LF Forum Guidelines and New Categories.

LF FORUM GUIDELINES:

 

In posting questions and responding to questions on the LF Forum,

please follow the guidelines below. So that they are readily

available, they have been posted in the "About" link of this forum.

Because this link removes formatting, they're a little difficult to

read; but, they're there.

 

1] Topics must relate to large format photography.

 

2] Maintain a commerce free environment. Do not use the LF forum

to sell equipment, workshops, services, etc. Announcements of free

workshops and resources are permitted.

 

3] Engage in acceptable professional conduct. Threads with personal

attacks or use of inappropriate language will be edited or deleted.

 

In opening new threads, please adhere to the following. This will

make it easier to maintain and search the forum's database.

 

* Please search the database prior to opening a new thread. An

answer to your question may already be available.

 

* Always select a category when opening a new thread. Pick the

best category that applies.

 

* Post only a single question after opening the new thread. Otherwise,

it becomes difficult to properly catatorize the thread so that it can

be easily found later.

 

NEW CATEGORIES:

 

I've added the following new categories. Hopefully, these will make it

easier categorize and retrieve threads:

 

>> Exposure: Meters, Methods. Generalized from Meters, includes all

topics related to exposure.

 

>> Legalities: Related to legal matters like copy right or release

forms, etc.

 

>> Lighting - LF: LF related lighting questions that regularly

appear. Please keep these to "LF" lighting questions and post all

others in the lighting forum that's been added to photo.net.

 

>> Photographers: Discussions about or photographs by a particular

photographer.

 

>> Promotion Methods: Such as pricing strategies, methods of

promotion. In keeping with above guidelines, not to be used for

selling goods or services on this forum.

 

>> Publication: Books, Magazines. For example, discussing articles in

View Camera or noteworthy books. Also for topics relating to methods

of publication. Again, not intended for selling goods on this forum.

 

>> Testing, Densitometry, Zone System: Self explanatory

 

Unfortunately, the following three categories have no threads, yet

they still show a positive count on my "edit categories page". (A

software bug.) This prevents me from deleting them from the category

list.

 

"lenses" (contents moved to "Lenses")

 

"Meters" (contents moved to "Exposure: Methods, Meters")

 

"photographs, posted images" (contents moved to "Photographs")

 

I've brought the problem to the attention of photo.net personnel

multiple times, but I've not heard back from them. I will continue to

empty these categories as threads are assigned to them. Perhaps

photo.net periodically runs a housekeeping routine so that the

problems with these three categories can be corrected.

As to not selling services, I have a question. Occasionally I see threads about someone looking for a lab to process their film, etc. I have responded that I run a lab. Is this not allowed anymore? I am not specifically advertising my lab, just helping this person with a need. Would you please clarify this for me , thanks.

Just a user opinion--I don't object to it in moderation.

 

There are a fair number of participants with an interest in things being sold around here, like Bob Salomon (HP Marketing) and Michael Smith (Azo) and Richard Stum (Kinesis carrying systems), and as long as the posts are mainly informational (which is a better marketing strategy anyway in this crowd), I think it's good having such people in the forum.

Another user opinion - I agree with David regarding the "commerce-free rule". I, too, appreciate seeing helpful and informational input from individuals who may have a vested interest in a particular solution to a poster's question or problem. The key, I think, is in how the vested individual conducts themselves and how they approach providing information about solutions or products they sell or market.

 

For example, if the individual contributes to the general discussions on a regular basis, I don't find an occasional plug for a specific product objectionable, when in response to a specific question. Conversely, I do find blatant plugs for a particular resource, as are often made on another LF-related discussion venue, objectionable because those blatant plugs seem to be the majority of that individual's contribution in that other venue, and because that individual's responses are most often lacking in directly helpful information. Thus, I would encourage the moderators here to take a "velvet-gloved iron fist" approach on the matter.