SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Fellow Hogs, Xmas is behind us and we're coasting into the new year. So I'm gonna pose the question, as the title states, when was the last time there was a meaningful Photography discussion here that didn't just end in a 20 page food fight between two kids that are both right?
If we created a new section called the "Big Brown Truck", it would certainly be the most popular section on UHH, but we don't need it, we already have that, it's called the Main Photography Discussion(MPD)!! Ditto for Show & Tell!
I remember some great discussions about DoF and CoC. Heck even the discussions about Bokeh were good.
Now it's mostly about the Brown Truck or lookie-what-I-got, or how much better 4/3rds or ML is than every FF made!!
I don't think I'm missing the old days, just missing the reasons I had originally signed up.
How do the old timers feel...., what do the new guys on the block think???
Or is it just me?!?!? ;-)
SS

TNmike Loc: NW TN

SS, no it's not just you. I do still enjoy UHH and do still learn things here. You just have to pass on the Chit Chat stuff. Lots of very knowledged folks here you just have to spend time here and figure out who to listen to. TNmike

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Could it be as simple as re-emphasizing the section's purpose and having a moderator move topics out that do not strictly comply? (no, I'm not volunteering :) )

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

NO, it's not just you! There is so little discussion concerning photography on this board that that name should be changed. The number of old days you're missing keeps getting longer. Admin keeps putting more boards on here so there can be more non-photography b/s. Those boards keep filling up. It's apparent that lots of people want to learn photography, look how many iPhones are sold at each unit's opening.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Not just you. There are still some good discussions, but also too much drivel.

I guess some have to announce what they just bought so everyone can congratulate them on the purchase. I guess they need the validation.

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

I agree somewhat. The main photography discussion isn't up to the quality it used to be. Without mentioning names, I believe it went way downhill after a certain member that I consider a troll joined and started shooting down a lot of questions with wrong headed, short, curt, sometimes meaningless remarks and trying to be a hall monitor of posts and which sections he thought they should be posted in.

This is not to imply that I'm an old timer here but i do remember when I read nearly every post in the main section whereas now I skip over quite a few based on the titles such as "which lens?" or "brown truck".

Walt

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

The way i figure it is that i should be able to post a question in MPD like:
"Whats the best way to handle shots of camera shy nervous clients pets?"
and expect to get 3-4 pages of anecdotal comments from which i can glean some useful suggestions.
But it just doesn't happen or it gets moved or some kid tells me to use a 6oomm lens and buy a micro 4/3 camera etc...etc...

JPL

Well, I have not been for a long time on this forum, but have noticed a change in the discussion. Then I am not talking about the brown truck, that is maybe seasonal discussion for this time of year. But I play along and talk about what people like or want to talk about. For me that is ok, it even saves me a lot of time here when most topics are not very interesting for me, and that is in a way a good thing :-D

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

I just look at things that interest me. I suppose it's nice that someone gets a new toy but I don't care about that so I just don't look at those posts.

dandi Loc: near Seattle, WA

I think I know how you feel. I remember how excited I was when I signed up two years ago when in the morning I saw list of new topics. I am not complaining, I still find things to learn, but topics are mostly a little different now.
I would add to your idea about “Big Brown Truck” new section another one: “Should I upgrade from X to Y ?”

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Linda, you should volunteer!!
I think most of these guys would think twice about yelling at a good looking girl!!!
Heck, many would be lucky to just talk to one!!! :lol:
SS

Basil Loc: New Mexico

As a guy who has run a (very popular) non-photography hobby forum for over 15 years, I have learned that there is no such thing as a "perfect" forum and you definitely can't please everyone.

The more the membership grows, the more there are going to be different personalities interacting. There are going to be the old-heads who only want to talk about the technical aspects of the craft, and there are going to be newbies who only what to tell the world about their newest toy, and everything in between. Some folks (and I'm guilty) sometimes just want to socialize with other photographers and learn as much as possible from others along the way while hopefully making some new friends.

Everyone is going to have their own opinions about what constitutes a "good" thread (post) and what should be moved to chit-chat, or somewhere else, etc. Ultimately it is up to the site owners/ moderators to decide what is or is not suitable in a given forum.

Personally, what bothers me the most is the propensity of some folks to be snide, condescending, or belittling towards other members.

If I see a topic I feel is not something I'm interested in, I simply don't look at it.

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

So far, SharpShooter, it appears there some who agree with your point. As a newbie, I don't enough to determine if I agree with you, but I'm leaning your way.

So why am I entering this discussion, if I may? Because I'm planning soon to post a question in the Main Photography Discussion (MPD) section on a topic of which I am a disinterested party! Hunh? It has to do with soliciting Hog members who are currently Users of just two or three particular Brands of Interchangeable Lens Cameras (ILC'S) to opine what they believe are genuine advantages of their cameras over other brands' ILC'S. Likewise, to reveal what they believe are also their cameras' disadvantages.

Of course, this Topic could degenerate into a (women, please forgive me,) pissing fight as to whose is better. All I can do is request that members who don't and have never used ILC'S from the brands in question refrain from posting unless they have either a fact-based concern that they can document about one of cameras of interest OR a documentable fact-based reply disagreeing with another's contention that a certain brand or brand's camera (NOT of the Brands labeled by me to be of particular interest) is inferior in some aspect.

So my question to y'all is:
1. under the current sections at UHH available, should my topic go in the MPD section? If not, then where? (Answers such as the Attic or "garbage" section will be ignored.)
2. IF SS has "his way" of founding a new section with a more practical descriptive title, would my proposed Topic be more in line with those that he states should be in such an alternative to the MPD section? Or would it still be reasonable to submit it to Main Photography Discussion section?

Thanks,
lev29 ✌🏻️😎

Macronaut Loc: Redondo Beach,Ca.

Well said :thumbup: Especially what I put in bold. The nastiness is my biggest complaint. :|

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Perhaps we should look at how each section is supposed to function. We know what the specialized sections are for, whether it is macro, post processing, HDR, printing or whatever.

We know what the attic is for.

We may know what chit-chat is supposed to be for: "A place to talk about anything (discussions not related to photography).", but the definition and enforcement is rather fuzzy. If the question is about cars, chit-chat is probably the place. The big brown truck is coming, probably the same. Jokes (inoffensive ones) possibly. Questions about computers used for post-processing or software problems hmm? Where do we put those?

Functionality wise, we need a clearing house where non-section-specific questions can be posed. We also need some kind of better redirection system / notification when something should be / has been redirected so that we can find the ones we may be interested in following, and also to educate those that are willing to learn the appropriate places to post their comments. This seems to work fairly well with the photo gallery but is much harder with some other posts. Self appointed vigilantes are probably not the best answer.

Perhaps when things are moved, a trace could be left - post title with a notification of where the thread has been moved and for what reason. We could still follow interesting sounding topics while also learning where best to post things if we are willing to think first and learn.

Whatever the solution, I think we need some form of clearing house forum and at the moment it is the Main Photography Discussion section. What else would we call it? The problem seems to be more in the filtering and redirection mechanism than in the name of the forum. PMs are not the most effective mechanism.

However, the quality of the Main Photography Discussion is in need of some attention, but careful and well considered attention in my personal opinion.

Where is the best place for this discussion, since it isn't about photography, but about the forum itself?