Boooring

I have been on this site for about a year. I have learned a hell of a lot and I

continue to keep learning. I respect people like Ellis Vener and Bob Atkins.

Digital Darkroom has been enormously useful. However, after being quite active,

the whole thing has becoming crashingly boooooring. I feel badly but for me it

is pretty repetitious. It's like mining for gold in a huge pile of gravel. I

hope I get over it because I once was quite interested. I have had a little

hiatus. Maybe I'll reduce my visits for a while. I do thank everybody who

fills the site with some highly useful material but I just cannot stand to wade

through philosophy anymore. I think I will go take some pictures.

Booring is relative. While some weeks aren't all that interesting in the forums, I like to see

the day's new image, usually 500-700 per day. I've never failed to find some images and

photographers, following to their gallery, interesting and learning opportunities. I've

learned to just scan and read the forums I'm interested in that week than every one, and

going back to the others finds new posts with good questions, thoughts, ideas, and so on.

 

In the end, it's all relative to the individual sitting there with their cup of coffee. And if not,

there's always the camera bag by the door, happy to see the face and hands that carries it

and uses the cameras. And it makes me happy too.

Dick, i'm sure you'll be verbally drawn and quartered by a few for simply being honest, but i can understand your feelings. you mentioned "wading through philosophy". is it safe to assume you mean that you've been spending lots of time in the philosophy forum? i would never try to downplay the importance/value of philosophical discussion (as long as it's in small doses over an extended period of time, and not by the same old, same old people), but most of my trips to that forum give me an immediate headache...and if i stay a bit too long, i find myself entertaining thoughts of suicide by means of a dull table spoon to the temple. there are many members who pretty well camp out there, dominate the territory and start marking their ground if anyone dare contradict their brilliant insight. But if they enjoy it, honestly...more power to them! but to me, it usually sounds more like an intellectual pissing match than anything. There was a gentleman (and an accomplished photographer whose first name is Russell...last name I can't recall) who was here for a short time, but recently left a message that he has "moved on". The guy could go intellectual blow for blow with anyone in the room and had a very refreshing and entertaining talent for leaving the arrogant twisting in their own wind. He reminded me of the Matt Damon character, Will...in the movie "Good Will Hunting". Everytime I read one of his exchanges a line from the film immediately came to mind... "ain't them some apples?"

 

Like you...I'd rather go take some pictures.

<i>"I feel badly but for me it is pretty repetitious."</i><P>

 

Don't feel badly. There is nothing to feel bad about. If the site has become boring and repetitious for you, that simply means it doesn't hold your interest like it used to, and that's hardly your fault. If anything, I would say that it's perfectly normal. After a while you start to see the same topics repeated over and over again, and as your own knowledge grows you get less and less useful (to you) information from the forum discussions. Perhaps you have outgrown the site, or other interests are simply more important to you right now.

<P>

Take a little longer hiatus, shoot some pictures, and drop by for a visit every so often to see if there is "anything new and exciting" to capture your interest.

Most people understand that if they are feeling guilt, it is likely their own fault. What many people fail to understand is that the same truth holds for all our reactions to life.

 

No one can make me feel angry. I can allow myself to feel anger at someone or something, or, I can choose another reaction like sympathy or even just apathy. But I must accept the fact that my anger is my own responsibility.

 

Well, so is boredom. If you are bored, it is not the fault of anyone or any particular forum. You are the author of your own boredom, so you are the only one who can write the cure. Just do it.

 

Hey, "just do it" is kind of cool. Think it would ever catch on anywhere? Probably not. But sometimes I think I'm right on the edge of genius.

NIKE

Larry, a very good point. i don't become annoyed with the philosophy forum...if i stay away from it. so i do. i meant to say....and Dick, if you're still listening...why not just a bit of selective participation? maybe just steer clear of the philosophical discussions, critique some photos, get to know a few more people...just enjoy yourself!

Learned a great deal and new gems of knowledge are like mining for gold in a pile of gravel huh?

 

Maybe its time to take the role of teacher instead of student.

You might also want to be the creator of new topics instead of just following everyone else's that seem to be repetitious.

 

It's being passive thats boring.

Seriously wise words from Larry Cooper...

If you think this forum is boooring, try the Philosophy of Photography here on photo.net.

