why the explosion in the number of W/NW posts??

or is it that substantive posts have dropped off?? if total number

of posts is more or less the same, are people just afraid to post too

many words these days??

 

it's beginning to look like a W/NW site with a few questions thrown

in. not complaining, just curious.

after spending 5K on a leica, need some reassurance that the photos are not total rubbish?

It depends on your view of what's "substantive." For me photographs are substantive, not

equipment. If this forum morphs into something that is a little more photo-centric then

that's good.

No, I'm not complaing either, but this forum is thus becoming less and less a real "Forum" asking for advice and getting same as re cameras and lenses (mainly Leica, BTW) but more and more a chat room asking for critiques as re composition (often, any brand will do here). That's the reason more and more of us don't look at the site anymore.

A cursory examination will reveal that most of the pictures were taken with Olympus Stylus Epics, Canon 10D's, Nikon D100's and other cameras, in addition of course to the Leica M's and R's. Nothing wrong with that. I thought the end result was the picture and not the tool.

Vic, not bad! I, too, thought the end result was the picture and

not the tool. But I also thought this forum was more about Leica as a tool than pictures in general.

Chatter about gear is "substantive" and photographs aren't? This confirms my long held opinion that most so-called "photographers" care more about debating the merits of equipment than communicating with pictures.

It is much easier and simpler to post a photo than it is to ask a question or state a preference for a lens or film, and then be ridiculed by someone who has no life. Photos are easier to look at than is written commentary.

Mikal, you said it. Okay, I'm now starting to chat, but will now be off.

After the recent ruckus, people's nerves are frazzled & nobody wants to "rock the boat". people are seeking the return of stability. NW threads can be very solid ground as there is no debate in it unless someone posts a comment that sparks debate. Threads like "NW/W - Shadows" are safe. Having been a long time contributor to several online communities, unless they are heavily moderated, they are cyclic and the patterns seen here are common. Things will be a little saccarine for a while until everyone feels that the ground is solid again. Then people will loosen up & things will retrun to a normal state of debauchery :-)

Personally, I'm missing the farewell posts, but no doubt they'll start up again soon.

the gallery sections, complete with its various critique options, is just a click away.

the no-words threads have diluted the value of the forum. as a Leica-based resource it benefits from the expertise of those using Leica equipment, and from explorations into what Leica does best. no-words postings here lack imagination and yield very little contribution because the concept is flawed. my suggestion is to re-structure it and encourage commentary by the photographer regarding why they made the image, how the resulting manifestation differed from their vision behind the lens, why they selected a particular perspective or equipment selection.

 

the current state of words/no-words contributions is quite poor. the images are mostly trite, boring, and without reward. the forum has lost a sense of itself and what it should be. photographically speaking, it is almost devoid of anything new and interesting, and most participants seem to be wayward AIM chat-roomees who have lost their homeroom.

william vickers: "0 uploaded public photos" of course. isn't it always the way. i see william where you also chimed in over the weekend to praise the pics of classic cameras thread.

 

i guess you speak from experience.

<I>Rob Appleby: "Personally, I'm missing the farewell posts, but no doubt they'll start up again soon.</I>

<P>Why are you continuing to be a jerk? What's your secret? What's your motive? You don't contribute a penny for the upkeep of this site, yet run down those who want to and those who contribute. There would be no site if all of them were like you.

Roger Michel wrote:

 

"william vickers: "0 uploaded public photos" of course. isn't it always the way ..."

 

I knew I would eventually get a message along these lines. :-)

 

Although I have been photographing for 46 years, I am a relative newbie to Photo.net. I am not afraid to share some of my images. I will post some after I review the technical requirements for posting pictures in the forum. Thank you for your interest.

Maybe we've said it all. By now, we all know that the 35mm 8-element Summicron is sharp, but versions 2 and 3 have more contrast, while #4 is over-hyped. The MP is overpriced; The M7 could be worthwhile, if you need the aperture priority, but they just don't build 'em like an M2 anymore (etc.). The Noctilux is a toy for many of us, who will probably sell it within 6 months after we've had our fling with it. M5. CL. No, get the CLE. No, the Bessa R2. Et cetera.

 

It's all in the archives, folks!

I�m sorry for the people that feel alienated in regards to how this forum has shaped. I understand about getting attached to something that you enjoy and only having it to change and evolve into something else slowly over time. There are new people today (me?)that perhaps will post the same sentiments in a year or two from now.

 

However, I�m only here for the photos and look forward daily to perhaps some stellar material posted by Jamie J or Travis or Brad or Grant or Jeff or Denis or Wentong or Alex or Charles or Peter or Reinna or Heather or Doug or Mike or Tom�et all

Since the camera hasn't changed much in over 50 years, every possible question has already been answered many times over.

Personally, I find the W/NW threads to be the best thing on Photo.net.

 

BUT! Let's break new ground, talk gear, and continue the mind-opening conversation that left off on a recent farewell thread.

 

Thread-within-a-thread

 

------------------------------------

 

In public places (where others can actually see you), do you use your Leica like a Nut, a Twerp, or a Twit?

 

I use mine like a Nut. I hold the Leica to my eye, aim, focus and shoot. Everyone can see that I take photo's with my Leica. Judging by stares I get from the people around me taking pictures with their DLRS, AF-SLR's, cell phones, and ball-point pens I must be a nut to be using such an old camera.

 

Twerps and Twits (Heather, you cannot be a Twerp) do not want anyone to see them using such an old camera. Twerps click off hip-shots and think that people do not notice. I am not good at Hip-Shots, the closest I got to it was setting the self-timer on the S3 to take a picture as I was coming down a giant slide. I had a hard time composing it. In focus, but not level.

 

That brings us to the Twit. The twit fires off Hip-Shots but uses a bubble-level on their Leica to better line up the shot. They think that they are inconspicuous.

 

So: Aren't you glad that there are more N/NW threads?

Damn! There are no Alfred Hitchcock/Cary Grant Threads Here!

 

Those to.

 

But I do like the W/NW threads!

Gee Roger, I count the last 14 threads and no NW posts. You finished with rearranging your sock drawer again?

william -- i pointed out your lack of photographic contribution PURELY in response to your nasty post about people on photo.net who only talk about gear but don't share photos. YOU ARE SUCH A PERSON YOURSELF. it is bad enough that you want to inject nastiness into your posts, but the hypocrisy is just too much. especially in this case where, just yesterday, you actually praised people for posting photos of their cameras. get real!!

Roger, I don't think the number of substantive posts has dropped off at all - but the

number of substantive answers has.

I quote a recent one of yours:

"babar --you are, of course, full moon mad; but your name is to die for -- sublime,

exquisite."

He he... my instructor's most recent assignment was to purposefully take hip-shots. No composing in viewfinder allowed :-)