Anybody else give up on the p.net Leica forum?

[kevin m]

I've been a paying member over there for about seven years, participating mainly in the Leica forum, but I let my subscription lapse, emptied out my gallery and deleted my account. Not happy about it, but it's pretty dead over there, and getting worse. :(

Anyone else bail out?

[ray_g]

There is still a lot of information in that forum, and a search function that is more user friendly than on RFF. It gets very aggravating to read all the stuff in between the useful info though. Posting is another thing - i never post there anymore except for classifieds, but I always give RFF a few hours headstart. ;)

[ZeissFan]

I left about two years ago. The childish attitudes, the snobbery, the personal attacks.

Then, of course, the arbitrary rules applied to only the classic cameras forum and the justification of their application.

Life is too short to tolerate that kind of stuff. So, as always, you decide what is acceptable and what isn't. I'm sure people find the information useful and the boorish behavior OK. I didn't, so I left.

[dcsang]

There is still a lot of information in that forum, and a search function that is more user friendly than on RFF.

I always found the RFF search function (the advanced one) to be the best out of any forums I've visited and partake in.

I agree with there being a lot of information over there at Pnet but I always thought RFF's ability to post threads and do searches was excellent while Pnet's sort of, well, in general, a bit more 1996 ya know? :D

Dave

[Flyfisher Tom]

Left years ago. Between the various digital/film, Leica/nonLeica wars and other childishness ... it just wasn't worth it.

[Pherdinand]

long time ago.
Once I was even a paying member, and I visited regularly a few of the forums, then it got very boring and i only went to the classic camera forum, nowadays even that is not much of an interest to me:( I still look around on that one forum once in a week or such, but nothing else, certainly not the leica one.
I think it started losing ground ot me when they created the people/street etc forums and only big time leica fondlers stayed at the leica forum...
Just my oppinion,of course:)

[Magnus]

It's amusing like the RFF very amusing.

The LUF is a good source for technical info and such, but the LUF has most definitely the most stuck up bunch of leica users there are to be found on the face of this planet.
I like a combination that the RFF contributes.

A thing I dislike about the RFF is the amount of closed threads. In a forum like this one should be allowed to express ones feelings, be it about Pinochet or Bush or merkel or anyone. The last couple of threads that got closed were not out of limits, they were pretty good actually. I believe there is a place for photography general ideas to live alongside personal member's views.
You can either choose to read or not read. But this is a community of photographers whom (hopefully) have more thoughts about things in life than just photography.

[back alley]

But this is a community of photographers whom (hopefully) have more thoughts about things in life than just photography.

heresy!
thinking thoughts other than photography and leica and zeiss and canon and gas!!!??

;)

[Turtle]

.... But this is a community of photographers whom (hopefully) have more thoughts about things in life than just photography.

What? Erm, I am confused. [Feeling like I have just walked down the street naked] could you give some hints as to what sort of things a normal person is supposed to be interested in, you know, to appear normal? I might try passing myself off as a normal person one day;)

[Magnus]

What? Erm, I am confused. [Feeling like I have just walked down the street naked] could you give some hints as to what sort of things a normal person is supposed to be interested in, you know, to appear normal? I might try passing myself off as a normal person one day;)


Just things you are interested in ... things you would like to discuss, give your comment about.... could be anything .... and there is a place in this forum where people can do that (supposably) it's called "Off topic" the topic here being photography, "off topic" meaning anything else than photography.... and giving you hints about what a person should be interested in .... I can't, and if you yourself can't ... well theres not much to say anymore is there....

[Magnus]

I jumped ship less than a year in, just cancelled the subscription. Too much platitudes and penis measuring. If you did not upload nudes you never got a critque. Spammed several time to an address that was only used for Pnet. Terrible.

Magnus, if you would like to join a more globallly conscious community check out Lightstalkers.org - much, much less camera talk, more regarding the world, politics, photography, ethics, jobs, et cetera.

Great bunch of folks. One caveat, most are photojournalist, and as such they tend to have a jaded perspective. What is it about inflated egos that leads to bad attitudes?

BTW, RFF is certainly the most laid back group of camera enthusiasts.


