Here's to the crazy ones...
You will find some of that in all photographic forums. I honestly believe that we have many talented photographers and they offer honest and sincere advise.
Those with less experience in photography do their best when they issue an opinion and we are in a country where all opinions are respected, even if we do not agree with them.
In my training years in photography I had a tutor, he is no longer among us, who used to say "if you want to teach you have to know." Many photographers try to do their best but many times they lack the knowledge and still they persist in teaching which is a big mistake.
I am entirely in agreement with your statements.
AndyH
Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire
CO wrote:
I've seen on two or three occasions where the original poster created a ruse that seemed like a legitimate question at first. One claimed to be a high school student who posted a photo with what looked like sun flare spots. The thing is, it was an indoor shot inside someone's kitchen. The thread went on for pages and the OP just kept posting what seemed like valid responses. After a while, it became evident that it was B.S.
I've seen those too, and I agree that it is often a complete waste of time to get caught up in them. I guess that's why the "crazy ones" are crazy to respond, but they do. And I just wanted to show my appreciation for them - I've actually learned some things myself in a couple of these drama threads, even when the OP either wasn't well informed enough to phrase the question, or was just throwing out chum to be pounced upon.
Some of the folks here who take the time to answer, who come from an informed perspective, and who offer a balanced approach in providing options are helping others who read the threads, and that's what I wanted to acknowledge.
The person who asks, "What's the best way to dispose of a body?" may be just tossing out troll food, but the rest of us may well learn something about lime, soil composition, and duct tape decay rates.
TriX
Loc: Raleigh, NC
Well said Andy. I can’t begin to enumerate how much useful knowledge I’ve gained from those types of people over the last almost 3 years on the forum, which is why I recommend it to all my photog friends. And maybe I’m just being optimistic, but it seems it’s been awhile since we heard from some of our well known trolls (or maybe they’ve just descended to the attic which I never read) - that has thankfully elevated the level of discourse substantially.
...The person who asks, "What's the best way to dispose of a body?" may be just tossing out troll food, but the rest of us may well learn something about lime, soil composition, and duct tape decay rates.
[/quote]
Ha! You just made me spit out my coffee! Just missed the keyboard!
AndyH
Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Thank you to all who have responded to this. I don't think I'm a major contributor yet, at least on digital topics, other than just sharing my experiences with stuff I've actually used, purchased, or rejected. If you want to know how to test a leaf shutter, or take apart a Weston meter, I'm your guy.
I have lost patience and temper occasionally, and I am a certified member of the grammar police (although I try not to correct other people's errors, I am furious with myself if I don't notice a typo I've made and it slips past the edit window). But it just struck me recently that some of these silly and extended threads filled with, "I know you are but what am I?" responses contain some real content, and that some of the information provided was helpful to me, and much might be helpful to others.
That's why I wanted to take the time to acknowledge those who provide such measured and consistently well written responses, even when the thread itself may be silly or based on unanswerable questions. One example: I am extremely happy with subscription LightRoom, based on my particular cataloguing needs and my history with Photoshop. I don't think Adobe's business plan would call for a huge price increase, but I now have a number of options to check out if it should, or I could no longer afford the subscription. In a couple of cases, the OP might have been unclear or just a rant against the corporate dominance, but the contributions of many members turned that dross into gold.
I will try to emulate this approach more often, and I extend my sincere thanks to those who already do.
Andy
Bless you for saying what needs to be said... although the trolls probably won't read that far.
AndyH
Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire
tripsy76 wrote:
...The person who asks, "What's the best way to dispose of a body?" may be just tossing out troll food, but the rest of us may well learn something about lime, soil composition, and duct tape decay rates.
Quote:
Ha! You just made me spit out my coffee! Just missed the keyboard!
Let's handle this by PM. Don't want to give geographic coordinates out in public. Okay?
I'll just say that there's a Pine Barrens area not too far from you....
Andy "Wheelman" H
You're very observant. : )
AndyH wrote:
Let's handle this by PM. Don't want to give geographic coordinates out in public. Okay?
