JD750 Loc: SoCal

Naw. I'm just suggesting if you think it's so horrible here then go somewhere else that makes you happy.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

In retrospect I should have just started off asking a question like

"Are you clear on your objectives in photography and how to go about achieving them?"

followed by "Are you excluding anything that would be helping you to achieve your objectives, and are you excluding it for ethical or moral reasons?"

followed by the suggestion that if you were doing anything like that you were effectively shooting yourself in the foot .

(Wonderful thing, hindsight ).

On the other hand, maybe an element of stirring things up isn't so bad.....

GerryER Loc: Virginia USA

I don't think it is horrible here; the OP thinks it is horrible here. That is why he started the thread. I think what goes on here is perfectly "natural." On other forums there are administrators, which when things get out of hand in a thread, like the OP suggested they do, they give warnings, and sometimes ban people from the forum, or shut the thread down. I don't believe that I've seen anything on this forum that warrants that extreme discipline, so far. Some people get a little "mouthy," but what is the 1st Amendment for??

R.G. Loc: Scotland

No I don't.

Ourspolair

Very sensible viewpoint. No-one needs more irritants in their life. Not so much "ignore", but just accept that there are certain people "out there" who have different opinions and insist on restating them. We can just "turn down the volume" and accept that they are part of the wonderful world in which we circulate. Scratching the itch only exacerbates it!

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I told this guy to GET OFF HIS HIGH HORSE, but alas he can't. Unfortunately, he's made of bronze and his keister is welded to the saddle. *

I do like the expression on his face-it reflects the mood that sometimes prevails on this forum!

Actually, this impressive statue looks over the headquarters complex of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
up here in Ottawa. The subject is an officer of the original force, the Northwest Mounted Police, established in 1873 to maintain law and order in the Northwest Territories.

*Sorry 'bout dat- my strange sense of humour!

Anyway- It ain't all that bad around here on the forum. Most folks get along! I do wish that SOME folks would refrain from personal attacks and become able to agree to disagree on certain issues and still remain civil. A good debate should end with a handshake, not a fistfight. Sign of the times and the preset "culture"!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Not every discussion needs to result in a "solution" - this is very much a male thing.

This is a great time to consider the female point of view. Men are focused on solutions - women, on the other hand, are focused on listening to other points of view. I am painting with extremely broad strokes. But having various women in my life, from my mother to my wife, daughters, nieces and granddaughters - I can speak with some degree of experience. Discussion is just as, if not more important, than identifying a solution. Listening, and understanding other points of view is an excellent skill that men usually lack. It is also a sign of intellectual maturity to be able to walk a mile in someone else's shoes and see things from their point of view. So, in a sense, I completely agree with you.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

You speak with great wisdom! My mom passed when I was 14 but I remember her influence. I have a lovely wife, a very opinionated daughter, 3 female grandchildren, and a daughter-in-law that is terrific. The only males in my immediate life are my son and the cat. I was raised by my grandmother! Collectively, the taught me well!

I know some pretty talented and smart guys too but some of them sabatoge themselves with their own egos.

Listening skills are an asset.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

You should have had a word with the horse about staring straight at the camera like that . (Never work with amateurs ).

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Ourspolair

I think the expression is "active listening"...