JohnWolf
Well-known
Dumb question, maybe. I know it abbreviates “Words no Words.”
But what does that phrase actually mean to a thread?
John
But what does that phrase actually mean to a thread?
John
What does “W/NW” mean?
- Thread starter JohnWolf
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dourbalistar
Buy more film
I take it to mean that posts can include words (text) and/or photos (images).
JohnWolf
Well-known
How is that different from any other post?
dourbalistar
Buy more film
No idea. Maybe if I follow my compass west, northwest I might arrive at the answer. 😜
D
Deleted member 82967
Guest
Often, an attempt at clarity is not understood.
Even though the OP (er, original poster) was trying to say that text is unnecessary and can be excluded from a post, nevertheless some didn't get it ...
... fooled me for while ... wasn't able to figure the value of "W" divided by "NW", ho ho.
pvdhaar
Peter
W/NW threads are focused on images rather than gear talk. They invite to go out shooting instead of spending time on palaver.
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
But that doesn’t explain the title ‘Words No Words’.
I’ve also wondered what this mean…
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
I always thought is was an invitation to post images around a theme with or without explanation of gear used or description/philosophy of the photograph(s).
One interpretation:
wnwstreetphotography.wordpress.com
And another:
cameraderie.org
One interpretation:
W/NW (aka Words/No Words)
What is it? W/NW (Words/No Words) threads are primarily a discussion conducted with images along a common theme. The thread begins with a theme-based topic. To begin a thread select a topic that ha…
wnwstreetphotography.wordpress.com
And another:
Nature - Words/No Words: Color landscapes
For those who aren't familiar with the terms "words/no words" basically it means that W/NW threads are not for critiquing of images, but rather a place of sharing. Of course it's always fine to tell someone how much you like their photographs.:cool: Please consider using this thread to share...
cameraderie.org
Last edited:
JoeV
Thin Air, Bright Sun
If my memory is correct (which it may not be), sometime in a land long ago on RFF there were threads intended to be pictures only, no discussions. I think people started titling them W/NW to mean “With No Words,” but then somehow the abbreviation became muddled into Words/No Words because some members couldn’t stop from commenting on pictures in a thread intended to be without comments, and some minor dispute happened over the terminology, and perhaps a moderator decided that there should be discussions on discussion forums, even on threads intended to be pictures only. And now here we are!
JohnWolf
Well-known
Ah, that makes a lot of sense and is how I interpreted the spirit of the concept.
Personally, I enjoy hearing people’s thoughts about pictures and photography.
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
I'm the same. I've got no issue with the W/NW threads and peruse them occasionally, but if I just wanted to see an endless stream of images, I'd mindlessly scroll through Instagram. I've always appreciated RFF for the breadth of the discourse here, and personally, I find it really annoying when people wade into a conversation and drop a photo they've taken with no context or engagement with the conversation at hand. It's no different to spam, and I wish those folks would keep it in the W/NW threads where it belongs.
css9450
Veteran
I think it means the posts can have words, or no words, just pictures.
Myself, I like to see a little more information to go along with the picture. An interesting caption, for example, and some basic listing of gear. Was it shot with a camera, or an Iphone? There's a lot of photographers here I follow and learn from and I like to see what their thought process was when they took a photo.
robert blu
quiet photographer
Being english not my native language I used some imagination and decided it to be a thread with only images and no words, in case of necessity only a few words. But this is just my thinking...
pvdhaar
Peter
Agreed, but I find that energy draining. If there's no common thread, that's just a mindless waste of time; you learn nothing from it.
And if they're centered on a good topic, that's where N/NW can shine, it can be like a discussion, with points and counterpoints. True, not all N/NW achieve that, but sometimes they do.
Yokosuka Mike
Abstract Clarity
This needs to be read in its entirety to be understood and appreciated. So, I quote it fully and completely agree with it.
Mike
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Hmm. I always read W/NW as "either words or no words", meaning image posts in the said titled thread that might or might not have any text associated with them.
I dunno. I just look at what I think might be interesting and post a pic or a note when I feel it apropos.
G
I dunno. I just look at what I think might be interesting and post a pic or a note when I feel it apropos.
G
JoeV
Thin Air, Bright Sun
Godfrey, I’ve always assumed that if W/NW threads could have either words or no words, then they’re just like any other forum thread, and therefore specifically titling them as “W/NW” would be entirely pointless and redundant (since ANY forum thread could be, in principle, either with or without words). Otherwise we might as well title ALL threads as “W/NW!”
What made the nomenclature of W/NW purposeful was specifying a thread with photos only, absent any discussion. You may also have noticed that we don’t have threads specifically purposed as discussion only with no pictures (Words Only”!)
What made the nomenclature of W/NW purposeful was specifying a thread with photos only, absent any discussion. You may also have noticed that we don’t have threads specifically purposed as discussion only with no pictures (Words Only”!)
Godfrey
somewhat colored
As I said, "I dunno."
Perhaps my unvoiced notion is that something marked "W/NW" is about photos, not about equipment. But I've not really spent much mental energy trying to understand or define it. I just look, and post if I find something worth posting. I'm much more interested in what people see as/in photos than in all the technical minutiae of every camera ever made... 😉
G
Perhaps my unvoiced notion is that something marked "W/NW" is about photos, not about equipment. But I've not really spent much mental energy trying to understand or define it. I just look, and post if I find something worth posting. I'm much more interested in what people see as/in photos than in all the technical minutiae of every camera ever made... 😉
G
JohnWolf
Well-known
Seems we have general agreement that it’s mainly about the pictures, with or without comment. Thanks, everyone.
I didn’t mean to start a trivial conversation, but I’m a former technical writer and think about such things.
John
I didn’t mean to start a trivial conversation, but I’m a former technical writer and think about such things.
John
