I (Michelle) have added a new way to connect and arrange meetups with members and other local photographers using the Discord app.
To join, go here: https://discord.gg/MX6gzB634h on your Smartphone (if you have one). You can also use it on a computer but that isn't as portable. :)
If you do not already have Discord, you will be prompted to sign up and to get the free app. Just follow the instructions to get it set up. If you have problems, I'll be available to help at the summer meetings.
If you are only using Discord for camera club, please sign up using your real name or at least your first name and last initial. If you already have a Discord account that isn't with your real name, you can change it just for the club area. Ask me if you need help with that.
When you first join, you will only have access to the #general room. This room is open to the public so be careful what you post in there. Tell me, either in the channel or using a private message, who you are and whether you are a club member and I will give you access to the other areas.
The app uses "roles" to control access:
- No role - This is for people who have not yet identified themselves.
- Photographer - This is for people I have verified as being a local photographer.
- LACC Member - This is for people that are current members of the club.
- Moderator - This is for the leadership team or other club members that have stepped up to help.
- Admin - This will likely just be Austin and me unless there is someone else with Discord experience that wants to help.
We currently have these rooms set up:
- #general - Open to the public and where new folks start out. You can talk about anything in here but be mindful of the fact that any random stranger that finds the link can be in there.
- #photo-chat - Open to Photographer and LACC Member roles. This is a place for chatting about photography. Ask questions, talk about your latest gear, share photos, etc.
- #meetup - Open to Photographer and LACC Member roles. This room, as the name implies, is where folks can arrange in person meetups.
- #lacc-members - For LACC members only. If you don't feel comfortable chatting where non-club members can see, especially when arranging meetups, you can use this channel.
To see who else is in the rooms, tap the person icon in the top right in the app. On a computer, they are always displayed in a sidebar. Keep in mind that people stay in the list once they join and may not be actually looking at the app at that moment. You can get someone's attention by typing "@" followed by their name (a list will pop up). Depending on the person's settings, this might send a notification to their phone.
Hopefully this will be a fun way to interact with other members and local photographers and also make getting together in person a lot easier. It will also be useful during meetups if you get separated from the group or there are last minute changes of plan. So I'm hoping to see at least all the members join up.
As always, let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to help.
Michelle Cox
Secretary and Website Administrator