Nikon WedNEsDAy PiC #40

[lex_jenkins]

<p><strong>Moderator's note - </strong> Because this thread has taken nearly 3 minutes to load, I'm closing it for now. We'll see you all for Nikon WedNEsDAy PiC #41. -- <em>LJ</em></p>

<hr />

<p>Some interesting issues have been raised in this thread, which Shun and I anticipated and have discussed in the past: How wordy should these Wednesday Pic threads be? Since both photos and words add to the length of these threads, and affect how long it takes to load the entire thread, we've arrived at the point where we need to discuss this issue.</p>

<p>We're not trying to replace the existing No Words Forum. The original No Words concept originated elsewhere, the goal being to provide an outlet for sharing photos without the potential complications that result from the fuzzy concept of "How many words is 'enough'?" But some other forums have adopted a modified version, the NW/W type threads, in which some words are acceptable.</p>

<p>The weekly Nikon Wednesday Pic threads are closer to the NW/W concept, but have grown beyond anyone's expectations. They're unique. They're a great morale booster and great for the sense of community. They've also presented some unique challenges that we've needed to deal with, both as community members and for the moderators.</p>

<p>So far, my rule of thumb has not been to impose a word limit but, rather, a time limit based on how long it takes one of these threads to load from an empty cache onto my browser, using a basic DSL connection. As I'd mentioned in previous threads, including <a href="http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00SriP"><b>this one</b></a> , if it takes <em>longer than two minutes</em> to load a Wednesday Pic thread from an empty cache, we may need to consider closing the threads rather than simply allowing them to remain open until the next Wednesday Pic session.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, I believe it's best to let problems resolve themselves. But there have been a few instances of problems occurring on the Wednesday Pic threads that are more difficult to resolve because the threads have become so popular. In the past year we've dealt with:</p>

<ul>

<li>A few cases of commercial spam.</li>

<li>Some trolling by a couple of folks (not regular participants) who just wanted to stir the pot. And, as is often the case, rather than ignoring the trolls some well-meaning folks attempted to engage them in constructive dialog. This never works. That's why they're called "trolls". Stirring up trouble is a hobby and entertainment for the dedicated troll. And it's why we have moderators. </li>

<li>Deliberate posting of multiple photos by a couple of folks who refused to cooperate with the one-photo-per-person rule. I'm not talking about simple ignorance of the rules - I'm not worried about the new participant who isn't aware of the rule. That's not a serious problem. But we've had a couple of folks who repeatedly posted multiple photos even after being warned, including one who signed up under a pseudonym to continue this practice.</li>

<li>A couple of photos that didn't quite meet our safe for work/school viewing policy (not a big deal, but it's happened a couple of times).</li>

</ul>

<p>It may be time to open a discussion to the community about how to proceed with these Nikon Wednesday Pic threads in order to find some consensus about how many words is enough, given the rough guide I've given of how long it takes to load an entire thread from an empty browser cache.</p>