ISSUE SUMMARY:
Hi.

The Facebook like photo viewer which came with version 4.x is a really nice way to display photos.
But. There's a huge problem with that feature. Please go trough this topic with attention. I would be very thankful.

A. Photo Viewer in the module 'Photos' of the Members Profile Page

STEPS TO REPLICATE:
1: You visit a profile.
2: You click on a photo (photos module) in the users profile.
3: Now, you navigate trough the photos. After a couple photos you get to the end. So you need to close the popup (photo viewer) and click on a picture from a different album and start navigating again.
4: There's really no sense. If this really should work this way, then the module shouldnt display photos, it should display albums. So you click on a album and navigate trough the photos of this particular album. When finished close the popup (viewer) and click on the next album.

RESULT: This is the most uncomfortable way ever to display photos. Since users who dont now how the JS Photo Viewer works will leave the profile because they think there are no more photos to display.

EXPECTED RESULT: If the photos are displayed in a module (Photos Module), then it should display the photos in the same ordering like thumbnails are displayed in the module. This is totally misleading for users.

B. Now this is the most confusing thing, please read careful. So forget the users profile page. Go to any page in the community as example we are on the homepage.

STEPS TO REPLICATE:
1: Publish a module (Photos Module) in the community home page.
2: Now when you visit the homepage you see there are lots of photos in this module.
3: You click on 1 photo and navigate 'thinking' that you navigate trough the photos which are displayed in this module. But you actually navigating trough the photos of the the 1 particular user.
4: So, this workflow would only make sense if the module would display only 1 photo per user. Since there are tons of photos in the module from the same user. This is really annoying.
5: As i said in the 1. topic (A). Now for home page photos module. The module on shouldnt display several photos from the same user. Instead it should display 1 photo per user or 1 album per user. When finished close the viewer and click on next user, album or whatever.

I appreciate if you could go trough this internal with the whole Jomsocial team. There must be something wrong.

My 4.x version community is not live yet. But al my 12 testing users have give me the same feedback. There was totally confused. So i cant imagine what my 300+ users (everyday growing) will think about this.

Hi, Tahir.

Thank you for your feedback. I passed it to the rest our crew.
We'll talk about and share our opinions.
I'll update you as soon as we'll come to any constructive conclusions.

Thank you Michal.

I will be waiting with patience. I really like and appreciate Jomsocial's work but i havent get 1 positive feedback about this. So im a little afraid. Hope you understand.

Thanks!

hi, Tahir.

We talked about your feedback on last meeting. Developers can't agree with you. Those modules displays LATEST PHOTOS but each photo is a part of certain album so viewing one photo allows you to browse trough all other photos in this album. That's why you have option in modal window "View album". And in both modules it works the same way.

Users just have to learn how it works. Does everyone know right the way how Facebook works? Or how Joomla! works? No, every time they have to learn. And it's the same in this case.

Developers designed it in this way and yours is the only feedback regarding viewing photos in module.

If you want us to change the way it works, please, post a feature request here: uservoice.jomsocial.com/forums/101561-feature-request and get votes under it. I'm sorry but that the only thing (except you customize this feature yourself or by hired developer) I could suggest...

Hi Michal.

We talked about your feedback on last meeting. Developers can't agree with you. Those modules displays LATEST PHOTOS but each photo is a part of certain album so viewing one photo allows you to browse trough all other photos in this album. That's why you have option in modal window "View album". And in both modules it works the same way.

Yes sure.
The problem is not the viewer, the problem are the photos modules. Since the viewer can show you all photos of the same album then there shouldnt be tons of photos of the same album inside the module. I have 300 members for now. The latest photos module on the frontpage displays 100 photos at all. Now there are 5-15-20-25-30+ photos from one and same user/album. Since photos are loaded randomly into the module, its confusing.

You see a photo,
click on it,
navigate left / right and look at the other photos of the album,
close the viewer,
click on another photo in the module and see you are were you was been 10 minutes before.

The problem is that the frontpage photos module displays a lot of photos from same album. If this module would display only 1 photo per album, then your new photo viewer would be nice anyway. Hope you understand what mean.

I will go to uservoice... but thats really not a uservoice issue. You need to have a community which is focused on photography. Then you will see the lack of this modules. If jomsocial would make a stronger module with settings and customization options this problem would disappear. These are small features which are not available at Jomsocial. So i already have spent xx.xxx $ amounts of cash into customizing jomsocial for my needs. Thats why im so angry about this topic. Honestly i would pay 3 times more for my jomsocial subscription if i would get the features i need and jomsocial should already have since years. Thats it!

Im really wondering what you guys think about.

Hi, Tahir.

So i already have spent xx.xxx $ amounts of cash into customizing jomsocial for my needs.

You see - you want that JomSocial will fit your needs... but what about other users needs? You want us to make application only for you. But we need to see a greater picture. We create application with general features and certain work flows. If you have specific needs then it's up to you to customize application. JomSocial is an Open Source, you're free to modify it.

But can yo do the same with Facebook or Windows? definitely not... So with all respect - we believe in democratic choice. So gather votes under your ideas, in this case power is in numbers.

but what about other users needs? You want us to make application only for you. But we need to see a greater picture. We create application with general features and certain work flows.

:) In all respect. Your photos module has no settings and customization options at all. How can you mention a 'greater picture'?

Im not a hater or someone who wants to judge JS for its weak parts. I do know exactly the strong parts as well and that is the reason why im a loyal customer of JS. But i wish to grow with JS and JS should wish the same for itself. I have a community which is growing tremendously. As long as JS fulfill my needs i will continue using it. That is only possible if JS is going to modernize and enhance its software faster. I know and use JS since 2008. So if it would a baby it were going to shool now :) So i dont want to say that its not good or something. Im just try to say that i know JS very well.

Nice Avatar by the way :)

Hi, Tahir.

It's good to know that you want JomSocial to flourish and expand your community. But you see, we can't change or introduce features only because one user reported it. As I said - power in numbers - more feedbacks like your and developers will probably change their mind.

I mentioned a greater picture as a idea of "one size fits all". if you need more or individual approach... then you'll need to customize your instance.

As those are modules and template layouts, they could be easily customized. When I create a Joomla! website I use Joomla! default modules to create new modules or I enhance their layout or the way their work. but I understand that not everyone has time or skills to do that... that's why post on Uservoice, announce it in Community, start a discussion or just post on stream. Ask other users what they think about it. I'm sure that Sinisa will jump in ;)

EDIT;

PS: I like my avatar too :D