Underground Leica Forum has a large format category

There is a new forum started by refugees from photo.net called The Underground Leica Forum. It is called the Leica forum only because many of the participants became frustrated with the moderation on the photo.net Leica forum. Many of the participants are active large and medium format photographers, and there is a category for large format. The intent is not to compete but to compliment other forums.

I will warn you that the moderation is looser than other forums too, and there are some wise-guys. But there are also some excellent photogaphers and wide ranging discussions, which makes for an enthusiastic and intimate online community. Check it out if you're curious.

(Q.T. - if this is out of bounds please delete my post. Thanks, Frank)

I encourage all disaffected photo.net Leica forum posters, as well as photo.net LF wise-guy posters, to go to The Underground Leica Forum. Those interested in serious LF discourse and building a useful, non-duplicative LF archive (i.e. adding information not already available in previous threads), please stay here!

In one day, we have somebody named Paul Owen shilling for a fee-based workshop without revealing that he has a financial interest in it, and then we have a participant in an internecine battle among photo.net 35mm photographers trying to recruit large format photographers to his side of the battle.

The irony is that I don't own a Leica but I do use several LF cameras. Likewise, the old Leica forum attracted photographers all stripes to discuss broad photographic topics (and to have a little fun). The new "Underground Leica" forum attempts to continue that spirit, much as this forum split from photo.net for amny of the same reasons.

Rory, the posting re: the LF workshop was "sneeky" perhaps? But I have NO financial interest in the workshop whatsoever!! I offer my services on a purely voluntary basis. As does Rob Barker the other assistant. I do not even get accommodation/food - I make a round trip from home of 2 hours duration (daily) for 4 days and don't even get travel expenses - for me it is an amateur "thing" - I do it for "love" of my hobby, nothing more! The same goes for the lectures and competition judging I do for the Welsh Photographic Federation - I am entitled to amke a charge for travel expenses but I choose not to. Why? Because I enjoy my photography and try to encourage otheres by my enthusiasm. The organiser of the workshops, Clive Warren "makes" very little too, his expenses are covered but he relies on support from sponsors such as Robert White to run the workshops. 99% of monies are ploughed back into the F32 web site/forum. I am not posting this for a sympathy vote - purely as a statement that there are many, like me, who don't do this for money. In fact the workshop will cost me money!

Likewise, the Underground Leica Forum is my volunteer effort using server space I pay for. It doesn't cost anybody anything, and there is no advertising or sponsorship.

Ah, the beautiful lenses I could buy if I had a Leica to sell.

Frank, this is not at all personal; I'm genuinely baffled by the goals of the unmoderated Leica forum. My question is this:

If photographers were locked out of the photo.net Leica forum for being rude, vulgar, mean, nasty, etc. and they then went off to start their own forum, what is the appeal of that new forum for people who don't want rude, vulgar, mean, and nasty posts in forums? Or am I missing something here?

Frank, I would disagree with the statement "this forum split from photo.net for many of the same reasons". The reasons are stated
here and
have little to do with moderation. The only thing about moderation is that Brian wouldn't
allow workshop announcements, while we just officially decided to do so.

Granted, you are correct. My mistake for confusing the LF info forum's situation with this current one.

As for the participants in the ULF being mean, rude, or nasty, there is some of that. But there is also a greater range of discussion and opinions than is typical in most forums. The "old" photo.net forum had loose moderation and a free wheeling range of topics – it was always the most popular forum on photo.net. The popularity of it meant that some mean, rude, nasty people participated - but most people realized this and took their words with a grain of salt.

When the moderators "clamped down" and censored every off-topic and questioning post, as well as banning several controversial, yet popular and inelligent members, many members decided to look elsewhere for a place to continue the spirit of the "old" forum.

Right now, there are many hurt feelings and many people are sometimes overly enthusiastic with their posts and insults. But once things calm down I think you'll see it evolve into a viable and useful forum for a wide range of photographers using all kinds of equipment.

Regards, Frank