I've followed this thread along for the past few months it's been up. I'll chime in.

The biggest reason why this site has lost a lot of traffic I think is because of Instagram (and Flickr to some degree). There are a few reasons why:

1. IG just gets more traffic. It's an extremely popular social media app still. It's easier to foster a wider audience on there than on A.net. "Instagram" is going to have greater recognition than "Airliners.net" amongst many.

2. Uploading a pic to IG is almost instant. With A.net, photos have to go through a queue and it takes several days to been screened. Even longer on some other sites. For me, if I had already emailed an image to myself, I can just post it on IG from my phone whenever I want.

3. Many of the "younger" plane spotters just find IG to be much more attractive than uploading to A.net. Social media is just gonna be more popular for teens or younger adults. Communication on that app between spotters is also much more advanced and easier than say talking to each other in threads here. This whole forum thing is a relic from when social media sites were just getting started.

4. There's no standards, which means you can never get a photo "rejected" on IG. Unlike A.net or other sites.

I thought I'd post this reply because I feel the complete opposite many probably feel on here. I've posted plane pics on IG since 2013 but just started uploading to A.net this past January. Due to IG not have any photo "standards" like I just mentioned, some of the pictures I was seeing were not very good I felt like and was getting tired of it. I wanted to start uploading to sites where my photos could be shared on a platform where some of the better quality images were shared, as well as improving on my own photography and editing skills. It is really refreshing seeing some very nice photos on here taken by talented photographers with fancy equipment. A complete contrast from seeing crappy iPhone pics or horrible edits plastered all over my feed. Now there are some that I follow that are able to get the cell phone pics thing to work really well (mostly rampers and pilots) and they actually do a great job. But a lot of the spotters that post awful cell phone pics with zoom on maximum or have zero clue as to how to use a DSLR they blew lots of money on are things I dislike seeing. Also, the photographers on here are much more professional and mature than some of the spotters on IG too which is very refreshing. But since it's a social media site and the audience is much younger on there than here, I can't say I'm surprised.

Edit: I also find it beyond ridiculous how those awful cell phone pics will get spammed with "Amazing photo!" and "Great shot!" type comments and gain a lot of likes whereas photos taken by myself, my friends, and fellow A.net photographers that upload to here but also on IG get no comments or receive barely any attention from anyone. It's really disheartening sometimes.

Thought I'd post my

See a previous post of mine (and Kas' below that) regarding the possibility of an Airliners.net Instagram.

In fact that whole thread is a great read.

Airplanepics wrote:

Sorry to bring up an old thread but it'll be interesting to see updated traffic stats for the site.
I'm not one to usually complain however my latest upload (Ok, it's a TUI 737 so not exactly a rarity!) has been online for 24 hours and has just 3 views!

I'm not really aware of the site stats (as in visitors), but that can probably be looked up online by anyone. As for the photo, a 'mundane' photo will get less views (was always the case, but more noticeable now). What might also be a factor is that your photo was added while we were getting the queue down from 5500 to 3500, meaning less exposure as new photos get added faster.

Silver1SWA wrote:

[...]

It's a known fact that social media took away a good share of viewers/users, but I still see enough reasons left that merit the site. Not in the least place due to the forums. It's still my go-to source for info whenever something major happens in aviation and it keeps me up to date regarding developments of routes, airlines and aircraft.

I use the site now more than ever and usually use a desktop for it (although my mobile activity has obviously increased, but mostly for reading the forum than anything else). I like viewing quality images and I know I will get a certain quality when I browse A.net. Social media, that's always a guess with people posting shitty photos that just make me shake my head. I like viewing these quality photos in larger sizes, especially 1600-1920px. And on a desktop they just look better than on a small mobiel/tablet screen. Plus I still upload photos, for which I need my desktop.

I also view and post photos on social media and notice how some of the most horrible photos get positive comments and lots of likes. Another example is the seemingly 'like-4-like' concept. I hate it. People should like a photo because they like it, not automatically like it because they follow a person or because that person likes all your photos. It's just against my principles, which are of course personal and different for everyone.


In the end, there are pros and cons for each side. Whether the site is useful for someone is an entirely personal choice.

Evan, completely agree. Few things piss me off more than a person with ~10k of equipment around their neck who doesn't even know what shutter speed means. I know that sounds harsh, but it seems like a waste to me. Kas, could not agree more with the last paragraph. I see a lot of the "group like" mentality on instagram, and it is pretty ridiculous. And fwiw, there are quite a few people who see my work on instagram, and then DM me to see it on airliners, or other sites. Airliners, or other desktop/laptop based sites may no longer be the primary resource, but they do still have a place, especially as far as sales and commercial exposure are concerned. Obviously, amongst the legacy sites, airliners is still the premier place. There's my dual pennies.

airkas1 wrote:

Airplanepics wrote:

Sorry to bring up an old thread but it'll be interesting to see updated traffic stats for the site.
I'm not one to usually complain however my latest upload (Ok, it's a TUI 737 so not exactly a rarity!) has been online for 24 hours and has just 3 views!

