Vanishing threads, is that normal?

Ernst Dinkla

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I believe this is the only forum where a thread can disappear completely. I know forums where somone can edit his messages so no content is left but here you can take away what others contributed as well.
Nobody objects to that "feature"?

The other feature I have some difficulty with is the shifting of a thread or group of threads to another category. The new Fuji/Voigtländer MF rangefinder belongs in this group yet it is removed without any warning or consultation.

Ernst Dinkla
 
The new Fuji/Voigtländer MF rangefinder belongs in this group yet it is removed without any warning or consultation.

Are you sure that it belongs in "120 RF Folders" and not in "120 RF" or "120 RF Modern"?

Well you've got the following forums:

"120 RF Folders: 120/220 Format Folding Rangefinders..."

"120 RF's: 120 / 220 format rangefinders including Fuji, Koni-Omega, Mamiya Press, Linhof 6x7/6x9 cameras among others, but excluding the 120 folders and Mamiya 6/7 that have their own forums."

"120 RF's Modern: This is a combined forum for post 1970 120 RF cameras such as Mamiya 6, Mamiya 7, Bronica 645, Fuji and others."

Now if that confuses you and you don't know whether it should go into 120 RFs because it's a 120 RF, or into Folders because it's a folder, or into Modern because it's modern: You're not alone.

People mention these things every time someone suggests a new forum. But for the time being it's the way the site works, so we've all got to live with it.

Regarding disappearing threads when the original poster removes their first posting: it's a feature of the VBulletin board software. RFF is not the only forum that uses VBulletin, there is a fair number of forums that show the same behaviour. I guess all one can do is to ask posters to be nice and to remove only the content of their own postings, rather than the entire thread.
 
I believe this is the only forum where a thread can disappear completely. I know forums where somone can edit his messages so no content is left but here you can take away what others contributed as well.
Nobody objects to that "feature"?

...


Well, in fact I do. The Leica IIIc Kügellager thread was removed lately, and while the original poster obviously was entitled to doing so by the forum rules, I greatly regret so much valuable information disappearing.

It keeps me from contributing in threads, because I feel my (usually thoughtful constructed) input may be discarded at any future time.

Forum owner and mods also have deleted threads in the recent past, same issue AFAIC.

Since this is a 'not photography related' thread and in the wrong forum, new and unpublished forum policies say it can be deleted at any time?
 
Well, in fact I do. The Leica IIIc Kügellager thread was removed lately, and while the original poster obviously was entitled to doing so by the forum rules, I greatly regret so much valuable information disappearing.

It keeps me from contributing in threads, because I feel my (usually thoughtful constructed) input may be discarded at any future time.

I mentioned this in the "replacement" IIIc K thread already: Under RFF rules, you are fully entitled to re-post everything from the old thread (that is, your own posts as well as posts from other members). I will not give instructions on how to retrieve them but as with everything else on the 'net, nothing is ever gone completely.
 
Are you sure that it belongs in "120 RF Folders" and not in "120 RF" or "120 RF Modern"?

Well you've got the following forums: (snip)

As you may have noticed it didn't land in any of the forums you quoted. It got its own forum instead. And it is an MF Rangefinder Folder. That it is NEW doesn't change the specs. Did the Bronica RF get its own forum when it was introduced? It is discussed in the other two 120 RF forums AFAIK.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla
 
As you may have noticed it didn't land in any of the forums you quoted. It got its own forum instead.

Actually you're right. So now we've got:

  1. "120 RF's: 120 / 220 format rangefinders including Fuji, Koni-Omega, Mamiya Press, Linhof 6x7/6x9 cameras among others, but excluding the 120 folders and Mamiya 6/7 that have their own forums."
  2. "120 RF Folders: 120/220 Format Folding Rangefinders..."
  3. "120 RF's Modern: This is a combined forum for post 1970 120 RF cameras such as Mamiya 6, Mamiya 7, Bronica 645, Fuji and others."
  4. "Voigtlander Fujica Bessa III: This forum is for the new 120 film rangefinder folders introduced in 2009. Produced by Cosina, they will be marketed under the Voigtlander and Fujica nameplates."

Yeah well, some people apparently DON'T find this confusing.

So where does that Fuji 667 go? Hint: it's NOT in any of the two forums that have Fuji in their name, NOT in the 120 RF Folder forum, in spite of being a folder, and NOT in the 120 RF Modern forum, in spite of being a modern 120 RF.

