Saturday 20 December 2008: The arch of Simplicity
My final blip.
Thank you all who have commented, with both comments of support and critique.
I've found some wonderful people along the way, and made some unexpected friends and much more.
It's been a pleasure to share images that I feel connected with with you all, and to comment on images that have given me smiles, inspiration, and provoked me to greater understanding.
Be blessed and go steady
Bisk
Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL : f/3.5 : 6" : 18mm : ISO 200
viewed 3236 times : 55 comments
Comments
what? did i read that correctly? you and your images will certainly be missed! i wish you the best. thanks for the beautiful parting shot (so to speak).
~ distractedhausfrau
Noooooooooooooooooo! Come back!
I'm gutted, Mr Biscuits - I hope you fleet in and out from time to time :)
~ gabbahey
Know how you feel - it really surprised me that blipcentral could ignore the significance of voices like yours.
I will genuinely miss your insights.
~ worry_pas
hmmm...so when will you be coming back - say in a week or so? :-)
~ Adda
Just read this and the edited 'about' page. I hear what you say and I can understand your feelings about blip going commercial but there will be a free version available. Why not wait a while and see how it pans out, then make a decision?
YOU AND YOUR WIT WILL BE MISSED - SORELY
~ postie
See you on Flickr
~ Shin
Great shot, like how you captured a plane with it too :)
Sorry to hear you leave though! Have very much enjoyed your pics. Will you continue somewhere else?
~ stephanie
Love it!
~ MissRAble
Noooo! Now I´ve read the text. Final blip? Why?
I love your journal. Want you to go on blipping!
~ MissRAble
How can you do that Bisk?!?!
When you are only 15 blips away from the Gold Camera?
Although I have heard that for an extra GBP15 you can avail of the Platinum Founder Member's package, with automatic Gold Camera and personalised mug!
It has been an absolute pleasure to read your most entertaining journal, discover magnificently crafted shots or striking spontaneous street shots.
My old time favourite has to be the shot you took of that guy speaking on the mobile phone in Paris, sitting on the ground, drinking champagne from the bottle. Thanks a million for that shot, and all the others!
We will bitterly miss your wit, passion and knack for dissent.
I can't say that the latest developments make me too confident about the positive evolution of Blip, but it may just be me being unnecesarily pessimistic (not a trait that I am unusally known for).
Goodbye it is then, old goat (hope that it's just as far as the character is concerned, not the B.O. :)
I'll be in touch via gmail.
~ raheny_eye
Nooooooo, don't leave us!
These house look a cool place to live.
Have fun, wherever life takes you :)
~ dailydoobs
Another ARCHetypical shot from you, but surely not a parting shot!!!
I know us Taureans can be stubborn but we also like the good things in life - come on think again, don't be hasty!!!
~ snappydancer
thanks for sharing your wonderful photo's with me.
~ islanderwoman
sorry you leaving bliphoto but flicker is only free up to 200 photos .
~ sunflower
Come on chap, you can't leave. I mean who will comment on Baggins? I agree about the site and all, but i'll not pay and continue to use the free version. I guess we will wait and see what happens.
~ mojopin8
Oh noooo! You'll still come to the meet ups though... I hope. See you on Flickr, where I hope to view many more Bisk tunnels and archways and lavender fields and market folk and trees and long, winding roads and....
~ squirk
So very sorry to hear you have decided to leave. You will be sorely missed. You should have seen Baggins when we told him you were leaving Blip. Hubby says that his blip was Baggins running for the advent calendar, but I think he was making a mad dash to the door and heading for London. We should have suspected something when got his Dick Whittington-style bag on a stick together. Keep in touch on flickr though, won't you?
~ marypot70
Sorry to see you go. I was going to say something else that might (or might not) have included words like "hasty" "over-reaction" "have a bit of a think" - and with probably a question mark or two - but I decided it might be a bit cheeky.
Ultimately, of course, it's your call. I'll miss your images, your comments and the ambition and effort you always seem to put into your blips: you strike me as someone who sets himself high standards, and that pays off in what you post. I'm not saying that as flattery, just as something I think is true.
I don't think blip is fated to change just because it has to pay its way - that's down to the people who come here to blip.
See you (hopefully!)
~ Red
lovely blip. sorry you are leaving.
~ zouclay
I'll really miss you and your pictures.
~ acircledoesnot
Great shot as always. Sometimes you just have to think about the bigger picture (pun intended), it will still be a great site and how it's run is not for us to say as we don't run it. We just meet here whether pro or amateur to chat and be inspired don't we?