I don't, I am offered the opportunity here in the off topic forum which suits me fine. If in time it will be called for instance "the off topic forum, but only for xxxxxxx views" and fill the xxxx's in yourself, I might find another forum, as long as this is not the case explain to me why I should subscribe to another forum....

[Topdog1]

I am really thankful for the friendly, helpful and polite people here. If you think p.net Leica is bad try the Leica forum on dpreview. Those guys are savages.

/Ira

[35mmdelux]

Pnet Leica forum can be brutal but there are some very knowledgeable Leica shooters there and some pretty good buy/sale opportunities. I can honestly say I made more money there than it cost to join, albeit a lit borish sometimes.

[visiondr]

Can you say Moribund?

Ron

[skipwilliams]

I've been a regular visitor and poster to the Olympus and Leica forums on Photo.net for about 8 years and have seen it go through a whole host of metamorphoses over the years. For some reason, that Leica forum has always attracted more than its fair share of curmugeons who enjoy trashing people and posting inflammatory comments.

The quality of the knowledge there is pretty high, but the spirit of cooperation and community that existed about 3-4 years ago hides itself well. The forum is moderated, which helps.....but nastiness still sneaks through at times. Witness the last week or two where the M8 posts have centered around humor and ridicule, over, and over, and over again.

I only check it 2-3 times/week these days, the threads here are better.

Skip

[Nick R.]

I think Kevin is referring to the Leica forum specifically. In case you haven't been there in a while, it has been rendered toothless under new pnet guidelines. All the nasties have left but so has anyone with something interesting to say. If I describe this site as infantile in its lack of tolerance for controversy, pnet's leica forum has gone pre-natal.

[VictorM.]

Gave up on pnet Leica Forum a while ago because it wasn't interesting enough.

[Dougg]

I think Kevin is referring to the Leica forum specifically. In case you haven't been there in a while, it has been rendered toothless under new pnet guidelines. All the nasties have left but so has anyone with something interesting to say. If I describe this site as infantile in its lack of tolerance for controversy, pnet's leica forum has gone pre-natal.Hmm, interesting, Nick! I have not visited the Pnet Leica forum for over a year, so it seems to have changed. I quit visiting that forum because it had become a Leica-hater's area, you didn't dare express anything positive about Leica or you'd be ridiculed. Lot of bad behavior along with the good info. The street shooters would post many large shots in one message and so overwhelm anyone else's single pic that it would scarcely be noticed. Problem with trying to clean out a bad situation is that most of the good guys leave with the bad. I'll have to visit there again and see what it's like now.

I do like the medium format forum, and the classic cameras too. Never was interested in the Pnet photo ratings dance.

[ffttklackdedeng]

For me the now best PN forum is the philosophy one. The leica one was better a year ago..

[Andrew Touchon]

I've been a paying member over there for about seven years, participating mainly in the Leica forum, but I let my subscription lapse, emptied out my gallery and deleted my account. Not happy about it, but it's pretty dead over there, and getting worse. :(

Anyone else bail out?

I also let my subscription lapse. The pnet Leica forum got too nasty for my taste.

[summaron]

Rangefinder forum is much more civil, more of a discussion group among peers, extremely suportative.

On the rare occasion a woman would dare post on Leica/photo.net, she was always addressed by name, and it was as if her name was "honey" or "dear."

And there was always this obsession with the purism of Cartier Bresson or Ralph Gibson, never the messiness of Walker Evans or Eggleston or Moriyama.

[Nick R.]

Yeah, but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. That's what I miss about the old Leica pnet forum.

[Film dino]

My impression of the PNet leica forum is that fools are not suffered gladly- this can be a good thing. Unfortuntely "fools" came to mean someone who dared post a "simple" question without first doing a search, or a naive question.. it's in the nature of forums that variations on the same question get posted from time to time & people need time & space to adjust to the culture of a forum. RFF is much more inclusive in this way & much less judgemental

[Keith]

I've been a regular visitor and poster to the Olympus and Leica forums on Photo.net for about 8 years and have seen it go through a whole host of metamorphoses over the years. For some reason, that Leica forum has always attracted more than its fair share of curmugeons who enjoy trashing people and posting inflammatory comments.

