I'm Staying!

MacCaulay said:
There is a time and a place for protectives.
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What i like about RFF is it's human qualites which can only come from its members and images posted - and a sense of humour always helps...

Jenni - The time isn't when you're using a Noctillux or a 75mm Lux 😀
 
I agree with Kim. I am in a similar boat. Most of my photography is with SLRs, only a small portion with RFs. I enjoy RFs more though.

This forum adds value to my photograhy. It is a good and comfortable place. There are not many like that on the internet. This place has shown signs, and always will of internet disease, where the anonymity of the exchanges, with out facial visual feedback allows more extreme behavior. Most sites seem to fall into that eventually as the friendly folk leave when the extreme behavior grows.

I view this place as a friendly arena to discuss photography. The rules here should be the same as in normal everyday life. Be kind, compassionate, and honest. Don't try to provoke people. The asynchronous nature of the forum allows us to cool down a little before responding. We certainly can be as friendly to the others here as we are to the checkout clerk and bagger at the grocery store.

As for Kim's quote, our "honest Abe" said that to a White House caller. The full quote:
" If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time"
 
Socke said:
The most important thing here is the broad spectrum, from folders to digital, from diafine to inkjet, from diaphragm shapes to invading england and all mostly rangefinder related.

Let's leave it that way!
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Amen to that.
 
Kim is right, this ist not a perfect place but what place is? But I know for sure it's a good place to relax even when I'm are not in the mood of taking pictures.

Some days ago my parents had a tragic accident in Spain and I had to come here to take care of things. Speaking only a few words of spanish I thought I was running against a wall the whole day long and without the help of some real good friends I would have gone crazy.

So nearly every night I visited this place, did read a little bit in the threads, looked into the gallery and got some relaxation from it. So, if this place is able to do this there has to be some reason to it, don't you think so?
 
I will miss Bill, Brian and the others. The banter was amusing and informative.

I don't know the reasons that have gone and do not wish to know either, clearly it was something on a thread that did not interest me. They have there reasons. I wish them the best of fortune in the future.

I'm very pleased that you decided to stay Kim, again I have not seen the threads that caused the problems but appreciate that unlike me who ignore the more sensitive issues that you have to check. We're all thankful of the level headedness of the RFF.
 
Left not banned.... it's an important distinction

Left not banned.... it's an important distinction

kbg32 said:
Man, I must really be in the dark. Why did Brian, Roman, and Bill leave? Was Bill kicked off? I have noticed that Fred - Yossarian, hasn't been around as well.
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I don't think any of these RFF'ers were banned.

Bill, left. For reasons that made sense to me, he was pretty logical about it actually.

Roman, left. He excused himself due to his views that there was an inordinate amount of nationalism in an international forum

Brian, left. For reasons I'm not clear about, however I believe he and Jon Goodman were on similar wavelengths regarding the "New RFF" . They didn't bother to get on the new 'ship'

I expect one of our moderators could correct this if I'm wrong due to lack of insider information but that was my feedback.


I miss all of them, great contributors. As Harry Middleton wrote, "things come and things go"....

cheers, guys
 
What I don't really understand about those who leave is that they seem to make ten posts a day and then suddenly make an announcement. I've gone though phases where RFF got on my nerves (the gravanovski episode) so I just did somthing else for a while. Why do people have to make these big theatrical gestures?
 
In addition to the others, regrettably, Bertram also left.

I have disagreed with Bertram as often as I've agreed with him. Frequently quite vehemently. But his contributions made me think, which is a high water mark for contributions nowadays. True, he was no diplomat. But between diplomacy and honesty, I'd prefer the latter every time.

I still hold out hope that some of these valuable contributors will change their minds and return.

But I grow equally bored of these negative hand-wringing as well as gratuitous back slapping threads. Perhaps those members who left are doing themselves a favor by hitting the streets shooting rather than opining indoors.

Enough already, either walk, talk, or shoot ! No more psychobabble 😎
 
Kim thanks for the thread on Brian, I'll read it.

FF Tom, I didn't realize Bertram had taken a walk either. He was a brilliant photographer. I found myself on his side about 80 percent of the time. He really cared about photographing. I never heard him get too technical on hardware though.

