Ok, So what's happened then?

Gandhi

Gandhi

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Yes
When I first came here it was such a fluffy place. All warm and pink and moist and inviting. People got along and expressed their points of view in an adult fashion, accepting what others had to say, reflecting on it and digesting their advice and words of encouragement/criticism.

Above all else there was a level of RESPECT for each other.

Sadly now that all seems to be disappearing. I guess some of it is inevitable with the forum growing in popularity and diversity.

Barely a day goes by now when I don't see a thread closed for argumentative behavior, people dismissing others work with glib and off hand comments that are nothing else but unhelpful. This constant arguing about who is 'more professional' than the other isn't helping anyone, it's almost as if those who consider themselves professionals are so precious that they feel threatened by those who are developing a real talent for what they do.

It's started to limit the amount I reply to threads now as I don't want to get drawn into protracted arguments with people about something which is inevitably a subjective opinion about a very subjective art-form.

goldielookinchain said:
I tried to see things from his point of view, but I couldn't fit my head up his @rseh0le too!
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This isn't supposed to be directed at anybody in particular or a misty-eyed, nostalgic 'things were better when I was a lad and all this was fields' type-moan.

I'm worried and I just want people to wake up and realise that with the constant bickering and in-fighting newcomers to this forum may well run away screaming, thinking 'my god,what a bunch of unhelpful, arrogant ******s' It's far from the over-riding theme at the moment but I can see it gradually slipping that way........


Please everybody.....

Stop to think before you type?









I'll shut up now and go and take some photo's ;)
 
Gandhi - I have to agree for the most part.

From what I've noticed it's mostly the newer ones who are the 'errant, disrespectful' types. I know that's a generalisation and only only based upon my observation.

The forum has got a much larger member base and is very busy - some of the more original members have disappeared because of the difficulty in keeping up.
 
That was what I thought when i joined ages ago-took off for months and came back thinking it seemed better-then sometimes I have my doubts.

Photography is about differences in perception. But sometimes people can not be subjective- more they become objective. i think thats right.

Anyway.

I am going to offer help if people need it-but will not be asking for help anymore-isnt worth the headache
 
Well... time was - modding this board was a breeze and the need for our intervention was rare. Sadly, it's now becoming commonplace. We now have well over 9,000 members representing a cross section of society, so conflicts are inevitable.

It is indeed largely down to respect, which is something you either have or you don't. ;)
 
Gandhi said:
When I first came here it was such a fluffy place. All warm and pink and moist and inviting.
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Erm this is a photography forum are you sure you are in the right place ? :D

But more seriously, sadly I have to agree
I think that TP is becoming a victim of its ( our) own success.
I've seen rapid growth on forea ( is that even a word :shrug:) before.
Where in-fighting has slowly torn a small friendly place apart.
Generally the old faithfulls have left to start a fresh somewhere else.
The existing forum then plods on, a shadow of its former self, or slowly dies, due to the lack of input from said "core members"
I hope this doesn't happen here, its still a good place to be, dispite the sometimes fractious nature of some posts and some members.
 
What i find odd sometimes is opinions are given on here sometimes in a way as to-if we were in a pub speaking to each other in such a way would lead to a punch up.

I know i can sometimes be a bit kurt myself-but often fueled by others.

When offering others my words I do try to be fair and constructive and above all boosting wherever possible.
 
Just being Devil's Advocate here for a moment, people leave here on a regular basis, sometimes they spit their dummies in the process, but 9 times out of 10, they come back, the reason being that this is still the friendliest most helpful photography forum on the net - hands down! Yes the changes are there for all to see, and it becomes harder by the day to maintain the ethos we started out with but we are trying.

The old guard leaving doesn't help - hang around and have your own influence on the place - there isn't anywhere better anyway!
 
CT said:
Just being Devil's Advocate here for a moment, people leave here on a regular basis, sometimes they spit their dummies in the process, but 9 times out of 10, they come back, the reason being that this is still the friendliest most helpful photography forum on the net - hands down! Yes the changes are there for all to see, and it becomes harder by the day to maintain the ethos we started out with but we are trying.

The old guard leaving doesn't help - hang around and have your own influence on the place - there isn't anywhere better anyway!
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well I will say CT You have always done a great job at being a diplomat:clap:
 
Funny to see this having just ''come back'' from a little time away....
It is all about respect, but for me it's diplomacy that stacks of people are missing or just switch off. (Is there a button on TP that you can use) :)
Opinion is one thing, but constructing it in a way that is well intentioned and still polite doesn't come to us all just remember it doesn't cost a penny to try.
 
