Vienna74 Loc: Bountiful, Utah now Panama

I posted a minor pet peeve a few days ago and really appreciated the comments. They were fun to read and think about as contributions to the thread. I now have a suggestion intended to improve participation in this forum.

We have UHH users who come from all levels of photographic experience, interests and skills. Some have spent thousands of dollars on gear and post amazing photos. Others have spent the same amount and do not yet know how to use the gear, but they want to learn. More than anything I am impressed with the obvious skill of many here.

A few posts elicit rather snarky responses. These may take the form of a rebuke for asking something or harsh criticism of a photo and are direct responses to the original post. I cringe when I read them and hope even the worst curmudgeon among us would not say those things to a person's face. (So what if the question has been asked before? Everyone was new here once.)

Criticism, gently offered, is usually welcome and appreciated. However, highly critical and pointed responses have the effect of discouraging people from posting. We all lose out as a result. I am not interested in everything that gets posted (especially the snapshots of cats---there is a Pampered Pets Corner section for those!), but I just skip over them and watch for the truly great photos many of you share. I learn from them or am inspired to try something because of what I see. (By the way, the better the subject line in a post, the easier it is to hone in on what interests me.)

I have seen amazing photos here! That is why I visit here almost daily. I am an old film guy and it has taken years for me to think of photography in digital terms. It affects how I expose photos and approach post processing. Many of those learning experiences had their genesis here, thanks to all of you. The best photos here make me want to improve what I do. Others remind me of where I once was.

We share a love for photography and will all benefit from a less harsh and judgmental forum. Give encouragement. Be positive. Compliment. If you feel the need to be snide or rude. . . (I was going to say go yell at the cat, but that would offend someone, so I will not) . . . just don't say anything. Move on. Find a post you love and say so. Make this a safe place for people to share, not a place of punishment.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

There have been many posts almost exactly like yours over the years I have been with the UHH forum. I agree with you whole heartedly. But the problem is we are those darned unpredictable human beings. Try as we might to better ourselves, me included, we have good days and bad days. Those of us with experience occasionally tire of questions such as how do you clean lenses, do I format in camera or out of camera, should I use a filter to protect my front lens element. We all have our own likes and dislikes. If we try to answer the question then someone else comes along and says we are wrong when it has worked perfectly for us for the last 50 years.

But your post does keep us on a right path for a while and then we slip back to being ourselves once again.

Thanks,

Dennis

bleirer

I agree but I think the best tool here is to click the user name and click add to ignore list. There are too many people here genuinely interested in a civil discussion to waste time on the few that have an ax to grind.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

Well said and I totally agree. That said, I have come to learn that some of the regulars have made friends and there are comments that a stranger would not recognize as a friendly dig. But I agree fully with your view of appropriate comments! Thanks for posting it.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

You bring up a good point. I have friends who have said things online that I thought were not particularly nice. When I brought it up to them they said they had no idea they had come off as snarky or rude and they had not meant to come across like that. We are all strangers online so when someone says something we sometimes have no idea what their meaning is because we do not have voice inflections or body language to help us out as we might if having a face to face conversation. We sometimes need to be careful when assuming the meaning as we can be totally wrong in our thinking.

Dennis

mcmama

Thank you!

Vienna74 Loc: Bountiful, Utah now Panama

Yes, and that would spare me of having to read such boorish comments, but it offers no protection to the new member. Thank you for reminding me about that feature, though!

Collhar Loc: New York City.

What was said??

bellgamin Loc: Ewa Beach, Hawaii

Sometimes the barb in a reply is written tongue-in-cheek. Some folks seem to forget that, with the written word, the reader cannot see the twinkle in your eye.

Collhar Loc: New York City.

I agree. Also we have lost a sense of "toughness" We have developed very thin skin. Everything is just to much. We no longer have "problems" we have "issues".

griffzky

I couldn't agree more. This is my second time around on UHH. I quit reading or browsing the posts last time because of the demeaning replies to some of the honest queries from some obvious beginners. The high handed remarks come from people who act like they were born an expert in photography. Those of us who have toiled at improving our craft for 50 plus years know; nothing is farther from the truth. So lets keep it friendly and helpful, and not judgmental and mean spirited.
This time around I am picking and choosing which posts to read and am enjoying it more.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Don’t plan to change my responses or their tone. Thanks. /Ralph

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

👍

Linda S.

Thank you for sharing this! I didn't know that this could be done!