Instagram

[Manveruon]

I don't quite know how I haven't mentioned this around here yet, but have you guys checked out the Misty Mountain Rangers Instagram account? For those who have not, feel free to have a gander:

www.instagram.com/mistymountainrangers

I'm quite new to Instagram, and I didn't actually start our account myself (it was another member in our local group who came up with the idea and started the page for us). Took some getting used to, and for a long time I just didn't really "get it," but now I find it a bit addictive, haha. Most people post mundane pictures of things like their meals and their pets, but if you look in the right spots, you'll pages upon pages of nerdy historical-fantasy eye-candy!

With that in mind, I also wanted to ask - would there be any interest around the forums in perhaps starting an account for all of us? We could share administrator duties between a few of us, which are honestly quite simple - it's just a matter of posting images occasionally, and maybe responding to the odd comment or message here and there. If you guys would like to do so, I'd be happy to start the account, and then all we would need is for users to submit photos here on the board, and give us permission to post them to the Instagram page. The only thing I would ask would be that all submitted photos are kept within the Middle-Earth-Ranger "theme," but that basically goes without saying.

So... any thoughts? I think it might be a fun way to show off what we do.

[Kortoso]

Really beautiful and inspiring pictures, brother!

[Elleth]

Oh those are fantastic - I'd no idea you'd assembled such a group over there. How cool!

[Peter Remling]

Very nice pics and an interesting idea.

[Manveruon]

Thanks, guys! I'd love to get a bunch in the near future with more people in them - I feel like the vast majority of what we've been putting up is just... lots of me, haha. And like, two or three others. We're actually planning a Tolkien-themed feast on the 20th of this month, so I'm hoping to get some cool shots at that to share.
We have admittedly taken a lot of inspiration for this page from the folks over at Fell & Fair. I absolutely love the stuff they produce, and while I realize they are a different sort of organization than we are, I have drawn a lot of ideas from them as far as how they present themselves.

And once again, I'd love to start an Instagram for the MERF, if there is any interest.

[Kortoso]

There are many different opportunities on "social media" in cyberspace that we could be exploiting. I am currently using Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest for my MERanger interests. If you like using Instagram (and continue to take beautiful pictures!) by all means, make full use of it.

[Manveruon]

Okay, so here's the deal - I definitely want to start an Instagram account for the MERF, but I need a couple things in order to do so. Firstly, I need to know what you guys would prefer for our username - Just "Middle Earth Rangers," or "Middle Earth Ranger Forum." Thoughts? Opinions? Let me know your preference. Secondly, I cannot use my personal email address to create the account since it is already dedicated to my own personal Instagram page, so would it be possible for me to acquire an @middleearthrangers.org emal? That would help a ton.

Once I've gotten those things figured out, I will go ahead and create the account and start posting, and if it's okay with all of you I will start a thread here on the forums for anyone who wants to post pictures they would like me to share there. I'll need as many as possible to keep updating the Instagram page, so this should be an incentive to everyone to take some awesome pics and share them (as if we needed one). Anything from trekking photos to photos of your gear, to photos of projects you're working on, etc. are perfect.

And if anyone wants to help moderate and/or update the page, I will gladly share the login info with you.

[Kortoso]

Here's my twin pennies, Manveruon: "Middle Earth Rangers" is what you're doing, and it's what the pictures are about. "Middle Earth Ranger Forum" is not what the pictures are of, I hope, haha, although you are a forum member, and the mention could send more people back this way (the forum).

May I ask, are we sure that "Middle Earth Rangers" is an OK name for the Tolkien/New Line people? Do they show any signs that they're concerned about their trademark/copyright whether or not we make some coin off of this?

[caedmon]

Firstly, I need to know what you guys would prefer for our username - Just "Middle Earth Rangers," or "Middle Earth Ranger Forum." Thoughts? Opinions?

I vote for Middle Earth Rangers.

It might also be possible to do have a central upload location for members and use IFTT to post to Instagram.

[Kortoso]

Or you could go with The Middle Earth Reenactment Society and give them some props.

[Manveruon]

Actually yeah, using the umbrella of the Middle Earth Reenactment Society would certainly open up a lot of possibilities. Isn't that technically Udwin's baby? Wonder if he would mind...

And Caedmon... hate to admit this, but basically everything you said might as well have been in Klingon, because I didn't understand a word of it, haha. Care to enlighten a relatively tech-challenged ranger?

[caedmon]

Actually yeah, using the umbrella of the Middle Earth Reenactment Society would certainly open up a lot of possibilities. Isn't that technically Udwin's baby? Wonder if he would mind...

And Caedmon... hate to admit this, but basically everything you said might as well have been in Klingon, because I didn't understand a word of it, haha. Care to enlighten a relatively tech-challenged ranger?

IFTT, pagh chaq ghu'vam vaj 'e', Doch vo' wa' platform social tlhap 'ej ghoD chenmoH qaS neH latlh chavmoH qar. mIllogh posted neH instagram tlhap rur 'ej auto-'oH post facebook 'ej pinterest.

loQ beQDaq case, vay' chel instagram pong uploading Forum mIw.

[Elleth]

of COURSE he knows Klingon.

This crowd, man.

[Greg]

That had BETTER have been through a translation program, or I don't know you nearly as well as I think I do.

As for the MERS, it actually began as JBook's pet project. Udwin, Elleth, a few other awesome contributors and I have just kinda...run with it.

[Farodel]

I think it's great to see people posting creative/artistic ranger photos, the way fellandfair and others have been doing. It helps drive inspiration a LOT when you see an awesome picture of rangers being rangers. Keep it up, so far it's been great.