I would like to say that this is a great place to be.....and i truly appreciate the nice comments....reallly gives my confidence a boost and as for the constructive critiscm well thats the only way people are gonna learn and improve......i think i have improved greatly by listening to you guys.....ok still a long way to go...but we all seem to be losing sight that photography should be fun.....and for those that start sniping at others ...if you dont want honest helpful advice...leave your pics at home and dont post them on the forum......this place is here to help.......well thats how i feel anyway xx
 
I've notice some people give loads of 'advice' but never be nice. Almost the opposite of 'If you've got nothing nice to say, don't say anything.' Doesn't hurt to pay a compliment, then get to the nitty gritty - it goes a long way to making friends...
 
I subscribe to the "if you have nothing nice to say..." ethos so if I see something I don't like or feel is awful I move on to the next one. I don't often comment on photo's in general though as I don't feel I have the right skill level to offer decent constructive criticism.

Still a nice friendly place though :)
 
h4rri said:
I subscribe to the "if you have nothing nice to say..." ethos so if I see something I don't like or feel is awful I move on to the next one.
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me too for the most part. This is still a great forum, and I guess it's down to everyone to keep it that way :)
 
chewyuk said it best and if you don't agree then you're just argumentative ****s :)
 
i try to offer good critiscism, and will say i dont like it. but i always try to find a thing i like and offer any advice that i wthink will improve a shot. unfortunately so many threads are started that you start to pass over threads and not comment.

i dont post in some threads, mainly because what has been said by three or four people already covers what i think. i also sometimes pass over others because i cant find anything good to say at all.

I hope that people take what i say in a positive way, and yet to notice any problems from what i have posted(most probably ignore what i say anyway).

as for the not feeling i have the skill to comment, everyone has an opinion and although you might not be able to give an accurate and technical feedback, you can still say what you like and what you dont. and it will make you feel better when you see someone with far more skill agrees or says the same/similar thing.
 
CT said:
The old guard leaving doesn't help - hang around and have your own influence on the place - there isn't anywhere better anyway!
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That wasn't a suggestion CT :D
just an observation to what I have seen happen previously elsewhere
sometimes it was a success sometimes a failure.
Yep for the most part it is still the friendliest one I have found and
not forgetting of course the amount of accumulative knowledge that is available is outstanding :thumbs:
 
Most forums are the same.
There are those who reply without even a pretence of offering constructive criticism, often with what can only be described open hostility.
There are also those who post their work expecting nothing but praise only to take offence when their skin is not thick enough to accept even well meaning critique.
There are usualy a few pro's who get riled when they think an amateur is running off their wedding/sport/porn/whatever business and some amateurs who refuse to help someone because they sell a few images on a stock site and aren't sharing the profits with them.

All you can hope is that the majority are reasonable people, brought together by a common interest and desire to not only learn but to help others too.
I've only seen a couple of posts on here that have degenerated into slanging matches and on the whole if someone has been out of line they have been put in their place by everyone else.
Conflict is a part of life and nobody should be pushed out by the actions of another. Stay, stand up for what you feel is right and you'll almost certainly find that other forum members will be right behind you.
 
hi there
i left one forum because of a "click" formed by some of the moderators ...
and if you did not agree with them "in the most part" you received PMs asking why ...
Blatantly asking for support to help run this forum was the last straw for me...so i left totally changed my hobby to photography and have never been happier.
mickytwoknives
 
Have to agree with the OP tbh. It's a lack of respect for others in general, not just the different abilities present here.

People are always out to prove themselfs, and for what?!

If only people engaged brain before opening mouth (tapping at keys)
 
TBH We've noticed a decline in tact and diplomacy of late. It's not something that's slipped us by.

In all honesty, we're going to be clamping down on this too. It's completely against the TP ethos and certainly why we started the forum in the first place.
Honesty is certainly allowed and encouraged.
However, rudeness, bluntness and lack of thought for how your comments may come across will not be tolerated.

We have a number of options available to us, ranging from warnings in threads, PM's, through to editing of posts, (marked and unmarked), along with suspensions and bans, either temporary or permanent.
We can also restrict members accounts in many many ways.

It's not something we would want to do naturally, but if people come here with a chip on their shoulder and an attitude, I'd like to make it clear...you either leave it at the door, or you go and find another forum to play on :) We're a really friendly bunch here at TP, and all of us staff (along with the help of the majority of good members) are gonna make damned sure it stays that way.

Lets keep it a forum we're all proud to be a part of.
 
this will end the whole topic -

REMOVED

:lol:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I appreciate the intention with the image, but it's likely to offend many, it doesn't add much by way of proper discussion ;) and it had a swear word in it.
 
Marcel said:
I appreciate the intention with the image, but it's likely to offend many, it doesn't add much by way of proper discussion ;) and it had a swear word in it.
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Spoil sport :(
adminpower.gif


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ohthedrama.gif
 
All big forums develop an element of this... but you've avoided a lot of the clique behavior and in-jokes which makes it much easier to get involved. Just be thankful that for a forum of this size... you're still the nicest on the web.
 
