back alley
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let's have a real discussion about rff.
what do you want it to be?
there are complaints that it's a gear site, complaints that it's not about photography...people want to discuss politics here...want to insult the jews and other ethnic groups...want to vent about flickr and call each other nasty names...
what do you want?
what do you want it to be?
there are complaints that it's a gear site, complaints that it's not about photography...people want to discuss politics here...want to insult the jews and other ethnic groups...want to vent about flickr and call each other nasty names...
what do you want?
3rdtrick
Well-known
With the name "Rangefinder Forum", obviously it is a gear site about rangefinder cameras and that is what I expected when I joined. I can discuss politics and call my neighbors names without doing it here but I do like the discussions on film, digital, street photography and other things. It is good that RFF is open to Mirrorless, m4/3 and other cameras that are slowly filling the place of the old rangefinder compact.
Pete
Pete
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Obviously it's a gear site -- look at the name.
Equally obviously, unless the cameras are used to take pictures, it's not really a photography site, so photography can't be "off topic" just because some people dislike or are afraid of the subject matter.
There are at least three good political-subject threads here at the moment -- the Thatcher one and the two about the Turkish protests. It is inevitable that there will be some discussion of both the pictures and the subject matter.
Yes, it's reasonable to remove hate speech and personal fights. But a refusal to discuss politics like grown-ups is precisely why so much political discourse today is childish.
Finally, I don't buy "If you want politics, go to a political forum". Politics is a part of life: a much more important part of life for most of us than (for example) camera bags. One of the very great values of RFF to me is "meeting" people who are united by a love of photography, but who otherwise are extremely diverse and who can present a wide variety of viewpoints on, for example, meat-eating and Maggie Thatcher. A single-interest, blinkered politics or vegan site, where everyone's views are totally predictable, will never teach anyone very much.
Cheers,
R.
Equally obviously, unless the cameras are used to take pictures, it's not really a photography site, so photography can't be "off topic" just because some people dislike or are afraid of the subject matter.
There are at least three good political-subject threads here at the moment -- the Thatcher one and the two about the Turkish protests. It is inevitable that there will be some discussion of both the pictures and the subject matter.
Yes, it's reasonable to remove hate speech and personal fights. But a refusal to discuss politics like grown-ups is precisely why so much political discourse today is childish.
Finally, I don't buy "If you want politics, go to a political forum". Politics is a part of life: a much more important part of life for most of us than (for example) camera bags. One of the very great values of RFF to me is "meeting" people who are united by a love of photography, but who otherwise are extremely diverse and who can present a wide variety of viewpoints on, for example, meat-eating and Maggie Thatcher. A single-interest, blinkered politics or vegan site, where everyone's views are totally predictable, will never teach anyone very much.
Cheers,
R.
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
A photography and gear forum.
What it is now is what I like, personally.
Phil Forrest
What it is now is what I like, personally.
Phil Forrest
koven
Well-known
There are certain things that cant really be changed. What we want this site to be is irrelevant, we gotta just accept it for what it is. RFF is basically a gear forum with a couple photographers sprinkled in. With that said I love it. I've learned some great info here (about photography/life) and got the chance to see the work of some amazing photographers that I probably would have never seen otherwise.
gns
Well-known
I like broad and inclusive.
Intelligent, interesting discussion often leads from one topic to another. Strictly limiting the topic
makes things boring. Obviously bad manners, etc can be a problem on a forum like this...as in life.
Intelligent, interesting discussion often leads from one topic to another. Strictly limiting the topic
makes things boring. Obviously bad manners, etc can be a problem on a forum like this...as in life.
back alley
IMAGES
i would love more photo related discussions here but the bag threads seem much more popular for some reason.
it is easier to say i don't like this bag than to say i don't like this image...i guess.
it is easier to say i don't like this bag than to say i don't like this image...i guess.
OurManInTangier
An Undesirable
The fact that I can discuss camera bags, the latest political upheaval, see photographs of varying quality and interest...including some of recent events is why I keep coming back here. A little bit of (nearly) everything for everyone. I keep out of the fights, waste of time bitching between continents on fibre optics wires.
robert blu
quiet photographer
taskoni
Well-known
I like it as it is 
Gear and photography - it is very organic forum and you always have what to read based on your mood.
I found here many new great friends Joe.
Regards,
Boris
Gear and photography - it is very organic forum and you always have what to read based on your mood.I found here many new great friends Joe.
Regards,
Boris
Mackinaw
Think Different
It's become my go-to photo site, but I sometimes wish it was more like it's name (a true rangefinder-camera dedicated forum).
I generally hang out more on the sub-forums than the general forum.
Jim B.
