Posted on December 11, 2009

• My new Christmas wallpaper is in the latest stage of development. I hope to have it up sometime this weekend (fingers crossed). While it renders I have been doing a bit of clean-up/tweaking to the new site.

  I’ve brought back the “Recent Comments” page so you can see which images have the most recent feedback. I’ve also fixed issue with the early (1997) images displaying a broken 1600 x 1200 link. It’s hard to believe there was a time when I only rendered at 1152 x 864. Now I produce over 33 different resolutions for each project!

  For the non-Member I have brought back the “Multi-Monitor Sample” image and I’ve replaced the old “Cosmogony” with “Tropical Moon”.

  Lastly, I’m putting out the call once more for photos of your multiscreen setups. Snap a pic and upload it directly to the DB Facebook Wall. You can see the ones that have already been posted here. I’d like to collect and host the coolest ones on a page here.

  The comments link below goes to the general thread that I’ve set up to handle feedback regarding the new site layout. Feel free to post if you are still having issues or just want to leave your opinion on the changes.

  Comments (21)

Posted on December 7, 2009

• A few of items to note this morning. I am back working on a new wallpaper and DB is once again “Cooliris Compatible“. Cooliris is a cool browser plugin that will allow you to surf my images on a 3d “wall”. Enjoy!

  If you were subscribed to my RSS feed before (either the Free Images or Members Gallery) you will need to resubscribe to a new URL (since they are now combined). The address is http://www.digitalblasphemy.com/rss/db.xml. If you are signed up for email updates, and you received an update this morning, then you don’t need to do anything. If you didn’t get an email notice this morning you will need to re-add yourself to the mailing list. Instructions here.

  Now back to rendering…

  Comments (21)

Posted on December 6, 2009

• Welcome to the new Digital Blasphemy! I have moved the free and members galleries from their 8-year old servers and I have merged them on a zippy new box. I have a developer working on a snazzy new site with all of the tech you’d expect in a 21st century site so please think of this site as transitional. Here’s what’s new:

  If you are a Member:

  • Things should look pretty familar to you. There’s now a dropdown box for selecting downloads and rating images. A login box will pop up the first time you use either of them. Your DB login should still be in the box (if you’ve saved it from previous logins) but if it isn’t you can reset your password if you’ve forgotten it via the “Login Required” screen.
    Basically, you only need to log in to download, rate images, or leave comments. Once I get the banner ads working you will not see them after you have logged in.
  • The Pickle Jar is offline for the moment. It will return soon and hopefully be easier to navigate.

  If you are not yet a Member:

  • You can sign up here.

    Otherwise, you will find the Free Samples here. There’s some good news and bad news for the free gallery users. Bad news: There will only be 10 free samples from here on out and I have eliminated the 1152 x 864 resolution. Good news: I will be rotating random images into the Free Samples more frequently. They might be older works (nothing pre-widescreen though) or they might be recent works (though only Members will have access to my newest works).

  • I’ve added “At World’s Edge (Winter)” to the Free Samples.
  • The User Gallery is on hiatus. I hope to bring it back in the future, bigger and better than before.
  Comments (39)

Posted on December 2, 2009

• Thanks so much everyone for the wonderful feedback to yesterday’s post. I read each and every comment and have come to the conclusion that I will not be offering the 1152 x 864 versions for free. I will most likely just maintain a page with between 5-10 samples from my gallery (at the same variety of resolutions as I do now) and then rotate in a random image every week.

  The random freebies will be drawn from a pool that includes everything I have in widescreen up to the most recent 6 months or so of work (so you all will retain exclusive access to my most recent wallpapers).

  I just wanted to thank you all again for taking the time to share your thoughts with me I’m so glad I asked you all first! For the record: Jessie gave me nearly the same advice before I opened it up for discussion.

  Comments (267)

Posted on December 1, 2009

• I’m busy right now migrating my site to a zippy new server. I have to have it operational before 12/9 and have the old free gallery/members gallery servers offline as well. At the moment another developer is working with me on a new whiz-bang DB with all of the features you’ve come to expect in a 21st century website (which the current DB is not) and I am working on the transitional site that you will see when the new server comes up.

  Both sites will eliminate the “Members Gallery/Free Gallery” division. You will no longer visit members.digitalblasphemy.com. Rather you will visit digitalblasphemy.com and will be required to log in (once per session) to download hi-res files, zip archives, and movies. You will also need to be logged in to post comments and rate images. Browsing the gallery itself will not require you to be logged in and banner ads will be disabled for Members.

  Here’s where I need your feedback. I want to offer a free version of all of my work. That way everyone can have something to download (and a reason to visit) when I post new work, but only Members will have access to all of the different file sizes I have available (mobile, widescreen, multi-screen). Only Members will be able to rate or comment on the new images (and thus have their voices heard in possible revisions).

  Right now I am thinking about offering the 1152 x 864 file for each project for free. People will be able to stretch/resize this to fit their screens and for a lot of folks it will probably look good enough. My questions to you are: Does this lessen the value of being a Member for you? Would you have signed up in the first place if my new work was available as resonably high resolution free file? Would you continue to renew if I offer a free version of new images?

  Is 1152 x 864 even big enough, in this day and age, to be an attractive free offering given that I am elimating the free access to my widescreen images?

  DB is running pretty smooth as it is right now, especially given the current economic climate. Signups pay my bills, keep my hardware/software current, and allow me to concentrate on making new wallpapers. I don’t want to rock the boat too much and once you’ve given away something for free I know it is difficult to put the genie back in the bottle.

  At the same time, I think the “Free Gallery” idea is getting pretty stale and I think my site will suffer in the long term if I don’t better balance the free offerings (to bring in viewers and make use of “social media”) with the premium (entice those viewers to become Members).

  What do you guys think? I welcome any and all feedback but would ask that you keep the discussion between Members for now until I’ve decided what to do. Whatever that may be, it is important to me you feel that your Membership was a good purchase.

  Comments (267)