The quality of the knowledge there is pretty high, but the spirit of cooperation and community that existed about 3-4 years ago hides itself well. The forum is moderated, which helps.....but nastiness still sneaks through at times. Witness the last week or two where the M8 posts have centered around humor and ridicule, over, and over, and over again.

I only check it 2-3 times/week these days, the threads here are better.

Skip


They are slow there aren't they? We got that out of our systems ages ago.:angel:

Seriously though ... there are some vicious individuals on that forum and some of the sarcasm and negativity is extremely confronting for us gentle folk. I sure won't be renewing my subscription!:confused:

I have had only positive experiences on their digital forum though. Does owning a Leica turn the odd person into an instant arsehole ... I have to wonder sometimes. Or is it just that occasionally some arsehole buys a Leica???

I like it here though ... feels like home! :) :) :)

[peter_n]

I still read and post on the Leica forum on PN. I also like the darkroom forum over there too. The LUG I don't particularly like though. I remember once trying to buy a camera body there and the guy just ignored me. Many members over there seem particularly crotchety.

[Flyfisher Tom]

I do miss the Al-Brad dialogues ;)

[Gabriel M.A.]

You can either choose to read or not read. But this is a community of photographers whom (hopefully) have more thoughts about things in life than just photography.
I agree with the general sentiment, Magnus. But you mean to say, that you can't see the Cookie Recipe forum, or the Multivariable Integral Applied Discrete Mathematics section or the Butterfly and Mole Collection threads? :eek:

Shocked.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Anyone else bail out?
After the passive stormtrooping, I decided to do the same thing you did.

[Joe Brugger]

Terribly pompous, uneven and absentminded moderation over there. Tony's Ok, but the rest are worthless. They keep chucking out people who respond to the provocateurs. Lots of good data in the archives, though.

[Socke]

I've been a paying member over there for about seven years, participating mainly in the Leica forum, but I let my subscription lapse, emptied out my gallery and deleted my account. Not happy about it, but it's pretty dead over there, and getting worse. :(

Anyone else bail out?


Don't write about it anywhere, I deleted my account some three month before I got banned :-)

[Socke]

There is still a lot of information in that forum, and a search function that is more user friendly than on RFF. It gets very aggravating to read all the stuff in between the useful info though. Posting is another thing - i never post there anymore except for classifieds, but I always give RFF a few hours headstart. ;)


The search function is google, try "keyword site:rangefinderforum.com" in google to have the same here.

[peter_n]

Actually the two guys I miss over there are Jay and John Collier. Both had encyclopedic knowledge of things Leica, and John was a gentleman who gave excellent advice. Jay was very smart and sarcastic, knew an awful lot, but only gave advice based on his own choices. He could never see that other people might prefer something different from him; that was something to be sneered at - they were idiots. He did make things entertaining but was ultimately shot down by the trolls about two years ago.

[ywenz]

p.net and RFF are mutually exlusive. p.net is awsome in its own way.

[trittium]

RFF is so much more polite and friendly. I am trying to sell something over there and people are trying to pick appart my ad. It makes no sense. It seems like they are trying to prove me wrong so that they can look better or something. The worst think about it is that they are so attacking in there statements. They are not giving suggestions, they are declaring their way as the high way.

[kevin m]

It seems like they are trying to prove me wrong so that they can look better or something.

Sadly, you're right. That's how one earns "status" on photo.net. Not by being a good photographer, or a decent person, but by hanging on like a kudzu vine until finally, you choke off all the more desireable forms of vegetation.

[pvdhaar]

Say about pnet what you will, but I can read what it says there without wearing glasses :p What's with the economy size script here on RFF? :rolleyes:

[Dougg]

Peter, see the pop-up menu at the very lower left corner of this window -- Try the various + and ++ options and see what you think. :)

[pvdhaar]

Peter, see the pop-up menu at the very lower left corner of this window -- Try the various + and ++ options and see what you think. :)
Ok, now RFF really IS better than Pnet :cool: Thanks for the hint Doug!