CT said:
Just being Devil's Advocate here for a moment, people leave here on a regular basis, sometimes they spit their dummies in the process, but 9 times out of 10, they come back, the reason being that this is still the friendliest most helpful photography forum on the net - hands down! Yes the changes are there for all to see, and it becomes harder by the day to maintain the ethos we started out with but we are trying.

The old guard leaving doesn't help - hang around and have your own influence on the place - there isn't anywhere better anyway!
Click to expand...

CT said:
Well... time was - modding this board was a breeze and the need for our intervention was rare. Sadly, it's now becoming commonplace. We now have well over 9,000 members representing a cross section of society, so conflicts are inevitable.

It is indeed largely down to respect, which is something you either have or you don't. ;)
Click to expand...

Marcel said:
TBH We've noticed a decline in tact and diplomacy of late. It's not something that's slipped us by.

In all honesty, we're going to be clamping down on this too. It's completely against the TP ethos and certainly why we started the forum in the first place.
Honesty is certainly allowed and encouraged.
However, rudeness, bluntness and lack of thought for how your comments may come across will not be tolerated.

We have a number of options available to us, ranging from warnings in threads, PM's, through to editing of posts, (marked and unmarked), along with suspensions and bans, either temporary or permanent.
We can also restrict members accounts in many many ways.

It's not something we would want to do naturally, but if people come here with a chip on their shoulder and an attitude, I'd like to make it clear...you either leave it at the door, or you go and find another forum to play on :) We're a really friendly bunch here at TP, and all of us staff (along with the help of the majority of good members) are gonna make damned sure it stays that way.

Lets keep it a forum we're all proud to be a part of.
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I must say guys.

I do bear you an eternal debt of gratitude. Without the constant encouragement I received here from members & staff I certainly wouldn't have had the confidence to push myself to the point I am at now, where i make my living from doing something I truly enjoy and love.

I just don't want that advantage to be lost to others for the sake of a few idiots who have nothing better to do than run other people down in order to massage their own ego's.

Keep up the good work, please! Please don't take any of this as being directed at your abilities to run and keep a friendly forum. It's still one of the best.

I for one wont be going anywhere. Not if I can help it, anyway :)
 
The one thing I have noticed, that has stopped me posting as much as I did ... is the way my C&C and others C&C is recieved. If you post a picture you are asking for C&C, unless you state otherwise IMO. So if the C&C you receive is not in the form of smoke blowing in a certain area .. a few people act childishly and make those who give honest C&C feel bad. I'm not talking about those who give unhelpful C&C, I'm talking about genuinely thought out C&C, that has no intention other than to help.


That being said, this is the best forum I have come across on the net, and that's not just in the photography sense. I'm talking about the best .. period! I love the fact that for the most part this place is fun, friendly and there are so many people around to help if you need it. People to encourage you when you need it, and the inspiration this place gives me is something I have not found anywhere else.

I think maybe all that is needed here ... is a great big fluffy, warm, pink, moist and inviting hug :D

[S4]I love TP, and will be a lifelong member[/S4]
 
Jo said:
I think maybe all that is needed here ... is a great big fluffy, warm, pink, moist and inviting hug :D

[S4]I love TP, and will be a lifelong member[/S4]
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willis_whatimtalkinabout.gif
 
I'm a recent member but I have wondered if the comments I've made have been too 'robust' from time to time. I'm using this forum as a learning experience mainly. But I regard offering honest comment as part and parcel of membership and when I start posting more I expect honest (negative) comments on my stuff.
Some people dont like critique. Some people have different ideas about what constitutes 'banter'.
 
Nothing wrong with critique and honest opinion. The world would be a better place if everybody was completely honest about stuff.

However, it's how it's worded that's important. Critique is only critique when it contains salient information to help the person improve their work in the future or make them think about how to do things differently. Otherwise, it's just mindless criticism, and enough of it will sap the life out of anyone.
 
Gandhi said:
Nothing wrong with critique and honest opinion. The world would be a better place if everybody was completely honest about stuff.

However, it's how it's worded that's important. Critique is only critique when it contains salient information to help the person improve their work in the future or make them think about how to do things differently. Otherwise, it's just mindless criticism, and enough of it will sap the life out of anyone.
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totally agree with all said so far.....



[S3]i will be a tp life long member[/S3]


md:thumbs:
 
TheKrikkitWars said:
All big forums develop an element of this... but you've avoided a lot of the clique behavior and in-jokes which makes it much easier to get involved. Just be thankful that for a forum of this size... you're still the nicest on the web.
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I think us old timers :lol: well not that I have been here that long in the scheme of things remember when it was sub-2000 members
there has been a rapid increase over the last 6 months? or so to 9000.
That I think is when a few of these type of comments started to materialise
Remember this thread? :D
 
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