So... what was wrong with this forum?

We should look at the forum as a living evolving entity. As the people change so will the specifics of what interests them. Of late, the digital Cosina has stirred interest, far more than the Leica digital point & shoots. As the world changes so will we, so will the forum. We can't relive the past. I do think, however, that we can attempt to keep things civil, whether discussing Leicas, photographs, or techniques. I don't envy the moderaters; theirs is a thankless task. We can all put bit of effort into making their jobs a bit easier though.

It fails to preserve the integrity of the special Leica point of view.

Well said Craig & Al.

While I can't agree with Alex Shishin that this forum was the equivalent of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Gertie Stein puttin' away a bottle of Rioja while they was waitin' for Pablo Picasso to show up with the smokes; there was a wealth of knowledge and talent that just *whooshed* last month, and my head is still spinning over it. I don't know if I've missed a day here, but I have NO idea how it all happened. I seriously do blame the moon and the stars.

 

I am desperately hoping that among the new names I see, there will be equal [but different] talent, depth, and breadth. Happy to see too that some of the old guard of magicians remain.

None of the people who are gone really cared about the rest of

us when they left voluntarily or said stupid things to get

themselves banned. There were a few people who had

something to offer who left, but it was their choice. The people

who had nothing to offer were rightfully kicked out. It's

non-productive to whine about who is gone now. Things

change. Get over it. Contribute something positive if you don't

like things as they are.

I agree with Peter: Craig and Al, by posts like your latest you're preserving the civilized, insightful and constructive spirit of this forum, bringing the right tone back. <p>BTW, has the dinosaur analogy ever occured to you? According to the latest theories they were extinguished by two phenomenons: a group of meteoroids(!) hitting their biosphere plus a series of volcanic eruptions... While our planet became uninhabitable for them other species survived, adapted and evolved. <p>I continue to feel sorry, though, about the loss of some of _our_ dinosaurs, still hoping for "Jurassic Leica Forum Park" to eventually hit our screens. ;-)

A turnover of participants is to be expected.

 

However, the constant appears to be that this place drives out those with "unique" personalities.

 

It is disturbing to me that a group directed to a unique form of visual self-expression and creativity shouts down participants who creatively express themselves because some members don't like the message or form of delivery.

Life goes on. We have had our mourning period and as Patrick said much earlier in the thread we have beaten this topic to death. Please just remember what Craig and Al said above. Let's try to be constructive in our posts and civil in our discourse so that this forum regains its spirit.

Thanks for all the input... I still find this to be a very articulate bunch of folks

and from what I see, there are enough educated minds in thought and craft to

make great contributions without angst. I'm glad some of you put this in

perspective for me, I was just confused by the threads that said "bye bye, I'm

gone etc." I've looked at some of the other forums... I think I spied Jay on the

Canon forum, and I think this one is heads above them all. Whether it's

because "Leica" pulls a certain kind of mavrick into the discussion or

something else, it's a very good forum. See you all later, keep laughing if

nothing else.

Jim, its a privilege to have forumers with as level a head as you on this forum.

 

I've been lurking and active on this forum pretty much since it began, and it must break Tony Rowlett's heart to see good people leave. Other forums may come and go, but photo.net forums have a habit of coming back. I'm optimistic.

 

OT: It was a very pleasant surprise to find out that you were behind that Roots TIME magazine cover. I remember being transfixed by the pics, and especially the cover of LeVar Burton, back in India in the 1970s. Obviously it was so good, I recall it instantly after all these years!

 

;-)

"We have had our mourning period ... we have beaten this topic to death."

 

Maybe we could mourn the death of this topic?

I propose an Irish wake.

I suspect that many who have gone quietly, including myself, still drop by occasionally and browse to see what interesting new threads have cropped up. Personally, I always avoid the W/NW threads but, because there are usually so many of them, they hinder my search. I think it would be helpful if W/NW threads could be listed separately, to make a scan for discussion-based threads easier.

 

My own reason for dropping out was my aversion to the heavy-footed approach by a certain moderator from another forum who decided, suddenly and gratuitously, to pay this forum an unwelcome visit recently, to flex his muscles and threaten our forum members. I'm very much afraid that that kind of aggression signals a change for the worse: I had hoped that photo.net had improved since the bad old days of hectoring by the schoolyard bullies but it seems to have suffered a relapse. I could stomach the occasional 'naughty' posting by an unruly forum member but not this sort of systematic bullying.