“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” - Rob Siltanen

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” - Rob Siltanen

Since I've gotten active on UHH, I've noticed a particular thing. There are a lot of ill-informed, poorly written, or borderline offensive posts asking questions that might be trolling, might be naïve, or might just be offensive by their apparent greed and unconcern for others.

As in any public forum, these attract their share of unsupported opinion, of irrelevant and sometimes silly responses (see any Nickanon or PP thread), and sometimes outright derision for the opening thesis.

But one thing I've noticed is that there are a number of people on UHH who respond sincerely, who offer opinionated but not dismissive advice, and who give their legitimate thoughts on the most outrageous of questions and theses. You can ask, "Is the Nikon Dxxx or Canon Dsxx really a piece of overpriced crap compared to the "Nonamekon?" and you'll get some sincere and honest responses, from people who are knowledgeable, and offer fifty percent "what" and fifty percent "why" when they post.

So here's to you folks - the ones who treat everyone assuming their sincerity, offer well-informed advice, and recognize that the "right answer" for one person is not necessarily the right one for another. It isn't easy - at times, there seem to be more stupid or deliberately provocative questions than there are sincere but ill-informed ones.

You folks are the gold in the ore of UHH posts, the polished gemstones among the druse, the reason I keep coming back here for both information and for the occasional tidbit of information or experience I can contribute. I'm trying every day to be more like you, and less cynical, snarky, or confrontational.

So here's to you. I'm not going to call out names, but I hope you know who you are, and know that so many people who populate this place appreciate your contributions. I have at least a half dozen regulars with high post counts in my mind, but no doubt, there are many others I haven't yet noticed. I wish I had your patience, knowledge, and ability to articulate them.

Here's to you!

Andy

Andy,

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I do not recall why I came to UHH and can only surmise that it was in research of information and probably in an attempt to validate my expenditure as I had acquired a severe case of GAS after over forty years of being away from photography. LOL. I didn't even know of the term until a UHH member diagnosed me. I have learned some, laughed some, and found that overall the members of UHH were helpful, insightful, informed, experienced, respectful, and mixed with a great sense of humor. There have been moments when I have observed some of the posts and the ensuing responses to which you mention, and I almost left the forum. However, I continued to get updates of new topics, occasionally would check what is new, but was a bit reluctant to engage. However, some questions just drew me as I felt I could offer some help or an opinion that may be useful. Likewise, I found that even among the silly posts I would find some tidbits of knowledge. Then your post appeared, and it has pulled me back in. Thank you, again, Andy.

Sincerely,
Charles

C. R. Smith
Angel Star Photography
www.angelstarphotography.com