In my opinion we are politically correct AD NAUSEAM, we should be able to write what we think with truthfulness and integrity without being abnoxious on one hand and without being so politically correct and so super sensitive on the other.
We are grown ups, so if you can not take a little heat, get out of the kitchen
Example... I had an argument with a lady here on UHH about telling the truth to the photographer of a bad photo, in my opinion this will help imrove his/her performance and picture taking, alas, she insisted that we have to say "good words and praises" even if that photo is not good at all...How is one suppose to learn (from his/her mistakes) if nobody will point him/her in the right direction?
I think we get insulted way too fast and way too easily.

I post in a couple of forums. I show images, offer insights into how I got the image, and always try to help others. I don't say bad things about people, I ignore many comments that do bother me in one way or another, and I've always tried to say things in a manner that does not imply anything negative or critical. I realized a long time ago that we are all different and we all think very differently and I like those differences for the most part. I posted something in a forum and someone responded and then I responded back. Nothing in the conversation, either his comments or mine, were offensive in any way from my point of view. The moderator of the forum, who is a very nice person, sent me a private email saying that a part of what I put in my response was cut out by the moderator because the moderator felt/believed/thought it was not "friendly, supportive conversation."

The topic was about SOOC to some degree, although not the original post. The sentence below was written by one of the posters, and I believed it was actually written in jest but I responded, his post said, "Realize you are upsetting the people who say that the SOOC is a gift from god and it is "My Style."

My response was "In reality the only image straight out of the camera (for the most part) would be a RAW file, not a JPEG file. As we all know, a JPEG is a processed file, letting the camera make all the decisions, so, a camera is the artist for a JPEG file, not the photographer. And any "style" that may be involved can be contributed to the camera, not the photographer." Part of that response included the words, which were cut out by the moderator, "A rational, thinking individual would know this." I meant the sentence not as a criticism of anyone but as a reference to rational, linear thought processes using science, i.e. RAW is not processed but JPEG is processed so only RAW can actually be SOOC [and, in fact, it is often referred to as a negative], even though there is a belief that SOOC applies to JPEG. I had no ill intent nor was I trying to "put anyone down" in anyway.

The moderator's response to me was this: "Here we are again, Connie, chatting about topic content. I deleted a sentence in your reply to --: A rational, thinking individual would know this.

Please remember that -- Forum is about friendly, supportive conversations. Let's please leave criticism of the great unwashed to main discussion forum.

Thanks much!"

I am stunned that this person would reply in this way, "criticism of the great unwashed" and I have no idea at all what the person means by that. I am also insulted to some degree that this person would assume that I would say something offensive. I can only guess that saying the words "rational" and "thinking individual" were found to be offensive words by the moderator. Obviously the moderator saw those two words and interpolated them to his/her way of thinking, her thinking had absolutely no place in my mind.

What is the role of a forum moderator? To cut out things they don't like, don't agree with, or something THEY think is bad or wrong in some way? How far does a moderator go? I can see a moderator taking down a vile, ranting post as that would be obviously hurtful. But after that, what are the guidelines? Are we now a society that believes we can only say things one way and there is no room for saying something another way? I can also see a moderator posting something in the forum that says, in essence, "hey, cool it." And I've seen that before and that does seem to be needed at times. This actually reminds me of the discussions going on now with Amazon and Facebook and perhaps other sites. I absolutely agree that our conversations should be civil and inclusive and that no one has the right to berate, belittle, or generally snarl at others but should all of our words now be formed by the moderator or some "thought police" type person?

I have to admit I am more than a little perplexed by the email I got. Obviously I won't be posting in that particular forum anymore (and I really did like the forum and have learned a few things in it) as I don't care for that type of extreme policing. Your thoughts on this?

I post in a couple of forums. I show images, offer insights into how I got the image, and always try to help others. I don't say bad things about people, I ignore many comments that do bother me in one way or another, and I've always tried to say things in a manner that does not imply anything negative or critical. I realized a long time ago that we are all different and we all think very differently and I like those differences for the most part. I posted something in a forum and someone responded and then I responded back. Nothing in the conversation, either his comments or mine, were offensive in any way from my point of view. The moderator of the forum, who is a very nice person, sent me a private email saying that a part of what I put in my response was cut out by the moderator because the moderator felt/believed/thought it was not "friendly, supportive conversation."

