Internet Experts: Who to listen to?

Hi,

One of the problems with insights is that they soon become clichés and then boring as every one does it. Of course, the alternative is to plough your own furrow and then get attacked like KR is...

Regards, David
 
Days were when web forums didn't exist and discussions were conducted via mailing lists. Back then the signal to noise ratio was far better and there were some truly knowledgeable people willing to share that knowledge. With the advent of web forums those people mostly disappeared only to be replaced by web warriors and people trying to scrape a living out of forum members with a few enthisiasts thrown in.
I notice a decline in usage of some of the forums I have participated in and mostly they just contain repetitive noise. i.e. their usefullness is very limited to anyone with a clue or two or nothing better to do. OMG that could be me which is why I've mostly stopped participating in forums.
 
So follow on question. I'd like to continue to learn and improve my images - even if they're just for me and family. I know practice makes better but without the introduction of new information I would think there's a limit to that.

What's the best way to do this - regardless of medium (forum, web, or book)?
 
Expert defined....

Expert defined....

Expert defined:

EX... a thing that has been or was at one time
Spurt.... a pressurized drop of liquid spewing from a small hole in a container or pipe.

Hence Expert

"A has been drip under pressure"

Prefer to think of my postings as opinions based on my own experience. However, I have a bad habit of using all encompassing declarations.:angel:
 
Though not intended as such, this tread has helped me to get started on my own photo blog (won't link yet, nothing published).

I guess then I will just report on my experiences, then people can either learn from me, or advice me, depending on their views and opinions.
And not to much gear talk, thanks for the (unintended) advice :)

I actually see RFF as one of the best resources to learn from, especially the non-gear related forums, like general, philosophy, and technique.
 
texchappy said:
So follow on question. I'd like to continue to learn and improve my images - even if they're just for me and family. I know practice makes better but without the introduction of new information I would think there's a limit to that.

What's the best way to do this - regardless of medium (forum, web, or book)?
Click to expand...

Just look at the kind of photographs you like, find out what you like about them and then try to be aware of those things when you take a picture. Practice really is the best way to get better but the practice doesn't stop at taking pictures. For me at least, thinking about pictures (both mine and others') is at least as if not more important than actually taking pictures.

I think forums are the worst place to turn to for getting better. All you'll get is the noise from dozens of strangers who all have their own idea of what makes a good image. One person's great is the other person's awful. If you feel you need the help from others it's better to find one or two people whose work you highly respect and have them help you.
 
kuzano said:
Expert defined:

EX... a thing that has been or was at one time
Spurt.... a pressurized drop of liquid spewing from a small hole in a container or pipe.

Hence Expert

"A has been drip under pressure"

Prefer to think of my postings as opinions based on my own experience. However, I have a bad habit of using all encompassing declarations.:angel:
Click to expand...

See post 37.

Cheers,

R.
 
Jamie123 said:
. . . The preface 'It is my opinion that..' is, in the best case, a somewhat simple form of courtesy. But it can and is also used as a way to stifle any kind of discussion. When people run out of arguments they often just say 'well, that's my opinion'.
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Elegant!

Their implication -- totally unjustified, of course --is that their opinion is worth as much as the opinion of someone who has actually studied the subject and has some idea of what they are talking about.

Cheers,

R.
 
C.Hudson said:
Are not all opinions of equal worth?

How about NASCAR racing for example. Is your opinion of it worth more than mine?
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Highlight: No, they're not. I know effectively nothing about NASCAR racing, so unless you are equally ignorant, your opinion is probably worth a good deal more than mine.

But unless you are unusually knowledgeable about the history of the 35mm still camera (see A History of the 35mm Still Camera, Roger Hicks, Focal Press 1984), I'd back my opinions against yours on what came first, technical significance, etc.

Cheers,

R.
 
paulfish4570 said:
this place is my go-to source, because of roger and other authoritative members like him. "authoritative" is the key qualifier, not authoritarian ... :)
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I agree ... though you do need to make sure your bullsh!t filter is working before attempting to process the info! :D
 
Hey, I've got an idea.

Anyone interested in an argument (remember the Monty python skit?) should find another venue. (Perhaps the room 2 doors down the hallway.)

Let's keep this a discussion.
 
C.Hudson said:
It's just a bunch of guys going round in circles. IMO.

Isn't "what came first" a fact rather than opinion?
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Nascar: elegant.

"What came first": sort of. But there are always competing claims, with evidence of different weight. This is a fundamental problem in history, and where opinion (or definition) comes in to it. First patent? First prototype? First production camera? First influential camera? What constitutes 'production'? One? Ten? A hundred? How many were commercially available? Where? (Soviet Union/Sport, Hungary/Gamma Duflex?)

Cheers,

R.
 
C.Hudson said:
According to Wikipedia:"In general, an opinion is a subjective belief, and is the result of emotion... Opinions are never right or wrong they are merely a figment of what someone believes".

Do you concur Mr Hicks?
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Yes, but see my previous post. And quite honestly, I don't have much time for Wikipedia. Unless you already have a broad understanding of the subject, you can't judge how much weight to give their opinions.

For that matter, in their history of the SLR (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_single-lens_reflex_camera), they habitually get my middle initial wrong (W not J) and omit my History of the 35mm Still Camera which is well known to most scholars in the field and was (and may still be, for all I know) an accepted text at RIT.

Cheers,

R.
 
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