Some help with or Alternative for Zenfolio?

[Bart]

Hi,

I'm having serious problems with Zenfolio, to the point I'm looking for other options.
I've contacted the Zenfolio support on many occasions but they don't come up with a solution.

This is what I get when I visit my page:





Now, I do like a good B&W photo but this is all grey

Zenfolio support claims the problem is on my side but this is difficult for me to verify of course. When there are problems, I'm having the same problems when I connect from my work.
Perhaps you wouldn't mind visiting Zenfolio | Bart Dejonghe and see how it works for you?

Other than that, I would be very interested in alternatives.
(not: build your own website - I'm obviously not qualified to do this )


Thanks!

[heliphoto]

Weird - I can see photo thumbnails on the folders and I can see your photos when I click into a gallery or collection or whatever they're called on zenf.

Have you tried clearing your browser cache? Have you tried accessing your account with another browser (Firefox, Safari, IE, that google one I can't remember the name of?)

I'm afraid I can't help you with zenfolio, since I've never used it. Smugmug is decent, I like the look of smugmug better, but I prefer the organization allowed by zenfolio...

Good luck!

[Peter Zack]

Like heliphoto, I'm having no problem seeing everything on the site. It all works. I'm using FF to view it. Clear your cache and reset your cookies. Then try again.

[borno]

It looks ok to me as well. Good luck with figuring it out. I have been using zenfolio for a couple years with no problems, I don't know much about software though.

[Marc Sabatella]

Looks fine to me, too. As a Zenfolio user, I can say that occasionally I see things like you are describing - never for the whole page at once, but occasionally one thumb won't display at first until I reload the page. Usually it's an image I've edited and reloaded since last visiting the page in question, or a gallery where I've changed the cover picture, or something similar where it seems clear enough it's something I did that triggered it. Not always, though - sometimes there is just a small glitch I can't see any reason for. Maybe once in every 100 visits? But it always goes away when I reload the page, so I tend to blame my browser (Firefox) for any such glitches.

[Bart]

Thanks for your answers, all.

I used several browsers: IE8, Chrome (that's the one, heliphoto ), Safari, Firefox & Opera. Same result everywhere.
Oh, the view I'm getting is after clearing the browser. Otherwise you get some 'left overs' from previous visits.

Normally it does work fine. Always a bit on the slow side, though.

Perhaps there really is a bad 'path' from Europe to Zenfolio.
I logged a call with the support and the are investigating.

I the mean time, I'm still open for suggestions for alternatives



PS Marc, your site presents itself in the same way as mine does for me. So, it's very likely the connection to the site Zenfolio itself that is too slow from over here.

[tcdk]

Just looked at it in Opera 9.5beta on WinMo. Looks good! And that's from Denmark... Zenfolio seems the only option right now, if you want to be able to sell prints (at a profit) in Europa (and the US).

[arbib]

I use Opera 10 and Firefox now and again....no problems...I also have a Zen account without problems. , (But Opera loads MUCH faster than FF, on my Win/Vista32 laptop)
Just a gander....are you near limit in storage space? or exceeding it?

[Gus]

Bart, you could be having ISP problems. Some ISPs have transparent proxies which cache contents in order to reduce overall traffic and increase network efficiency. Sometimes, these systems can run into trouble. Perhaps you can approach your ISP with the issue. Alternatively you can try dial-up or mobile internet (EDGE/3G HSDPA, etc... which may already be available on your mobile phone) just to test if you'll get the same issue.

I'd also make sure I have a good security suite in place as some worms can sometimes greatly affect your access to the internet (but I'm leaning more towards the former suspect).

[Bart]

Originally Posted by tcdk

Just looked at it in Opera 9.5beta on WinMo. Looks good! And that's from Denmark... Zenfolio seems the only option right now, if you want to be able to sell prints (at a profit) in Europa (and the US).

Selling is not a factor for me.

Originally Posted by arbib

I use Opera 10 and Firefox now and again....no problems...I also have a Zen account without problems. , (But Opera loads MUCH faster than FF, on my Win/Vista32 laptop)
Just a gander....are you near limit in storage space? or exceeding it?

I'm using Opera 10 as well. When I visit your Zenfolio page, it doesn't work form either.

Unfortunately, it's not jut a limit problem.

