Photography - what's the point?

TJJP

Hi folks. Not sure if this is the right spot for this or not so apologies if the location is wrong.

I read a lot of the photography threads, post occasionally, usually get burned by the photo club mentality, but what the hey... goes with the territory.

Anyways, getting to the point, in order to get a category started up you have to campaign on boards and get support for it it seems, but what happens when it goes south?

The photography threads are getting poorer and poorer, the quality of moderatorship does seem dire at best.

Take this thread on Canon equipment which rapidly descends into a modfest on mac versus PC: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=54991674#post54991674

I mean please people, can’t we do better?

Sherifu

Why are they getting poorer and poorer? Did you send a pm to any of the moderators?

Beruthiel

Ok
I just read the page you linked us to.
Am I blind? What's wrong with it? Seems civil, polite etc...
Could you point me in the direction of what exactly you are complaining about?
*confused*

TJJP

Many threads descend into bad taste or a slagging match at best. Pictures of Nazis as above for example. A/H yes maybe, the photo forum, I wouldn't have thought so.

No, didn't PM mods. Wouldn't expect much response, also I suppose I don't think I is my job to moderate the mods, hence my post here in feedback to solicit others action/opinion.

Beruthiel

Well until I know exactly what you are on about, I cannot give an opinion.....

Also
Do you report comments you deem inappropriate?

TJJP

Beruthiel wrote: »

Ok
I just read the page you linked us to.
Am I blind? What's wrong with it? Seems civil, polite etc...
Could you point me in the direction of what exactly you are complaining about?
*confused*

It's way off topic. Starts about canon. Ends in Mac versus PC with a few photoshopped Hitlers thrown in.

Is this the best we can do? As before A/H yes, but when a poster asks for advice and this is where it goes, or is let go, then it's poor.

The women photographers thread springs to mind too. Starts with women photographers, ends up in sexist drivel. A/H maybe, photo no.

Sherifu

You can report a post for a mod to take a look at if you're unhappy with it.
<- The over there.
Any more thread examples?

6th

I'm a fair weather photographer who rarely uses the forum but when I do (and I have recently) I am always treated very well by posters and mods alike. No elitism, no patronising and everyone is always helpful and encouraging.

Of all the sections of Boards I look at, Photography seems to be one of the most popular and successful of the lot. Its a real community, not a clique and the current mods encourage that.

My 2c.

Kintarō Hattori

TJJP you're not really helping yourself here. You complain that the photography forum has 'lost' its way yet you're not doing anything to improve it.
You haven't mentioned anything to the mods, you don't report posts. How do you expect the situation to improve when you haven't done anything except to come here and complain about it.

Your lack of detail isn't helping either.

It's like After Hours, not a photography forum.

Give a more detailed explanation as to what exactly is going wrong and how you think it should be tackled.

I have to agree with 6th, any time I've gone in there to ask questions/look for advice I've always come away happy.

PeakOutput

there are a few threads that go off topic i suppose but iv always gotten good responces when asking advice and havnt really been hit by the "photo club" mentality but i have seen it mentioned before

i think the forum is grand

WhiteWashMan

TJJP wrote: »

Hi folks. Not sure if this is the right spot for this or not so apologies if the location is wrong.

I read a lot of the photography threads, post occasionally, usually get burned by the photo club mentality, but what the hey... goes with the territory.

Anyways, getting to the point, in order to get a category started up you have to campaign on boards and get support for it it seems, but what happens when it goes south?

The photography threads are getting poorer and poorer, the quality of moderatorship does seem dire at best.

Take this thread on Canon equipment which rapidly descends into a modfest on mac versus PC: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=54991674#post54991674

I mean please people, can’t we do better?

feel free to contribute something useful and bring hose threads up.
or start some new and interesting and enlightening threads.

just remember, a forum tends to run the way of the people that post in it. if you dont like it, then it may be that over time, its become this way becuase thats pretty much how the users in there post etc. and theres nothing wrong with it, it just may not suit you.
we dont tend to do a mass change of forums to suit one unhappy poster. that makes no sense.

im not saying that you are wrong here, but im not saying you are right. im just telling you how things evolve over time. perhaps something needs to be done, and perhaps the users in there are happy with their lot.

maybe you could try putting some ideas and thought into improving the forum into a thread and ask the users in there to give some feedback on it?

WhiteWashMan

TJJP wrote: »

also I suppose I don't think I is my job to moderate the mods,

that made me lol. theres always a first i suppose

Kintarō Hattori

WhiteWashMan wrote: »

that made me lol. theres always a first i suppose

Wow WWM - you have a soft side!

Calina

TBH the thread you linked to came across as a bit of trollery to be honest. The OP didn't want advice; they'd already decided to buy an Olympus and start a Canon isn't the greatest thread.

If you're going to pick out just one thread to castigate an entire forum with, it's a little bit much, to be honest with you. Additionally, attacking a forum because of the misbehaviour of a small number of users is a bit unfair.

There are a lot of positive features about photography on boards.ie. As a bunch we are more than willing to advise people who come with specific questions, there is a growing and near encylopaediac knowledge of equipment and how it can be used and how new developments might impact users. We are very willing to do C&C where possible and I know that when I ask for technical advice, I unfailingly get it. Last night was a case in point; I had responses to a plea for help in under 1 minute.

In my experience, it is one of the most community minded fora here: there are fairly frequently walk out trips, often flagged far in advance, often arranged at a minute's notice. Yes, there are problem users, but show me a forum that doesn't have them.

Beruthiel

eo980 wrote: »

Wow WWM - you have a soft side!

Spreading vicious rumours can get you in trouble!

DeVore

Yeah, I have to say I think the Photo forum is one of the most community minded here too... I hang out there a good bit and havent noticed any "photo club" mentality.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback, theres nothing I can fix immediately so I will close this thread.

DeV.

Earthhorse

WhiteWashMan wrote: »

feel free to contribute something useful and bring hose threads up.
or start some new and interesting and enlightening threads.

I agree. This is the absolute best thing you can do if you want to see a forum move in a particular direction. Reporting posts might stop certain things from happening but probably not for long and it certainly won't start anything useful.

You are better off making a contribution you feel appropriate which will help set the tone for a how a thread and, eventually, a forum develops.