Frans, you might want to read my comment earlier inthe thread ;)

those who come here are extremely varied. the seekers " how do i open my brownie" ( push the bump) or where does the battery go

( no batteries0 or the slightly more advanced

How do i use old canon lenses on my eos?

( either you don';t or get a hacksaw)

these people, in many cases are lost and need to be treated kindly.

Real photography is a fading practice and we all need to encourage and support whoever comes.

True, many will only push that button at christmas or graduations or weddings of daughters. But some will take up Photography as a more serios thing.

 

If we have to wade thru " boring" well skip the whole things

and do something else.

My thing is old cameras and darkroom and computer problems.

I like to see people succeed in what they are doing, we were all there once, try to help and inform as best you can.

"Most people understand that if they are feeling guilt, it is likely their own fault. What many people fail to understand is that the same truth holds for all our reactions to life."

 

With no intent of disrespect Larry...this statement is about as incorrect as it could possibly be. In my "former life" I worked as a psychiatric social work for several years and my days were filled with patients who felt guilty for everything that has ever gone wrong in their lives...and in the lives of any and everyone they've ever had contact with...whether or not they have an ounce of responsibility for anything gone wrong. Such people feel guilty for living...and if they find they are dying, they feel guilty for that in equal measure. People who have been abused and neglected...controlled and manipulated are taught by their victimizers that they are to blame...that they are ALWAYS at fault. Innocent people accused of crimes that they didn't commit are more likely to flee prosecution more often than the guilty. In such an instance, the innocent often act in a manner that most people would think says "I'm guilty"...when nothing could be further from the truth. And from personal experience...when some kid through a spit wad in class and the teacher asked "who did it"...I immediately felt and acted guilty, regardless if I threw it or not. Granted, we aren't dealing with a situation involving severely mentally ill people, or abuse victims...but the principle still applies.

 

 

"No one can make me feel angry. I can allow myself to feel anger at someone or something, or, I can choose another reaction like sympathy or even just apathy. But I must accept the fact that my anger is my own responsibility"

 

 

First sentence...incorrect. Second sentence...precisely correct. Unless we're talking psychopaths, zombies, or those so heavily medicated that they're in a zombie-like state...people don't have the ability to turn emotions off and on like a light switch. It's ridiculous to say that no one can make us angry. Let someone give you a swift boot to the groin, hurt a loved one, shoot your dog...and let see how well you can "choose" exchange our anger for sympathy or apathy. But, we certainly can choose...and have a responsibility to choose what we do with our emotions. Do we choose to allow our emotions to control us, or do we choose to control our emotions? If we realize that under certain circumstances that it is unlikely that we can control our emotions...we usually have the choice to remove ourselves from the situation, e.g., walking away from someone who is provoking us to fight.

And please, don't tell me that a a forum can't be a reason that we're bored. If we find that the level of dialogue in any forum isn't stimulating enough to hold our interest...the result is boredom. If we choose to continue to hang around in a forum we find to be boring...then it's our fault if we're bored. We're not always the author of our own boredom (although we certainly can be)...but once again, we're the responsible party for ridding ourselves of the boredom.

 

In this situation... I don't think Dick's guilt (if that's what we choose to call it) has anything to do with being at fault. It sounds to me like that Dick is such a nice guy that he didn't want to sound unappreciative of the positive aspects of his time spent here...and he certainly didn't seem to enjoy speaking out on the matter. While I have no reason to think that Larry spoke out of malice...it did sound like he was assigning a bit of "fault" toward Dick...and for the reasons above, it's not deserved. And...Larry, please don't me mad at me...choose sympathy or apathy...just don't be mad! ;)

I'm certainly not mad, but I'm afraid your background in psychiatry is simply wrong about whether or not one can choose to react in certain ways to specific situations. There are many disciplines, philosophies, and metaphysics that not only acknowledge the fact that we are responsible for all our reactions to events, but also teach techniques for understanding that truth. Actually, when you point it out to them, most people intuitively recognize that it is true. Too many branches of psychology love to rationalize that it's not.

 

I'm not suggesting very many people become perfect practitioners, but the first step is to admit that one is responsible. Even Tiger Woods hits bad shots now and then, but he will be the first to admit that he is the one who hit it into the trees.