The topic was about SOOC to some degree, although not the original post. The sentence below was written by one of the posters, and I believed it was actually written in jest but I responded, his post said, "Realize you are upsetting the people who say that the SOOC is a gift from god and it is "My Style."

My response was "In reality the only image straight out of the camera (for the most part) would be a RAW file, not a JPEG file. As we all know, a JPEG is a processed file, letting the camera make all the decisions, so, a camera is the artist for a JPEG file, not the photographer. And any "style" that may be involved can be contributed to the camera, not the photographer." Part of that response included the words, which were cut out by the moderator, "A rational, thinking individual would know this." I meant the sentence not as a criticism of anyone but as a reference to rational, linear thought processes using science, i.e. RAW is not processed but JPEG is processed so only RAW can actually be SOOC [and, in fact, it is often referred to as a negative], even though there is a belief that SOOC applies to JPEG. I had no ill intent nor was I trying to "put anyone down" in anyway.

The moderator's response to me was this: "Here we are again, Connie, chatting about topic content. I deleted a sentence in your reply to --: A rational, thinking individual would know this.

Please remember that -- Forum is about friendly, supportive conversations. Let's please leave criticism of the great unwashed to main discussion forum.

Thanks much!"

I am stunned that this person would reply in this way, "criticism of the great unwashed" and I have no idea at all what the person means by that. I am also insulted to some degree that this person would assume that I would say something offensive. I can only guess that saying the words "rational" and "thinking individual" were found to be offensive words by the moderator. Obviously the moderator saw those two words and interpolated them to his/her way of thinking, her thinking had absolutely no place in my mind.

What is the role of a forum moderator? To cut out things they don't like, don't agree with, or something THEY think is bad or wrong in some way? How far does a moderator go? I can see a moderator taking down a vile, ranting post as that would be obviously hurtful. But after that, what are the guidelines? Are we now a society that believes we can only say things one way and there is no room for saying something another way? I can also see a moderator posting something in the forum that says, in essence, "hey, cool it." And I've seen that before and that does seem to be needed at times. This actually reminds me of the discussions going on now with Amazon and Facebook and perhaps other sites. I absolutely agree that our conversations should be civil and inclusive and that no one has the right to berate, belittle, or generally snarl at others but should all of our words now be formed by the moderator or some "thought police" type person?

I have to admit I am more than a little perplexed by the email I got. Obviously I won't be posting in that particular forum anymore (and I really did like the forum and have learned a few things in it) as I don't care for that type of extreme policing. Your thoughts on this?

I post in a couple of forums. I show images, offer insights into how I got the image, and always try to help others. I don't say bad things about people, I ignore many comments that do bother me in one way or another, and I've always tried to say things in a manner that does not imply anything negative or critical. I realized a long time ago that we are all different and we all think very differently and I like those differences for the most part. I posted something in a forum and someone responded and then I responded back. Nothing in the conversation, either his comments or mine, were offensive in any way from my point of view. The moderator of the forum, who is a very nice person, sent me a private email saying that a part of what I put in my response was cut out by the moderator because the moderator felt/believed/thought it was not "friendly, supportive conversation."

The topic was about SOOC to some degree, although not the original post. The sentence below was written by one of the posters, and I believed it was actually written in jest but I responded, his post said, "Realize you are upsetting the people who say that the SOOC is a gift from god and it is "My Style."

My response was "In reality the only image straight out of the camera (for the most part) would be a RAW file, not a JPEG file. As we all know, a JPEG is a processed file, letting the camera make all the decisions, so, a camera is the artist for a JPEG file, not the photographer. And any "style" that may be involved can be contributed to the camera, not the photographer." Part of that response included the words, which were cut out by the moderator, "A rational, thinking individual would know this." I meant the sentence not as a criticism of anyone but as a reference to rational, linear thought processes using science, i.e. RAW is not processed but JPEG is processed so only RAW can actually be SOOC [and, in fact, it is often referred to as a negative], even though there is a belief that SOOC applies to JPEG. I had no ill intent nor was I trying to "put anyone down" in anyway.

The moderator's response to me was this: "Here we are again, Connie, chatting about topic content. I deleted a sentence in your reply to --: A rational, thinking individual would know this.

Please remember that -- Forum is about friendly, supportive conversations. Let's please leave criticism of the great unwashed to main discussion forum.

Thanks much!"

