It is not about 'us vs them' at all... it is about the pathetic moderation that drives people away. Censorship is the wrong way of going about things, and especially the way they do it with certain types moderators.
My point is that complaining about another site's practices here again and again instead of just leading by example and keeping on posting good content about photography achieves
absolutely nothing. Instead, say, Mako just lives even more rent-free in people's minds even if they're no longer on DPR.
As for saying it's not about "us and them" at all after this: "Most of the remain-ers on DPR are bum kissers who love the sound of their own opinions..." Is pretty ironic.
I don't think it's an 'us vs them' scenario. The two sites have different end goals. Yes, this site started as a replacement for DPReview, but as has been mentioned a few times, we have changed. But our end goal is a long way away, which has made people who wanted a DPReview style forum drift back to DPReview.
We do not plan to be a gear forum - which may be why some of the manufacturer forums (consolidated) are quiet. We are all about the photo (as the heading says) and future plans should emphasise that.
So, keep posting picture and critiques and friendly banter and enjoy this forum for what it is, rather than what it is not.
The unfortunate part is that the Medium Format folks all went back to DP Review before The Photo direction emerged. But that would still have a lot of gear chatter. We tend to post the photos and then chat about what we do, and use, to make them.
It's a different sort of forum than the rest.
But I don't see a way to entice those folks back over here though. It'd be a good fit here.
The discussions over at the Medium Format Forum on DPR are intrinsically gear oriented. There are brief "camera-clubby" type of posts in which a member asks which version of his image is a "better composition," but there is very little interest in images as images. The discussions always gravitate into gear. It's the nature of the place. GAS is alive and well. As it should be.
Maybe it's a "left brain vs right brain" sort of thing. The level of technical expertise there is high, spanning much more than just photography.
I don't believe that membership would find a site devoted to images alone interesting.
You have to remember that some folks are drifting this way out of frustration with the other site and realize that there are others who feel the same. Members didn't suddenly leave all at the same time, even though there is a heavy drop in their viewership. Maybe you didn't notice over the years, but there were plenty of bum kissers who permanately had their hand over the 'complaint' button to avenge any commenters opinion they didn't like with like-minded moderation. As an observation of those pathetic weasel types and horrendous moderation accommodating such behaviour, it needs calling out! There is no vitriol intended here, just black and white observations that might hurt the cry baby types because deep down inside, they are guilty of it! But golly gosh, someone dare speak the truth...censor them immediately. Too many snowflakes there and here...[just look at the snowflakes that 'liked' your comment]
Sure, I guess that's one way to deal with people that have different opinions than one's own. Just file them under "snowflake" label. Saves time compared to more nuanced options! I think as far as this conversation is concerned, further effort is useless.
You are probably correct there. And that includes me. If there are only photos, and no discussion of what is used to produce them and how to use the equipment, I'm not interested.
But, then, that's why I showed up at DP Review and not elsewhere in the first place over 20 years ago. My signature is missing here, so my position is not obvious. I'll manually add it to this post.
When we discuss digital photography it does not do to divorce the images produced from the camera that captured it nor the software that processed it. Especially the latter. I have made significantly different looking output from the same input over the decades as the processing hardware and software changed.
Stan
Amateur Photographer
Professional Electronics Development Engineer
Yes. I completely understand. I've been making photographic images since the mid 1950s and from the very beginning, an image published in a photography magazine was not complete (to my thinking) without identification of the camera, lens, aperture, shutter speed, film type - just after the title in the image caption. When talking to other photographers, gear was the majority of the conversation. Especially when sharing prints, which brought in a whole additional layer of darkroom gear discussion.
But somewhere along the way, I also started to appreciate photography for the nature of the images in their own right.
I've been participating in the "Wednesday CC No Theme" thread here since its beginning. I deliberately remove all exif information from my posts. Many others do the same, some allow exif data to come through. But discussion of gear is only an incidental or peripheral aspect of the Thread.
I find it delightfully liberating to almost completely ignore the gear I have used or that others have used in creating our presentations. It's a pretty light-hearted place, very respectful, the discussions are enjoyable and welcoming. I encourage you to give it a try. As a fellow "left brain guy," I'm warning you, you just might like it.
ForgÃve me, but I do not understand why you take the trouble to do this. Occasionally, when looking at other’s photos, I find the EXIF data interesting, indeed, instructive. Perhaps you would explain for me why you consider it important to withhold It.
Just to focus attention on the image itself. At least for the initial post. If I'm lucky enough to get responses or discussion of the image, comments about gear certainly might come up. There are no restrictions but gear is just not a priority there.
Keeping the "focus" (pun intended) on the image itself is the primary intent of the Thread.
edit: I don't take "any trouble" to remove exif data, Photoshop allows an "image only" option when exporting a JPEG. It's my default method of saving for the Thread.
Thanks for the reply, RIch. I personally dont look at the EXIF info unless I find an image itself interesting, and I think most people are like that here. However, if I cannot read the EXIF data when I would like to, I find it frustrating and sense that the poster is trying to project some kind of anonymity. Similarly, unless one is a famous public figure, I am beginning to think that anonymous user names are another barrier. What have most of us to fear by using our real names? My real name and email are in my profile, if anyone cares to know.
There has always been too much 'Fanboy-ism' over the many years regarding photographs. Keeping them at bay is a way to allow for a more 'objective' viewing.
This morning I found 2 Emails telling me that I have had a 7 day ban because of my comments on two threads.
No idea why, so I had a look and both threads have been deleted so I still don't know what I could have written there to be banned nor what others did write.
Funny thing is that I am pretty active on another couple of sub-forums as well as participate on several others many times, but NOT moderated by Mako, and never been banned there.
I suspect that these kast two have more to do with this thread than anything else : www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4738968
note that I only have just one account so no I am not also Markusweld...
I wonder how long will it take for DPReview to figure out how many have left because of that particular moderator. (BTW, yes I do know she reads these pages, or she did at least...).
Write to the site feedback administrators, explaining the problem. They will usually reverse this silliness.
I got a permanent ban when I wrote a post, letting off steam about two other mods on DPR in the early days of this site. I believe Mako was responsible, or at least had some role, as she did indeed follow this site in the early days.
I have mostly given up with DPR, it is still OK to ask questions as the odds of getting a useful reply are higher, but discussion of anything even mildly contentious is a no, no.