 

Responsibility for ones reactions does not imply "blame". You were the one to use that word. Why? I didn't say Dick was guilty, I simply used guilt as an example of one emotion that most people understand intuitively as being sort of self inflicted. My argument is that boredom is always self inflicted, and I'm going to stick to my story.

 

Responsibility for ones emotions does not imply "control". You used that word first. Why? Why do you see the question as an either/or? Either we control our emotions, or our emotions control us? Is that the only choice? Sorry, but I think there are others. And being responsible for my own reactions and emotions does not mean I control them OR that they control me. Tiger sometimes doesn't control the ball, but the ball doesn't control him either.

 

Accepting responsibility for one's emotional reactions simply means accepting responsibility - just that - not that you should control them, or feel guilty if you have the "wrong" one. Being responsible for your reactions does just the opposite. It frees you from being one of the "abused and neglected...controlled and manipulated", and "taught by their victimizers". You are no longer a victim of anyone in that sense because you are your own boss - under any circumstance.

 

I would suggest as a start that you read (probably re-read I bet) Viktor Frankl's accounts of the way people chose their reactions to Auschwitz. Certainly, if people can make choices about emotional reactions under such circumstances, someone who is bored by a forum can choose another reaction. Then you can begin to explore the wide range of Zen Buddhist work that will most certainly argue that we, not our circumstances, are responsible for who we are.

 

The traditional Judeo-Christian, scientific, Western, understanding of psychology is far from perfect. Even Tiger works on his swing with a coach most days.

 

I am the master of my fate;

I am the captain of my soul.

Invictus by W.E.Henley

 

 

See, I'm not mad, and I'm not apathetic either. I chose something else entirely.

Boring probably is a stand in word for something deeper. I can't tell you what. Expectations get high because it is the nature of new discoveries. And there are at least a few members beyond Ellis and Bob who have something to teach,they will be first to add in their modesty. I interpret the philosophy remark, Dick, that you were NOT griping about the Philosophy of Photography Forum,per se. That one does draw some self indulgent blather. More fluffer than filling true... Think of PofP as the containment vessel like the one that the Ghostbusters used in that movie to hold the spookies from running around doing mischief:-). We can't have philosopher types running loose in places like like Lighting. Or Digital Darkroom. Serious places. And we can't outlaw boring repeats like the one on how some peole are offended by digitalia/too much PS or whatever. Or Abe's of Maine Or you name it..you know how many burrs get under a saddle.

 

One 'nother thing. Just for Dick only. If you want to feel more enthusiasm for photo net, spend a day or three at dpreview and a couple other talk web sites. Gasp,choke, cough.

 

And a final free item to chew on. All around us are an endless number of dissatisfiers. What turns you on? What inspire and motivates? Jot down the list. Now, before you do anything else, complete the voluntary survey on how to improve PN. And send that in. Take 19 minutes.

 

Also harken to Michael Freeman.He has nailed down the medicine for this malady.

 

Yours truly,

Zorba The Greek, (just for tonight:-)

"I have been on this site for about a year. I have learned a hell of a lot and I continue to keep learning.... However, after being quite active, the whole thing has becoming crashingly boooooring."

 

That's par for the course. When you first read Popular Photography it's great. There's lots of stuff in there you don't know. However after a year or two you see the same stuff coming up over and over again, and since you already know it, it's not so interesting anymore. It's the same way for the forums. When you first join and someone asks what the best lens is, you read the replies with interest. After a year and having seen the question 50 times, you don't even bother to read such threads anymore. Ditto for the "Film is dead...no it isn't" exchanges. There is new and valuable stuff, you just have to dig for it.

 

Try reading some of the forums you don't normally read. Maybe Large Format or Business or Sports. you might find new stuff there.

I just created the monster I am trying to avoid. Larry, I said I feel badly not guilty because I am enjoying the site less than I used to. I don't know how my simple statement evolved into a discussion of oriental philosophy. Because of its tone this thread will probably get moved to "philosophy". I won't go there to read it as it might be boring. LOL. However some of the responses here are NOT boring. John IMHO you are quite perceptive. Bob I will take your advice. Because I am an ex sports photographer I do go to sports and lurk. Some of the pictures are great. As you stated this is probably a natural reaction after reading the same stuff a few hundred times. What isn't boring is that I just bought a new computer with 3 gig memory, a 22 inch monitor, and a quad processor. I was all set to go out and get some monitor calibration software. With a slight adjustment in brightness the monitor is right on target with my printer. What pleasant surprise. I have never gotten tired of processing and printing my pictures. It's amazing how fast and effective my PS CS3 has become. Having it is better for my morale than even getting a new camera. It's really fast.

