Transfur needs funding

[Ilovebe]

It was one of the first TF sites with multiple artists that I began visiting. Actually, it was an incredible find for me and I became aware of so many artists who became favorites. But I agree that the website really doesn't have as much interesting content - at least content that I find interesting. I generally check it once a month for new stuff and then move on. I would say that FurAffinity has become the go-to site for new TF art. Granted, FA is really a furry-based site that incidentally has TF art, but FA is large enough that you can still find a good amount of TF-specific work.

With that said, I certainly would be bummed if Transfur closed.

[SoylentOrange]

Let it die. Transfur served its purpose and served it well, but it's basically the equivalent of a brick-and-mortar travel agency in a world of Expedia, travelocity, Hotels.com, etc.

It was good, and necessary, and helped start in no small part the community that a lot of us have come to love. But it's a caterpillar husk, now, and there's lots of butterflies.

Transfur WAS great. But between DA, FA, Weasyl, Pixiv, etc. etc. etc. it serves no real purpose.

Let it die gracefully.

[Galyo]

Originally Posted by Chiaroscuros

What the heck, Galyo. Without more detail to that comment, you just sound like a troll, dude.

-C

Let me try and clear it up for you without going into the drama.

Transfur is a site that's run by a guy who mostly selects art for his own personal pleasure and nothing more. Artists are also rejected based on what already established Transfur-artists think about them (which is what they told me in their private messages), so unless this one guy really likes to fap to your art, or you're really good friends with the top contributors there, you're not going to get an artist-profile.

Perfectly good artists have been rejected over and over again, based on the most ridiculous criticism, while I can easily point to art on there that looks like it was drawn by a toddler.

Suffice to say, plenty of artists such as Miranda Leigh and Gillpanda have rightfully stopped their posting-activity there because the "moderators" (if you can call them that) were acting like complete babies, which consequently also stirred up a lot of drama in the comment-section over there.

I hope this gives you a little more insight. I know this sounds like a case of "that's just like, your opinion, man", but I can ensure you that many people in the TF community feel the same about Transfur. I've been a visitor of that website since 2003 or so, and I wouldn't be saying this just to troll them.

So yeah... Screw Transfur. I hope we can get a real flag-ship TF gallery in the near future. Maybe Process-Productions? Who knows.

[Anahki]

Originally Posted by Galyo

Let me try and clear it up for you without going into the drama.

Transfur is a site that's run by a guy who mostly selects art for his own personal pleasure and nothing more. Artists are also rejected based on what already established Transfur-artists think about them (which is what they told me in their private messages), so unless this one guy really likes to fap to your art, or you're really good friends with the top contributors there, you're not going to get an artist-profile.

Perfectly good artists have been rejected over and over again, based on the most ridiculous criticism, while I can easily point to art on there that looks like it was drawn by a toddler.

Suffice to say, plenty of artists such as Miranda Leigh and Gillpanda have rightfully stopped their posting-activity there because the "moderators" (if you can call them that) were acting like complete babies, which consequently also stirred up a lot of drama in the comment-section over there.

I hope this gives you a little more insight. I know this sounds like a case of "that's just like, your opinion, man", but I can ensure you that many people in the TF community feel the same about Transfur. I've been a visitor of that website since 2003 or so, and I wouldn't be saying this just to troll them.

So yeah... Screw Transfur. I hope we can get a real flag-ship TF gallery in the near future. Maybe Process-Productions? Who knows.

Well, but it is something that has happened in most of the popular TF sites. I remember the problems with the guy running the gtshub (Blar?) or the discussions (some of them posted in this forum) with Shadowlord (his site is still running, though). So that is nothing new, and for sites like those, you know that you have to deal with the tastes, occurrences and preferences of the owners/moderators.

[Akaruime]

Originally Posted by Anahki

Well, but it is something that has happened in most of the popular TF sites. I remember the problems with the guy running the gtshub (Blar?) or the discussions (some of them posted in this forum) with Shadowlord (his site is still running, though). So that is nothing new, and for sites like those, you know that you have to deal with the tastes, occurrences and preferences of the owners/moderators.

I think what caused some of the fringe artists out there to have such strong emotions regarding this is that while you're right, and it is a common thing for a site owner to imprint their bias into the selection process, Transfur was doing it very early in the community's development.

