Thanks. I had all the keywords, title, description in the file from Lightroom. The only problem seems to be that it won't show the image. It doesn't create the thumb/watermarked image and put it in the right file for some reason.

This sounds like the problem I had with SY. Starting in September, new uploads failed to produce preview (watermarked) images. Had a lot of people tell me, "It must have been something you did." So far you are the third person to report this problem that I know of, and it has never been addressed. Best of luck trouble shooting the problem.

I guarantee that the incompatibility is being caused by something Bluehost did in the background. I've tried all of the different PHP options, Imagick, and Magicwand, but the problem remains. If anyone is on the fence with SY, I think it is realistic to believe they will need skills in host configuration to fix issues when they arise. This is a plug-and-play theme, until it isn't. Provided photographers feel comfortable editing their server configuration files, I think SY is a theme worth pursuing. If they don't feel comfortable, then they are probably better off with a Photoshelter, Photodeck, Smugmug, etc.

Add me to the list of those who've had problems with Bluehost. BUT... every time I've called their techs, the problems have been solved on the spot. Quickly and without question. I'm still happy with both SYS and BH.

Quote from: travelwitness on July 15, 2013, 06:41

Just out of interest is there anyone out there considering Symbiostock but is holding back?

Definitely extremely complicated bureaucracy/legislation/tax requirements that must be meet if someone wants to sell virtual goods directly from his own online store.
(At least from where I am based. Slovakia, European Union.)
I mean those requirements are REALLY complicated.
Most of you probably cannot even imagine – not even in your wildest dreams – how can be some of those legislation requirements complicated here!

In contrast selling through stock agencies is relatively easy from point of view of bureaucracy/legislation/tax requirements, because those complicated/problematic parts of business are left on stock agency.

You don't sell goods with symbiostock, but licences. So you have to look at author law. I'm from Slovakia too and as I know this should be the "passive" income according to the law. And it's the same income as you get from other microstock agencies, so use the same way as you pay taxes from that.

I guarantee that the incompatibility is being caused by something Bluehost did in the background. I've tried all of the different PHP options, Imagick, and Magicwand, but the problem remains. If anyone is on the fence with SY, I think it is realistic to believe they will need skills in host configuration to fix issues when they arise. This is a plug-and-play theme, until it isn't. Provided photographers feel comfortable editing their server configuration files, I think SY is a theme worth pursuing. If they don't feel comfortable, then they are probably better off with a Photoshelter, Photodeck, Smugmug, etc.

I am on bluehost and haven't had the issues you are talking about. The only thing I changed was the limits in the php.ini file. I havent been able to upload files larger than 10mb, but thats a different issue. You did mention you use Lightroom and I don't. Could that have anything to do with it? Just throwing it out there.

But I do have to agree that the SY theme requires a person to know more about server config files, along with php, HTML, CSS and developing. I think those that are comfortable working in those environments will do well with SY.

As far as bluehost, I am knocking on wood. Others have had their php versions changed from 5.3 to 5.4 with no prior notice. I have yet to wake up to that little piece of heaven. 

Quote from: djpadavona on October 09, 2013, 09:14

I guarantee that the incompatibility is being caused by something Bluehost did in the background. I've tried all of the different PHP options, Imagick, and Magicwand, but the problem remains. If anyone is on the fence with SY, I think it is realistic to believe they will need skills in host configuration to fix issues when they arise. This is a plug-and-play theme, until it isn't. Provided photographers feel comfortable editing their server configuration files, I think SY is a theme worth pursuing. If they don't feel comfortable, then they are probably better off with a Photoshelter, Photodeck, Smugmug, etc.

im on justhost and haven't had to do anything on the serverside.

a major factor of sym over smugmug is that you get images indexed by google -- my smugmug images are still only about 10% indexed, at best, where sym (using many of those same images) is running 70-80% indexed


another factor is that with smugmug you don't have direct access to your images (altho you can download them in batches). with sym you have complete access

I can download individual images from my SmugMug acct anytime, all day long.

Quote from: cathyslife stockphotos.com on October 09, 2013, 16:46

But I do have to agree that the SY theme requires a person to know more about server config files, along with php, HTML, CSS and developing. I think those that are comfortable working in those environments will do well with SY.

