But with a point.
There are unfortunately a couple of things becoming very prevalent on here.
1. Let's take the mick out of someone we don't like or worse, lets bitch about them where they can't see. (To the point of me receiving emails about someone i've never met and probably would have no problem with).
2. Let's have an argument about kit (laptops, cameras, brands) where we ALL think we're right. Also, anyone who might have a tiny bit of knowledge will be ignored if it's not precisely what the OP wants to hear.
3. I'm going to post photos (or PM some to you!) and if I don't hear back sycophantic bullcrap about how amazing they are, i'll probably insult you or just won't bother paying attention to what you have to say...even if it is valid.
4. I'm going to sit here and be an "armchair warrior" and criticise anything produced by anyone at all that isn't me, and that makes it into the press (Testino royal pix or Matt Dunham's Camilla pic).
FOR CHRISTS SAKE PEOPLE, it is becoming like a typical forum here, which is not what this was about. I find myself spending much more time communicating with the people I've built up friendships with via facebook, twitter or just text and seeing them around. That's how I'm going to keep it from now on.
There's no point in offering advice which is backed by good hard evidence if it's going to be ignored because it's not what someone had pre-conceived in their mind. b****r the "no goodbye's" rule, this is as much a rant as it is that.
James, I can understand your frustration and I agree with a couple of your points, but I'm going to add a caveat or two....
I'm quite happy to take the mick out of someone (as long as it isn't vindictive) and fully expect the same in return, but the most important factor with this photo was that it didn't ID the photographer in question; it was a shot of a camera, hand and monopod. A full faced shot would have been a different matter if they weren't able to defend themself!
WRT people not listening those with experience, that is always going to happen. You can pass on your knowledge, give value based judgements backed up by what you know is fact and try to help, but if the recipient of that advice wants to believe others then there is nothing that you can do about it and they will discover their mistakes to their own cost.
Frankly, with the knowledge base available on here and the rest of the internet, if someone is asking basic questions such as 'what camera or lens do I need' (rather than a qualified request to confirm what they have already found out) then they aren't that serious about what they want to achieve anyway.
As for C&C's, people are either posting (emailing) pictures for genuine crit in an attempt to improve, or they want sunshine blown up their posterior. The latter is a problem on here at times, but if you run across it, just ignore that poster's uploads in the future.
From what little I've seen, this is still one of the friendliest, least gear obsessed photography forums available and the rough is massively outweighed by the smooth. It would be a shame to lose the input of an experienced working photographer from here, so don't let your strop push you too far over the edge!!