It magnifies the shame impact when you are running what basically was the pinnacle of transformation artwork hosting for several years during Transfur's height, and simultaneously showing very little tact in the shut down of those deemed inferior and unworthy of making the arbitrary cut in quality.

So yes, this happens to be a part of most specialist sites, but with Deviantart and Furaffinity in the mix these days, Transfur may be trying to keep their content 'pure' in the same ways and driving away talent or continuing to hurt feelings while doing it when the environment has changed and doesn't really support elitism as well anymore, not when you depend on public donations to run the site.

Bottom line, it is a site where the times have changed and left it behind. Either it goes through a significant adaptation to continue being relevant, or it becomes a historical footnote.

[Buzy]

You folks do realizes the Transfur Patreon has met it's 500$/mo funding goal weeks ago(which should give much more funds to overhaul the site than it's meek 2000$/year old donation campaign) AND has new leadership planning to overhaul the site(and already possessing experience with other websites)?

[DarkMWE]

Originally Posted by Buzy

You folks do realizes the Transfur Patreon has met it's 500$/mo funding goal weeks ago(which should give much more funds to overhaul the site than it's meek 2000$/year old donation campaign) AND has new leadership planning to overhaul the site(and already possessing experience with other websites)?

I hate to say this, I really do, but I have a great deal of experience with unkept promises from management. I'll believe it when I see it.

Not to say that I wouldn't LIKE to see it. I just can't place my faith in someone else's word until I see the work being done.

[Buzy]

Well, old management is leaving and the new one already helped overhaul another site which is used by lots of furries from what I heard.

It could end up disappointing people, but anyway... their goal is met, new management has already moved in and for a site people claims need to be on it's way out the worst that could happen is just that.

I.e.: site goes out anyway, or end up anything else which might just end up an improvement over what many people are expecting.

[Shadow_Dragon]

Originally Posted by Buzy

Well, old management is leaving and the new one already helped overhaul another site which is used by lots of furries from what I heard.

It could end up disappointing people, but anyway... their goal is met, new management has already moved in and for a site people claims need to be on it's way out the worst that could happen is just that.

I.e.: site goes out anyway, or end up anything else which might just end up an improvement over what many people are expecting.

I've spoken to one of the staff for transfur, and they asked for some advice on a "facelift" on the site. I've recommended a sort of highlight of artists from the transfur community just to give an opportunity for it to be a bit more involved. I agree wholeheartedly in that a lot of the more generalized sites such as furaffinity, sofurry, furrynetwork, etc. Have really convoluted finding transformation material and will end up being the "go-to". No matter how you angle it, transformation in itself has integrated in the "furry" genre and will maintain so if now expand within it. If there's any direction that transfur can take, is that it tears down boundaries and open up a bit to that sort of thing.

[Anahki]

Originally Posted by Shadow_Dragon

I've spoken to one of the staff for transfur, and they asked for some advice on a "facelift" on the site. I've recommended a sort of highlight of artists from the transfur community just to give an opportunity for it to be a bit more involved. I agree wholeheartedly in that a lot of the more generalized sites such as furaffinity, sofurry, furrynetwork, etc. Have really convoluted finding transformation material and will end up being the "go-to". No matter how you angle it, transformation in itself has integrated in the "furry" genre and will maintain so if now expand within it. If there's any direction that transfur can take, is that it tears down boundaries and open up a bit to that sort of thing.

I really believe that a good idea could be to split content that could be "suitable" or not, so everything could have its place there, but well separated from the traditional stuff. That would keep the old users in, and let newer ones to have a place to post and search for what they create and/or prefer .

[DarkMWE]

Just out of curiosity... Is there a timeframe, some rough guess as to when we'll see some changes?

I won't suggest any ideas. I've been around too long, and I'm far too old for new thoughts.

NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!

[Shadow_Dragon]

Originally Posted by DarkMWE

Just out of curiosity... Is there a timeframe, some rough guess as to when we'll see some changes?

I won't suggest any ideas. I've been around too long, and I'm far too old for new thoughts.

NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!

Not too sure, but from what I've discussed with one of the inside, it's something that'll be integrated soon. They were kind of dodgy on the subject, so I don't have vivid details, sorry.