OK, I understand now. :confused:

But don't bother, the site works like that and it's unlikely to change.
 
Johan,

Amen to that!
Did you receive my last e-mail? I hope you got it:).

Regards,
Robert


Well, in fact I do. The Leica IIIc Kügellager thread was removed lately, and while the original poster obviously was entitled to doing so by the forum rules, I greatly regret so much valuable information disappearing.

It keeps me from contributing in threads, because I feel my (usually thoughtful constructed) input may be discarded at any future time.

Forum owner and mods also have deleted threads in the recent past, same issue AFAIC.

Since this is a 'not photography related' thread and in the wrong forum, new and unpublished forum policies say it can be deleted at any time?
 
Nice though that you explained the obvious a second time, with a little twist. If this is an auto site with no acting moderator it has at least a narrator.

Zo heeft iedereen zijn rol in het leven, de een klagt, de ander vertellt. ;)
Maar geen nood, ik zal de niet nog een keer vertellen (tenzij je vind nog een vijfde passende forum voor de camera ;)).

Which translates to:

That way everybody has their role in life, one complains, the other narrates. ;) But don't worry, I won't re-narrate it again (well until you find a fifth forum where the camera would fit ;)).
 
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I sometimes see things that make we wonder of the timestamp mechanism hasn't gone wonky. I.e., I'll see a post move near the front of the queue by a comment, then 30 minutes or so later it's several hours behind in the queue. Next time I see it happen I'll verify it.

I commented within the last hour or so on a thread (on a post by someone who was hassled about using a camera at a California train station and farmers market), but the thread seems to have now gone missing.
 
^^^
:):D:)

In general, is it me or are things quiet here lately? I can see days at a row without any new threads started in the Leica screw mount forum, has the search engine improved greatly without me knowing?:p

Lotsa plenty-posters are posting less and less it seems.

At least all the trouble makers are gone, right? ;)

Still interested in the 120 / RF / Folder forums with regards to the Bessa III (as well as interested in the Bessa III itself, BTW)
 
...

I commented within the last hour or so on a thread (on a post by someone who was hassled about using a camera at a California train station and farmers market), but the thread seems to have now gone missing.


Here you are.

Moved to the off-topic forum.

Apparently this keeps it from being listed on the front page thread list.

Bug of feature? ;)
 
Ah, thanks, Johan. Got no problem with moving threads. Be nice to have a mod post a notice in the old thread, though, if the software permits. I.e., post a notice that the thread is being moved, then kill comments on the original thread.
 
Ah, thanks, Johan. Got no problem with moving threads. Be nice to have a mod post a notice in the old thread, though, if the software permits. I.e., post a notice that the thread is being moved, then kill comments on the original thread.

Well the forum software actually does that: when a thread is moved from one forum to another, the old forum contains a notice that the thread has been moved, along with a link to the new location. Check here, there is a "Moved" notice for the California train thread.
 
I sometimes see things that make we wonder of the timestamp mechanism hasn't gone wonky. I.e., I'll see a post move near the front of the queue by a comment, then 30 minutes or so later it's several hours behind in the queue. Next time I see it happen I'll verify it.

Timestamping works, what is broken is that the last post timestamp gets updated any time someone votes to a thread that is also a poll. A annoying known issue with the forum software, but so far neither the site administrators nor any computer savvy users have figured out a way to work around it.

I commented within the last hour or so on a thread (on a post by someone who was hassled about using a camera at a California train station and farmers market), but the thread seems to have now gone missing.

Not vanished, merely moved. Deservedly, IMHO.

Sevo
 
It is spring on the northern hemisphere, and some among us do actually use their cameras once in a while... :)

Sevo

Point taken Sevo! Shot five rolls of color film on the streets of Groningen yesterday, but I have to have them developed before I can scan, so here I am, browsing the RFF :cool:
 
http://rangefinderforum.com/forums/faq.php?faq=vb_faq#faq_terms

The terms of service for RFF include:

"Please take note members in good standing can delete their own posts or images at any time."

The Original Poster of a thread retains control over it. Most of the incidents where an OP exercises this right is when a thread turns into a flamewar, or is taken far off-topic. There have been threads that were deleted for other reasons, but by and large it has not been abused.
 
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