Kim Coxon
Moderator
There has been quite a lot going on recently which has caused me to reflect on the site and in particular the talk of leaving. I am reminded of the old phrase "you can please some of the people all of the time and you can please all of the people some of the time but you can't please all of the people all of the time."
There have been a few complaints recently. Some have complained that it is not as nice as it was; some have complained that it is too nice. Some have complained about assumptions that they have made which are false and some have complained about figments of their imagination. Some of it has been quite amusing. One of the abilities a mod has is to "see" deleted posts. A short while ago, Bill spent nearly the whole day writing posts and promptly deleting them, it was quite an impressive effort! Shortly afterwards, there was a post about censorship and how bad it was. Several jumped on the bandwagon until it was pointed out that it Bill himself who was doing it. Then, Bill makes a post saying he has decided to leave and posts start appearing on how terrible it is that he has been banned. However, though it may be irritating to read some of these, they are far outweighed by the vast amount of good things.
Inspiration
I get a huge amount of inspiration from the site whether it is in the galleries, the technique threads or even the gear threads. I have started to think about the effect of lens construction rather than just focal length, the attributes of film rather than my "standard" stock, better use of filters and the galleries make me want to go out and take better photos.
Generosity
I appreciate the generosity of many members of this forum for the bits and spares they have sent me free. In turn it helps me to be more generous and I try to return some of the "repair" projects I have been donated.
Knowledge
There are very many questions asked here from repairs and technical questions to advice on film gear etc. The amazing thing is that just about all of them are answered in very short order. Some of the advice is conflicting but it is all useful. I can at least make a short list of things to try. It has also prompted me to go back to some of the technical books I have not picked up in a long time and in doing so have given me a much deeper understanding of the things I use especially of the lenses and film. Without the initial help and encouragement I had here, I would never have been able to try and sort lenses out.
Compassion
Life isn't always perfect but I have been touched by the messages and the support that others have shown when things go wrong. Shortly after joining and whilst still a newbie, my mother died. The messages I received from those few that knew helped as did all the messages when my wife and daughter were ill. I know of few other forums where people start getting concerned and ask questions if somebody stops posting for a while and I am sure others have been affected in the same way.
Friendship
I have got to "know" people on various forums but this is the only one where I have felt I really want to meet them in person as well. Several of those are fast becoming friends as well.
Stimulation
One thing this place never is boring. It doesn't change so fast that you can't keep up but there is always something new. Members go but new ones keep coming and thanks to Jorge, the site itself keeps evolving. Some of these changes might not always be welcome by all but at least the ideas and conversation is fresh. I have tried places where there is a huge fund of information and it is great for a few weeks but after a while the same people are saying the same things in the same threads and the place just stagnates.
Sponsors
We have the best bunch of sponsors here. They run businesses and have to make money. Despite this they offer good deals to members and as a result of their generosity, you can take part, contribute and benefit from the forum for free.
The People
I have left the best to last. None of the above would be possible without the members. This place is multi national, multi cultural and multi just about everything else with a very diverse range of views and ideas. This is what makes it so interesting and diverse. Now unless you look at the public profiles or know the person, most of the time you can't tell age or background and sometimes (as happened recently) even the sex is mistaken. The fascinating thing is that it doesn't matter one iota and it is largely irrrelevant to what goes on!
From a purely photographic point of view, I probably have more interest in SLRs than I do RFs and yet this is where I spent most of my online time. To me this place "rocks". OK it may not be perfect but what place is? Some have left and some are thinking of leaving. That is a personal decision but I for one am staying and will do my best to keep this place the best on the net. I might make some mistakes along the way but, then again, I am only human. Thank you Jorge for providing this place and thank you fellow members for allowing me to share it with you.
Sorry for the long post but I feel better for it!
Kim
There have been a few complaints recently. Some have complained that it is not as nice as it was; some have complained that it is too nice. Some have complained about assumptions that they have made which are false and some have complained about figments of their imagination. Some of it has been quite amusing. One of the abilities a mod has is to "see" deleted posts. A short while ago, Bill spent nearly the whole day writing posts and promptly deleting them, it was quite an impressive effort! Shortly afterwards, there was a post about censorship and how bad it was. Several jumped on the bandwagon until it was pointed out that it Bill himself who was doing it. Then, Bill makes a post saying he has decided to leave and posts start appearing on how terrible it is that he has been banned. However, though it may be irritating to read some of these, they are far outweighed by the vast amount of good things.
Inspiration
I get a huge amount of inspiration from the site whether it is in the galleries, the technique threads or even the gear threads. I have started to think about the effect of lens construction rather than just focal length, the attributes of film rather than my "standard" stock, better use of filters and the galleries make me want to go out and take better photos.
Generosity
I appreciate the generosity of many members of this forum for the bits and spares they have sent me free. In turn it helps me to be more generous and I try to return some of the "repair" projects I have been donated.
Knowledge
There are very many questions asked here from repairs and technical questions to advice on film gear etc. The amazing thing is that just about all of them are answered in very short order. Some of the advice is conflicting but it is all useful. I can at least make a short list of things to try. It has also prompted me to go back to some of the technical books I have not picked up in a long time and in doing so have given me a much deeper understanding of the things I use especially of the lenses and film. Without the initial help and encouragement I had here, I would never have been able to try and sort lenses out.
Compassion
Life isn't always perfect but I have been touched by the messages and the support that others have shown when things go wrong. Shortly after joining and whilst still a newbie, my mother died. The messages I received from those few that knew helped as did all the messages when my wife and daughter were ill. I know of few other forums where people start getting concerned and ask questions if somebody stops posting for a while and I am sure others have been affected in the same way.
Friendship
I have got to "know" people on various forums but this is the only one where I have felt I really want to meet them in person as well. Several of those are fast becoming friends as well.
Stimulation
One thing this place never is boring. It doesn't change so fast that you can't keep up but there is always something new. Members go but new ones keep coming and thanks to Jorge, the site itself keeps evolving. Some of these changes might not always be welcome by all but at least the ideas and conversation is fresh. I have tried places where there is a huge fund of information and it is great for a few weeks but after a while the same people are saying the same things in the same threads and the place just stagnates.
Sponsors
We have the best bunch of sponsors here. They run businesses and have to make money. Despite this they offer good deals to members and as a result of their generosity, you can take part, contribute and benefit from the forum for free.
The People
I have left the best to last. None of the above would be possible without the members. This place is multi national, multi cultural and multi just about everything else with a very diverse range of views and ideas. This is what makes it so interesting and diverse. Now unless you look at the public profiles or know the person, most of the time you can't tell age or background and sometimes (as happened recently) even the sex is mistaken. The fascinating thing is that it doesn't matter one iota and it is largely irrrelevant to what goes on!
From a purely photographic point of view, I probably have more interest in SLRs than I do RFs and yet this is where I spent most of my online time. To me this place "rocks". OK it may not be perfect but what place is? Some have left and some are thinking of leaving. That is a personal decision but I for one am staying and will do my best to keep this place the best on the net. I might make some mistakes along the way but, then again, I am only human. Thank you Jorge for providing this place and thank you fellow members for allowing me to share it with you.
Sorry for the long post but I feel better for it!
Kim
