Time to leave

[TPPhotog]

I left posting this thread for a few days whilst I took some time to think about things in the cold light of day.

I have decided that it's time to leave RFF and in fact leave all online forums relating to photography.

There was a time when I felt coming here was like visiting my local pub. I could drop in for a chat, exchange friendly good humour and advice. I'd go off to either bed or work feeling all the better for my visit. But now too many of the lets say louder ones enjoy arguing every small point, even though they appear to have nothing to substantiate their expertise with. The same old questions and arguments keep coming up every few days.

I might be wrong but it feels as if many members that used to contribute and take part no longer do so. Those that used to offer advice on either shooting the pictures, processing them and even repairing the cameras, now do so at their own risk of having to justify their reasons as if they were in an examination room.

Maybe in some cases it's because the trolls have moved away from or been discouraged from posting on other sites that they now come here and down goes the neighborhood. I don't know the reasons and maybe I don't care anymore.

I thank Joe, Jorge and everyone else here who have made me welcome and helped me to improve my photography.

However with that I now sign off for the last time from this and all other photography orientated forums.

Best Wishes Tony

 

[taffer]

All the best Tony. Let me tell you that you're welcome to contact me by email whenever you like. It was great to share some life path with you.

Oscar

 

[Richard Black]

Tony,
I hope at sometime you reconsider. I have had similar thoughts about other forums but have learned that there will be those who wish to impose their will/knowledge, however suspect, on all the rest. Realizing that, I find diamonds or pearls amidst the rubble that some toss out. You have been a positive contributor and I hope you might return. Best wishes!!!!

 

[Goodyear]

Tony, that's a shame. But I can understand your reasons.

I shall, of course, be keeping an eye on your website.

Good light...

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Hate to see you go, you've always been a gent. Good luck and I too will check you're website.

Todd

 

[FPjohn]

Hello:

I've, as a new arrival, received valuable advice, and some insight, from this forum. Email often allows for false impressions and over reaction. There appears to be little of that here.

Trolls are green and have bad breath-easily identified and ignored.

best to you from a new arrival
Frank

 

[GeneW]

Tony, I've enjoyed your posts and hope you'll drop by later and participate again. Sometimes we all need a break from the online world. Good light!

Gene

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Tony,

I share and understand your sentiments. Recent immigrants from PN (indeed ones drummed out of PN for a variety of reasons) have made this place less of a pleasure. Also, seeing new 'members' whose very first posts are "for sale" posts rather than contributions to the forum also has been disappointing and annoying.

I guess where we differ is that I am not willing to let RFF become PN. So I hope you will stay. If everyone abandons ship, this ship will surely sink, no? ;-)

I respect your decision, but also hope you will reconsider. cheers

 

[Socke]

I don't know why but this famous quote from Blade Runner comes to my mind:

"I have seen things that you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion; I have seen C-beams glittering in the dark near Tanhauser's Gate. All of these moments will be lost, like tears in the rain. Time to die."

I benefit more than I contribute and try hard to share what I know about the Contax G system and digital storage as well as backup.

I still hope that we can counter trolling with humour instead of name calling and this place does feel like a virtual pub for many years to come.

So lets have a final one before you leave

 

[Fred]

Tony,
I've always found your posts informative and polite. I for one will miss your constructive input. I understand how you feel and have thought along similar lines myself from time to time.

The posters who have little interest in the freindly and constructive nature of this forum have once again driven away a fine contributor. Posters who's only wish is to stir things up with silly agressive posts just to irritate should go on there way and leave this forum to those who have a genuine interest in RFs and photography. They do know who they are.

Good luck Tony. You will be missed.

 

[Nikon Bob]

Tony

The best of luck to you, take care.

