What do we have to do to get the Off Topic Forum back

<p>A pledge to be nice? Closer moderating by the moderators? I miss it. I got a lot of technical questions answered there and enjoyed following many off topic threads. Give up one more chance...</p><div></div>

<p>There's no reason for an off-topic forum to even exist here. I'd prefer it be deleted entirely. There are plenty of online forums to vent or angst over stuff unrelated to photography.</p>

<p>I'd like to see it back if, for no other reason, to see computer type questions/answers as they relate to photography.<br>

Agreed however that the forum needs more than the usual amount of moderation as some people get more that just a little heated.</p>

<p>cb</p>

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<p>There's no reason for an off-topic forum to even exist here.</p>

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<p><br />Sure there is. One of them written above this.</p>

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<p ><a href="/photodb/user?user_id=2062415">Charles Becker</a> <a href="/member-status-icons"><img title="Subscriber" src="/v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub8.gif" alt="" /></a>, Nov 20, 2013; 10:25 a.m.</p>

 

<p>I'd like to see it back if, for no other reason, to see computer type questions/answers as they relate to photography.</p>

 

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<p>Digital Darkroom, Website Creation, Accessories, Phone and Mobile Photography are four forums this could be discussed.</p>

<p>What I miss is having a place to have questions answered by friends with a very large collective of diverse experiences. I don't really miss any of the political back-biting. So maybe just that part could be surgically removed?</p>

<p> </p>

>>> I'd like to see it back if, for no other reason, to see computer type questions/answers as they relate to

photography.

 

>>>> Sure there is. One of them written above this.

 

The Digital Darkroom Forum has been handling that need for many years, addressing computer hardware,

displays, post-processing/organizing software, backup devices/strategies/media, tablets, social media, post-processing techniques, etc. - all with respect to

photography. There is a lot of activity there...

<p>My blood pressure's gone down since they stopped it. I get more sleep too. </p>

<p>I'm quite happy it's gone and hope it never returns. </p>

<p>If it could be focused on the kind of how-to stuff that Sarah is so good at like how to build your dock, or fix your car, I'd be in favor of seeing some form of it back. But the P.Net world is better off without it.</p>

No thanks. Photonet is better without it.

 

Hasn't this already been covered several times in the recent past?

<p>"Digital Darkroom, Website Creation, Accessories, Phone and Mobile Photography are four forums this could be discussed."<br>

Someone recently posted about Apple's Mavericks update being free and an immediate response was 'so what does this have to do with photography?"<br>

The current digital darkroom forum really isn't sufficient.<br>

In any event, I only gave that as an example.<br>

Perhaps the prohibition against discussing religion or politics that you see in some (Irish) bars would serve well here.<br>

<br>

cb :-)</p>

<p>Has anyone noticed how long the "New Responses" list has become for "Unified View" after the Off Topic forum was shut down?</p>

<p>I think the PN powers that be don't want the "Off Topic" forum to distract from others giving free photography advice to the rest of the PN forums which as a whole is the most active section on this entire site according to the recent PN survey.</p>

<p>Think of all the eyeballs those ads will attract when members spread their attentions and photography advice across a broader range of the most active portion of this site. It's just business.</p>

<p>The above should not be construed as my lame attempt at reverse psychology in order to anger the PN administrators into revolting and opening the Off Topic forum. I mean really.</p>

<p>Off Topic forum open NOT...Open the Off Topic forum NOT...YES! Open the Off Topic forum... NO! There is an open Off Topic forum here, move along!</p>

 

<p>Conceptually, I'm sort of sad it's gone but it was pretty much a cesspool.</p>

<p>I miss the OT forum as I've stated a few times already. The isolated incidents that eventually resulted in the demise of the forum were usually politically charged so I agree with drawing up some guidelines to prevent those problems in the future. </p>

 

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<p>What I miss is having a place to have questions answered by friends with a very large collective of diverse experiences.</p>

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<p>I miss this the most. Nowhere on the web do I have a 12 year presence. Here I find familiar names of people I've spoken with both on Photo.net and off and have come to regard as friends with similar likes and dislikes and life experiences. I'm comfortable here. I got to know these people through the OT forum. What were once just names and handles became real people after sharing time with them on the OT forum. The number of threads that got heated were miniscule compared to those that were civil. Why some of you are so vocal about killing it is beyond me. Why do you care? Nobody forced anyone else to participate there. Photo.net has about 45 forums, I monitor about 6 or 7 of them. I don't care what goes on in any of the others. I am left to wonder why Patrick, Brad, Alan and Walt would waste their time on the OT forum if it didn't enhance their Photo.net experience. What could be easier than just not going there? I learned to skip topics that didn't interest me just as I've learned to skip over certain posters whom I habitually disagree with. <br>

