Hello From the new Bartender

[CameraQuest]

I became involved with RFF because that I like RFF the way it is! I don’t plan any big changes. Eventual changes will be evolutionary, not revolutionary. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. My friend George has done a remarkable job of inventing and promoting RFF. I hope I can do as well. I am also very happy to say that George will stay very involved with RFF in his current position as Admin.

In regards to some of the speculation about this morning’s announcement, I can say with certainty that RFF will not become a subscription site, and that back alley’s nude calendar will not be an official RFF publication. Neither will RFF advertisers disappear, nor will the RFF content change and become a “mouthpiece for Cosina Voigtlander USA.” Yes, Nikon rangefinders will be in the left hand forum column. RFF will continue along the same path which has brought it success, with only more features over time. Ditto for DSLRExchange which has also changed hands.

Soon a new sponsor will be added, Tom Abrahamsson’s Rapidwinder.com – producer of the Leica Rapidwinders and Soft Releases. He is working now on the design of a RFF Soft Release for Leica M’s.

I believe RFF is in the enviable position of being the number one internet destination dedicated to rangefinder photography, with even more web traffic than Leica or Zeiss! You can check web traffic at Alexa.com Understandably I want to keep this position, and even increase RFF’s popularity over time.

Don’t worry folks. If George and I had not announced the change of ownership, you would not have been able to tell it from the site’s contents! RFF is a wonderful community of people who enjoy and appreciate Rangefinder Photography, especially film Rangefinder Photography – both not especially popular in photography’s digital mainstream. RFF is a great opportunity for us to share and learn from each other, keeping Rangefinder Photography alive and well.

Stephen Gandy

[dcsang]

Thank you for your clarifications Stephen and congrats again :)


Cheers
Dave

[iml]

I became involved with RFF because that I like RFF the way it is! I don’t plan any big changes. Eventual changes will be evolutionary, not revolutionary.

Glad to hear that, I like this place as it is and too often new ownership = too much messing with the formula.

I for one greet our new Cameraquest Overlord :-)

Ian

[flashover]

Welcome to the new overlord. Well this answers my question in the other thread about DSLReXchange

[venchka]

Here! Here!

Cheers!

[Robert Price]

Nice to hear some positive reinforcement. I look forward to a great relationship with you all.

[rogue_designer]

welcome to the new post Stephen. I'll take a martini, very dry, no olive, and a CV 21/4 with a twist. ;)

[tedwhite]

Thanks, Stephen, for your clear, informative post. I've done business with you in the past and no doubt will do so again, and always with very satisfactory results.

It appears your management style will be the same as mine: "Management by benign neglect."

[jaapv]

Hi Stephen! Welcome from a happy user :). Don't you have to change your "title" under your avatar now? And may I suggest a crown istead of a star?;) :p

[rover]

Yeah, nothing has changed......


Stephen said no to the all expense paid Moderator's Convention in Hawaii too. :(

Honestly, when Jorge and Stephen notified us earlier in the week my immediate reaction was wow, that makes so much sense, and this is such a good place for RFF to be.

Congratulations to everyone for making RFF what it is.

[FrankS]

Bartender, one Bourbon, one Scotch, and one beer! Cheers!

[Gabriel M.A.]

Good to hear.

Now, I'd like a pint of black 21 Skopar LTM -- on my tab :)

[Ash]

Eh!?!?1


What did I miss????

[RichC]

Welcome aboard, Stephen, and good luck!

And thanks for your very clear and helpful first post as the new owner of RFF.

[cbass]

What the Heliar...? I just read the annoucment thread. Kind of took me by surprise! I'd say this is good news for the whole gang, though.

Thanks once again to Jorge for all of his efforts, and best of luck to Stephen and the moderators who I'm sure will continue to make RFF such a fun place to hang out and learn.

[kshapero]

Congrats, sounds good. Hope to be there when we get more hits then Canon.

[Flyfisher Tom]

Welcome and congratulations Stephen.

[Bike Tourist]

I guess I'll have to go easier on you now, Stephen!

Your friend to the north —

Dick T

[Peter Klein]

Welcome, Stephen! If there had to be a change, this one makes good sense, and I'm glad we'll be in the hands of one of the good guys of the RF world.