I'm not really aware of the site stats (as in visitors), but that can probably be looked up online by anyone. As for the photo, a 'mundane' photo will get less views (was always the case, but more noticeable now). What might also be a factor is that your photo was added while we were getting the queue down from 5500 to 3500, meaning less exposure as new photos get added faster.


Hi Kas

I know that the more common pictures will always get less views, that's always been the case as you say - but 3 views? To me, it's hardly worth uploading these shots. The same picture, uploaded to Flickr has got 133 views.

I've always defended this site as I still believe it's a great place to upload however there is something fundamentally wrong with the set up / running of the site and the failure of trying to modernise the way the site runs.

Of course, everyone still appreciates the hard work the screeners / staff put into the site however surely they must feel the same way? We are told things will change on this site but nothing ever seems to - i'm surprised the developers / owners don't want to bring more visitors in for the ad-revenue alone.

Cheers
Simon

I'd argue that viewership here is definitely on the rebound. Front page views today total 20,000+.

I would like to voice my opinions on why I upload pictures on a.net:

1. Before I was into plane spotting on DSLR, I was plane spotting on my iPhone videoing jetliners landing at my home airport; as few months passed by in the first half of 2016, I started to expand my plane-spotting hobby by taking pictures of jetliners via DSLR, in which I find it not only more professional, but also produces better quality images (if not guaranteed).
2. The stringent photo quality standards on a.net: while my initial thought of my photos never making it to the database, I have the opportunity to learn how to edit photos by Adobe PS. Luckily, I had some experience on how to use the nifty program in my junior year of high school, and thus, editing these photos made good photos from the DSLR a lot more nicer! It may be tiresome to edit and re-edit photos after time, but with continuous learning and experience paying off, I was able to get some more photos accepted to the database.
3. Considering the two above, I have much better enjoyed plane spotting using my DSLR while at the same time to better improve my plane-spotting skills. I was very amazed on how DSLR-quality images after processing on PS were compared to images taken from iPhones (in most cases) because DSLR images were a lot more crispier and more professional-looking, making me appreciate the quality of photos taken from the DSLR a lot more.

Overall, I feel that a.net is a perfect opportunity for even the most novice plane-spotters to improve and hone their plane-spotting skills to learn so that they can become professional plane-spotters, even as a hobby.

The only views the site gets are the links from Facebook etc which immediately puts them on the front page. And the only shots that get promoted on FB which facilitates them getting on the front page which explains those so called 20,000 plus views are those that selected by a single individual. All other shots by the 99% of uploaders that do not receive this service get very few views.

johnr wrote:

The only views the site gets are the links from Facebook etc which immediately puts them on the front page. And the only shots that get promoted on FB which facilitates them getting on the front page which explains those so called 20,000 plus views are those that selected by a single individual. All other shots by the 99% of uploaders that do not receive this service get very few views.

And I’m curious of the thousands of views that come from Facebook promotion, how many come from the mobile app?

Silver1SWA wrote:

johnr wrote:

The only views the site gets are the links from Facebook etc which immediately puts them on the front page. And the only shots that get promoted on FB which facilitates them getting on the front page which explains those so called 20,000 plus views are those that selected by a single individual. All other shots by the 99% of uploaders that do not receive this service get very few views.

And I’m curious of the thousands of views that come from Facebook promotion, how many come from the mobile app?

Wow, is there an APP for A.net or you mean social media like twitter, facebook etc?

There used to be an app, now it likely refers to the mobile site.

Airliners as well as Jetphotos and a few others are the reference for Web aviation photos library and they remained elitist. People who are not that demanding go to Instagram where everything is in bulk there. Flickr remains interesting as well with a nice collection of vintage scans. The traffic goes up with very common people and of course will go against (in number) the places where quality and passion pays the most. Of course if there's some SEO job that should be done to improve exposure then the managers should look after it otherwise i still get A.net as Google 1st result and almost never been disappointed. I say this to be fair and never had any of the photos i uploaded accepted though!

10 days in a queue of just over +6000 images.

baldwin8 wrote:

10 days in a queue of just over +6000 images.

I guess that more people like the professional quality of photos from a.net and even jp; wish there are more screeners to speed up the queue and lessen the wait of screening results.

baldwin8 wrote:

10 days in a queue of just over +6000 images.