I found the OT to often be a breath of fresh air and the forum where a sense of humour was most often found and always tolerated. Life is too short to be taken too seriously. I would encourage the powers-that-be to examine those past thread topics closely and the healthy participation that some enjoyed before sounding the final death knell. Our shared love of photography is a given, but to suggest that's all we should discuss reduces Photo.net to just another photo site in a growing sea of 'same old same old'. Perhaps a 'Members Only' designation for participation would help? If so, I would once again 'ante up'.</p>

<p>Well said, Gup.</p>

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<p>What I miss is having a place to have questions answered by friends with a very large collective of diverse experiences. I don't really miss any of the political back-biting. So maybe just that part could be surgically removed?<br>

</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Agree. <br>

<br>

As to those that are opposed to an off topic forum, obviously site administration is affected by having an off topic forum but I'm not sure why site members want other members to be deprived of an off topic forum. No one would be required to read or participate in it.</p>

<p>I have no idea if the powers that be have intentions to eventually bring back an OT type forum in a different guise, but the idea that if you don't like it you can just ignore it doesn't hold water. You can logically extend that to anything. "...Lets have a forum where you can swear, curse, post bigoted racial and ethic slurs, insult other participants etc. You don't have to read it. If you don't like reading that type of thing, just ignore it..."</p>

<p>Would a well behaved, civil, welcoming forum for general discussion be a good idea? Maybe. Possibly even Yes. Is it possible to have without taking an excessive amount of moderation? I don't know. It's not my call. Moderators don't get paid and don't enjoy wading through stuff they don't want to read and decide what to delete and what not to. They usually don't get messages of thanks from those whose posts they decide to remove, quite the opposite in fact. Creating a forum that requires close moderation is a burden and moderator burnout with such forums is a fact.</p>

I'd like to see it back.

<p>Sanford, face it . . . Off Topic just ain't happening again. All because some kiddies didn't know how to play nice in the sandbox. </p>

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<p>I think the PN powers that be don't want the "Off Topic" forum to distract from others giving free photography advice to the rest of the PN forums which as a whole is the most active section on this entire site according to the recent PN survey.<br>

Think of all the eyeballs those ads will attract when members spread their attentions and photography advice across a broader range of the most active portion of this site. It's just business.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I think you might be correct, Tim. However, I don't think the powers that be really understand what's in it for the people who contribute the technical advice on the remainder of the PN forums. PN is really drying up, and there's not much of interest being discussed anymore. The same stupid debates pop up over and over -- film vs. digital, zoom vs. prime, yadayada vs. dedah dedum. The same questions get asked over and over -- "I have $5000 I can't wait to spend. What gear should I blow it on?" Honestly, why should any of this interest me?</p>

<p>What I do have here that interests me is a body of friends, and friends like to talk about "stuff" -- nothing in particular, just "stuff." Often this "stuff" comes round broadly to a common interest/passion we all share -- photography. But if all I can talk about is film vs. digital, zoom vs. prime, Canon vs. Nikon, bokeh, or how to blow $5000, I'm honestly not that interested, and perhaps it's really time to move on. If you at least give me the fellowship of an active OT forum, then it's a bit more worthwhile for me to stick around and even give bits of advice to beginners in other forums -- answering the same tired old questions. Honestly, I'm about ready to do what friends before me have done... just wander away. I suspect I'm not the only one.</p>

 

<p>I for one am relieved to hear that Alan is sleeping better and getting his blood pressure under control.</p>

<p>+1 for Sanford, Charles, and especially for Sarah and Gup's sentiments. And I miss Lupo's wonderful food shots and discussion! We can't talk about that on Digital Darkroom :)</p>

 

<p>It's a little disheartening to see the many interesting, enlightening and inspiring threads in the former OT forum contributed by community-building members characterized as "pretty much a cesspool". <br>

<br>

</p>

<p>I'm waiting for Michael to find and post an interesting YouTube video that explains and supports the benefits of an Off Topic forum.</p>

<p>I'm still trying to get over his twerking video. You still haven't told me if that was really you in that YouTube video, Michael. So what's it gonna' be?</p>

<p>Maybe they should just rename the Off Topic forum to "Interesting Nonpolitical Stuff" and everything will work out just right. I think going by Sarah's last post she's suffering from OT withdrawal though I do agree and can relate with her points.</p>