I am stunned that this person would reply in this way, "criticism of the great unwashed" and I have no idea at all what the person means by that. I am also insulted to some degree that this person would assume that I would say something offensive. I can only guess that saying the words "rational" and "thinking individual" were found to be offensive words by the moderator. Obviously the moderator saw those two words and interpolated them to his/her way of thinking, her thinking had absolutely no place in my mind.

What is the role of a forum moderator? To cut out things they don't like, don't agree with, or something THEY think is bad or wrong in some way? How far does a moderator go? I can see a moderator taking down a vile, ranting post as that would be obviously hurtful. But after that, what are the guidelines? Are we now a society that believes we can only say things one way and there is no room for saying something another way? I can also see a moderator posting something in the forum that says, in essence, "hey, cool it." And I've seen that before and that does seem to be needed at times. This actually reminds me of the discussions going on now with Amazon and Facebook and perhaps other sites. I absolutely agree that our conversations should be civil and inclusive and that no one has the right to berate, belittle, or generally snarl at others but should all of our words now be formed by the moderator or some "thought police" type person?

I have to admit I am more than a little perplexed by the email I got. Obviously I won't be posting in that particular forum anymore (and I really did like the forum and have learned a few things in it) as I don't care for that type of extreme policing. Your thoughts on this?

I post in a couple of forums. I show images, offer insights into how I got the image, and always try to help others. I don't say bad things about people, I ignore many comments that do bother me in one way or another, and I've always tried to say things in a manner that does not imply anything negative or critical. I realized a long time ago that we are all different and we all think very differently and I like those differences for the most part. I posted something in a forum and someone responded and then I responded back. Nothing in the conversation, either his comments or mine, were offensive in any way from my point of view. The moderator of the forum, who is a very nice person, sent me a private email saying that a part of what I put in my response was cut out by the moderator because the moderator felt/believed/thought it was not "friendly, supportive conversation."

The topic was about SOOC to some degree, although not the original post. The sentence below was written by one of the posters, and I believed it was actually written in jest but I responded, his post said, "Realize you are upsetting the people who say that the SOOC is a gift from god and it is "My Style."

My response was "In reality the only image straight out of the camera (for the most part) would be a RAW file, not a JPEG file. As we all know, a JPEG is a processed file, letting the camera make all the decisions, so, a camera is the artist for a JPEG file, not the photographer. And any "style" that may be involved can be contributed to the camera, not the photographer." Part of that response included the words, which were cut out by the moderator, "A rational, thinking individual would know this." I meant the sentence not as a criticism of anyone but as a reference to rational, linear thought processes using science, i.e. RAW is not processed but JPEG is processed so only RAW can actually be SOOC [and, in fact, it is often referred to as a negative], even though there is a belief that SOOC applies to JPEG. I had no ill intent nor was I trying to "put anyone down" in anyway.

The moderator's response to me was this: "Here we are again, Connie, chatting about topic content. I deleted a sentence in your reply to --: A rational, thinking individual would know this.

Please remember that -- Forum is about friendly, supportive conversations. Let's please leave criticism of the great unwashed to main discussion forum.

Thanks much!"

I am stunned that this person would reply in this way, "criticism of the great unwashed" and I have no idea at all what the person means by that. I am also insulted to some degree that this person would assume that I would say something offensive. I can only guess that saying the words "rational" and "thinking individual" were found to be offensive words by the moderator. Obviously the moderator saw those two words and interpolated them to his/her way of thinking, her thinking had absolutely no place in my mind.

What is the role of a forum moderator? To cut out things they don't like, don't agree with, or something THEY think is bad or wrong in some way? How far does a moderator go? I can see a moderator taking down a vile, ranting post as that would be obviously hurtful. But after that, what are the guidelines? Are we now a society that believes we can only say things one way and there is no room for saying something another way? I can also see a moderator posting something in the forum that says, in essence, "hey, cool it." And I've seen that before and that does seem to be needed at times. This actually reminds me of the discussions going on now with Amazon and Facebook and perhaps other sites. I absolutely agree that our conversations should be civil and inclusive and that no one has the right to berate, belittle, or generally snarl at others but should all of our words now be formed by the moderator or some "thought police" type person?

I have to admit I am more than a little perplexed by the email I got. Obviously I won't be posting in that particular forum anymore (and I really did like the forum and have learned a few things in it) as I don't care for that type of extreme policing. Your thoughts on this?

