Jes Lee Photos says:

Good point. Thank you for bringing this up.
7 months ago (permalink)

Bill Thoo says:

I'm no admin, so this is just my 2 cents. I've always found the title "Polaroid Week" very evocative for a celebration of instant film. I'm pretty sure the first association most people have with "Polaroid" is instant film rather than something else, and the admins have always made it clear that all instant film is accepted, so I would be surprised if the title by itself caused any confusion.

There's no particular reason to cling to tradition if it's not working, but at the same time if there proves not to be a particular issue, why change? "RoidWeek" as a group names seems to go back at least 10 years, before which there were a variety of ways of naming the group. You can find all the groups by typing "ROIDWEEK" in the Flickr search without the apostrophe, and it will bring up all the historical groups, so finding the groups doesn't seem to be an issue. I haven't done a search outside of flickr, though. I do agree ROIDWEEK does sound like a medical condition, but it's a very tongue in cheek self knowing title, and I think it's a fun play on words.

I wouldn't have any strong issues with the name of the group being retooled by the admins, but I'm not personally seeing big problems with it.
7 months ago (permalink)

lawatt says:

the original name 'Roid Week was chosen by the founders, Cate and Lori, and while it wouldn't have been my choice either, it's never occurred to me to change it (and I've been participating since the second one, after being sad and polaroidless for the first!). I usually refer to it as polaroid week anyway.

and ALL of the previous groups are actually listed in each year's group's description, with links -- I realize one needs to find one of the groups in order to access that list, but it's always there.

and lastly, I've already created next year's group here on Flickr -- please join! but one cannot change the url alias once it's created, so we are stuck with roidweek2026 for at least one more year. but absolutely open to changes if enough people really want them -- we admins are custodians rather than founders, so just helping to keep the wheels rolling!
join here: www.flickr.com/groups/roidweek2026/
7 months ago (permalink)

sx70manipulator says:

I like the name - sounds personal and less formal/corporate. Kinda like calling your best friend Bill and instead of William.
Originally posted 7 months ago. (permalink)
sx70manipulator edited this topic 7 months ago.

rustman says:

Next year is the 20th anniversary of this group/event.

20 years. Why change now?

The word Polaroid is synonymous with instant photography, kinda' like the word Kleenex with any facial tissue.

Like Bill, I searched Flickr for roidweek and 2025 came up top of the list under groups. That was not hard.

Changing the name would likely cause a lot of confusion.
7 months ago (permalink)

Godfrey DiGiorgi says:

I've participated for several years myself and I'm comfortable with the name. But, to be sure, I've told many people about it who might be interested and about half of them just go "Ugh, sounds like a condition..." I'm just reporting what I'm told by others not presently a part of the group.

"Polaroid Week" is just fine to me, at least for those old enough to understand that "Polaroid" is an instant print legacy ... Many young people I talk to and show an SX-70 to just look at the name and scratch their head. They're more familiar with Instax in the instant print domain.

... I know that changing a name is a big deal. It is something to think about, and something to see what the broader potential audience might react to, I suppose.

G
7 months ago (permalink)

lawatt says:

Godfrey DiGiorgi: thanks for the idea, definitely something to think about! although I suspect the bigger challenge in appealing to a broader audience is luring people (back) to Flickr, vs. instagram or etc., rather than the group name. but remind us a year from now when we're creating the url name for the 2027 group. as that's the only thing on Flickr that can't be changed once it's set.


and let's have a big party next year to celebrate 20 years of polaroid week goodness!
Originally posted 7 months ago. (permalink)
lawatt (a group admin) edited this topic 7 months ago.

ℒₑₑ says:

Oh wow, is it really already 20 years?? I had to go look, I somehow missed joining the group in 2006 even though that's the year when my polaroid journey started. Happy to have gotten in there for 2007 and looking forward to celebrating 20 years of this group!

As for the name, it's not too big a deal for me other than the unsightliness of the html code displaying for the apostrophe in the group names on my photo pages.

eg. & # 039; RoidWeek 2025

Godfrey DiGiorgi says:

Will do.

Ach, sheesh ... I had one last photo to post today but slipped over the time to Saturday morning at 12:15 PDT ... sigh. Oh well, I have it on my photostream...
7 months ago (permalink)

MiYarnStalker says:

Godfrey DiGiorgi:

I totally missed out on adding mine, too since I wasn't home then when I was home I failed miserably.
7 months ago (permalink)

frattonparker says:

Please, don't change the name. It's a legacy formed when the only instant film was Polaroid (no Instax etc) and as for the painful affliction, well that's something else. Maybe get the folk who use the term in that particular case to change their usage?
7 months ago (permalink)

claudia_lisboa says:

I met the group through Instagram in 2020 and in 2021 I started participating in the Flickr group. I like the name. Next year it will be twenty years of Roid week!! Laura Alice Watt and co. You are wonderful custodians
7 months ago (permalink)

Maureen Bond says:

Time for a 20 year celebration Zine. Perhaps one image to submit from all that participate through the week.
7 months ago (permalink)

ℒₑₑ says:

love that idea!!!
7 months ago (permalink)

Estrella Marr says:

brilliant idea👍👏👍
7 months ago (permalink)

jillybeanmi says:

lawatt: 20. years! I have to go back and look at all of the old pics.... Not sure why I never did that.... Where are our creators now? Are they still involved? The name doesn't matter to me....
7 months ago (permalink)

lawatt says:

jillybeanmi: Cate and Lori, who founded the original group, both have set their polaroid cameras aside for a while, but they are still out there in the world and doing well (I'm still in touch with them both), just had their focus shift to other things.
7 months ago (permalink)