I generally hang out more on the sub-forums than the general forum.
Jim B.
FrankS
Registered User
I would like RFF to be a positive place. Snide, insulting and back-handed comments, be gone.
taskoni
Well-known
back alley
IMAGES
give the people what they want?
doolittle
Well-known
I like this site because it is so eclectic. I like the gear stuff. I enjoy the bag threads. I like the serious stuff too - I love the angle I get on stories I don't get on the news. I love the passion posters show.
Rangefinders have an association going back to their beginnings as the tool of the photo journalist on the front line, it is part of the tradition on the site and I hope it will continue to be.
Rangefinders have an association going back to their beginnings as the tool of the photo journalist on the front line, it is part of the tradition on the site and I hope it will continue to be.
taskoni
Well-known
ferider
Veteran
It's fine as it is now, gear and photography.
We discussed before that politics should go into Off Topics.
We discussed before that politics should go into Off Topics.
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
While the site can't be all things to all people, it does seem to be a lot of things to a lot of people -- and that's fine. I'm OK with the large number of off-topic (i.e. non-rangefinder photography, or even non-photography) threads. Ones that I'm not interested in I just don't read. Folks just need reminding about the Golden Rule from time to time.
MartinP
Veteran
Just an idea on the deleted posts thing. Is it technically possible to replace the offending post text with one of a few pre-prepared messages ("This post was deleted because it contained rascist statements.", "This post was deleted because it contained an ad-hominem attack." that sort of thing) as that may help a mysterious deletion appear more reasonable. A link to the rules & guidelines could appear in each post next to the pre-prepared text.
anjoca76
Well-known
I agree with others--there is a lot of diversity here, and that is what I like about it. Politics for the sake of politics I feel is out of place here. In the context of photojournalism, it is appropriate, however.
I've learned almost everything I know about cameras, lenses, filters, viewfinders, film, processing, developing, scanning, and yes, even bags, here on RFF. And I have applied all those things toward making better photos. Might Eric Clapton be able to pick up a cheap guitar with rusted, out of tune strings, and make it sound good? Probably. But he doesn't. He plays well made instruments that are perfectly set up, strung with the strings and an amp that is modified the way he wants, and all of those gear choices go into what we as listeners hear. Gear is not photography. But if I didn't know about gear, my photos would be crap (or crappier).
I think if one wants mostly discussion about images and critiques and constructive criticism of one's photographs on RFF, this is not the ideal place for it. It's about gear more than anything else. RFF can't be everything to everyone. But that said, there are plenty of outstanding photographers on this forum who gladly will share their insight if you ask.
I see RFF threads like I do television stations: I skip over what doesn't interest me, and focus on what does.
Usually once or twice a year I find myself busy doing other things and don't visit here regularly for stretches of time--usually a few weeks or so. For me, that's a good thing. If I come here day in and day out and get caught up in threads or arguments or nitpicking about gear, it gets tiring. That's when resentment sets in, or boredom.
The one thing I don't think should be here at all are offensive comments of racial, ethnic, or things of that nature. There is someone on here who has photographed KKK rallies, and has done compelling work. I'm not talking about that. That is documentary. I am talking about hate speech and propaganda. I am glad the moderators don't tolerate that.
I've learned almost everything I know about cameras, lenses, filters, viewfinders, film, processing, developing, scanning, and yes, even bags, here on RFF. And I have applied all those things toward making better photos. Might Eric Clapton be able to pick up a cheap guitar with rusted, out of tune strings, and make it sound good? Probably. But he doesn't. He plays well made instruments that are perfectly set up, strung with the strings and an amp that is modified the way he wants, and all of those gear choices go into what we as listeners hear. Gear is not photography. But if I didn't know about gear, my photos would be crap (or crappier).
I think if one wants mostly discussion about images and critiques and constructive criticism of one's photographs on RFF, this is not the ideal place for it. It's about gear more than anything else. RFF can't be everything to everyone. But that said, there are plenty of outstanding photographers on this forum who gladly will share their insight if you ask.
I see RFF threads like I do television stations: I skip over what doesn't interest me, and focus on what does.
Usually once or twice a year I find myself busy doing other things and don't visit here regularly for stretches of time--usually a few weeks or so. For me, that's a good thing. If I come here day in and day out and get caught up in threads or arguments or nitpicking about gear, it gets tiring. That's when resentment sets in, or boredom.
The one thing I don't think should be here at all are offensive comments of racial, ethnic, or things of that nature. There is someone on here who has photographed KKK rallies, and has done compelling work. I'm not talking about that. That is documentary. I am talking about hate speech and propaganda. I am glad the moderators don't tolerate that.