Posted by Edwin Martinez on Mon, Apr 22, 2024

I've been a paying member on BB for many years. I'm in the younger end of the baby boomer generation( B.1960) I love the Mystery Photo game for lack of a better word. I have to say that IMO the BB Admin is out of touch with today's tech culture. Web sleuthing is in the fabric of the 21st century and I see nothing wrong with it being a tool in trying to identify the mystery photo. I left my beloved Bronx at the young age of 13 as my world was beginning to expand in the challenging era of adolescence. My parents in their loving being of parenthood wanted to move out of the changing environment of our neighborhood. My recollections of University Heights was there was no other place to live. Of course that was far from the truth. My Bronx world as I remember it consisted of, but not limited to, my neighborhood,Fordham Road, St. Lucy's grotto,The Bronx Zoo, City Island and Orchard Beach, etc. Many of the mystery photos through the years have been a total mystery to me save of a few. I love guessing and trying to identify every single one of them. I feel there is nothing wrong with web sleuthing. I've been rebuked from doing this several times so out of respect I would never reveal the findings from web sleuthing. I just want to air my grievances on this rule being that the admin has taken the fun out of web sleuthing. I don't know if anyone else share my views. If so I'd hope that maybe a new section for web sleuthing would be implemented. Happy Passover to all my Jewish Bronxites.

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Posted by Big Al on Mon, Apr 22, 2024

IMO, the admins are not out of touch with today's tech culture, they just are IN touch with the entire focus and format of this web site. I see its intent as a means to foster memories and discussion of the Bronx of our collective past. Over the years, I've seen the mystery photos generate some great discussions. Of course, using your logic, someone from Peoria, Oshkosh or Shanghai for that matter who has never been in or even heard of the Bronx could use web tools to identify the photos, but that adds NOTHING to the discussion. It's simply not that kind of contest and I think you're missing the entire point.

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Posted by Ellery on Mon, Apr 22, 2024

Great post. Agree with you 100%, big Al.

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Posted by Saul Weber on Tue, Apr 23, 2024

There needs to be guidelines here, especially since this site involves BRONX NOSTALGIA.
A while back when a new mystery photo got posted I quickly noticed a certain aspect of the photo that caused me to turn to my experiences riding the varies elevated subway lines in The Bronx. These experiences caused me to quickly reduce the possibilities for the location of the photo. I detailed my experiences and gave what I thought was the location of the photo in question. Soon afterward, my detailed post and the photo got deleted and a new photo was posted. My feelings regarding this is that I solved the mystery FAR TOO QUICKLY and the way I solved it had probably upset those behind this marvelous site by having been too easy. Mind you - - - no AI tools got used - - - just my knowledge and memories of The Bronx.

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Posted by Donna K on Tue, Apr 23, 2024

Web sleuthing may be "in the fabric of the 21st century" but the request is pretty straight forward: "web-sleuthing: absolutely not". I have to say I think you are completely wrong about your approach.

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Posted by Ed To Saul on Tue, Apr 23, 2024

Saul, AI and web sleuthing in my opinion, are two different animals. I think AI is cheating where as web sleuthing how I would do it is by going to a location on google maps and trying to match it with the mystery photo or Bronxites on other social media locations if they recognize the location of the mystery. Out of respect to the BB admin rules I wouldn't reveal my findings so I don't see anything wrong with that. As i said before my memories only go back to the 60s and early 70s and is limited to my neighborhood of University Heights and Fordham.

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Posted by Ed To Donna on Tue, Apr 23, 2024

Donna, maybe I didn't phrase my post correctly. I said all to merely suggest that a separate section for web sleuthing be added to the menu as to not interfere with the Mystery Photo. How am I wrong with that?

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Posted by Ed To Big Al on Wed, Apr 24, 2024

I totally am on point. my suggestion is to create a separate tab for web sleuthing for those of us born before 1960. What's wrong with that?

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Posted by Ed To Ellery on Wed, Apr 24, 2024

I totally agree 100% with Al also. I'm merely suggesting a separate tab for web sleuthing that doesn't interfere with web sleuthing.

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Posted by Ed To Donna on Wed, Apr 24, 2024

You were quick to scathe me about my post, Now there are nothing but crickets. As I clarified I think a web sleuthing tab would be fun added to the menu. Sort of like a written description of a location without a picture and have the participants upload their answer with a picture. You still think I'm WRONG!!!!?

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