Observation to some RFF members. If things are bothering people they usually speak up as they walk out the door. How is this surprising. Don't be critical for the way they leave. Just because your style might be "strong and silent John Wayne" style. Others speak up. We are all living in glass houses here. Live and let live.
 
Kim Coxon said:
Brian's last posts were in this thread.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=284657#post284657

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=284698#post284698

Kim
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Hi Kim,

I speak to you not only as a member but also to you as as a mod.
I mentioned already my dismay at these "exits" ( as some seem to see them) in my short introduction and

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24754

when I subscribed some days ago switchin from read only to an active membership.
I now read in the threads above that also Daniel Ridings has left and Byuphoto too, both two very good photogs who surely have contributed a lot to get RFF running on that level of art and craft it is well known for now.

I do not want to speak about their reasons , this would open a new battlefield, nobody needs that . Sad enough that the left the forum, but what is even more sad is that there are only very few folks here who are willing to see ALL sides of person and that it does matter if folks leave , no matter if they probably did not llike them or keep them personalyl as not "interesting" anyway.

There are opinions like "leaving is a theatralic act" or "we don't really need everybody here, who wants to leave shall leave, we won't cry tho" or "glad we got rid of these PIAs, let's celebrate".

What is that ? Cold hearted ? Thoughtless arrogance? Jealousy ? Pompusness ?
Very poor style in my eyes to comment the exit of members this way, like throwing rocks on somebody who has turned his back to you already.

A bit eery, makes me think about what will be said about me if I ever should decide to leave this place one day ?

Regards

fitzi
 
For what it may (or may not) be worth, I didn't leave. I still stick my head in and comment as I see fit. I didn't agree with the changes, but that doesn't mean I have nothing to do with RFF any longer, and it certainly doesn't mean I don't have lots of friends here. Nothing like that. The RFF is very worthwhile, and I hope it continues. I am still as interested and committed to the repair, maintenance and use of film cameras as I ever was, the light seal project is still very robust, there are still other projects in the wings, but there are also challenges of time and money...as there are for most of us.

The changes do mean my contributions will be different. I know my sense of humor and outlook is unique. The old RFF seemed at times a good venue, a good platform for that oddness. Not that I'm drawing any parallels, but Andrew Dice Clay as the key note speaker for the Papal Conclave just isn't necessarily a fit. Pee Wee Herman? Maybe. He might be able to pull it off. Sorry...couldn't resist that one.

Jon
 
Thanks for posting Jon. There are others who still pop in too, and I think it is important to respect them and their choices to come and go. We will be here and are always open to the contributions of all.
 
I haven't posted for quite a while. Work has been hectic (I'm a Unitarian Universalist minister serving three congregations,) and picture taking/image making exploration has led me into larger (and larger) formats mostly due to a recussitated interest in pinhole photography. Want to turn kids on to photography? Do oatmeal box pinhole stuff with them!

But I digress.

In my line of work, people (ministers, individual members, promising guests, whole families) come and go, but the "congregation," as a collective - more an idea than a physical reality, persists over time, sustaining definitate characteristics that survive the comings and goings of particular individuals.

This site has been like a congregation for me. People may come and go, but the vision and determination and character of the place persists over time - even though RFF is not a "real" place but only an internet site.

I get a sense of satisfaction, however evanescent, by being a contributor, no matter how marginal my contribution, and I feel supported by knowing there are other people who share interests I feel to be important.


That seems right to me. I don't know many other places where I can just hang out, get as involved as I want, or withdraw from time to time, change my focus, with no negative vibes, no guilt. Churches should be so accepting!

Life is good. Keep on shooting.
 
I'm not leaving either, but I feel the forum is the poorer for Bill's departure. I would have hoped that the members were mature enough not to get their nickers in a twist about some of his banter. He made some great contributions with his detailed camera reviews serious posts etc.
Howard
 
RJ,
Bill gave his reasons for leaving in his last post. Attributing his departure to the complaint that you made is pure speculation and considering the character that Bill displayed on this board, I think it rather unlikely. This is especially true as he made his last post a day before you contacted the mods. 😉

Kim

RJBender said:
Bill left as a result of something I did. I complained to the mods and Jorge about how RFF was moderated in an attempt to get them to lift the ban on Copake_ham.

Apparently, someone confronted Bill with the links I sent and he decided to bail out. That was not my intention. I was only trying to get my friend's membership reinstated.
R.J.
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