~ annekingston
A beautiful image to end your blip days.
~ queenie
Oh no ! What a sad day .. Bisk , you are one of my favourite blippers and that's no word of lie .. I will miss you and your journal loads ..I wish you all the best in all your endeavours . A tear rolls down my cheek ... Please take care ! A gorgeous blip to end your journal xxxx
~ stuff
As Red: it'll only change if people make it change or if the people here change. Leaving before it's even taken effect seems a little hasty. Go well and my regards to the glinting night-cobbles.
~ wingpig
About page agreed. I liked it when I knew who everyone was around here. Before you knew it people you've never seen have hit 300 with pictures of their cat.
~ lewisevans
@lewisevans: if that's not a "two-tier blip" comment, I don't know what is. You've neatly covered (a) "who are all these new blippers?" and (b) "what right have they to inflict their cat on me?" in one sweeping statement.
~ Red
Awww, I dont want to presuade you not to leave, but please dont, you are part of this community, I love your journal and your comments.
If you are leaving because you are to busy or have another path in your journey, may I say have a wonderful and fun packed future, but pleaseeeeeeeeeeee come back and say hiya from time to time.
I will miss you and your journal, have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Tracey xxx
~ traceyflowerpot
I will miss you and your pictures, I have watched you progress to a damn fine photographer over the past 350, you will be missed, I dare say you won't be the only one leaving us.
I hope one day we can meet up on one of these London blip meets, you will attend i hope?
I do hope everything works out for you, you have my email on my "about", keep safe and farewell.
~ brickmaker
wot u mean final blip ? Did I miss something other than the £25 fee?
If you have to take time out - I can relate to that as I got blipitis and spent more time on this than with people who are important to me - so I had to prioritse
I'll miss your humour - you are the only peson who ever left a "flibbertygibbet" on my blip!
Good luck on whatever you do
Take care
~ trabroun
Bisk. You have been a breath of fresh air here and a strength.. I've enjoyed your blip images and appreciated your comments.. I look forward to seeing more of your photographs on flickr and elsewhere.. Best wishes for Christmas and have a soulful New Year ;)
~ Croz
hey bisk thanks for all your support and comments.
please stick around though, it may not change as dramatically as some people are assuming it will.
~ daysindecember
Thanks Bisk, I love your stuff, and understand your frustration.
~ devon
That's a shame Bisk, you'll be greatly missed. I hope you reconsider,
~ photofiend
Will miss your pictures and comments.
take care
~ woolyme
Wow. I'm speechless. Literally...... Can't you hangout with us guys in the cheap seats?
~ constant
Sigh!!
I'm really touched and moved by these comments, and it has just made me realise the proper joy of being part of this community...YOU the contributers.
I studied this site before I joined for several months, and really found the the whole ethos of nurturing and positivity and yet in a simple framework of equality to be just the enviroment I respected to start my DSLR founding moments.
I too pondered how it maintained its costs, and wondered even if there was some "stock" advantage for having so many contributers add shots to a media company. Primarily the issue isn't money for me, please be clear on that, it's more to do with the changing philosophy and feel. Over the months it appears Blipfoto is developing of the site from a humble and simple model to something evolving away from that and a more commercial feel.
Is it really naive to think that such a pure spirited project that grows masively can't keep to core principles of zero fuss? Where every contributer felt equal and nobody can made to feel less worthy? Signing contracts and prohibiting under 13's stuck in my throat, and that took care of the encouraging younger members I thought. Why I wondered to myself? Was this sewing up legal loop holes to do with making it more commercially watertight? Could it be more marketable for sale this way? If this was purely a hobby Joe had, that suddenly went ballistic, something genuinely transparent, if so why not make it donation friendly first?
I could see myself being very generous, even more than £40 for the benifits of keeping the warm spirit of the community alive. "Instead of a warm feeling in my tummy" because I had been encouraged to chip in and help this in charitable way, all I have seen is cheap gimicky commercial marketing ploys. Spend X amount and you get X many freebies, spend less you get less, pay nothing and you get the cheap seats. Why simply couldn't the question have been asked, "hey guys, this belongs (spiritually if not materially) to you, this is the problem, what should we do?" It has not been a case of Joe asking. "I'd like you're opinion on how to proceed but a rather autocratic Joe ... (quote) "this is not an idea, it's a decision which has already been made - we're going ahead with it in exactly the form described."
Fair enough, his project, his way or dealing with the added responsabilities of such a successful place, but I can't help but feel so sad for the way it appears in my mind to have changed and also Joe's perspectives\objectives.