(So does this mean we'll have Screenwriters and Battleships forums now?) :D

--Peter

[Rafael]

Welcome Stephen, and congratulations!

[SteveM(PA)]

Welcome, Stephen! If there had to be a change, this one makes good sense, and I'm glad we'll be in the hands of one of the good guys of the RF world.

(So does this mean we'll have Screenwriters and Battleships forums now?) :D

--Peter


Wait...was that a "Modern Major General" segue? :D

[darkkavenger]

Congratulations to both of you :-)

[nemjo]

Hello Stephen, Jorge and all.

Great to see that the new bartender is an honest man.
He told that the changes will be slow.
And yes.
Take a look on the left side - Nikon still not there...

welcome and thanks,

nemjo

[back alley]

i wonder if this would be a good time to talk about a promotion and raise...;)

[RayPA]

Welcome and congrats, Stepehn. Of course, the only problem with being king of the monkeyhouse is that you get all the monkeys who go with it (or rather the head bartender gets all us drunks!).

:)

[robin a]

Change is good........Robin

[FrankS]

Shall we call you the "Head Bartender", then?

[rover]

Welcome and congrats, Stepehn. Of course, the only problem with being king of the monkeyhouse is that you get all the monkeys who go with it (or rather the head bartender gets all us drunks!).

:)

Hey Joe, he is calling us monkeys!!!

[Honus]

Welcome, Stephen. You have always been a great supporter of rangefinder cameras. I am sure that with your knowledge and contacts that RFF will continue to grow and remain the best forum available.

You might want to reconsider back alley's calendar idea, however :)

[RayPA]

Hey Joe, he is calling us monkeys!!!

Oooh, I was looking at offending a much wider base: the totality of the membership, of which I proudly proclaim myself! :)


:)

[back alley]

Hey Joe, he is calling us monkeys!!!


ooo ooo oooo

[rover]

Yeah, but if Jorge told Stephen the truth about Joe and I...... :D

[RayPA]

Actually, this announcement pales in comparison to Telenous and/or Honus' upcoming announcement.

.

[like2fiddle]

Congratulations Steve and welcome in your new capacity. Glad to hear there are no big changes in store, this is a great place to hang out as it is, though I'm not opposed to evolution by any means.

[Socke]

A new bartender! I like bartenders, spend a lot of time with bartenders, head bartender is a great title!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/111/260982809_aa5714c385.jpg?v=0

[RayPA]

A new bartender! I like bartenders, spend a lot of time with bartenders, head bartender is a great title!


hmmm...umbrellas and fruit slices. is that what Stephen is going to be "serving" here?


.

[kmack]

Cheers
Can't wait to see what else is on tap in the future.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/71/186927512_368821d44d.jpg

[NIKON KIU]

Yes, Nikon rangefinders will be in the left hand forum column.

I love you Stephen.:D

Kiu

[Gray Fox]

The last bartender did a great job. Do you have all his exotic drink recipes? In the meantime you can put a single malt on the rocks (generous pour, please) right next to my G2 here on the bar. I look forward to hanging out here regularly as always. JW in GA

[visiondr]

Stephen, If you're the new bartender, what does that make us? After all, some of your "patrons" will be responsible drinkers, and others will be - well, booze hounds. Count me in that last category, (metaphorically, of course).

Welcome

Ron

[visiondr]

Actually, this announcement pales in comparison to Telenous and/or Honus' upcoming announcement.

.

Whaaats Up? Tell me more.

Ron

[MP Guy]

I have taken the liberty of updating Stephens title in his profile :)

[JeffGreene]

As much as we all enjoy Joe, I'm definitely thumbs down on Joe's nude calendar promotion! :eek:

Thanks for the informative and thoughtful post! Doing business with you was always straightforward, and knowing that RFF will continue as is with "evolutionary" changes is definitely reassuring. Thanks and all hail the new Imperator, Stephenus Rex!! ;)

[Todd.Hanz]

(or rather the head bartender gets all us drunks!).

:)


hey...I resemble that remark (*hiccup*) :rolleyes:

welcome and congrats, looking forward to the same old same old.

