IMatch 5 and world wide web

[Menace]

After reading the first comments about IMatch 5 on dpreview, I thought, that we maybe can help Mario a little to collect links, where IMatch 5 already is mentioned or where still the old version is linked.
On some Websites, Users can rate IMatch.

Websites with download:
http://www.heise.de/download/imatch-1119059.html
http://download.cnet.com/IMatch/3000-2193_4-21401.html
http://www.chip.de/downloads/IMatch_30962667.html    [Version: 3.6]

http://photo-organizing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/imatch-review.html [Version: 3.6]

http://news.silobreaker.com/imatch-513-trial-5_2268026613520138290

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilderverwaltung

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMatch   [Version: 3.6] [German]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMatch   [Version: 5] [English]
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMatch     [Version: 3.6] [Français]


Websites with Reviews:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Graphic/Digital-Photo-Tools/IMatch.shtml  [Rating: 4,0/5] !
http://photo-organizing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/imatch-review.html [Version: 3.6]

Forum
http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=196&topic_id=68169&mesg_id=68169

http://thedambook.com/smf/index.php?topic=5313.0

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53849860

http://www.dslr-forum.de/showthread.php?p=12319767#post12319767 (German)

http://www.dforum.net/showthread.php?p=2051431#post2051431 (German)

Websites, without IMatch (but maybe it could be changed):
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital-Asset-Management [Deutsch]

[sinus]

Cool!
Thanks, Menace!

[Mario]

Thanks for the links.

I'm currently trying to update the listing at Heise. Somebody updated IMatch on 14th (I don't) but the screen shots are very old.

I'll check the other links as time permits. I think by one week ban at dpreview.com expires today. Let's see how fast I get banned again answering IMatch questions (or correcting false statements).

[Menace]

Thanks, I try to keep the first posting actual.

If somebody have knowledge about wikipedia; maybe someone can change this articles.

[Ferdinand]

Let's see how fast I get banned again answering IMatch questions (or correcting false statements).

I had hoped to find some time to reply on dpreview, but time is short at the moment and only comes in short bursts.

I think (hope) that if you limit yourself to answering questions you should be ok.  As soon as you are seen as promoting the product rather than just responding then you will have issues.  It may be better if some of us respond, if you give us the form of words.

I have thought about this a little more.  I can see why dpreview does this.  It would be  very easy for that site to become filled with software developers promoting their products.  They have to draw the line somewhere and they do so fairly early.  My concern is that they are not consistent, because there are different moderators on each of the forums.  It's also possible that commercial considerations come into play.

Perhaps also software developers who are seen to get the balance right are given more latitude. 

[Mario]

I've joined dpreview back in 2001, and I have a lot of support for IMatch there before we had the user forum.
But then Amazon bought dpreview and I lost interest. Just look at the one big thread

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53849860

It jumps all over the place, mostly carried by three users talking about IMatch 5 (which they have used only for a very short time, if at all), Photo Supreme, ID Imager etc. It's full of incorrect statements and wrong assumptions, caused by too little experience with IMatch.

I usually reply by correcting wrong assumptions, point at web site or help topics to explain things. But I think this specific thread is already burned and way beyond being useful for anybody wondering what IMatch 5 is or if it could be useful.

And in general, I pay for this server so everybody has an open and friendly community for all IMatch-related topics. I don't want to spread myself thin and search for and answer questions everywhere. And of course I don't want to dictate any of you what to write at dpreview.com or elsewhere. The very idea!


I have, since 2001 (!) my signature set to:

Mario M. Westphal
Author of IMatch
http://www.photools.com

Always good to show your flag so others know who you are.
But I understand that nowadays even having a link to your web site can be considered as commercial advertisement and get you banned?

[Mees Dekker]

I have adjusted the English Wikipedia page for IMatch 5.1, but I don't feel comfortable doing so in German (I consider myself not fluent enough). The German list I could do though, but please feel free to augment on this.

See also : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_organizer

[herman]

But I think this specific thread is already burned and way beyond being useful for anybody wondering what IMatch 5 is or if it could be useful.

Exactly.

