As of this weekend, Macfilos is taking a two-week break while the site is migrated to a more capable server solution and readied for a new look later in the month. This coincides with a short vacation, so for our editor, it is a double break.
After several months of operational problems, a site audit showed that the basic hosting package we’ve been using up to now had become wholly inadequate.
Macfilos has now been running for fourteen years and, in that time, has built up what turns out to be an enormous media database. I hadn’t realised the extent of the problem until recently. There are 5,500 individual articles on file, 24,000 comments and, at a guess, some 30,000 individual images.
Over those years, we’ve been shovelling in thousands of pictures without much thought for the rapidly increasing size of the database. That historic failure to minimise individual file size has now come home to roost. But now we are aware of the problem, and we can take steps to minimise file size before uploading. We have always had systems in place to prevent huge uploads, but this has unfortunately been inadequate.
Not much can be done immediately to reduce the size of the existing media library (although there are options we will explore in the future). We have to get on with it as it is.
Finding reasonably-priced hosting hasn’t been easy. Initially, we faced a potential ten-fold increase in monthly charges, which was a worry, as you can imagine.
We have no income and want to keep it that way. We have discussed the possibility of advertising, but we prefer that the site remains non-commercial.
The new cloud hosting solution and an element of technical support will cost a little more, about three times as much as we are paying at present, but it is far cry from the most expensive options we faced.
So changes are being made, not before time. We are also taking the opportunity to introduce a new theme, which will need some tweaking before we restart operations. There may be times, particularly during the next week, when the site is temporarily offline, and we ask for your understanding.
Back on August 22
If all goes to plan, Macfilos should look better, load quicker and offer a much-improved reading experience. So let’s hope for a smooth outcome. We will see one another again on August 22 or, perhaps, a few days before if all goes well.
Tomorrow we will run the last article before the break, a contribution by a new author (but long-time reader and supporter), Steve Frankel. He takes up the theme of the demise of the CL and explores some more APS-C opportunities outside the Leica camp. Perhaps this is an opportunity to draw a line under the CL’s demise and concentrate on more positive coverage of the remaining Leica range instead of dwelling on what might have been.
As editor of the site, I take his opportunity to thank all our regular readers for their unfailing support over the years and look forward to continuing Macfilos with the active assistance of our large contingent of contributing authors from around the world. Without them, Macfilos would be nothing.
Our donations link is now back in action
Apologies to all readers who have tried to donate in the past four weeks and found the message “this site can’t accept donations”. PayPal changed the rules a didn’t tell us, so we had no idea anything was wrong. We have now sorted this out. If you wish to make a small donation, we will be genuinely grateful. We are a non-commercial site, funded personally by the editorial team. Any assistance is appreciated.
Looks like the new site is up. Miss the way the first page displayed but I think I’ll get used to this one too. Quite like the short snippet it shows for each article. One thing puzzled me though—is it meant to show a full article in some cases? For instance, I see an article snippet for all the articles but when it came to an article written by me I got to see the full monty. Is that intentional?
By the way, good to see the comments column is still the same.
The site is definitely faster but, as yet, we are using the old theme because we have had some problems with the new theme and it needs further work.
All articles should show a synopsis and photograph with “read more” to see the full article. If one of yours is showing the full article it is my mistake for not inserting the “read more” widget after the first paragraph. If you can send me the link I will amend it.
There should be no difference in the front (home) page and I don’t see differences. Can you tell me specifically what you think has changed?
Mike
The transfer of Macfilos to our new server has now been completed and everything should be up and running successfully. We decided to delay changing to the new layout theme until next week so we do not have too many differences all at once. Please report any odd happenings.
Mike
The migration seems to be generating exotic posts.
Wishing you a well-deserved holiday, Mike. You will return refreshed and ready to bed-in your new platform for Macfilos. Cruising will give you a break from planning your next recharging or editorial. Take a little something with you to capture a few images to share with us.
Good luck with the move, Mike. Hope it goes smoothly!
I hate good-byes, so thankfully this one is see you later, alligator! Enjoy your break, take pictures, plenty of rest and meet interesting people. The last bout with covid has taken me two weeks to recover but now I’m back on my feet and will get down to the article I promised. So, after a while crocodile! And all the best with the new way.
Thank you, Farhiz. Glad to hear you are peeking up and I look forward to your next article. Mike
Enjoy the break, Michael.
What travel camera kit are you taking with you? Travelling light?
A disposable Tri-X camera I suspect…
Very best wishes for your forthcoming break Mike! It has been a pleasure working with you over the last 18 months since first connecting with Macfilos. You appear to have boundless patience when dealing with contributors and commenters alike! Thank you for your stewardship of this marvelous site and the enormous body of photographic wisdom that it has accumulated over the years. Like other commenters, I very much look forward to the forthcoming refresh and the next exciting era for Macfilos. All the best! Keith
Best wishes for your more than earned holiday also from me, Mike.
And, certainly on behalf of all us contributors, I wish to return the thanks. It is a joy to write for Macfilos with such a friendly, reliable and competent editor in charge. I think I may include the readers who might hardly notice the editorial work – which shows how masterfully it is being performed.
