National Image Gallery Gone

[Pylon]

So I was looking for a high-resolution photo of the National Commander for "chain of command" wall (see, at least somebody gets good ideas from CAPTalk threads  ) when I realized that the NHQ image gallery, formerly located at http://mhuchette.albumpost.com, just disappeared.  It actually had a wide selection of well groomed photos in high resolution, which we used for local recruiting materials, web site stuff, and other PAO needs.

So I checked out capchannel.com, one of the dozens of random websites we started.  Hmm, okay, it's closed.  Great, we're consolidating websites.  Excellent move.   Except all of the content previously available on capchannel.com is not available on the new NHQ Public Affairs web pages.  And now we have no National photo gallery for echelons below NHQ to use. 

Anybody with contacts at NHQ know if an image gallery is coming back?

[RiverAux]

I found it less than useful.  A bunch of unlabeled photographs of unknown CAP members mostly at national meetings no one cares about.  I had originally hoped it would be a good source of stock photographs of CAP members doing CAP things, but no such luck. 

[Pylon]

I found it less than useful.  A bunch of unlabeled photographs of unknown CAP members mostly at national meetings no one cares about.  I had originally hoped it would be a good source of stock photographs of CAP members doing CAP things, but no such luck.

One had to dig to find some really good photographs.  The copious photographs from board meetings aside, there were usually good photos in the activity-based galleries (NCSAs and pretty much anything specifically cadet related, for example).  It did lack sorely in photos from CAP operations and missions, but had a decent gallery of about 10 or 15 operational photos in the "Hometown Heroes" gallery at the way end of the albums list.  But there were good gems tucked in there.  And in the case of looking for photos for, example, 8x10 prints for a chain of command wall, pretty much every Wing and Region Commander, and many NHQ leaders, had high-res files available there. 

Not bad for an internal image gallery for PAO's and other internal use; not exactly ideal for public photo sharing however.  For that purpose, we'd be much better off using something akin to what the AF uses: http://www.af.mil/photos/   

[RiverAux]

I probably have used a few photos from it, though it was difficult even to find usable photos from the NCSAs because of some of the "special items" worn during those NCSAs or by members of other Wings attending those events, that didn't really represent a more generic version of CAP that is sometimes most useful. 

I always wondered why they didn't put the many decent photos submitted for CAP News Online or from the Volunteer in some galleries where they could be used. 

[Eclipse]

...I realized that the NHQ image gallery, formerly located at http://mhuchette.albumpost.com, just disappeared.

What ever happens to it, an official photo gallery should not be some member's personal account an a consumer photo gallery site. 

[RiverAux]

Actually, I never heard of that site.  Only new about capchannel's galleries. 

[Pylon]

Actually, I never heard of that site.  Only new about capchannel's galleries.

Capchannel's link to the photo gallery just redirected users to the above albumpost account.  They were the same thing.

[LTC Don]

Wow.  I did not realize the national photo gallery was hosted on a member's webhost.  This stuff isn't that hard.  Our squadron's image gallery: http://jococap.dyndns.org/cpg1413 is based on opensource software that was set up in a day.  There are several opensource image packages out there.  If a bonehead like me can figure it out, I don't understand  why CAP is having such a hard time maturing their web-presence.

I do know the .gov domain is very pricey, and a lot of government entities have moved away from it in favor of other, less expensive domains.


Cheers,

[Eclipse]

There are any number of perfectly acceptable image galleries - units should not be wasting time rolling their own (unless they want to), however the issue is who the gallery "belongs to" and who has the keys.

It should be in the name of the unit, and the keys in the hands of the CC or ITO, so that if "jimmyjoepics4u25" decides to leave CAP, the photos don't go with him (and then there's the credibility and professionalism of a web gallery called "smokinghotdwag4life" being where you send people to look at your SAR work.

[Pylon]

I do know the .gov domain is very pricey, and a lot of government entities have moved away from it in favor of other, less expensive domains.

At $125/year, it's hardly unaffordable for the official recognition it allows the entire organization to enjoy.  A .gov sets us apart from every other US Ranger Corps and Bob's Mountain Militia that registers a $8/year .org or .com.   One of the hidden costs of a .gov domain, however, is compliance with rules like ADA section 501.

[RiverAux]

FYI, this is "the new capchannel": http://www.capvolunteernow.com/multimedia_resources//capchannel.cfm
Just videos though.