Bob

 

[Pherdinand]

well, good for you if you can simply leave. Enjoy your real life.
I don't think though that the RFF got diluted so badly. Of course that might just be because i myself am a solvent.
But wou won't be reading this anyway, since you signed off already 😀

 

[nomade]

I'm new, i've little experience in many things, one needs to ask and learn, in many online forums not just the one related to photography, forummers leave and say they've had enough, sometimes because there r annoying agressive newbies, sometimes because it's all same, it's boring, or that was one stage of their lives and it's time to get by...

When a forum gets big, many people join, and it's like anywhere else, any other community there r all kinds of people, questions repeat, characters meet, and it starts rolling again...

I think i'll miss u too, cause i've leanred something from u too, as i learned from many peple on this board...I hope u'll reconsider...

 

[Toby]

I've been noticing the same thing but hopefully these things go in cycles

 

[back alley]

tony,

i'm disappointed, that you are leaving and that you are leaving without a fight, and that your goodbye is the first that i'm hearing that you are unhappy here.

my experience tells me that this is not an unknown situation on the internet. people come and go, participate more then less then more again.
people come & go.
as far as trolls, that's not just my problem but a concern for all here and the solution lies within us all also. a few individuals cannot control the troll population. but as a group we can send the messege we want sent, 'go away cause we ain't gonna play with you!'

in so many, you are a valuable member here, we appreciate you and more so, we kinda like you.
it's sad to see you go but even more sad to 'them' win.

joe

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Sorry... but I don't sympathize with this move of yours. Leaving like this and slamming the door behind you is not considerate to us, whom you refer to as your pub pals. It makes us part of the problem... and we're not.

I have participated in a lot of forums. I've been derided often, and also have done my share at deriding (not here, never here). A few newcomers won't make me leave this forum; I simply laugh at them. It is my principle not even reply at those whose first post is a FS, I won't honor a thread whose evident attempt is to troll, and I refuse to participate in name-calling. In other words, I exercise control (except now, probably). I want to stay here because I like the people who populate or populated this forum. They are the treasures worth staying for. The day these people stop posting... I probably will stop. Quietly.

Just consider these "suicide notes" a very bad PR ploy: you shun yourself from a forum by piling unto others the responsibility for a "forum gone bad." Not nice...

Given that the internet allows to "edit the past" by editing your post, go ahead, reconsider your decision, keep hanging out here for those you appreciate (who obviously appreciate you back), and leave the grand gestures to the immature people who, in your view, are spoiling what used to be a wonderful forum. To me, RFF IS a wonderful place; it may have its good and bad days, but there's nothing like in the web, so nobody will force me out.

And if you think I'm being harsh... remember that the world is very nasty out there. This place is not.

Hope to see you around again...

 

[FrankS]

Exactly what Francisco said.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

A few newcomers won't make me leave this forum; I simply laugh at them. It is my principle not even reply at those whose first post is a FS, I won't honor a thread whose evident attempt is to troll, and I refuse to participate in name-calling. In other words, I exercise control (except now, probably). I want to stay here because I like the people who populate or populated this forum. They are the treasures worth staying for.

To me, RFF IS a wonderful place; it may have its good and bad days, but there's nothing like in the web, so nobody will force me out.

Hear hear ... eloquently said Francisco!.

I've seen the many posts ... 1st time FS, members asking questions that they already know the answers to (because they asked the same inane questions on PN already), and aggressive trolls, but you have to exercise your own sense of discipline and your own moral code. You can turn the tide through myriad strategies, but leaving is not one of them.

 

[back alley]

i don't see a need to fight back.
as these trolls show themselves i'll remove them from actively participating, i.e., i'll ban them, again & again if i have to.

joe

 

[raid]

It is Ok to leave online websites on photography for a while, but I recommend that after taking a break from online sites that you do consider visiting us again and maybe you will realize (maybe not) that the vast majority of people here are nice and have golden hearts. I was picked to pieces on Pn by a few idiots who seem to be sick inside, but I am still posting on PN but less often than I used to. I am also exploring nelsonfoto.com and this website for balance. Needless to say that such websites are real treasures in information. Good luck, and hope to see you here in the future.