Todd

[popstar]

Aww...everyone want's Joe's calendar. Eventually. Maybe after the head bartender has worked his magic for several rounds!

Thanks for the statement from you Stephen. The more I think about it, the more it seems as though this is a really good time to be rangefinder fan. If one of the largest distributors believes enough in the site to buy it, that speaks volumes. I'll be eager to see where we go from here...

[Nachkebia]

Welcome and congrats! well this sounds very possitive and promising!

[FrankS]

So, Stephen is the head bartender, we're all Norm, and everyone knows our name! Sounds good. RFF is a lot like a friendly neighbourhood pub. Cheers!

[d30gaijin]

I like evolutionary.

[DavidH]

Hello Stephen & Jorge...RFF is an excellent resource, thanks for doing so much to keep it running so smoothly - I'm sure the behind-the-scenes work is very hard at times. It is all much appreciated.

Bartender, one Bourbon, one Scotch, and one beer!

One of my favourite tracks and best enjoyed with the contents of the title...pass me the JD...
:)

[mikeh]

Just to be clear, is it a nude calendar BY Joe, or OF Joe? Makes a big difference........

[back alley]

Just to be clear, is it a nude calendar BY Joe, or OF Joe? Makes a big difference........


yes!

;)

[back alley]

I'm really dadsm3...

why the change?

[Marc-A.]

Head Bartender ... sounds great. Margaritas for all ... Big Cheese's treat! :D
2007 will a good year for RFF ... we're all gonna make it good.
Best,
Marc-A.

[Marc-A.]

Just to be clear, is it a nude calendar BY Joe, or OF Joe? Makes a big difference........

For my wall, I'll buy the first one; for my curiosity, the second one :D

[Al Patterson]

Maybe the new owner will double the current moderator salary...

[Gabriel M.A.]

Wait...was that a "Modern Major General" segue? :D
Great. Now I have the song in my head.

I am the very model of a modern major-general,
I've information vegetable, animal and mineral,
I know the kings of England and I quote the fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo in order categorical.

:bang:

[xayraa33]

welcome new owner Mr. Stephen Gandy.
will other sponsors remain on RFF
besides yourself and Tom Abramson?
and will it be entirely their call if they choose to remain as sponsors?

[Stephanie Brim]

Congrats, Mr. Bartender. Can I have a virgin fuzzy navel, please? :D

[Trius]

Bartender, one Bourbon, one Scotch, and one beer! Cheers!
Can you hum a few bars? No .... NO Frank, I didn't say 'GO TO A FEW BARS...' Oh wait ... its a Toronto RFF gathering.

Congrats to both Stephen and Jorge. I hope that the community continues to grow, thrive and not change its character. It is very much a family that has developed here. IMO, the prime directive is that nothing that harms the family should be considered, much less done.

I also want to mention the unbelievably good job that the moderators have done, especially joe ("small j please) as he was the lone moderator during the RFF's formative period. Without them, the community would not have developed. It is easy to wield a heavy hand, it is rare to be deft.

My initial reaction (and "reaction" is the right word) was along the same lines as Kevin M ... concern about conflict of interest was my first thought. But the contrary viewpoints have been very well expressed and have made sense.

Actually, I added that last sentence so Stephen will still be disposed to kindness when I beg for free shipping some day ...

So my order is for a bottle of Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape followed by some vintage Niagara icewine to accompany crême brulé.

[CameraQuest]

welcome new owner Mr. Stephen Gandy.
will other sponsors remain on RFF
besides yourself and Tom Abramson?
and will it be entirely their call if they choose to remain as sponsors?

Most RFF sponsors are already signed up already for about a another year. All have been invited to stay on. On top of that there are conversations with other potential sponsors. As you probably know from other sites, sponsors come and go, and sometimes return again. In addition, at least one camera historical society is very interested in having its own forum on RFF.

I am looking to add net connections which will add to and benefit the RFF community. But things take time, and of course not all talks work out. Time will tell.

Stephen

[SolaresLarrave]

Thanks for the timely note, Stephen. And I'm glad it was you who took over ownership! :) And seeing that things will likely remain the same is reassuring. Again, thanks for your note.

