Hello Everyone!
It’s been awhile hasn’t it?
No, we have not forgotten about you guys. Life has been hectic to say the least and sadly this great site has taken a hit. James and I have been talking in great length over the last 2 months about what to do with Phirebrush. Do we want to keep it the same or move it forward? Change it? Evolve it? But thoughts of change can be scary thus we have been mulling over it for some time now. Here is what we have in mind:
In short, we want to turn the site into an “uber-blog”. Scary huh? What about the art? What about the interviews? I’m sure you have a lot of questions. Let us explain it a bit more.
Currently as you know, we release monthly issues of art and interviews, and we have a blog; but that’s really about it. The change here would actually remove the monthly aspect of the site entirely – make it a living, breathing, user-generated site.
Let’s try and break it down by section, first up the art releases. These would actually disappear, but in its place would be daily art posts. You, the user, can log in and submit articles on not only YOUR art but art you find online, showcasing artists you come across. We also plan to make FULL use of our Flickr Group for you to submit your art to — we’ll pick out our daily favorites and showcase them as well as have a feed directly on the main page. So, rather then waiting each month to see all these amazing creations, you can see them daily. As for our monthly interviews, these will stay the same. We’ll still find out top contributors to the site as well as take in your requests. If your requests pour in, maybe we’ll even offer more than one interview each month.
As you can tell this changed format really will revolve around YOU more. We’ll implement a new login system, giving you access to more. You’ll be able to write articles, comment on posts, etc. We really want to expand on what made Phirebrush, it’s contributors — giving you more control!
This is just a brief description of what we have in mind for the site. The problem with such a huge overhaul like this is it probably won’t go live for a few months. In the meantime, we’ll still take in your submissions like we have (currently we are pushing past 500 submissions!) and will plan to release the ultimate “last issue” when this new version would go live. All our past issues and interviews will still be able to be viewed. This change in question is quite a drastic one and we want your input. This site is and will always be about YOU! Comment, email us, do what you have to but please, let us know! We’d love to know how you feel about this change, what things would you like to see added/removed while we’re at it and more!
Thank you for the continued support and love you show Phirebrush. We never forget it and look forward to your thoughts! Once we gather your feedback, we’ll try to nail a more concrete date on when you can expect these updates.
- Jason & James
Update: We’ve created a Twitter account as well. Be sure to follow us!
Sounds intriguing. I like this direction.
I am glad to hear the interviews will remain.
this is going to be quite the adventure — later days
I think this is a good way to change the flow of the website but I had one question in mind when reading this:
How will you separate those users who submit art found online and those who submit their own art and more importantly, if they submit it as their own, how will you be able to separate honest users with users who submit other people’s work as their own?
@William: Over the last 6 years the site has been around, we have always used the honor system. Sure, we had a few people submit others works, but we caught wind of them and removed. The same will hold true for this. We’ll likely put categories in place for submitting these articles based on your own work and those of others.
exciting plans!
i have some talented underexposed talented artist friends i wouldn’t mind being able to showcase in some way
I’se intrigued. *nods* This sounds very cool. BRING IT!
I like the idea of competition to make the releases when they come out by use of submissions here directly. Those that don’t make the cut still have their art here. And those pieces or articles/whatever that did `make the cut` have an ‘award’ or something mentioning that it was featured in ## release.
By turning the site into a living breathing social monster is kind of scary to say the least! I am more annoyed by this idea, everyone is hopping on the social website band wagon. Whatever happened to quality of quantity?
Love the social idea but I am still scared. Maybe I just need screen shots and lots of them!
I think is a good idea to evolve, it will be better to see day by day the new ads and posts, but, what will happen to the actually issues?, what about all that art you store in here?, for example: i like issue 3, will it continue online?, can i visit it after the site evolution?.
@Salpeme: Yes, all previous issues will still be online and able to be viewed
I think it’s awesome….. and a very thoughtful idea.
I love the sense of availibility it would bring to the arts.
I’ll rock with Phirebrush anytime.
Change is always good, but too much change can cause a catastrophe. I am not happy about the change with the artwork that is hosted. I can see this new idea may work. The art shown is fabulous, but there is not really any interaction. Maybe the new format will create some buzz. I look forward to the last issue, and the new beginning. Hold on tight everyone! It may be a bumpy ride!
I like it. I especially like this approach from a business standpoint for you – more pageviews on a daily basis, better opportunity for you to turn this into something full-time in the long run.
Please keep us updated!
Is it just me or does it appear that this site has suffered an untimely demise? I am fully up for the explanation that I live in a different time/space continuum and that my Fridays doesn’t necessarily coincide with the other parallel universe’s Fridays, but still; there does seem to be a singular lack of action here . . .
Cheers!
Son
I disagree, I don’t like this idea at all…part of the wonderment and uniqueness of phirebrush is it’s monthly issues, and the fact that not every piece of artwork makes the cut inspires creative competition. Moreover, those pieces featured in an issue, marking them as the best of the best, is yet another level of acheivement undermined by your social butterfly vision for the site’s overhaul. What it sounds like to me is that you’re going to turn Phirebrush into Deviant Art’s redheaded step-child. Phirebrush is better than that…come on.
Moreover, I find that sites that are constantly looking for ways to massively overhaul and improve their content management (spoono.com for instance), are those that find their way to the chopping block quickest. It’s the sites that confide in and rely upon a familiar system, a proven method, that last the longest and become the giants. Like Deviant Art for instance. When’s the last time they had a layout change? 10 years ago? Or YouTube, it’s been exactly the same for nigh on a decade as well. Maybe a few functional changes here and there, but the overall look and feel of the website, not to mention the way things work as far as submissions and user accounts are concerned, have remained consistent for a very long time. That creates an identity for that website, upon which they latch and grow with. That identity allows word of mouth to carry their message, and people to spread their ideas without them having to constantly change to get attention.
I say, if you want to overhaul your site, you put in a new comment system, focus a bit more on user accounts, link a bit more to forums.naature.com, maybe even work on some more seamless integration there, but keep the premise of phirebrush intact, keep the monthly issues, keep the featured works, keep the monthly interview…otherwise, it’s not really phirebrush anymore, is it?