Originally Posted by Gus

Bart, you could be having ISP problems. Some ISPs have transparent proxies which cache contents in order to reduce overall traffic and increase network efficiency. Sometimes, these systems can run into trouble. Perhaps you can approach your ISP with the issue. Alternatively you can try dial-up or mobile internet (EDGE/3G HSDPA, etc... which may already be available on your mobile phone) just to test if you'll get the same issue.

I'd also make sure I have a good security suite in place as some worms can sometimes greatly affect your access to the internet (but I'm leaning more towards the former suspect).

The ISP provider I'm using is not really 'approachable': you can log a call on a website. They do reply but the responses are like "From here there is no problem" If you insist, we can send a technician but it will be billable.' And of course these guys come during office hours and then I'm at the office as well .
When I check from my office, I get the same problem and my employer is certainly using another ISP.

Plus: Zenfolio is the only site I'm having trouble with. So, I don't think I have a worm problem either .

Zenfolio support said there were getting reports from Belgium and the Netherlands and in their forum, I saw a recent complaint from someone from Spain.

I think I'll have a look at Smugmug but the speed test they provide on their help pages, doesn't look promising at all.
It will be quite an undertaking to migrate to another system.

[Marc Sabatella]

Thanks for the heads up abut my site not displaying correctly for you. Obviously there is some basic incompatibility between Zenfolio and your ISP or something in the chain between Zenfolio and you. My experience with Zenfolio is that they are incredibly responsive, constantly upgrading their service in various ways. I'd bet on them getting to the bittom of this in less time than it would probably take to find a suitable alternative and get a site up and running there. But FWIW, the only similar service I'd be giving a serious look at is Smugmug. The others all seem far too limiting, far too clumsy, or just don't have the sort of presence ("yet", perhaps) to make feel good about investing my time/money in them.

[Gus]

The ISP provider I'm using is not really 'approachable': you can log a call on a website. They do reply but the responses are like "From here there is no problem" If you insist, we can send a technician but it will be billable.' And of course these guys come during office hours and then I'm at the office as well .

Sorry to hear that. I don't think you'd really need a tech support visit from your internet provider anyways (unless they'll be doing additional checks on your system beyond connectivity to their service).

When I check from my office, I get the same problem and my employer is certainly using another ISP.

OK, but when you say you're checking from the office, is it a different computer or is it a laptop being used at both locations?

Two different ISPs most likely means that your home ISP is not the culprit, unless it's a case of both ISPs having something in common, like a mother ISP

It's like Marc put it, it could be something in the chain to Zenfolio. As you can see, none of us here are experiencing issues accessing your page.

Zenfolio support said there were getting reports from Belgium and the Netherlands and in their forum, I saw a recent complaint from someone from Spain.

OK, now this must be some EU big brother thing

[rawr]

Your site loads fine and fast from Australia via wireless broadband, fwiw.

The Zenfolio pages uses tons of Javascript. You may also want to check your browser settings for how Javascript is handled, including popups.

Although I use Opera too (9.64), and it had no probs on your site, try telling Opera to tell the web sites it visits that it is Firefox or IE, not Opera, and see what happens.

[Wombat]

Again, no problems from Down Under, using Firefox. (Lovely pics, BTW. My, you do get around!).
Do you have another computer you can plug in to the same connection? It does sound like a Refresh thing, as if memory is getting bound up somewhere. Are you able to increase the amount of memory assigned to your graphics card in BIOS? Might be worth a try.

[Bart]

Originally Posted by rawr

...The Zenfolio pages uses tons of Javascript. You may also want to check your browser settings for how Javascript is handled, including popups.

I've no idea how to check the settings for Javascript

Originally Posted by Wombat

Again, no problems from Down Under, using Firefox. (Lovely pics, BTW. My, you do get around!).
Do you have another computer you can plug in to the same connection? It does sound like a Refresh thing, as if memory is getting bound up somewhere. Are you able to increase the amount of memory assigned to your graphics card in BIOS? Might be worth a try.

I just checked on two other pc's (one from work and one from my daughter - so you don't think i collect pc's). Same result.
So, I suppose I can rule out my graphics card as well.
And thanks for the compliment ;

Originally Posted by Gus

...OK, but when you say you're checking from the office, is it a different computer or is it a laptop being used at both locations?...

That's two different laptops.

Zenfolio support is still trying but haven't come up with an aswer (yet?).

I also logged a call with the support of my isp. You never know.

And thanks again, everyone!