There you go, Dick! Good choice.

 

I would, however, recommend getting calibration hardware and software if you like image processing. Knowing that what you see is what everyone will see is very useful. You can still learn to print well, even if it means more fiddling with printer profiles etc., but you won't be long playing with CS3 before monitor calibration will become very useful.

Oh I print well. I have used PS for years. I have hung and won awards. CS3 is not new to me just the computer and what I get is the same as my smaller calibrated monitor. Perhaps I will get calibration software but

Samsung has done a nice job with my new one.

By the way Larry I was disappointed that you do not have a bio here. Mine is posted. I like people to know my experience and lack thereof when they read my posts. I like this discussion, it is, at least, a temporary cure for my boredom with PN. I also have quite a few lo-res photos posted. Some of those have been printed by me and shown at 13x19 and larger. I don't post art. Just what I think might be interesting. They also show my level of competence or lack thereof to someone who might read what I post.

Larry thanks for your response. We probably agree on more point than you might think. I think that if you should read my comments again, I said nothing that remotely indicates that I believe we are not responsible for how we react to certain situations. Quite to the contrary. What I said was, that we don't choose whether or not we feel a particular emotion...in a particular situation. I'm thoroughly onboard with your assertion that it is up to us how we "react" to the emotion. I'm not sure where the confusion set in...but wanted to set that one point straight :)

John, just to support your point, I spent much of my working life flying airplanes. There is no way to control a sudden start at a strange noise, or your racing heart after you have just missed another airplane in flight, but one can control the post emotion reaction. It is essential. But here I am hypocritically engaging in the crap that bores me. I have always been responsible for my actions and reactions. That's how people survive while flying airplanes and in human intercourse in general. I don't know how that relates to being bored with reading many of the same subjects over and over again. I am sure the moderator is going to move this to philosophy.

"But here I am hypocritically engaging in the crap that bores me." Uh uh. I for one didn't react so to your post, Dick.

 

Sometimes the byways of discussion can get interesting at least for me. (If one did take offs and landings all the time without incident, and flew same runways, same airports,same flight rules,same flight plan,same weather report...well you see where I am heading.)

 

Repartee on personal responsibility, or free will in broader context in dealing with choices and emotional responses like "guilt" got me reflecting. Realizing I have no pat answer still. Was trying to recall what I think I remember and what I think I know on that one. (Like how did I answer my son years ago who was often "booored"...Probably " I understand where you are coming from.:-)" Even when I wasn't so sure .

 

Spinoffs in a Casual Conversation/Chat seems to be fair and honest expression or even debate if without acrimony. May fulfill some neuronal stimulation. At minimum,fulfills the fellowship advantage-getting to know others way of looking at our mutual avocation and more-impulse someone mentioned earlier.

That is sole reason I have a bio staement on my home page and a photo.

 

I look forward and expect to see you around as a continuing member,Dick. I am going to need help if I instll my new PSCS 3 on my recent 24" iMAC. Big step for me as a WIN person. Stimulus package for sure... aloha ,gs

Dick, maybe you are reading the wrong forums? Lots of good new stuff in the film

areas like film and paper processing. Lots of good exchanges there. I've been doing

darkroom for 20 years now and still learning new things.

 

Sort of odd, what? Most consider film dead....

 

Perhaps you should forget Photo.Net for a while, and concentrate only on shooting

and processing. Then come back and share new knowledge and see what new stuff is

reported.

Dick,

 

Boring is a state of mind. More specifically a state of your mind. I can't control your mind

so I can't get you out of your boringness (I don't know if that is a word). I can suggest

flying your airplanes and watch the world from above and not log in here too often.

 

On a free website on the internet you are dependent on people to create content. I bet you

are not too bored after posting this thread.;-)

 

What is that cliche? "Familiarity breeds contempt." Just like Bob Atkin said about Popular

Photography or any magazines. They are designed to help out user from a certain level.

You just out grew this site and the rest of the members coming on are trying to catch up.