5 months later. . .

You might recall earlier this year that I had begun to notice "losing" my most recent images. What was begun then by my storage provider has now been concluded. Which means that while my site was never the on-line photo-gallery clamored for by many, it is now even less so.

Personally, this is no biggie, afaIc. In the weeks/months ahead, I will be restoring some images (special emphasis on completed projects) as time and inclination allow; but a complete restora- tion of the site is out of the question!

If there is some aspect of a project that you would like to see illustrated, please feel free to post a request as a Comment, and I will see what I can do. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

THE END

I regret to inform you that due to reasons beyond my control, AMF will cease to be an ongoing concern.

Yesterday, I noticed that I began to "lose" images that heretofore had been fine. While not all images have been impacted, a significant number of my latest uploads are now broken links. There is a reason for this--obviously; however, I have neither the time nor the inclination to ferret out the root cause/s of a problem not of my doing.

This site was a pleasurable self-indulgence; but it is time to move on. Blogs are now largely passé, and I am not now, nor will I ever be, a supporter of so-called "social media"--especially as the adaptations to mobile platforms have compromised the utility and functionality of sites such as this.

So, I thank you for your support and your indulgence. I hope that the site has proven to be of some use over the years. While the future is ever The Riddler's sigil, rest assured that I will continue modelling miniatures until it is time to call it a life. . .

PS - I have managed to "fix" a few of the broken links. Whether these are permanent fixes, I haven't a clue; but for now, the disruption has been reigned-in somewhat. . .

PPS - Please read the Comments for an update of the situation. . . THANK YOU!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Computer woes. . .

Just a quick note to let you know I will be out of commission for the next 10-15 days as my computer gave up the ghost Monday night. While I was hoping that there might be a little life left to be squeezed out of the old girl, I suppose it was too much too ask of a stalwart companion for over a dozen years!

While the ultimate prognosis was terminal, literally and figuratively, the good news is that it appears as if the hard drive survived unscathed. So once I am back up and running, I should not have suffered any appreciable loss.

Hope to be back ASAP!

New in 2013

Those of sharper eye will have noticed the addition of a new subject in the ToC: Samurai (Historical).

While this blog has always allowed for historical meanderings, they have been effectively kept to nil. However, certain recent events have prompted me to wind-down my bushi-dedicated historical modelling blog (to be closed in the next 2-3 months), and find a home for the projects therein. Hence the new subject label/folder.

So what prompted this decision?

1. Sengoku Daimyō has been the target of escalating troll and spam attacks in the last few months. Most of these are coming from overseas. While it is little effort to simply not approve the comment, it is a source of aggravation that I would rather not deal with at this time.
2. My artistic career is in its final act. I will always be sculpting and/or painting; but the time has come to pursue it for what it now is: a hobby to enjoy as a means of escape from the daily toil. This has been coming for quite some time, but the last year finally drove the point home. The future of this blog was also on the table, but it affords me an economical outlet that the countless other boards I visit--and occasionally participate in--could not.

So what does this mean for you, the readership?

AFAIC, you should see little or no change. In fact, you may see some "improvement". The only real difference is that you potentially might see a drop in the number of new postings, but that will be contingent upon the time I have to spend at the bench.   

Speaking of which, the oven timer just went off. . .

Search widget not working

Just a head's up that the usually reliable and thorough Blog Search widget is not working at this time. Apparently this is something that happens about once a year, when apps and the like are updated, etc.

In the meantime, if you need to find something but cannot remember the thread or the subject of the posting, you might want to try: http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch/advanced_blog_search. Paste the blog url (http://augiemefecit.blogspot.com/) in the "In blogs. . . at this url" field, and type in your search terms. This will provide you the results you are looking for.

FOLLOW-UP - 07.06.11. . . The search widget is kaput. I am going to delete the option from the sidebar: it is, after all, useless. While the above workaround is still very effective, there is an even easier one: use the search function on the navbar at the top of your page (far left, next to the Blogger icon). I've tried it several times, and it is just as thorough--and fast!--as the widget.

UPDATE - 19.06.11. . . You might have noticed that I have replaced the search widget, thanks to a fellow blogger who devised a very useful and seamless work-around. It is working perfectly--for now. Keeping my fingers crossed!

POLL--Grading our blog!--CLOSED

Out first poll is now closed. I would like to thank the 8 respondents who took the time to participate, and, as always, to Lloyd for his comments.

So how did we--the blog and I--do? Well, 2 "Great"s, 5 "Not bad"s, and 1 "Could be much better". As there was but one comment, I can only guess at what I might do to improve the experience.

As I mentioned in the presentation of the poll, I am aware that the site is light on images. While I will strive to improve my performance on this front, I will be completely candid with you and tell you that any improvement will be relative. My disposable time is extremely limited, and if I have to choose between photography and photo-editing, and modelling or painting, the photography will lose every time!