I believe there was an issue with post-screening emails failing to be sent and screening had to be interrupted unless I'm missing something, hence why the queue is log-jammed.

Took 15 days for some of my images to go through the queue.

The E-mail issue was kinda part of it, but currently there are a number of screeners unavailble due to holidays and/or real life commitments.

It would also help if people just upload good quality photos. It doesn’t take long to accept batches of such photos

fsx98 wrote:

baldwin8 wrote:

10 days in a queue of just over +6000 images.

I guess that more people like the professional quality of photos from a.net and even jp; wish there are more screeners to speed up the queue and lessen the wait of screening results.

screeners are people too. Though perhaps having more upload slots for people who already have lots of pictures here would be a thing.
At the very least this allows better photographers to get more pictures in quicker, but maybe 100 or 200 picture minimum. (perhaps this already exists and I just don't know it since I only have 50)

-Mikhail

Starfuryt wrote:

fsx98 wrote:

baldwin8 wrote:

10 days in a queue of just over +6000 images.

I guess that more people like the professional quality of photos from a.net and even jp; wish there are more screeners to speed up the queue and lessen the wait of screening results.

screeners are people too. Though perhaps having more upload slots for people who already have lots of pictures here would be a thing.
At the very least this allows better photographers to get more pictures in quicker, but maybe 100 or 200 picture minimum. (perhaps this already exists and I just don't know it since I only have 50)

-Mikhail

That’s a very bad idea. Should really be equal for everyone, with respect to acceptance ratio of course. I think a maximum of 10-20 per user in the queue is reasonable. Do you really need to put 50 images in at a time?

Especially if someone with plenty of photos goes through a bad patch of editing, they should have the limits applied as was always the case in the old days.

Limiting uploads is NOT they way forward here - uploads are around 400 images a day.

Erm I never suggested 50...I said i have 50 photos in the database, but raising the max for experienced photographers might work, like you said probably no more than 20.

Starfuryt wrote:

Erm I never suggested 50...I said i have 50 photos in the database, but raising the max for experienced photographers might work, like you said probably no more than 20.

Isn't it already that way? Certainly used to be. If you had no photos in the DB, you could only upload 1 or 2 at a time. Once you got up to 500 photos in the DB, you could upload 20.

Has that changed?

Yes screeners are just humans.

Don't forget it is summer in the northern hemisphere and here in europe we finally have some nice weather, so people might also have soemthing else to do.

Yet having had the possibiliy to now see it from the inside, I can only say I am still impressed with the time some of the screeners invest for the site. There are guys that don't upload currently yet screen a lot of shots! All that for the sake of the site and the community.

vikkyvik wrote:

Starfuryt wrote:

Erm I never suggested 50...I said i have 50 photos in the database, but raising the max for experienced photographers might work, like you said probably no more than 20.

Isn't it already that way? Certainly used to be. If you had no photos in the DB, you could only upload 1 or 2 at a time. Once you got up to 500 photos in the DB, you could upload 20.

Has that changed?

well I'm a long way from 500 so I don't know

vikkyvik wrote:

Starfuryt wrote:

Erm I never suggested 50...I said i have 50 photos in the database, but raising the max for experienced photographers might work, like you said probably no more than 20.

Isn't it already that way? Certainly used to be. If you had no photos in the DB, you could only upload 1 or 2 at a time. Once you got up to 500 photos in the DB, you could upload 20.

Has that changed?

I don't believe so. The limits as I understand them to be are:

1-5: 2
5-10: 5
10-100: 10
100-500: 15
500-1000: 20
>1000: 40

I stopped uploading regularly almost three years ago, primarily because of dissatisfaction about how the site was changing, but also because the “return on investment” of time and effort seemed to be continually shrinking. I’ve trickled in uploads since then, but seven of the ten shots I’ve had accepted in that period have more views on Flickr than here. (And I’ll note that these shots are ones I consider distinctive enough to have, in the past, attracted relatively high views.) I take that to mean that there are far fewer site visitors.

The photography community is less active. Looking at this forum, only two threads have any activity in the last 24 hours (and one of those was 23 hours ago). It’s perhaps not statistically valid, but another sign for me of reduced site traffic is that I’ve had only one contact that led to a photo sale, where I used to typically have several a year.

I understand the demands on the screeners, and the queue is what it is, but expecting a 15-day delay doesn’t add any motivation to upload. (I’ve also found that using an iMac Retina display makes sharpening decisions almost entirely arbitrary – I’m just guessing what the results will look like on another monitor.)

So, multiple factors, but A.net is missing much of what originally attracted me to it.

-Mark