You neednt know any of that. I dont know ANY of that stuff, and the site works perfectly. Yes, also before 2.7.x, since you like to bring that up.

Only if you want to completely rebuild your site you need to know stuff. But thats not what Symbiostock is supposed to be. It works fine straight from the box.

I agree, Ron. I'm another one who has no clue about CSS, php, etc. I can handle HTML at a basic level.

Yet I've managed to build a nice SYS site that shows my work off quite well. On the few occasions where I've had a problem I couldn't solve on my own, others in this group have gone the extra mile to help. (Special thanks again, Mark!)

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and mine is that I wanted my site styled a little different than the out-of-the-box SY. I had lots of help, too, including from both Ron and Martha. I would also like to think that I helped them at one point or another. 

Yep, Cathy, you definitely helped me a lot at key stages in the process. Far more than I ever helped you, I'm afraid, because I'm not CSS and php savvy.

Good points!

But thats not what Symbiostock is supposed to be. It works fine straight from the box.

There are no less than 3 members on this board claiming that SY won't generate preview images out of the box. You can take that information, or leave it.

Quote from: djpadavona on October 10, 2013, 08:34

Quote from: Ron on October 09, 2013, 16:54

But thats not what Symbiostock is supposed to be. It works fine straight from the box.

There are no less than 3 members on this board claiming that SY won't generate preview images out of the box. You can take that information, or leave it.

Or you can look at different factors causing issues with Symbiostock, instead of Symbiostock being the problem.

If it works for me, why wouldnt it work for you? I have seen to many times people blaming Symbiostock being the problem and it turned out it was something else.

I dont know what your problem is with the previews, but it could be caused by 1001 things not related to Symbiostock. Have you sent a PM to Leo and ask him to check it out for you 1:1? I am sure if Leo looked at it he can find the problem. 

And in the end, it might as well be a Symbiostock issue, but why we dont see 115 sites with this problem is due to that everyone has a different set up, different host, different widgets, different plugins, different you name it.

You responded to my claim above that people would need to understand how to configure their hosts by saying that nobody needs to, and you haven't had any issues. I don't see any consistency with your two responses. Either people need to understand how to do background editing and troubleshooting with their hosts, or they don't. Pick one.

Look, if I write a game for Windows, and it turns out that it works fine for 97% of the machines running it but it crashes on 3% because they have different memory, different motherboards, different competing apps, etc., I can't just point at the 3% and say "It must be something you did." You are going to run into a lot of different host configurations. It's up to the Theme creator of any Wordpress Theme to be as compatible as they can be.

I run Suffusion on 2 blogs that I manage, on separate hosts. It's an incredibly customizable, deep theme with more options than you can dream of using. It's very stable. If you look at the reviews, yes, you will find a few people who claim it doesn't work. But that is out of thousands and thousands of responses. That is what you shoot for as a theme creator - not 100% compatibility, but darn close. I've never read anyone say that Suffusion won't work under a certain host, or that it quit because their host PHP version changed, etc.  Nor have I ever read that someone needed to edit the PHP.ini or turn widgets on and off to get the theme to function.

Quote from: djpadavona on October 10, 2013, 08:34

There are no less than 3 members on this board claiming that SY won't generate preview images out of the box. You can take that information, or leave it.

Which means there must be about 112 SYS site owners who have no problems generating preview images out of the box.

Who ya' gonna trust?

Seriously, Is that your response? You will do wonderful in customer support, if this photography thing ever gets boring for you. And by the way, I trust my own observations. I have a clean SY theme, very few widgets, running on Bluehost. September rolled around and Image Previews stopped working at 2.6.5. I have several years of PHP experience, and over 25 years in computer programming. I know my way around, and I can recognize a real problem when I see one.

So everyone who has a website needs to know web development?

Nope. Only those who use themes which might, at times, require them to edit INI files, work with their hosts to solve problems, etc. Nice try though.

Seriously, Is that your response? You will do wonderful in customer support, if this photography thing ever gets boring for you.

Well, DP, let's just say that I have no intention of going into customer support. Much too old for a new career at this point.

This "photography thing" hasn't gotten boring to me in over 30 years, so I kinda doubt it's gonna happen now.

Nice try, though.