Secondly, I am not particularly graphics driven. I have touched upon this on numerous occasions in writing and verbally with those of you who know me well. I respect your counter-arguments, and they are not without merit; however, my experience as the host of a forum for over a decade, and now this blog, is that images will not yield a greater level of participation. Images in this context are but a visual aid, not a means to an end. I have my own theory on how forums and blogs should work, and I have yet to receive a post or a comment that ties in the images of the completed piece, which I always provide, with the descriptive text that preceded it. . . I know many will disagree with me, and that is your privilege.

So. . . again, my thanks for your participation. Maybe we'll do this again in a year's time and see if we can elicit a greater response--and improve the scores some!

Augie

POLL--Grading our blog!

At the top of the blog sidebar, you will notice a poll. This poll attempts to circumvent the unilateral nature of blogs by soliciting your participation--and opinion!

In short, how am I doing? Do you find it informative? What would you like to see more of (I am well aware of the clamor for more images: while I will try to improve on that aspect of the blog, time limita- tions--as well as other salient reasons--will always preclude this becoming a primarily graphic venue.)? Less of?? What would you do differently???

You get the idea. You're vote is good. An elaborated vote (by posting a comment in this thread) would be even better!

This poll will run through the evening of Feb. 25th.

Thanks in advance!

Thumbnails

This might be old hat to most, but given the number of visitors we attract on a daily basis, I think it might be worth highlighting.

The majority of images you see on the blog are "thumbnails". No, not your classic thumbnail, but thumbnails nonetheless: smaller versions of the original image. The blog limits the user to a width of 400 pixels. This might be sufficient--and it has indeed proved itself to be so--on standing figures smaller than 120mm, give or take, with relatively small footprints; but for everything else, it is woefully inadequate.

Not a problem! In those instances where I feel a 400-pixel wide image is insufficient, I simply link the thumbnail (350-400 pixels wide) back to the source image. How do you know if the image is linked? Simply run your cursor over the image and if the arrow changes into a hand with an outstretched index finger, it's a linked image! Click on the image and you will be taken to the full-sized image.

Now, depending on the dimensions of your monitor, you might have a reduced-sized image before you. In these instances, when you run the cursor over the image, you will see the arrow change into a magnifying glass with a + sign in it: click on the image and it will go to full-size.

If you have any problems, please don't hesitate to comment.

ENJOY!

Augie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMF!!!

Hard to believe that one year ago to the day, this site was launched with me barely knowing what a blog was about! Since that time, despite some fetching options, I've grown to appreciate not only what a blog has to offer, but its limitations as well.

114 posts, 143 comments, and Lord knows how many "updates", "follow-ups", etc. that in a bulletin-board type forum would be counted as a stand-alone post. Not too shabby. And with comments outnumbering postings, the relative success of this site is in no small way due to you, the readership. And for this you have my heartfelt thanks.

While I've resisted installing a hit-counter, I can say with certainty that our daily traffic is very good. We've had visitors from 5 continents, and afaic tell, a significant number of "regulars"--I'd love to hear their impressions, thoughts, comments on how we're doing; what they like--and don't; etc.

So, what's in store for 2010? While I will spend some of my time over on EPH, not as much as I thought I might earlier this year. In short, you can expect more of the same, and then some! Hope this is good news, and I hope you'll drop-by often.

Best regards, with thanks to all,

Augie

EPH IS BACK!!!!

Just a quick note to let you know that EPH is "back in business", as it were, and I--WE!!!--will hopefully be able to pick-up where we left off. In short, if you want to start posting on EPH, by all means do so, and rest assured that the site will be monitored at least daily. Please note that if you wish to make a posting on EPH, you will have to register as a member: Guests do not have posting privileges, though you may lurk at will and to your heart's content.

So what does this mean for AMF? Nothing whatsoever!!! AMF will continue, business as usual, as the venue of record for my non-historical pursuits. I apologize for any inconvenience caused to those who prefer one-stop surfing; but after considerable thought and deliberation, I felt that I was reaching fewer people with but a single venue than I could with two.

Before closing, there will be some projects that will bridge the two sites, much as there were when I started AMF earlier this year. Historical projects will be resumed/continued on EPH. In order to maintain a semblance of continuity between the threads, if not where they reside, I will put hot-links in place whenever necessary.
I hope to have the transition completed within 8-10 weeks.

Best regards,

Augie

Site Navigation (3) -- Search functionality

I have just added a Search app to the blog in the hope that it will make finding the information YOU need more accessible. If you can remember reading something here, but can't place the "thread" in which it was posted, this app might make for a more productive search.

It is located below/after the Subject Index.

Enjoy!

Augie

PS--Unlike our past experiences with resident search engines, this one truly works!

E-mails & Comments

I would like to thank all of you who have taken time to visit the site and have sent an email with your comments, questions, etc.