I would not be surprised if the guy who did the brief review, fuego6, is the same as Pesto125 who started this topic on the old IMatch forum.

IMHO general purpose forums like DPreview are full of opinions and short of facts.
Sadly some people don't know the difference.
But that is only my opinion 

I doubt that it is possible to straighten things on ref DPreview discussion.
There is some misinformation there, but also some people seem to be biased.
On the other hand I can understand that you would like to correct some clear misunderstanding.
I would not spend to much energy on the discussion there, if people are preoccupied and happy with that there is no way one can change their mind.

[Menace]

@ herman: I see it in the same way. Maybe there is already viral-Marketing for other software.

I try (what I can with my limited abilities in english and IMatch) to correct this things I know and even link a screenshot. But always if the discussion didn't run in their way they stopped the discussion. I such forums, they will be always people, which become offtopic to talk about their favorite product (like it happens in dpreview).

[Ferdinand]

@ Mario - I see your point about that long dpreview thread.  Coming in late it's hard to know where to start.  If I had the time I could trawl through it and compile a list of points that were worth responding to and do so in one post that responds to the whole thread.  I think that this is worth doing, even though it's just a few biased and opinionated people arguing amongst themselves, because threads like this often feature highly in google searches.  If you had some points (facts) that you wanted to see made, then we could assist you.

I went and found a post by Brian Griffith, the developer of Iridient on the fuji-x forum.  He doesn't include a direct link to his website.  You can take a look at his posts if you are interested and have the time.  This is how he complies with their guidelines:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/5304428

[Richard]

But I understand that nowadays even having a link to your web site can be considered as commercial advertisement and get you banned?

Hi Mario,

I wonder what would happen if you linked to Facebook instead.

[herman]

I think that this is worth doing, even though it's just a few biased and opinionated people arguing amongst themselves, because threads like this often feature highly in google searches.  If you had some points (facts) that you wanted to see made, then we could assist you.

I feel the search engine ranking argument makes sense.
However, be extremely careful what you say there and how you say it.
The "Imatch fanboy" term has already been used.
And, as the Photools community is now open to the public, what we discuss here on this very topic can be read by anyone as well.

[ColinIM]

(....) If somebody have knowledge about wikipedia; maybe someone can change this articles.

I'm an occasional Wikipedia Editor and I could - in principle - update this English page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMatch

but I don't know French or German, so I couldn't update these pages:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMatch
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMatch

But rather than me making changes only to the English Wikipedia page, it would (I suggest) be much better if the content on all three of these pages stayed identical, and that they were just presented in the different / respective languages.  So I'll defer to someone who's at least tri-lingual (possibly yourself Mario, in due course!?) who can update all three of those Wikipedia pages as a 'set'.

Perhaps as a stepping-stone towards such an update on Wikipedia Mario, (and on the assumption that it might not be you yourself who does the updating) could you nominate - and make available for handy download - your preferred "sample IMatch 5 screen capture" image to replace the old "version 3.6" image on the Wikipedia pages?

That older "version 3.6" sample image on Wikipedia was uploaded in 2005 by Wikipedia User named Gal Buki.
(EDITED: to snip a Wikipedia link that I'd inserted here but which was only available to logged-in Wikipedia users! Sorry!)

Or, for a substitute IMatch 5 sample image, it would also be easy to take a copy of one of the rolling images on the IMatch 5 website , and I would vote for the first one in that sequence of 17 images; the one with the happy smiling faces of the mother and daughter     (A smiling face is always a strong marketing ploy!)

I apologise if I've wandered too far, once again, along a purely speculative path (musing aloud on how these pages might be updated) !  I just share this same sense of urgency to get everything IMatch 5 related, updated, everywhere - as quickly as possible   

Colin P.

[Mario]

Hi, Colin

I did not write these Wikipedia entries. I guess some users did. I have no idea where IMatch is mentioned, reviewed, listed. Many download and "review" sites get their listing via the PAD directory (now AppVisor) and thus will update automatically, within their interval. Some site use pad files, but don't pull new screen shots. These then list IMatch 5 but old screens - impossible to find.

I just updated Download.com, which is one of the biggest sites. It all takes a lot of time, going through registration hoops, exchanging emails to find out how to update old listings, created by whomever.

