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not the first time and certainly not the last. The internet, fascinating, useful, frustrating, dangerous and the list goes on. Internet Forums, how does one describe this new 'community', 'place' and the list goes on.
Something happened here in the last week that now bothers me a lot more than it did when I first heard of it. I will admit that I never saw the original battle. Perhaps my spending time in other places, maybe my desire to skip past posts without images. Maybe because I am primarily interested in photography and those who feel the same but who focus first on 'photography'.
Let's say I am just a passer-by walking into a room where an incident has occurred and there is a great turmoil. People squarimg off, sides being taken, accusations made etc etc etc. Then in the aftermath, the tumult does not subside there are the inevitable aftershocks (oops maybe I am one). But then there are statements like 'I missed it what happened?', 'The thread was deleted what went down' and on and on. Then the replies I copied them I'll send them to you etc. People are copying when people are making asses of themselves. When people, as in this case will most likely come back either public or private and say 'I'm sorry'? So I question, is this site a soap opera, a NASCAR race, oh no I get it 'It's entertainment'. I was wrong originally, it is not about photography, the photography thing was a lure, maybe a loss leader. It is in reality all about 'entertainment' for those who cannot find it elsewhere. No, that's wrong it's about politics, no maybe religion and the list dribbles out.
Other than an as result of a model contest has anyone really questioned why 5000 people disappeared from this forum and oh by the way, there are many more who left of their own accord in my opinion. Can it be, bear with me here, 'that far more gets discussed here than photography?', that maybe 'photography was just the loss leader?'. You see, despite my many disagreements with management here I never once really doubted their passion for photography, and I still do not. What I worry about is that this 'place' is missing out on the opportunity to share the passion for photography, and specifically Glamour Photography, because when people stop by we are spitting at one another or talking about everything other than ......photography. I don't think new rules need to be created, I just think that the ones that are there need to be followed first of all, and then enforced if they are not.
I've said my peace and oh by the way an image, actually at random because hey 'it's about photography.'.
I won't try to reply at length to everything you've said, but I do have one thing I'd like to say. Right or wrong, the original discussion should have been allowed to run its course. If it had, this would have been over by now. In other words, censorship by the management is counterproductive, just as it is in politics.
Yes, it's about photography for some. Some folks come here to share....knowledge, experiences, work, accomplishments, show their improvement & growth.
No, it's not about photography for others. Some folks just like to stir the pot and sit back and laugh. Others get some entertainment out of the squabbles.
And maybe it's about photography and some other things for others. Folks come here for a bunch of reasons...all of the above, some of the above and other reasons which aren't listed; some are personal, some are sad, some are happy.
Maybe it is a community with all the inherent elements of a community.
No 2006 shoot yet, so this is all I have.............
Your eyes are sparlin' [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
I just think artists get bored with too much time on their hands and all that creative energy gets turned to "evil" when there is no healthy outlet for it.
Dude, you know how much I respect you, your wisdom and your passion for photography. You are a big part of the heart and soul here.
You also know that I left this site for a few months for the very reasons you're talking about... but I disagree.
This was really one very serious mis-understanding over some very questionable actions (in which I took part)... all were regretable. There was a related little skirmish too that spawned a few protest threads but all in all it was just a little snit which frankly, I thought was kind of amusing (I'm probably a bad person for that, but it's true).
During all that, I participated in several threads that were purely about photography, lighting, scanning and optics... and I skipped over a number of threads that were also mainly about photography.
To me, this is a social groupwhere I can interact with photographers, we share other interests as well and freely discuss them when they come up. Some of us are freinds and some are mutual antagonists... and some of our freinds are freinds with our antagonists. That's actually a pretty cool setup that you rarely have with your regular, in person freinds. Have I been mis-spelling friends this whole time? Damn. Anyway, being a social group there will be social behaviors and among those are the skirmishes and arguments that stem from mis-understanding, failure of communication and incomplete information... they just happen. What's interesting to me is that it happens as RARELY as it does when you consider that practically all the communication is via typed words scattered about thirty or so active threads frequently without context unless you read the whole thread in chron order. It's a testament to people's desire to get along.
I think internet forums as busy as this are virtual organisms with dramatic mutation rates. Each thread has it's own little brief lifespan... and life without conflict isn't worth living, life needs to struggle in order to grow. The thread skirmishes are spice, the stuff that sticks to your bones is photography, modeling and styling... it's art.
I finally came back when Don and DeAnn hoodwinked me and took me up on a dare (related to the 'Lawnmower Woman' shot) and I had to post a thread to fulfill my end. The fact is though, I missed the social scene here. I checked a lot of photography forums and only three have the class of people I'm comfortable with MSP, RetouchPro and GG. Lately GG is where I've been hanging out regularly, but I move around and go dormant pretty regularly. These are some of the best people to learn about photography from on the whole damn internet, not just the shooting but the business, publishing, philisophical, interactive and humorous aspects of it.
I probably like a good fight more than some folks (I'm a Bama redneck, what can I say), but I'm aging and becoming more mellow.. I enjoy watching more than fighting now... especially if I get to toss a firecracker in the ring every now and then.
You know, if you weren't around here, I might think differently about what I just wrote... but then same goes for [shudder] Don!
Chip
Ps. This is my semi-serious response, had I been in one of my giddy moods I'd have given you grief about being confused and advancing age, beautiful woman induced dementia, etc. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
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