Are LF suppliers lazy or stupid?

[jnantz]

Ahhh, what memories!

one of my favorite "jorge memories" was after he badmouthed ink prints
for years calling them and the people who produced them every insult in the book
and chris jordon offered to meet him and show him some of his ink prints ...
and jorge came here and ate crow and never said another bad thing about ink jet prints
or the people who made them again. it was a beautiful thing ...

[LabRat]

Great having reps online to help out, but sadly many abuse them... Some advice would be to try to get them to help, but not try to lash them to a whipping post, and organize one's question for them to be able to answer them (without long rambles) and recognize when the ??? has been answered, and be reasonable as they are human, and might not have EXACTLY the answer wanted & expected...

Be professional, and be answered in-kind...

Steve K

[Pfsor]

Does anyone know if Jorge survived his cancer he went back with to Mexico?

[Oren Grad]

Does anyone know if Jorge survived his cancer he went back with to Mexico?

He did. There are many traces on the web of his more recent activity in woodworking, including a current LinkedIn page.

[Wayne]

He did. .

Wonder how is he faring with the copralalia?

[John Kasaian]

This is an interesting thread.
I don't think the lazy criticism is as accurate as the stupid because the LF market is extremely small and specialized and
suppliers are not going to get rich off of us---there simply isn't a large enough demand. Being a LF supplier, like being a LF photographer takes passion.
There are much easier ways to make photographs and there are far more profitable (and realistic) ways to earn a living.

We are also dependent on the internet now that B&M camera stores have practically succumbed to the sands of History.
If I need goods or services to support my addiction,
I can come here or one of the handful of other LF friendly forums and simply ask.
The response is nearly always right on---either recommendations from users with first hand experience with what I want, or suggestions of appropriate second hand gear.

One difference I've observed between the Pros and hobbyists such as myself is that hobbyists can waste time being vitriolic while Pros will buckle down to work and get the shot.
When I read a review about a really great piece of gear or service, that means a lot----advertising copy---not so much.
I have a select circle of suppliers I'll confidently trade with when I need something because they've treated me well, but breaking into this "circle" isn't especially difficult.
My thoughts anyway.

[Pfsor]

He did. There are many traces on the web of his more recent activity in woodworking, including a current LinkedIn page.

Thanks for the good news, Oren! Woodworking then, good again, I have that passion with him in common. Good for him, it makes me glad!

[Ries Tripod]

All in LF,

We do not exist without your support. Soon after posting our warranty under the new products section we received the following email which I have cut and pasted below.

"Hi Spencer,

First, thanks for joining us. It will be nice to have a Ries representative to respond to questions about Ries tripods and heads.

Please note, however, that the forum is staunchly non-commercial. As a "vendor" you'll need to be particularly cautious about staying within the guidelines, and avoid making posts that are promotional in nature.

Your post in the New Products section is OK, but should have been approved by the moderators prior to posting.

Regards,
XXXXX"

Anything we say will be promotional in nature. So which way is it? We are the only LF tripod company in the world and here is a community of LF. Your magazines are all failing or have already failed. Most of the other equipment suppliers are gone. There has to be a balance. We are a very small company and cannot afford the $$$$ that our competitors spend each year to only reach this small market. The remaining photography magazines that are still out there are a lot like the new CBS comedy "The Great Indoors", and charge $3,800 a month for a small add in the back of the magazine.

We are not trying to take over your forum. We just want to hold your camera.

Spencer Hughes
Ries Tripod

[Oren Grad]

Spencer: the PM you received is precisely "the way it is". As I posted up-thread:

Vendors who are comfortable earning their visibility through a steady, low-key presence responding to technical questions about their products and otherwise contributing to our collective knowledge are welcome here. Those who want to use discussion boards as platforms for aggressive promotion need to look elsewhere.

That is our "balance". You are genuinely welcome here if you can abide by that. If you are ever in doubt about what is appropriate, please ask before posting - we're happy to help you work within our guidelines.

[Leigh]

Hi Spencer,

Speaking only as a regular member, not a moderator or operator of LFPF...

The standard issue with vendors on fora is the question of "free advertising".
I am definitely not accusing you of that.
I only mentioning it as a subject of universal applicability to this topic.

People who own and run fora don't want commercial interests using them for free advertising.
After all, the owners pay $$ out of their own pockets to do this.

Looking at this from the other side, vendor participation can definitely benefit the members.
This is usually in the form of answering questions and providing information that may not be readily available.

This doesn't constitute "conducting business", which should be done at the vendor's website or via PM.

I realize it's a fine line, and not clearly defined.
If you keep these comments in mind, and participate as befits your expertise, you should have no problems.

I for one am happy to have you here.

Thanks.

- Leigh