As an admirer of your work and contributions to this forum, it pains me to see you upset about this. Two points:

In my opinion, your comment "a rational, thinking individual would know this" can only be interpreted one way: you don't think the person you are referring to is rational or thinking. As such it is a put down that could trigger a reaction from the person you were addressing and subsequent escalation of hostile behavior.

Now, does that justify the moderator's action to take the sentence out? Maybe a friendly "cool it, Connie" PM would have been better.

But I can definitely see the moderator's concern. Just think, if you had changed one letter in the sentence, replace the "w" in "would" with an "sh", would that have made a difference?

Unruffle the feathers and move on... 😕

May I suggest that you both issue a simple apology to each other and put it to rest. You and Linda have used different words to express the same thing; both phrases can be construed as offensive. With the world seeking to interpret every word of language as offensive we should take great care with how we express our thoughts. The English language, in particular, is going through a major overhaul. Words and phrases that we considered innocuous are now offensive.

Connie, you are a creative photographer. I truly think that if you remove yourself from post processing you will not only be hurting yourself but denying others the chance to learn from you.

Linda, I have followed your posts over the years and have seen you grow in both technique and artistry. You have always been a supportive person.

Please, end this on a positive note for everyone.

Dodie

I post in a couple of forums. I show images, offer insights into how I got the image, and always try to help others. I don't say bad things about people, I ignore many comments that do bother me in one way or another, and I've always tried to say things in a manner that does not imply anything negative or critical. I realized a long time ago that we are all different and we all think very differently and I like those differences for the most part. I posted something in a forum and someone responded and then I responded back. Nothing in the conversation, either his comments or mine, were offensive in any way from my point of view. The moderator of the forum, who is a very nice person, sent me a private email saying that a part of what I put in my response was cut out by the moderator because the moderator felt/believed/thought it was not "friendly, supportive conversation."

The topic was about SOOC to some degree, although not the original post. The sentence below was written by one of the posters, and I believed it was actually written in jest but I responded, his post said, "Realize you are upsetting the people who say that the SOOC is a gift from god and it is "My Style."

My response was "In reality the only image straight out of the camera (for the most part) would be a RAW file, not a JPEG file. As we all know, a JPEG is a processed file, letting the camera make all the decisions, so, a camera is the artist for a JPEG file, not the photographer. And any "style" that may be involved can be contributed to the camera, not the photographer." Part of that response included the words, which were cut out by the moderator, "A rational, thinking individual would know this." I meant the sentence not as a criticism of anyone but as a reference to rational, linear thought processes using science, i.e. RAW is not processed but JPEG is processed so only RAW can actually be SOOC [and, in fact, it is often referred to as a negative], even though there is a belief that SOOC applies to JPEG. I had no ill intent nor was I trying to "put anyone down" in anyway.

The moderator's response to me was this: "Here we are again, Connie, chatting about topic content. I deleted a sentence in your reply to --: A rational, thinking individual would know this.

Please remember that -- Forum is about friendly, supportive conversations. Let's please leave criticism of the great unwashed to main discussion forum.

Thanks much!"

I am stunned that this person would reply in this way, "criticism of the great unwashed" and I have no idea at all what the person means by that. I am also insulted to some degree that this person would assume that I would say something offensive. I can only guess that saying the words "rational" and "thinking individual" were found to be offensive words by the moderator. Obviously the moderator saw those two words and interpolated them to his/her way of thinking, her thinking had absolutely no place in my mind.

What is the role of a forum moderator? To cut out things they don't like, don't agree with, or something THEY think is bad or wrong in some way? How far does a moderator go? I can see a moderator taking down a vile, ranting post as that would be obviously hurtful. But after that, what are the guidelines? Are we now a society that believes we can only say things one way and there is no room for saying something another way? I can also see a moderator posting something in the forum that says, in essence, "hey, cool it." And I've seen that before and that does seem to be needed at times. This actually reminds me of the discussions going on now with Amazon and Facebook and perhaps other sites. I absolutely agree that our conversations should be civil and inclusive and that no one has the right to berate, belittle, or generally snarl at others but should all of our words now be formed by the moderator or some "thought police" type person?

I have to admit I am more than a little perplexed by the email I got. Obviously I won't be posting in that particular forum anymore (and I really did like the forum and have learned a few things in it) as I don't care for that type of extreme policing. Your thoughts on this?