As for Blipfoto Badges , cards, are they advertising devices to generate more memebership....or simple thank yous?
Member bought icons beside your name ....self glorification?.. personal validity? or maybe some-upmanship?.. or just simple statements of dedication to the blipfoto cause?...is that a positive?
Does that really sound like acts of humility and being a unrecognised pillar to something you have complete respect for, or something that encourages those just starting or alienate them?
It's with a great deal of remorse I feel no option but to use my feet as the only option to keep true to my own philosophies. Blipping in the future will not appear to have a democratic process or the idealody of one blipper = one level, non dependant of age, class or financial circumstance or ability and with nobody given the vehicle to buy eminence.
I'd love to stay for the amazing and genuine people I have encountered here.
Can I do that can't the framework isn't one in tune with me? Perhaps if I had joined with less ideals about what the community represented, something unique.
I can only be true to myself , sorry!
I thank you for all the amazing uplifting comments and advice and friendships.
I wish you all great success with your photography, and your connections to others, surely that is what it is all about.
I'm just an email away.
Go steady
~ Bisk
How sad. You have your reasons and I respect your conviction. Take care and keep on posting those fab shots somewhere.
You will be missed.
~ Barking
Sob, sob!
~ valo
Hey Bisk, all your comments and points are valid and I agree with you having re-read the bliplog....the decision wasn`t made with us in mind, it wasn`t a democratic one and surely for a group with such a huge membership, albeit a free one, then surely the `team` behind blip could have held some sort of online survey to see what the thoughts of the majority were with regards to becoming a fully paid up member. How are they going to police a three tier structure, I don`t know. I might wait and see how things go before I make a decision myself, do I pay or do I go now, to blip or not to blip. That will be the question.
Will have a chat with Hebs over christmas lunch and see what she thinks of the idea.
Stay true to yourself my blip friend, will miss your wonderful images and pithy comments. Ta ra
~ hebsauntyval
excellent blip , sorry you are calling it a day , but agree on some of your points (o:
~ Tone
slan. admired your views and blips.
~ sheemore
Oh no...sad..but I understand. Thanks for commenting on my fledgling journal, it was very inspiring coming from a legend like you.
Take care and thanks for the beautiful blip today.
~ fiori
Late to the wake I see....
Aside from the future of blip, I know you'll be sadly missed and looking forward to catching up next time I'm in the big smoke. Stay in touch eh?
Cheers
42
~ 42
I was so looking forward to seeing your IR shots come summer time. Your reasons ring very true tho so all the best...
~ steveo
shit dude, some of the comments on here are almost as sycophantic as the ones i've seen on the blip blog! well seeing most of these folk haven't met you yet ;O)
it is a sad day and even though we have had a couple of chats about this i can't help but feel you have left too soon. i fully support you though and admire you sticking by your convictions (and i don't mean the ones we can't talk about).
hopefully see you over christmas.
keep riding the waves of life,
McD
~ McDawg
Amazing image....5/5..
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year...
Now i saw it... Where are you going???
Oh I will miss you a lot...
~ rena
Great arch! Happy Christmas to you! Hope you'll change your mind...
~ MissU2
Don't know if you're still checking comments but I hope you and your family are having a wonderful, happy Christmas!
~ fiori
I have read all the comments carefully including your valid point of view. You certainly have conviction but I think you are missing one thing. If u think that blipfoto belongs to all of us rather than just moderators, how can you leave your thing on a decision imposed by them. Sorry but It looks to me like that if prime minister/president of Pakistan will impose fees on staying in this counttry, I will decide to leave this country.
Anyway respecting your decision, I will not say "come back" but will certainly miss your blips.
~ faizan615
ok folks was chatting to bisk the other day who asked if i would leave a short note from him on his page, so here it is.
"sorry i can't write this in person but i have been suspended. if anyone wants to get in touch they can contact me through the email address on my about page."
~ McDawg
:(
~ laurgurl326
come back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Miss your sarcasm!!
~ trabroun
I'm a bit late bisks, not sure if you'll even read this,
gonna miss you about blip. Some damn fine images I particularly like your bridges
I will still be able to see you on flickr hopefully. Take care, stay well and Hope 2009 is a brilliant year for you
~ Jaxter46
Suspended? Not for for voicing your opinion, I hope.
Bye, Bisk
I hope 2009 is good to you.
~ Cradlehall
Sounds a little 1984 to me, if you ask me. I think Joe needs to make a statement about this, or Blip may just be done for me. Members getting suspended for writing what they feel?
~ devon