I'll just say that there's a Pine Barrens area not too far from you....
Andy "Wheelman" H
I’ll bring the bourbon and cigars! Lol!
AndyH wrote:
“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” - Rob Siltanen
Since I've gotten active on UHH, I've noticed a particular thing. There are a lot of ill-informed, poorly written, or borderline offensive posts asking questions that might be trolling, might be naïve, or might just be offensive by their apparent greed and unconcern for others.
As in any public forum, these attract their share of unsupported opinion, of irrelevant and sometimes silly responses (see any Nickanon or PP thread), and sometimes outright derision for the opening thesis.
But one thing I've noticed is that there are a number of people on UHH who respond sincerely, who offer opinionated but not dismissive advice, and who give their legitimate thoughts on the most outrageous of questions and theses. You can ask, "Is the Nikon Dxxx or Canon Dsxx really a piece of overpriced crap compared to the "Nonamekon?" and you'll get some sincere and honest responses, from people who are knowledgeable, and offer fifty percent "what" and fifty percent "why" when they post.
So here's to you folks - the ones who treat everyone assuming their sincerity, offer well-informed advice, and recognize that the "right answer" for one person is not necessarily the right one for another. It isn't easy - at times, there seem to be more stupid or deliberately provocative questions than there are sincere but ill-informed ones.
You folks are the gold in the ore of UHH posts, the polished gemstones among the druse, the reason I keep coming back here for both information and for the occasional tidbit of information or experience I can contribute. I'm trying every day to be more like you, and less cynical, snarky, or confrontational.
So here's to you. I'm not going to call out names, but I hope you know who you are, and know that so many people who populate this place appreciate your contributions. I have at least a half dozen regulars with high post counts in my mind, but no doubt, there are many others I haven't yet noticed. I wish I had your patience, knowledge, and ability to articulate them.
Here's to you!
Andy
“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels... (
show quote)
You hit the nail on the head. Well written and I agree. I have learned a lot from certain members of the club, and then there is well you know.
xt2
Loc: British Columbia, Canada
AndyH wrote:
“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” - Rob Siltanen
Since I've gotten active on UHH, I've noticed a particular thing. There are a lot of ill-informed, poorly written, or borderline offensive posts asking questions that might be trolling, might be naïve, or might just be offensive by their apparent greed and unconcern for others.
As in any public forum, these attract their share of unsupported opinion, of irrelevant and sometimes silly responses (see any Nickanon or PP thread), and sometimes outright derision for the opening thesis.
But one thing I've noticed is that there are a number of people on UHH who respond sincerely, who offer opinionated but not dismissive advice, and who give their legitimate thoughts on the most outrageous of questions and theses. You can ask, "Is the Nikon Dxxx or Canon Dsxx really a piece of overpriced crap compared to the "Nonamekon?" and you'll get some sincere and honest responses, from people who are knowledgeable, and offer fifty percent "what" and fifty percent "why" when they post.
So here's to you folks - the ones who treat everyone assuming their sincerity, offer well-informed advice, and recognize that the "right answer" for one person is not necessarily the right one for another. It isn't easy - at times, there seem to be more stupid or deliberately provocative questions than there are sincere but ill-informed ones.
You folks are the gold in the ore of UHH posts, the polished gemstones among the druse, the reason I keep coming back here for both information and for the occasional tidbit of information or experience I can contribute. I'm trying every day to be more like you, and less cynical, snarky, or confrontational.
So here's to you. I'm not going to call out names, but I hope you know who you are, and know that so many people who populate this place appreciate your contributions. I have at least a half dozen regulars with high post counts in my mind, but no doubt, there are many others I haven't yet noticed. I wish I had your patience, knowledge, and ability to articulate them.
Here's to you!
Andy
“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels... (
show quote)
An encouraging and thoughtful word, thank-you, Andy.
I'll toast to those thoughts.
Its certainly an attitude we could use more of in all aspects of our lives.
Bravo Zulu to those members who fit your description. JRH
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