Chimerical Gallery Update (August 13)
As promised, I’m updating you every couple of weeks on the progress on the gallery project! Since we last talked I have:
• Added a system that allows users to request context on an image (artist commentary or tags) or report an issue (broken metadata or a scan/image quality issue)
• Added a maintenance section that will allow me to see what images have user requests, and allow me to verify platforms/user information when users create accounts
• Started work on the gallery “experience”, adding a landing page and consolidating user profile/settings/gallery browsing/favorites pages
• Put together a “benefits of membership” page and started nailing down what those benefits are
• Started integrating the main site’s color scheme, and added a function so users could decide what color scheme they want (including dark mode)
• Put in code for patron achievements
• Completely redid the image processing/discovery process so that it happens on the backend, instead of being triggered by user visits
It feels like I’ve done very little because so much of what I’m doing now is either invisible (the maintenance section) or seems minor (being able to choose your color scheme). I spent half an hour, for instance, tinting the thumbnails on dark mode so that they wouldn’t be bright white when the rest of the gallery is a dark blue/purple. But what I’ve got my head down on, right now, is the most important task: ensuring patrons have an experience that reflects their support. Your gallery experience should involve your gallery home greeting you, sharing announcements and notifications, and displaying images people have either tagged/favorited lately, or that have been uploaded lately, or are related to the project I’m writing, etc. You’ll have achievements too, based on books you’ve read, artwork you’ve collected, kickstarters you’ve backed, wikis you’ve helped edited… even gallery images you’ve added context to with tags!
Anonymous visitors will only see a handful of images and reasons why they might want to sign up; and free accounts (people who login and create accounts, but aren’t subscribed or haven’t bought a Shopify pass) will have limited access, to about 50 of the available hundreds of images.
The old Stardancer Gallery was free for everyone, but even as extensive as it was for the time, it’s nothing compared to what I’m planning with the new gallery… which not only has higher quality uploads, but SO MANY MORE of them. I’m going to have to upgrade hosting to handle the sheer amount of content I’m going to scan and upload. I’ve got hundreds of images ready to go already, though I’m only testing with about 55… and that’s hundreds of the thousands I have planned.
I’ve spent about two months on this already and it feels like a LONG time. But it’s going to be so good to have a gallery again! I can’t wait!
To answer some of your questions:
Yes, you will be able to buy passes if you aren’t a Patreon or Locals subscriber. I’ll have a Shopify option for passes. Probably an annual, and maybe a six-month? Or seasonal? I’m still deciding.
No, you don’t have to share your data with me unless you want to. When you do set-up, it’ll ask if you want me to know about your support/connection with me on other platforms, and it’s up to you whether to share that or not.
No, I’m not planning a comment section like the old Stardancer gallery’s. Only about 15 people regularly used the ability to leave comments on images, and while I loved every one of those comments, I don’t relish the idea of policing the comment section on a modern website with free users. You will be able to favorite images, and tag them if you want to contribute to organizing them; and you’ll be able to ask me to write an artist commentary on any of them you’re curious about. But unless my patron users ask me for this capability, I’m not planning on it.
End of summer was probably aggressive, but I’m definitely thinking three months should get us to the beta, so sometime in September. Since we’re halfway through August, that’s actually not too long from now (eep). I remind myself that I haven’t had an online gallery for years now, so waiting a few more months isn’t a big deal. But I’m excited and I want to share!
Feel free to leave your comments/questions/requests about the gallery here. Or if you want to watch the daily progress, ask about the Discord, where you can hear my developmental comments in #sandbox.
