Node Gallery COULD become a top 10 module, but...

To the Maintainers: This is more a note of encouragement than anything else, so please take it as such.

I've been running a 6x site for a little over a year. In that time, learning Drupal has been more of a baptism by fire than anything else. I do not have nor do I want a PhD in Drupal, or web development. I merely want a web site that works. Contrib modules seem to be a double edged sword in that regard. Here's something that will be great, but then again it could permanently wreck your site, too. One module that comes to mind is 'album photos'. It started becoming a pretty good module with extended functionality, but then *poof* it stopped being maintained. Anyone like me with a production site has been left holding the bag and seeking a viable alternative to replace it. Node Gallery is poised to do just that, but there are some things that are needed. Many modules are lacking in the pre configuration area. Yes, I am well aware that Drupal's intent is to provide a tool that is highly customizable, but also notice the most successful modules usually require little configuration, few dependencies, and work well with good features right from the get go. There is some critical functionality needed in Node Gallery (imo) in order for it to become the defacto standard for galleries/albums/photo management - whatever you want to call it:

1. Preconfigured views and blocks for expected features such as recent photos, random photos, etc. As much default config that you can build in, the better.

2. Multi file upload. This exists. I'm not saying it is easy. I'm saying this will make your module 1000% better. The current method is time consuming and cumbersome. Please fast track the request or bump the priority. You'll be glad you did. (and so will many, many of us)

3. Slideshow. Yes, there are pre-existing methods here, too. Please incorporate somehow so that each user doesn't have to go build it and make it work.

These improvements (and fixes for current bugs) will go a long way toward making this module easily a top 10 must have module, in turn making you guys everyone's hero. Again, I'm not a know it all, I'm not trying to tell you what to do, just giving some perspective in that some of us just "need things to work" - I spend a lot of time configuring and trying to make my site better. One thing is that I MUST switch from album photos to something else. This looks like it could be it, or at least I hope so. But there's no way I'm switching to lose functionality. In the meantime I'll play with this in the background and provide any help I can.

I'm sure someone will come along and blast me for writing this, as it often happens in the forums. Not everyone is a software developer. Some of us just want to have a good website and I think we can agree the Drupal is the best choice.

Thanks for creating this module and the apparent hard work that has gone into it so far.