My upgrade of the forum software is just about complete. You may have noticed some features have moved, some have been enhanced. But the biggest change is that many of the restrictions I faced about other types of web-community projects have been removed.

So, I'm open for suggestions about new site features. The limit is much lower than the sky, as I can't add anything that requires custom programming. And I don't want to "me too" anything that already exists, even partially (no, I don't want to be another Flickr or youtube or worth1000). So if it begins with "I saw this on X.com ..." or ends with "...like on X.com", no thanks.

Plus, it needs to be relevant and useful for RetouchPRO members. And not just because it's free to use (which it would have to be).

And I'm not looking for yet more maintenance work for myself, so anything we do would have to rely on users (that would be you) for content. I'll install it, but beyond that the labor would come from RetouchPRO members (again, that would be you, so if you suggest an idea be willing to work for it).

So, within those contraints, any ideas?

I may be blowing air, because I am clueless as to the logistics of these things, but ...

- wiki tutorials could get interesting, or maybe wikis focusing on image manipulation experiments. Maybe a tutorial wiki where a technique or problem is explored in each of it's solutions in each of the software programs that can do it - Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Gimp, etc.

- from a purely entertainment point of view being able to post images and have them presented as a flash movie / slideshow would be intersting, especially with the addition of music. I can see it being used for a progression of a restoration, to show the many takes on a challenge or contest, or the many artistic renderings of the same photo.

- Adding a blog kind of format to each members profile page with the option that the members latest entry could show up in the signature (the beginning of the entry) could be a lot of fun.

I guess another way of asking Doug's question is, "is there a need that is not being met ... ?", that brainstorm might bring up some interesting solutions.

-Rr