RangeFinderForum Under New Ownership

I'm disappointed. I thought we were all going to get an M8!

It was Stephen's website that got me back into rangefinder photography. It's a natural that he would be more involved with RFF.

Welcome, Stephen!
 
I was worried for a while because the site was unavailable.

Congrats to Jorge and Stephen! May the RFF community just grow bigger and stronger...:) Oh...and kudos to the mods too!
 
FrankS said:
The combination of RFF and the CameraQuest site will make an awesome RF resource.
Click to expand...

My opinion too and remember that the people and the moderators are the heart of this community. As long as the site offers the resources and members keep their friendly attitude this site will be successful.

@Jorge: Good job
 
Congratulations to both Stephan and Jorge! I have benefited from the vendors provided here over the last two years, I hope there will be no change in advertising policy. Let's hope 2007 works well for all of us!:rolleyes:
 
The combination of RFF and the CameraQuest site will make an awesome RF resource.
Click to expand...
I believe so as well. I visited CameraQuest off and on for a couple of years before finding RFF and go there even more now. Congrats and thanks to both .. Jorge & Stephen!
icon14.gif
icon14.gif
 
We all have seen Jorge through different situations and feel his spirit in the way RFF is designed and managed. I firmly believe he has done the best for RFF, with more than a good chance he is right again.

On the other hand Mr Ghandi, or should we start calling him Stephen, his web site and shop speaks by itself about his great enthusiasm about the rangefinder world.

Therefore this seems to be a marriage of love, which I would do my best to help. Let's look towards the long range, and not at any temporary minor troubles, many young couples may pass through.

Good Luck Jorge, Good Luck Stephen, Good Luck RFF !
 
Last edited by a moderator:
oh yay, I was right! Sold!

Interesting to have a camera retailer own the RFF!

Cameraquest is a great site, and shows the Stephen has a true love of rangefinder cameras. If anything, this will boost RFF.
 
I have to disagree with the sentiments expressed so far because on paper, this is a BAD idea.

No offense to Stephen, he's obviously an enthusiast and a decent guy, but he is also a retailer, and I fear we're about to lose our little oasis of objectivity. A forum is first and foremost a place for the free exchange of ideas, and it's bad enough that any one person should 'own' it, nevermind a person whose objectivity is clouded by being the leading importer for one particular brand of camera. Where, for example, will someone turn now for advice about a Cameraquest deal gone bad?

His site, as valuable a resource as it is, also reads at times like a gushing fanzine for all things Cosina/Voigtlander, and I don't want to see that editorial stamp used here.
 
Now that is not bad news at all. :) Stephen seems to me to be the best Big Cheese this forum can have, and make Jorge's good work enduring. And we Dutch know all there is to know about cheese ;) Congratulations Stephen and Jorge.
 
I have to express disappointment. I had decided in my head that the big news was that from today on, all orders of RFF hats would come with a free R-D1 refurb unit attached to it.

(Do I really need a smiley there?)

Well, Astromart is owned by a big retailer, but it still has advertising from other retailers and it's still one of the two best astronomy forums online, so I'm not worried about that.
 
Kevin m: How much input do you think a forum owner can have on the forum's content? Unless the owner is content with turning away all members except the few who are in line with his views, no owner dare apply the degree of editorial stamp as you have put it.
 
I'm with you re: your concerns, Kevin.

I just wish everyone the best. We can only see if it flies after take-off. We lend support. It's a two-way street. Vox populi.

But so far, godspeed, Jorge and Stephen!
 
Kevin - while I can understand you concerns, I am inclined to give Mssr. Gandy the benefit of the doubt. I do not see this forum becoming a mouthpiece with any editorial oversight on the part of the owner, barring those which mainting the terms of use we already agree to.

And should that become the case - the site won't last long anyway. It is not in anyones best interest to force an editorial view.

Jorge and Stephen don't strike me as people who would make such a decision without considering that danger, and finding a way to prevent it.

I hope anyway. :D
 
kevin m said:
I have to disagree with the sentiments expressed so far because on paper, this is a BAD idea. .....His site, as valuable a resource as it is, also reads at times like a gushing fanzine for all things Cosina/Voigtlander, and I don't want to see that editorial stamp used here.
Click to expand...

You made explicit some of my concerns, but I would think that Jorge's continuing presence is testimony to the separation between the two, but then again I am an optimist! :D

The greatest mistake that could be made here would be for RFF to become the mouthpiece for Voightlander/Cosina USA!
 
kevin m said:
I have to disagree with the sentiments expressed so far because on paper, this is a BAD idea.

No offense to Stephen, he's obviously an enthusiast and a decent guy, but he is also a retailer, and I fear we're about to lose our little oasis of objectivity. A forum is first and foremost a place for the free exchange of ideas, and it's bad enough that any one person should 'own' it, nevermind a person whose objectivity is clouded by being the leading importer for one particular brand of camera. Where, for example, will someone turn now for advice about a Cameraquest deal gone bad?

His site, as valuable a resource as it is, also reads at times like a gushing fanzine for all things Cosina/Voigtlander, and I don't want to see that editorial stamp used here.
Click to expand...


i think there may be a few others who are also concerned.

i can only say 'time will tell'.

to me, it makes little sense to want to reinvent something that already works well, and that applies to the cq site, cvug and rff.
i think stephen is too smart to apply a heavy hand here and there is no history of behaviour to suggest that.

we shall see...

joe
 
KevinM,

I understand those sentiments; but I also look at this site as being an extremely busy hub of information and photos and "chit chat".

Someone, somewhere, has to pay for the upkeep.
Bandwidth is not free; neither is hosting and neither are the servers/routers/etc. that carry our little messages to and fro.

It all costs someone, somewhere quite a bit of coin. Jorge has never instilled a "mandatory" membership fee and that's a good thing. A lot of us gave of our own accord - but we gave that once - have any of us given funds to help run the site on a regular basis? I know I haven't. I gave $25 one time a year and a half ago. I doubt that my $25 is still making this site run today.

Jorge is a single individual and I'm sure not made of money - Stephen as well is a single individual but knows how to run a business (otherwise Cameraquest wouldn't be as successful as it is currently) - this marriage may not be one that everyone has wished for but it does make sense.

I don't think Stephen is the type of person to banish anyone who speaks out against Cosina / Voigtlander anymore than Jorge would throw anyone out for speaking ill of the M8 or such. Stephen has yet to log in and say is piece but I really think that, based on what I've had to deal with him for, and how it was handled, and the fact that he is not here 24/7, this site is not going to lose it's ability to allow for differing opinions or viewpoints on camera brands.

Dave
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom