I TRIED to post on other forums but won't go there again...

I just posted some initial feedback on the FlashWaves triggers in the "Lighting" forum, and *ugh* I'm not doing that

again. If I had posted it here in the Pentax forum, it may have been moved there anyway but I am willing to take that

risk. What a bunch of grumps...

 

I loved the comment ""Of course, you lose TTL" - yes, but you will not loose [sIC] TTL with Pocket Wizards (PW),

since PW never had any TTL." Wow, that was an amazing revelation!! Gee, I feel enlightened.

 

Folks, it's better swimming in the Pentax pool, so don't bother going elsewhere. Is the world really that cynical?

Maybe (sadly) so...

haha yea I just that read that post... they got all over you didnt they? I dont even read the other posts, so far any questions I had about photography I've been able to find it here and on the pntxforums... too much b*tching goes on the other posts/forums.

Pentax forum is populated with ladies and gentlemen compared to some of the other forums. I made a similar mistake in the Minolta forum a while back. A bunch of condescending, snivelers live there.

 

Oh wait -- I bet you're wondering why I was there in the first place. I had purchased an off-brand 35mm SLR kit really cheap in a yard sale. I thought for sure it would be PK mount lens. Who knew that stupid, Chinese-built Kalimar camera has a Minolta mount? Who knew? I bought the kit because it contained a nice-looking 80-200mm zoom that I wanted to give to my son-in-law. When I learned it was Minolta mount I simply asked in the forum if anybody wanted it. They didn't even know I was willing to give it away just for postage. So, anyhow, I got pounced on for improperly placing an "ad" in that forum, and the condescending part was that someone tried to "educate" me about the quality of that vs. Rokkor lenses, and I should try to sell it on e-bay, etc., etc. I blasted him back and never returned to the forum.

 

Will

> They didn't even know I was willing to give it away...

 

How would they know that, since you didn't offer to "give it away". You posted "make offer" and left your email address. At no point did you offer the lens for free. You were then (rightly) admonished for posting an ad against forum rules.

 

> A bunch of condescending, snivelers live there.

 

I think you were handled pretty gently. But then, my epidermis is of normal thickness.

Couldn't agree with you more, Somanna...way, WAY, too much 'beeotching' going on in the other forums...Wow, they are so uptight! Someone shoot me if I decide to go there again...

 

Wow, Will, there ya go. Your story is a perfect reason not to leave the Pentax pool and jump into the shark tank. You TRY to do someone a favor and they blast you with both barrels! Good thing you blasted them back. Not only do we learn from one another in the Pentax forum (in a civil way), but we have fun doing it.

 

Remember Javier's thread a while back about Pentaxians being different? How so true that is...

Zane is right -- I forgot about that "make offer" comment I posted there. Mea culpa. I was hoping to collect just enough to pay the freight. I still didn't consider it an ad, and still don't, and the guy who responded to me was way out of line. Still.

 

Will

Ah, no worries. I don't believe that a Pentaxian's skin is any thinner than others', but I wonder why people feel the need to get caustic and/or sarcastic in everything they post. I am not offended by the comments outside of Pentaxland, but it is curious to note how different the tones are from one to the next. There have been a fair share of dumb questions posted here, but most people who frequent the Pentax forum are more guiding and educational in their responses. After all, that is how people learn best so why try to jam everything back down their throats? If grumpy, uptight jerks respond with bitter acrimony, most people will not bother coming back with more questions and hence the learning process stops dead in its tracks...

Sadly, I tried to explain this to the moderators in slightly more eloquent sense but they didn't get it.

 

I hardly ever visit the other forums because there is very little dialogue and a lot of chest beating.

 

This is actually quite typical in most web forums of any genre, someone post, someone else pounces with nothing too add. It's a virtual peeing match.

 

We've seen a bit more of this with the Canikon rejects jumping ship but still this is and most other Pentax forums seem to have more cerebral posters who tend to think before jumping down someones throat.

 

Anyway, this is why you see people post tripod threads, and lighting threads, and scanner threads on the Pentax forum.

100% with you, Justin. My default will be to post here and have the moderators move it if they deem it necessary. My recent exception was the post on the Leica debacle from the WSJ article (since that thread can only be considered a universal butt-kicking on Leica).

For those who want to read the referenced threads for themselves:

<P><UL>

<LI><A HREF=http://www.photo.net/photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum/00Qsez>Flashwaves</A>

<LI><A HREF=http://www.photo.net/sony-minolta-slr-system-forum/00PRs3>Made a mistake today, bought wrong lens...</A>

</UL>

Jeff, I think you'll find those members in the Canon FD forum, that haven't "jumped ship", are quite a helpful and friendly group. The thing is most folks don't wander in and just sit in due to the specific nature of the forum. There is a good mix of expert, intermediate and novice photographers and the tone is quite collegial.

> My default will be to post here and have the moderators move it if they deem it necessary

 

So, Jeff, you plan to deliberately post off-topic messages. This will reduce the signal to noise ratio of the forum and make additional work for the moderator(s).

 

Nice.

"I still didn't consider it an ad, and still don't, and the guy who responded to me was way out of line. "

 

 

Let's see, you listed a lens and said "make offer." That's an advertisement.

 

The gentleman who responded to you was not out of line. He laid out the facts to you, plain and simple.

Not necessarily, Zane. Most of what I post is on-topic and I relate to the Pentax implementation wherever possible. I won't try to rack my brain, however, determining if Flashwaves on an AF-360 and K10D belongs more in the lighting forum or the Pentax one...

Howdy folks,

 

First off, ads of any sort are not allowed on the photo.net forums. Not even "for free" ones. Mostly because it

is a slippery slope to get on. One thing leads to another, and suddenly you are over run by people trying to use

the site to hype their ebay auctions. We all have things we would like to promote or sell, but the forums are

not the place to do it on photo.net.

 

Secondly, don't get to feeling too pleased with yourselves about how wonderful this forum is and how other forums

are filled with idiots. I've been around here for a decade, and let me tell you that all forums are filled with

idiots at some time or another (or when some particular subject is brought up). All forums go through cycles due

to user interest, membership numbers, fads, new technology, etc. Forums that are dead come back to life and

forums that were barrels of fun turn into a cesspool. It is just the way that internet communities change and evolve.

 

I will say that I think the Pentax forum on photo.net is doing great right now. Lots of people who are interested

in photography, enjoy talking about it, and are more or less polite and follow the site's guidelines. Overall, it

has pleased me greatly to see this forum become more active over the past year or two.

 

But don't get too high up on that horse. The view might be good but it's a long fall back down.

 

And now, my baby is crying. So I bid you farewell and retreat back into my splendid Photokistan Presidential Cave.

Good perspective, Josh, and thanks for the insight gleaned from your experience with these forums. I, for one, intend to enjoy the Pentaxian Aura while it lasts...

I posted in the lighting forum once....I did not get beat up...Guess I got lucky :)

I agree, that the forums tend to ebb and surge with interest.

 

A few years ago, the Pentax forum on Photo.net was a couple of guys hanging on and not too much interest beyond that.

 

I do however stand by the fact that in general all the Pentax forums (including non p.net sites) tend to be a little more laid back.

 

My guess is that for the most part these people are more interested in photography than technology. And also, more enjoy the social aspect of photography as a general rule.

 

I could be wrong, but it would seem one of the worst Pentax forums is dpreview which tends to get testy really quickly.

 

Anyway, this isn't to say every other camera brand user is a mean spirited evil minion of satan. Not at all. Just to say that it seems at least in general the Pentax forums (on this and various sites) tend to be a bit more cordial as a whole.

I think that a tendency on any online forum is for people to be far more rude than they would be in real life face to face interaction. There are a number of reasons for this, but there are a number of factors that limit rudeness too. One of those limiting factors is as you grow to get to know and relate to the others on line as more than cyber concepts, then most people's politeness factor begins to awaken slightly. I think we have a good group of folk here on the Pentax forum that are getting to know one another, and that is the key.

 

But I have only had good experiences on the other forums here too, but admittedly my experience there is limited. Yes, I have seen vitriol, but hey, I have seen some really considerate comments and posts by non-Pentaxians!

 

Tongue in cheek - but Pentaxians are still the nicest bunch!!!!!!

Ahhh. Hmmmmm.

 

You guys suck. Ehh. Know it alls.. Etc.. Et al.

 

I don't know. I enjoy hanging out with most of you guys. Shooting Pentax and all and such. Stribing backwards AF

and FPS wise and I don't know.

 

C'mon, let's see some pictures.... Ist *, please Or k30d, o K+d or k&¤/d or... Well

 

Sorry if I offend anyone. BTW, Ilove my k10d and lenses...

 

Cheers

 

Fredrik

Good one Fredrik. Here are some shots with my new Tamron 17-50 f2.8. Sharp as anything in my bag stopped down to

f4.5 or so, but slightly soft wide open.

<P>

Firstly stopped down:<br>

<a href=" title="IMGP4345 by Garry Young, on Flickr"><img

src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2866063979_bf570e236c.jpg" width="342" height="500" alt="IMGP4345"

/></a><br>

<a href=" title="IMGP4352 by Garry Young, on Flickr"><img

src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3025/2866895574_d31cf06110.jpg" width="345" height="500" alt="IMGP4352"

/></a><br>

<P>

And now wide open:<br>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garryyoung/2866058543/" title="IMGP4356 by Garry Young, on Flickr"><img

src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/2866058543_754da324d9.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMGP4356"

/></a><br>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garryyoung/2866058701/" title="IMGP4359 by Garry Young, on Flickr"><img

src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2866058701_83f54e642e.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="IMGP4359" /></a>

<P>

So why am I posting these here? Uh, dunno. Just like taking pics and talking about them! I hear some forums don't

let you do this? Weird huh! The P-net guidelines at the top of the page where I am editing my post say:

<P><i>Community Standards: Please take a moment to ask yourself if what you're about to post is going to be

useful to the person who asked the question. Then ask yourself if, when someone stumbles upon this exchange four

years from now via a Google search, they are going to say 'that was worth my time to read'.</i>

<P>

I am not sure, but Jeff please tell me if this is useful!?!?

Oh Garry, it is very useful!!! I never tire of the photos you post of your colleagues...you must live a tough life in Taiwan!! ;->

Indeed Jeff! But I'm toughing it out! I will survive!

Garry, is that last photo a new colleague?

 

Softness wide open for portraits is a non issue. Love that B&W of the kids on the bench. I would've cropped to to vertical 4x5, but that's just my taste--I find 2x3 too long for portrait orientation.

Two factors that help forum civility and quality:

<P>

Moderate size. If forum grows too big (think dpreview) the "regulars" can no longer keep track of the huge number of threads and the sense of community diminishes. In this moderate-sized-but-still-active forum, there are several regulars who I am confident will see whatever it is I post.

<P>I like that for the most part, photo.net encourages the use of real names. Not everybody does, but it seems that forums where everybody is more-or-less anonymous there is just one less reason to imagine other participants as human beings and be polite.