statistic, comment about his ego, something. (This based on captions on Giro pics for 12 May.)

Sunroofsurfer (interesting name!), I completely agree and it's something I'm working on fixing.

Sculptor, I can assure you that if this has been a trend, it's not intentional on the staffs' part. At a rough guess, about 99 percent of full sized images on Cyclingnews are not cropped at all between submission from the photographer and posting online. We simply don't have the time, due to the tens of thousands of images we post per year (there's only six of us!). Some photographers do have a tendency to be 'arty' but fail to understand it's all about balance. Too many of any one shot is...dull.

Cheers
Greg Johnson