Is the Forum a repository or a community?

[StoneNYC]

Stone, please try a Google search for something that might be on this forum. I just did, for Perigraphe and "som" or "s.o.m." or lacour or Berthiot. The first hit was this forum. Sheesh!

I use Google Advanced Search, not Google Search for Dunces. The URL is https://www.google.com/advanced_search. The search form has a slot for "site or domain" To limit searches to this site, put www.largeformatphotography.info in that slot.

This site's search function has nothing to do with Google. It isn't very good. Only people who don't know better use it. Learn better.

Hey Dan,

It's been mentioned above, but I think the point was more that again most newbs won't be so thorough and most people in general on a mobile device won't use "advanced search" because it's not the first thing they see when they search, and actually these days the search bar is the browser bar.

Again yes it's POSSIBLE to find ways to make it all work, the point is that most people don't use them or don't know they exist. In fact, until last semester at school I didn't even know that there was a way to limit your search to a particular website. Most people don't know how to do that, sure advanced researchers and computer people do, but that's not the majority of the population.

Eh, it is what it is, I just figured a decent FAQ referenced for Newb questions would be useful.

And the comment about the LFPF not coming up in Google because of their new search parameters for "mobile only" was sort of meant tongue in cheek. It's true, I've been struggling to find sites lately that aren't mobile friendly that I used to be able to find, and the location based GPS addition sometimes messes up those results further, AND the advanced search feature doesn't seem to always lwork" on my mobile devices (iPhone 6s / iPad Mini 4) as in when I hit "go" it just refreshes the page and won't actually search. But mostly it was meant tongue in cheek.

[koh303]

A brief perusal of koh303's "Created Threads" show many questions posted. I am not going to dig into whether or not the relevant information could be found via Google. The very basis of koh's argument is shown as flawed by his own post activity IMO.

I admit, i too posted google questions, when answers were in plain sight. I was called out a few times, and from then on, only posted questions that some serious research did not reveal answers for, in those cases, for the most part, the forum was not able to answer either. There is a deeper conclusion to draw from this, but on the surface, it would appear that the knowledge not already imparted by the forum, is not going to be revealed with new questions, unfortunately.

A testament to this is the fact that there is very little new knowledge or data added to the stream here, possibly due to historic and social trend reasons.

[mdarnton]

This is a bizarre thread. What I mainly see is complaints against moderation combined with complaints about the direction of the board, which implies MORE not less moderation. These complaints are in some cases coming from the same people, who don't want to change, but expect everyone else to change around their wishes. What I mainly see is a bunch of selfishness from people who want things their way, and can't live with the fact that a forum has a natural life, flow, and also, death, depending on what people put into it. I will tell you for sure that if you want something to happen, contributing more of that is probably more effective than leaving the forum.

[tgtaylor]

A Confederacy of Dunces?

Thomas

[Tin Can]

I don't believe all topics are fully explored. One of my pet projects is Gas Burst film and plate processing that I believe is under explored and shrouded in obfuscation.

I further suspect known users of Gas Burst as supporting dissemination. Perhaps to protect suppliers and keep secrets for secrets sake.

I suggest this from frustration after heavy research which yielded little and the few sources not being forthwith. I empirically concluded Gas Burst as a name is one key to the process as it does not necessary mean Nitrogen Burst as most assume. I have written my ideas and process in DIY. My current solution is a mix of historical data that combines vintage gear with modern.

I am also not trying to ruin a business. I am trying to revive a once common commercial process on a hobbiests scale, which is the lifeblood of LF and Alt Process going forward.

[Sal Santamaura]

I'm not sure any results would show up since Google now requires sites to be mobile ready to their standards, to which LFPF is not. Remember many younger people are on mobile devices not sitting all day and night in front of a computer. They are out and about in the world while posting.

This may also account for their inability to search for answers easily.

Just a thought.

I'd assumed that Brian's post which I was responding to had been prompted by his recollection of a recent thread about rear lens cap size for a specific optic. Without remembering which lens it was, I just performed a Google advanced search. Here are the results:

https://www.google.com/search?num=50...21.wGDyBaaw2zk

Note that the fourth match in those results is exactly the thread from 11 days ago I suspected was on Brian's mind. Works like a charm. Had I recalled it concerned a 135mm Sironar N and included that information in the search terms, the first match would probably been the one of interest. Can one not see that page on a phone?

I eschew mobile devices, so don't know how they would differ in this situation. Doesn't one access Google, type in the search terms, then get results on a phone just like on a desktop or laptop computer? I've occasionally had my wife look something up that way for me on her iPhone 6+. What other search implementation(s) are employed on mobile devices that would prevent someone from obtaining the same Google result I linked to above, regardless of format?

[Tin Can]

None. But you knew that.

[Sal Santamaura]

...What other search implementation(s) are employed on mobile devices that would prevent someone from obtaining the same Google result I linked to above, regardless of format?

None. But you knew that.

If your post is a response to my quoted question, no, I didn't know that. I don't use mobile devices (my wife does, not me). But thanks for your answer.

[Tin Can]

If your post is a response to my quoted question, no, I didn't know that. I don't use mobile devices (my wife does, not me). But thanks for your answer.

Even with your relic desktop, research could have answered your unnecessary question.

[BrianShaw]

Good searching, Sal. Had the person with the question used this search the information appears to be findable:

https://www.google.com/search?num=50...ck+sironar+135

Personally, I don't know why that isn't one's first action... but what do I know?

The capabilities of mobile device and desktop is basically the same anymore. But the readability of information displayed on the mobile devices is sometimes an issue. Some sites are mobile-enabled, which is often better than looking at the "full site". Typing is easier on a desktop computer too for most people.

The bigger issue, I think, is the mindset of a lot of folks these days. Research is a unique skill; some folks like to do research and some are even good at it. To those who are skilled it seems like a no-brainer. But for the rest... it is a black art and often there isn't even a willingness to try. It's just too easy to ask the question and expect an answer. I've seen some folks say exactly that when challenged with the ease with which their question can be answered by even the simplest search.

Related to that mindset is the ever-growing mindset that posting a link, and nothing more than the link, is useful and a good way to stimulate a discussion. Some add the phrase, "Discuss." as if they are entitled to task us to do something... something they are unwilling to do themselves like state an assessment or opinion.

I don't want to blame the millennial generation, but...

p.s. Nice, Randy. LOL (as they say)