You can download a set of screen shots for limited use on sites like WikiPedia/Download sites from

here.

[Menace]

I think, chip.de is for German users important (at least I always look at first on chip.de; and IMatch 3.6 has a very good rate. 

[Mario]

I never look at Chip 

I don't even see a link between all the ads where I can contact them to update my listing?

[Menace]

I never look at Chip 

I don't even see a link between all the ads where I can contact them to update my listing?

I don't know either, but google found this. http://www.chip.de/feedback/c1_software.html

[falconeye]

heise.de would also be important. The best would be a comparison between different DAM's in the computer magazine ct'.

[Mario]

I hate it when Download Sites wrap my installer into one of their installer wrappers, which then install (or at least offer to install) other software as well. Chip is no different as it seems.

[Mario]

heise.de would also be important. The best would be a comparison between different DAM's in the computer magazine ct'.

c*t is important (I read it myself). I've already contacted them and updated the IMatch 5 listing at Heise Downloads today.
But a Review takes month of planning so I don't hold my breath.

[falconeye]

Sometimes they present new Software on half a page or so. This would be a real winner for IMatch. But of course they decide alone which software they show.
I think it was a small article in ct' long long ago, that catched my eye and since then I used IMatch for my photo activities. And now I will give it a try as my new document management system.

[Menace]

I hate it when Download Sites wrap my installer into one of their installer wrappers, which then install (or at least offer to install) other software as well. Chip is no different as it seems.

Yes, that's why always use their links to the Original-Version.

[ColinIM]

(....) You can download a set of screen shots for limited use on sites like WikiPedia/Download sites from
here.

Thank you Mario. I see the first of those screen shots also includes some happy faces, and because it also shows more active windows/panels, it is (I think) a better overall 'hint' at IMatch 5's potential than the first of the rolling images I mused about earlier.  It would do just nicely IMO as the new replacement image for the updated Wikipedia articles!

So, back on the Wikipedia theme - I propose to use the internal Wikipedia "email" mechanism to try to contact that Wikipedia author/editor chap called Gal Buki (not sure if male or female) and, as a courtesy, I'll ask whether (s)he wants to update to the pages.  I can see from the IMatch Wikipedia page's "History" that Gal Buki was active multiple times on maintaining those IMatch pages in all three languages during the past 8 or 9 years, and was last active on the German IMatch page in 2010, and on the English page in 2009.  Hopefully he/she will still be contactable, and I'll allow a couple of days for a reply, but if not, then I'll offer to update the English version of the page myself.

Colin P.

[Mario]

Sounds good to me. Thanks!

[ColinIM]

(....) I'll allow a couple of days for a reply, but if not, then I'll offer to update the English version of the page myself.

I've heard nothing from Mr(s) Gal Buki, so I edited this Wikipedia page today:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMatch

It's not perfect of course.  It was tough to know what to omit about IMatch 5, given that until today the page was really just a brief summary of IMatch 3.  And I probably used the term "built-in" too many times!?

In my new text I took care to avoid the many superlatives which IMatch 5 really deserves, because AFAIK on Wikipedia, too many superlatives or too glowing a description on these pages can trigger the wrist-slapping Wiki 'bots to come scrambling with accusations not unlike the recent dpreview saga ... and I'll be surprised if I don't get a nudge from one or two Wiki 'bots in the short term.

Regarding any corrections and suggested edits - naturally any other Wikipedia editor is welcome to pop in and make further changes to what I added today.  It is Wikipedia after all  But in particular, I welcome from you Mario any comments or corrections / omissions or requests to change the emphasis (for example) on anything I wrote there today.

But another question to you Mario ... in case anyone else wants to suggest improvements or corrections to that page, possibly through me here ... would this thread be OK as a 'channel' for that dialogue?  Or should we use the PM / email scheme instead?  (I suppose it depends how much emotion my offering provokes among fellow IM5 / Forum users    !!)

By the way, I also tweaked the entry for IMatch on this Wikipedia page today:

Comparison of image viewers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_image_viewers

but I'm not sure if that's the same page that was updated earlier by Mees Dekker in Reply #6 above?

