A very belated WELCOME to the new Nikon forum

Within hours of my volunteering to moderate a Nikon forum on

photo.net, if the powers that be (ie, Brian Mottershead) agreed to

create one, the deed was done and the forum brought into being. Even

before that happened, however, an emergency came up on my end which

resulted in my absence from the internet - and this site - for six

days. In fact, until moments ago I didn't even know this forum

existed. Some moderator I am.<P>

 

Thankfully, Photo.netters in general - and Nikon users in particular -

seem to be a mature and self-regulating bunch - and so the

moderator's presence wasn't even needed. I'd like to thank Brian for

creating this forum, and thank also everyone who has participated so

well, so far.

I wouldn't say that the Nikon users have been behaving well... there just haven't been many posts yet in this forum. Hopefully your welcome will jumpstart it some.

I always thought the reason for there NOT being a specific Nikon forum (as opposed to Canon) was that Nikon questions would be of general interest while Canon questions would not

 

Just joking.

Thanks in advance to Doug for moderating and Brian Mottershead for setting this up. Long over due I think, might take some of the equipment Q's out of the other forums :-) Here's looking forward to lots of help with my Nikon kit and hopefully being able to help others.

I'm glad to see the new Nikon forum here. I'm a dedicated Nikon user and

always wondered why there wasn't a specific Nikon forum on Photo.net.

Here's to making this a useful, civil board....something to balance out the

Leica board (just kidding).

Thanks to everyone (including Carl the skeptical Canon cur) for the good wishes. So far we're off to a solid start. <P>

 

I'm thinking that activity here will remain brisk but low-key - at least until we get better organised and the word goes out to Nikonists eveywhere. Meanwhile, are there particular categories you'd like to see established, or issues addressed, in this forum?

How about categories based on each major Model: F5/F4/F3 and 8xxx, 6xxx etc? And Flash Photography, Macro photography.. etc etc. The list can

be long. Thanks.

Thanks, Lakhinder Walia, for your suggestion. The list is indeed a long one. potentially. And, as far as I'm concerned, the longer the better.<P>

 

On the other hand, though, we do want to keep the list navigable for people; the problem I see with having a different category for each model, is that Nikon has made so many of them, some very similar. And then there are the sub-model variants; not to mention the well-documented variations (indicated by serial number) between various production runs of a model or sub-model designation. And the lesser known but also numerous rangefinders.<P>

 

I hope that, eventually, we will see discussion here that includes (in no particular order):<P>

 

Books and Articles<BR>

Nikon Links<BR>

Modification/Repair/Service<BR>

Nikon Rangefinders<BR>

Nikon History and Company Info<BR>

Nikon versus Some Other Brand<BR>

Nikon Photographers and Photojournalism<BR>

Point-and-Shoots<BR>

Nikon Under Water (includes Nikonos)<BR>

Accessories<BR>

Bags & Backpacks<BR>

What Equipment Should I Take on My (Safari/Trip/Assignment/Etc.)(ie, Kit Recommendations)<BR><P>

 

And whatever else people can think of. My hope is that we can model this forum on the thoughtful and interesting Leica forum.

Sorry, I won't be visiting this forum after seeing how heavy-handed your moderation is.

 

Banning a photo.net member from this forum based on a single referral to the web's most active Nikon user's site strikes me as petty and dictatorial. I've read his recent postings and find nothing at all objectionable to his postings - far from it, the postings are positive and sincerely attempt to be helpful.

 

It's one thing to be protective of your turf, it's quite another to pretend that this is the only corner of the net universe that has valuable Nikon information.

Sorry to hear you won't be participating, William. I hope you'll reconsider. It certainly isn't my intention to be heavy-handed. Or dictatorial. Or petty. Or any other nasty thing.<P>

 

The post you refer to came at the end of a fairly lengthy thread. Most of the contributors (ten, by my count) are actual users of the camera in question; and all contributors had made the effort to give a thoughtful and considered reply. At the end, in a nice gesture, the questioner thanked them for their thoughts.<P>

 

Then comes the post you mention. It said, in part, "Give the N80 forum at www.nikonians.org a looksee. Get the advice from actual owners." As though all the previous posters were something other than "actual owners" and their advice therefore worthless. Unfortunately, this is not the first such post by this person, regarding Nikon, implying that Nikon knowledge outside of Nikonians.org is somehow illegitimate.<P>

 

As I said in my email to him today,<P>

 

"Anyone who cares to join in is welcome. And, frankly, if you're contributing on a regular basis, as somehow a part of the group, I don't care what you say (though I do reserve the right to respond). But if you're coming in from outside the forum, and your first and only post puts down everyone there, and directs the questioner to some other forum - of "actual users", no less - then I call that disruptive."<P>

 

And,<P>

 

"I hope the Nikon forum on photo.net becomes the single spot where participants in Nikonians forums, as well as others, can meet. I would like this to include you, as well. But if it's going to include you, I need to know that you consider the forum your own, one that

you'll make a good faith effort to participate in. It's that simple."<P>

 

Everyone is free to participate here. But that openess is not license to disrupt this fledgling forum in favor of some other, or to put down, en masse, people's good faith efforts here. I trust that is understood.

Doug, I doubt people are easily put off here at photo.net! Nikon is too

strong a force amongst us ;-)

No doubt you are right, Lakhinder. And the Force is definitely with us.