All the best, JP
Thank you, Joerg-Peter. MacFilos wouldn’t be the site it is without regular contributors such as you. I remain completely impressed by your ability to undertake in-depth reviews of so many different lenses and cameras. Your patience and organisation far exceeds mine. Although you are a professional journalist, I think your work with MacFilos has opened a new area for you. It has even extended your orbit to writing for Claus Sassenberg’s Messsucherwelt in your native language. Mike
Greetings from the sunny Yorkshire coast as I’m enjoying a nice break from the arid South.
Enjoy the break and I will look forward to seeing the new look site, and tomorrows article on other options beyond the CL.
Sorry if I’ve not been around of late, that pesky work keeps getting in the way. But I will catch up on the coming weeks hopefully.
Dave
Thanks, Dave. Enjoy Whitby if that’s where you are. Mike
Busted 🤣
Enjoying a cracking sunset at Saltwick Bay after a 20 mile walk.
Silver Street Fisheries is standing by for your order!
I’m looking forward to the new look.
I’ve become a close follower of Macfilos, and the articles helped steer me into the purchase of a Leica X Vario, whose exquisite rendition meets my current needs perfectly. So would a Q2. I handled one in 2020, and was most impressed, but couldn’t justify buying. That might change when the Q3 arrives!
Meanwhile, I agree we need to focus chiefly on present day models, and only look back occasionally.
I first seriously considered owning a (pre-owned) Leica way back in August 1974, when an article on the IIIg appeared in the long-defunct Photo Technique magazine (who remembers that one?). It took a long, long time to actually purchase any kind of Leica, let alone a Wetzlar-made model!
Thank you so much, Lucy, and welcome to your first comment. I hope we can hear more from you in the future. Mike
Also, My favourite and competent magazine was Darkroom Techniques and then evolving to Photo techniques and then vaporized by the mostly superficial web. It was a delightful treat to drift onto this site a few years ago.
Wherever that is, have a great holiday, a good rest and enjoy yourself.
Jean
Thank you, Jean.
Good luck with the transition Mike and I hope you get a good rest on your holiday.
Thank you, Kevin. I’ll be in the mood by Monday, I’m sure.
We can do crowd funding if you need bail..
Thanks for your good wishes, John. Crowd funding is always a possibility and, I know, many website owners in a similar position use Patreon — often in addition to advertising. But I have no need to earn anything from Macfilos and I see it as a hobby. Many people spend lots more on their favourite hobbies. Did I mention golf? The problem with crowd funding is that I think I would feel pressured to write more. At the moment I know I can take a break whenever I want to. I’ve discussed all this with contributors, in particular Joerg-Peter, and we are in agreement that it’s best to remain self-funding. But thanks for the suggestion. Mike
Go have great time….you deserve it!
I cannot wait to test the new site and provide feedback on software updates.😂
Just so we know, what is the maximum image file size you desire so that some of us can save you needless effort.
Your efforts and talents are much appreciated. Enjoy your well deserved break.
I generally suggest submitting pictures with a file size of no more than 2MB. However, I have now started reducing the size in a nifty little application called PhotoShrinkr, as recommended by our old friend David Babsky. David explained how larger pictures could be compressed without obvious loss of quality (at least as far as a small web image is concerned). I am now aiming for around 350Kb to try to reduce the storage size. As an example, Keith James’s recent photographs and Gary Schwartzwald’s bird shots were submitted at more than 2MB but reduced to ca.350Kb. I suggest you output to no more than 2MB and I’ll do the rest.
Thanks for your good wishes and your continued support.
Hi Mike, enjoy your vacation!
Thanks, SlowDriver. Not going far, but I’ll be on the ocean wave, meandering up to Scotland. No cellular reception, I hope!
How backward do you think we are? Of course we have cellular reception “up the Scotland”, as you term our country!
If you don’t want reception, just turn your ‘phone off! Don’t expect that coming to a modern pro-European country from the depths of dying post-Colonial England will do the trick.
Surely that was a typo for “up to Scotland” and the cellular reference was to being at sea rather than on land. I have amended the offensive definite article and thanks for your constructive criticism. However we we are unable to dock and are just sailing past Mull so are quite safe.
Reception is always patchy off any coast, but I can now tell you from experience that the signal off the Isle of Mull is stronger than that off the Isle of Wight.
However, I wouldn’t attempt to interpret the political nuances of this evidence. I shall enjoy my view of the wonderful Scottish coast when the fog lifts and thank you for your welcome.
Enjoy your trip, Mike, and welcome!
I probably over-reacted, but you will no-doubt be aware that political tensions between Scotland and the Westminster government are greater now than they have been for decades. I hope, to us leaving the United Kingdom before too long and working our way back into the EU.
Like many, I want Scotland to be a country that welcomes all, and is does not present a “hostile environment” to anyone. Independence but not nationalism.
Cellular reception is, by design, generally excellent in Scottish inshore waters.
Thank you., Alistair.
This is a prime example of why we do not discuss politics on Macfilos. As a result we have a level-headed and constructive comments section. With some issues, such as the Scottish situation you mention, there are always at least two sides to the story. I was well aware of this before I mentioned Scotland, and (as I thought) was careful to avoid offence or provocation.
By the way, my middle name is Murray and my genetic composition is at least one third Scottish. The rest is mainly Irish and Welsh. So I hope I can take an even view, although I do see Scotland as a valuable and important part of the United Kingdom. Mike
You don’t know how pleasing not to find advertising in your site. Best wishes
I did run Google ads for a time but really it was more trouble than it was worth. I think the most we ever earned was £20 a month, and it’s nice to feel that we are not beholden to anyone.