Jim Bob

Who used profanity?

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

And here I thought my comment would be easy enough to understand!

Bill_de Loc: US

The name of the section is "Main Photography Discussion".

Forget the internet. How many discussions at the corner bar stay on topic?

Maybe they need a section for asking questions where a group of those knowledgeable members confer through private message and post only the agreed on answer. One question, one answer.

Considering the apparent popularity of the BS threads that are started by one individual, it seems many would prefer BS to real content. That is what a 'public' forum is all about ... whatever the public wants.

Go figure!

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

I suppose some folks expect to have their questions addressed and answered as if this is a paid, professional and private consulting service- on a one to one basis in a precise, succinct and timely manner. Even if someone was to invest is such a service, they are not always guaranteed that they will get the right solution for their particular situation or what they really want to hear or accept. Sometimes the right answer is hard to swallow! Sometimes the same disappointment or frustration with unanswered questions can occur even when we actually invest in costly classes or expensive books.

On the positive side, I feel that most of the questions that are posted here do, in fact, receive excellent treatment by many well-meaning, knowledgeable folks that routinely step up and reach out to help one and other.

Not everyone is an articulate speaker or a consummate technical writer. Some very competent and enlightened photographers may not have English as their first language but they know what the are doing and try their utmost to get the information out there- oftentimes some patient and hard listening skills will yield rewards. Others may drift off topic or come up with a different or unexpected approaches or alternative equipment recommendation but I don't think the are being unnecessarily or purposely contrary, argumentative or obnoxious. So.. if you are broaching a Nikon vs. Canon question and someone thinks that Olympus might be a better alternative for your situation, so what? Sometimes the best and most creative solutions come “out of left field” . A forum is a collective effort.

Oftentimes a question is rather complex and can not be answered in a short post. Sometimes it pays off to be patient and read into longer answers in that that there might be some valuable or useful information that you may not be not aware of. If someone feels strongly about an issue or wishes to supply a very long and comprehensive statement, that does not amount to a “rant”.

In the final analysis, it's up to the OP or the reader to read thoroughly through or perhaps quickly scan through a post or a thread and extract as much data as they can and consider the best answer and/or collective opinions and form his or her own solution or request more precise responses or do more research on their own.

Personally, I do not respond negatively or discouragingly to a question with a “don't buy that, don't do that or don't go there” answer unless I sincerely feel that someone gonna ruin a piece of expensive gear, hurt or electrocute themselves with an electronic flash unit or other device, burn or asphyxiate themselves with certain wet darkroom chemicals or spend a whole lot of their hard eared cash on junk. I try to address the OP's questions as precisely and as much on a one-to-one basis as I can but I usually try to select questions and supply additional answers that may be of interest to others who are reading on and attempt to draw other questions and opinions into the conversation. I think that is the essence of a FORUM.

Yes! Sadly there are trolls, folks who like to ask silly or rhetorical questions and respond with flippant, rude or “smart-ass” answers and a few who just don't know what the heck they are talking about. Unfortunately, they do tend to stand out but in fact, they are in the minority and should simply be ignored. It's a waste of time and a fruitless effort to take well meaning folks to task, nit-pick about their spelling or grammar or criticizing their writing style or reading comprehension. This only results in insults and retorts and the thread then fizzles out without real solutions. If you differ in opinion or feel someone is supplying totally inaccurate information, simply state your cases- the intelligent folks will separate “the wheat from the chaff”!

Jim Bob

Poor analogy. Most people don’t go to a bar seeking answers to specific questions. However, many threads in this site are started with specific inquiries and what we get is the BS that one might get at a bar.

Jim Bob

You underestimate the capacity of the average person to ask a simple question and to understand a direct answer. Your epistle assumes too much.

Bill_de Loc: US

Really! Go to a biker's bar, for example, and see how many specific questions are asked about motorcycles. Go to a bar at any marina and see how many specific questions are asked about fishing gear, motors, etc. They all turn in to discussions that drift far afield from the original question. Here we just happen to be at a photographer's bar in a "discussion" section.

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Jim Bob

Remember, I specifically said “most people” and you responded with a subset which only reinforces my point: people come here for specific answers and what they frequently get are fish stories.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

If someone wants specific answers, s/he is better off doing an Internet search; here s/he will get additional facts regardless of whether or s/he wants them.

jmvaugh Loc: Albuquerque

This forum reminds me a bit of weekly department meetings. One or two responses on maybe one or two agenda items might be worth my much-too-short attention. I typically just quietly sip my coffee and write down a note or two for later.

Bill_de Loc: US

I didn't realize that people come here only to ask specific questions. I thought they came here to discuss a common interest in photography, which includes asking specific questions. Just like the two subsets I mentioned.

I must be mistaken.

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Jim Bob

I never said...”people come here only to ask specific questions.” Please read and understand before responding. Clearly there are numerous threads dedicated to specific inquiries. As long as you have been hanging around I’m astounded that you haven’t noticed it. Perhaps that is one reason you and others display a propensity to go off topic.

Jim Bob

I see. So if one wants to know, for example, which neutral density filter to use on a waterfall, don’t even bother to stop on this site. Well that certainly confirms a view that this site is not about photography. Make sure you let our illustrious administrator know. Some unlucky bastard just asked about a dark spot showing up on some of his D7100 images. Why don’t you just saunter over there and tell him he’s wasting his time.

Leitz Loc: Solms

I wonder if anyone has let Admin know that this thread is not about photography?

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Chuckles!