Feedback welcome (guided by Mario's response of course.)
Time for tea ...
Colin P.

[jch2103]

Nice job!

A couple of things I noticed:

"IMatch is able to read and to maintain EXIF and IPTC data in digital images and is therefore well suited for photography workflows that are based on raw image formats."  <-- It would be good to add XMP data to the list.

"Many internal functions and data-display elements of the program can be enhanced, modified and supplemented using the program's built-in script editor and its fully documented scripting language." <-- It would be useful to add something here about Apps (maybe extracted from the Help topic...but probably not the hard hat!).

[ColinIM]

Thank you jch2103.

"IMatch is able to read and to maintain EXIF and IPTC data in digital images and is therefore well suited for photography workflows that are based on raw image formats."  <-- It would be good to add XMP data to the list.

Ah! Of course!! Duuuh!! And I shouldn't have forgotten the Geo/GPS stuff either!  Now fixed.

"Many internal functions and (....) its fully documented scripting language." <-- It would be useful to add something here about Apps (maybe extracted from the Help topic...but probably not the hard hat!).

Yes! This was one of those topics I'd sacrificed to the brevity gods, but I agree, the Apps and scripting are 'core' features of IMatch which can't reasonably be skipped, and I've now added a couple of extra bullet points under Features.

However - the deliciously huge and powerful scripting topic was a hard one to distill into just a few bullet points, so I admit I might not have chosen the best gems from the bunch to show off on the Wiki page, and also (yawnnn!) -  although I do routinely work this late into the wee small UK hours - I was feeling that "better being the enemy of good" phenomenon creeping into my typing, so I'll pause here for now.

(I'll be away for most of tomorrow/Friday but I'll pop back here tomorrow evening to catch up on comments etc..)
Thanks again.
Colin P.

[ColinIM]

I'm a happy member of that other sane and rational Discussion Forum, across the big pond at Nikonians ... although I haven't spent much time over there recently. (My Forum ID there is 'KolinP')

I know for sure there are a 'good number' of IMatch users among the Nikonians fraternity, so I was surprised to see that no other Nikonian had posted anything yet about IMatch 5  so I added a post myself  :

Nikonians Forum - IMatch version 5 now fully released

(I trust the Nikonian moderators will accept my plea to them to understand that I made that post purely as a contented IMatch user (as per the Nikonian's Ts & Cs), and not as a blatant 'marketeer' for IMatch!!  You'll see what I mean if you read that post.)

Let's hope we pull some Nikonians 'up' from IMatch 3.x to IMatch 5.

Colin P.

[Richard]

I followed your link, read your post, and consider it top flight. As an IMatch user I want to thank you.

[Menace]

I also want to thank you. I hope it is ok, when I copy the link in the start-post.

[ColinIM]

Thank you Richard and thank you Menace for your thumbs ups.

(....) I hope it is ok, when I copy the link in the start-post.

Yes ... a logical addition thanks, to your excellent list.

[Richard]

Hi Menace,

You may want to add this link to your list.
http://download.cnet.com/IMatch/3000-2193_4-21401.html

Those who are members can also rate IMatch 5.

Here is another.
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Graphic/Digital-Photo-Tools/IMatch.shtml

And another:
http://news.silobreaker.com/imatch-513-trial-5_2268026613520138290

[Mario]

I've heard nothing from Mr(s) Gal Buki, so I edited this Wikipedia page today:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMatch

I like it!

I think the general idea should be to mention that IMatch exists, what it does (from a rather high perspective) and where to get more information, if needed. All that is well covered, and the article even has a lot of details, e.g., about scripting. Way better than anything I could have done. And I don't think that Wikipedia articles should be necessarily written by the vendor/author. This is your view on IMatch, and that's perfect.

I've also read your other rather shameless plug  about IMatch at Nikonians. I'm still in the process of getting the word out, but there is so much on my to-do list right now, I can hardly cope. But I will send out word to DAM and photography blogs, as time permits. Problem is, there is only on Mario and he's currently busy handling all the support emails. But that was expected and will soon go back to the normal 20-30 emails per day level.