Now, I have a nice beer waiting for me at home. ;) To you and to RFF!

[KoNickon]

OK, Stephen -- looking forward to it! And thanks again to Jorge and the moderators.

[rbiemer]

Glad to have you as our Head Bartender, Stephen!
I was only half kidding about getting Mr. K's ear in the other thread...


Soon a new sponsor will be added, Tom Abrahamsson’s Rapidwinder.com – producer of the Leica Rapidwinders and Soft Releases. He is working now on the design of a RFF Soft Release for Leica M’s.
Stephen Gandy
What an excellent idea! Umm, not only for Leica M cameras, I hope?

joe, probably the thing to have done about a raise would have been to use the proposed "ALL jOE, ALL YEAR, ALL BARE," calendar as a threat/bargaining chip...:D
Rob

[ClaremontPhoto]

1 Hiya, and it seems like a good move.

2 Can I stop seeing messages like this: "Safari could not open the page “http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/index.php” because the server stopped responding."?

3 Can you have a good web designer clean up the user interface?

[dmr]

Bartender, one Bourbon, one Scotch, and one beer!

Whenever I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself. :)

Seriously, Steve, thanks for continuing the tradition of this fine system. :)

[MikeL]

1 Hiya, and it seems like a good move.

2 Can I stop seeing messages like this: "Safari could not open the page “http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/index.php” because the server stopped responding."?

3 Can you have a good web designer clean up the user interface?

Since we are airing laundry.......This is not directed at the new bartender (maybe the barmaids?:) ) but when I click on a thread title it will often take me to the last post. While clicking on what typically sends one to the last post I end up somewhere else. Not a big deal.

[VinceC]

>>3 Can you have a good web designer clean up the user interface?<<

What's wrong with the user interface? This is one of the better discussion sites I've visited. I know at a glance the topics being discussed, I can easily find specific forums (except the buried Nikon Forum), threads I've been following are highlighted. The dark gray is very easy on my eyes.

[varjag]

Stephen, welcome in the new role here!

[Trius]

The dark gray is very easy on my eyes.

Whaa???? It's fuscia on my monitor! Do I need calibration? :D

[sirius]

Thanks for supporting this great place, Stephen. It is exciting to have someone with your depth of knowledge about RF cameras more involved here. Judging from the writing on your website, I like that you are opinionated as well. It keeps things interesting. I'm happy to hear that RFF is doing well.

[Topdog1]

Since we are airing laundry.......This is not directed at the new bartender (maybe the barmaids?:) ) but when I click on a thread title it will often take me to the last post. While clicking on what typically sends one to the last post I end up somewhere else. Not a big deal.

I, too, like the user interface. Leave it as it is. But I also agree that the behavior when opening threads is inconsistent. Sometimes it takes me to the first post. Sometimes to the last post. Why is that?

/Ira

[JeffGreene]

Whaa???? It's fuscia on my monitor! Do I need calibration? :D

Thank God, Earl! I thought it was only me! :eek:

[ClaremontPhoto]

No, I just meant tidying up whether it's 'Rangefinderforum.com' or 'RangefinderForum.com' or' RangeFinderForum.com' or'Rangefinder Forum' as currently it varies as you click around the site.

[VinceC]

That's a relief, Jon.

[zpuskas]

Congratulations to all!

[raid]

This website is simply too good to get messed up, and I have a feeling that Stephen will do his best to allow RFF to grow bigger and better. I am optimistic about this evolvement.

Raid

[Artorius]

As a customer of yours and a member here I appreciate your efforts.

[icemendicant]

I'd just like to say welcome to Stephen as new head bartender and thanks to Jorge and the moderators for such an excellent site. I have learnt almost everything I know about rangerfinder photography from sites such as this one and the CameraQuest site, which is an excellent resource.

I also like the current site design - although I do agree the issue of which page you get when clicking into a thread could be looked at to make it more consistent.

All the best,

Dan

[chmeyer]

Hey bartender....please make mine a double, exposure.

Welcome.

Chris

[NIKON KIU]

OK Folks,
I have heard the new Bartender is out vacationing and there is free shipping for all!!

I drink to that!

Kiu

[back alley]

ya gotta love the free shipping!!


:)

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request