While I am more than happy to answer any and all questions--time permitting, I have to ask myself, "Why not post a comment where everyone can benefit from the exchange of information?"

You might have your reasons, and that is fine. And I can certainly understand in some instances as the content of the email might stray to what might be considered "personal". Having said that, if it is a question, comment, observation, etc. dealing with what we do, then by all means please consider posting it on the blog.

Admittedly this is a somewhat limited platform for the types of exchanges that we are used to elsewhere; but if you think about it, not that limited. . .

Before closing, please remember that if you decide to take the plunge, all comments are under full moderation, thus your posting might not appear for 24 hrs., depending on the circumstances.

And with that. . . keep 'em coming. . . and THANKS!

Augie

Site Navigation (2)

If you are a regular you will have noticed that I have taken to expanding a given posting using "diary entries" rather than creating a new posting. I believe this will not only enhance the continuity of the thread content, but it will avoid having to worm our way through countless "sound bites" that in and of themselves provide little.

The only downside is that the reader may not realize that postings are being updated and revised in such a manner--hence this posting. If you are following a particular thread and/or project, please check the titular posting often until the next posting in the thread appears. Or you can click on the subject heading in the site index, and review the contents at your leisure.

In any case, just because there are no "new" postings doesn't mean that there hasn't been any activity. And make sure to check the comments: while there are now 25 postings, there are 33 comments!

ENJOY!

Augie

Site Navigation

In the course of chatting with a few of the stalwarts in the last few days, a common lament was the "non-linear" nature of the blog (vs. the compartmentalized internally-sequential threads in a bulletin board). And I couldn't agree more. In fact, it will be one of the things I miss the most!

Nevertheless, I believe that navigation will get progressively easier the more one uses the site and distances oneself from the habitual "norm" of the bulletin board platform. And to this end I have rearranged the sidebar. Note that at the top of the sidebar is now what I call the "Site Index". This is a list of the "tags" (keywords, labels, what have you) that describe a given posting, along with the number of postings (in parentheses) in each category. The most important thing to note is that each project will be individually tagged. Thus if you are only interested in the progress being made on the bust of The Mummy, simply click on "Mummy (Bust)", and all the postings in that "thread" will appear in descending order.

Let me know what you think, and how it works for you. And should you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate!

Augie

Re: Comments

First of all, I would like to thank all of you who have taken time to visit the site AND post a comment or two. MOST welcome and gratifying! I do not have a means to track the number of visits (which is in any case largely counter-productive), so I'm always happy to see a comment.

Having said that, you should know that comments are under full moderation. Unfortunately it is an "all-or-none" setting, with no option to "grant voice" as in our previous homes. Once the dust settles and I am more comfortable with the features and 'rhythm' of the blog, I might allow "free" posting; but for now, I ask your patience and understanding.

All this means is that your posting might not appear for 24 hrs., depending on the circumstances. Please know that they will be read in the order that they are submitted, so you can write as many as you'd like and they will appear in the proper chronological order.

And with that. . . keep 'em coming!

THANX!

Augie

Welcome to my new home

First of all, allow me to apologize aforehand, as I am new to this “blogging”, and have yet to get my “sea legs” under me—which means there will be a lot of stumbling, editing, etc. to suffer through at first. . .

As most of you know, this medium is not my preferred venue. After over a decade of moderating forums dedicated to the historical depiction of medRen (1000 AD-1700, including Feudal Japan) subjects in miniature, I greatly valued the vibrant interaction and exchanges
that were once the hallmark of our “forums”. The last three years or so, however, have seen a steady, seemingly inexorable, decline in participation and involvement that, save for precious few individuals—and even rarer occasions, reduced the site to an on-line magazine, if not an exhausting monologue.

But as an artist, I firmly believe that one cannot live, much less flourish, in a closet: one must show one’s work! The Web, if not an ideal venue, undeniably provides the greatest and most timely [potential] exposure, as well as affording complete editorial control of the content— good or bad. Thus I decided to try blogging: at worst, it will be little more than an on-line personal journal; at best. . . well let’s see what the Fates might have in store. . .

One thing that I am looking forward to is being able to share with the readership my other areas of artistic/modelling interest. While the medRen genre is, and will remain, first and foremost in my heart, I too like to occasionally venture into the relative unknown, and a thematic, niche forum simply did not afford this latitude. An eponymous blog is perfect for such “detours” and you can look forward to seeing projects dealing with such varied subjects as WWI aviators, the Universal monsters, historical fantasy, etc.

And with that, come on in, pull-up a chair, and make yourselves at home. If you'd like to comment on ANY posting, feel free to do so. If you have a question about a non-related topic, feel free to email me and I will either answer your question; or if warranted, create a posting around the topic. And remember that El Passo Honroso will continue to remain accessible at Delphi's pleasure.

Augie