I agree that the For Sale forum is what keeps this site vibrant.
I agree that the For Sale forum is what keeps this site vibrant.
I disagree completely. It is the information threads, and especially the image threads, that keep it vibrant. The "For Sale" is a nice extra but nothing more. The people who seem to get most upset about the Sales rules are those who seem to have so much equipment that they post quite often. I have been enjoying LF photography for almost 50 years, and have not accumulated the number of surplus lenses, filters, and other odds and ends that some sellers must have to post the number of sales that they do.
Agree completely with Peter.
Jonathan's statement in post #41 above reveals his values. I don't share them.
Everybody has a different vision of the forum, and not all of them are compatible. We’ve been guided by the often-stated objective of the owner to keep the site completely non-commercial. That means he doesn’t have a business model at all, let alone one that funds the site through ad revenue. And that means it’s run—and order is kept—by volunteers, mods and participants alike. That is different from all other forums in which I participate.
So, let’s enjoy it for what it is, and not let ourselves be annoyed by what it isn’t.
As to moderator involvement. I admire Oren’s ability to post frequently and still maintain an even hand. When I became a moderator, I greatly reduced my posting frequency, partly because my available time for participation was being used for other things, and partly because everyone would avoid me in a debate and I didn’t want my moderator status to squelch active and healthy discussion.
And, like all of us, the moderators occasionally respond to outside responsibilities, and I’ve had my share. The fact that mods can vary in their availability is a testament to the general orderliness of the forum, threads like this notwithstanding.
But that doesn’t mean I’m absent, or that Ralph is absent, because we don’t post as much as Oren. All strategic decisions are based on moderator consensus, not mere plurality.
Beyond that, the forum goes where its members take it.
What does it take to be a large-format photographer? At the least, it takes a willingness to endure inconvenience and difficulty to oppose the dominant techniques. Should we be surprised that such willingness is often coincident with curmudgeonliness? The stubbornness to follow through with such an inconvenient format has both positive and negative expressions. As mods, we could weed out curmudgeonliness—and sometimes we do bound it—but eliminating it would take something critical away. If people think it’s unreasonable to limit sales activity as we do, what would they think of a forum populated only by the rare survivors who have the perspicacity to pursue large format but who never express that commitment in ways those with thin skins might find occasionally uncomfortable?
So, let’s grow thicker skins. And if you want less curmudgeonliness, simply refuse to be one, even in threads complaining about curmudgeons.
Now, I’ll go back to my seat in the corner.
Rick “gotta leave it at that—airplane door is shut” Denney
Sal, some people don't see it that way, but curmudgeonliness is a noble calling.
"If you don't like the sandbox you are welcome to take your toys and find a sandbox you like." Said by some random guy in a tiny niche camera brand specific forum a long time ago. Stills rings true today.
I for one am very happy with the classifieds rule here, and appreciate the enforcement.
Out of curiosity, I looked up the OP's posts here. If I counted correctly, 109 of the last 120 (starting May 8, 2016) were for sale offers or complaints about the for sale section's rules. Several of the other 11 were remarks about prices. I scored the remainder low in "sharing knowledge."
Tastes differ. Given how the OP uses this site, I can understand why it thinks that the for sale section keeps it vibrant. That said, I suspect that the OP's preferences are shared by only a small fraction of the site's users. Whether this is so is an empirical question so I could well be mistaken, but until proven otherwise I'll see the OP as a vocal member of a very small minority.
Good to know
Thanks Dan
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