Sorry Dave, but I would have to agree with them.
At the current point, the system shows you registered in December. You have posted 31 posts, and every one has been in this thread.
The is no other posts for anyone to take any idea as to how to respect your views or abilities.
The overwhelming view I am getting from your posts in these threads are that you are heavily biased towards the SWPP. You do not appear to be coming across as objective.
I very much like and respect Dave, and give him credit for speaking up for the SWPP. Likewise, I very much like and respect MarkP, and give him credit for speaking up about his reservations about the SWPP and pointing out the problems about the SWPP. However, just to balance things, Mark, although joined in February. has become more vocal on this forum since his resignation from the SWPP, and the majority of his posts has been on this thread.
I joined this forum a few months ago, lost the link and found it again around the same time as this thread went up. Coincidence? Well yes, a thread on the SWPP forum entitled,
Who has the best Website led me to look for Alexsandros Babel's site and I got led here.
Anyway, my point here, it really doesn't matter. Democracy has been mentioned in this thread. If someone has been accepted as a forum member here, than surely it should be accepted they can choose to post or not to post where they want.
I have mentioned before that I am happy to pay £99.00 per anum for what
I get out of the SWPP and understand and agree with some of the points AliB, MarkP (Sorry Mark, but
Marky doesn't suit ya!
) Mike and Simon make.
The Judge that has entered the monthly comp differently from the rules that have been pointed out is, even with the SWPP out of the picture, an award winning photographer, and an expert in his field. It seems that judges are given a bit of lee-way to enter the comp to make up for the times they can't enter whilst they're judging. Of course there are flaws in this, and I hope and do believe that these flaws will be sorted for 2010.....Lets wait and see!
I totally understand the frustrations concerning members that are Event Photographers, Nature and Wildlife photographers, etc etc. The new Societies, that were introduced by the SWPP, or lets call it by it's proper name, the BPPA, do not get much, if any value by joining any of these Societies. So I agree that the BPPA, should drop these, or do something that satisfies those who are connected with other genres of photography outside weddings and portraits. This doesn't effect me, so I'm happy.
The use of the logo has come up on the SWPP forum many times. The SWPP is percieved as a trade organisation, and they do have a code of conduct, which
should put customers minds at rest. However, I personally think that members should only use the logo if they have reached their L standard. It turns out that the more qualified the photograper is, the less inclined they are of using the logo. Reason: because those completely new to the industry can use the logo. Having a 'Qualified' logo that looks the same as the 'standard' logo doesn't help. This doesn't effect me because I don't use the logo.
As for being a private business that looks like an 'official' Trade Organisation?
Well I sussed this out before I joined. I would be surprised that others haven't, although I can understand that people looking for a photographer, or complete newbies to the industry can make a mistake.
Another point that has been mentioned on here is that you can buy your qualification. I agree that this is correct in theory, and do not personally agree with it. But!..........find it very unlikely that any one would go for this route as it would prove very time consuming and expensive, So, I see this as an unlikely threat, but still feel it shouldn't have been introduced.
As for late night calls etc. I can't comment on these, except to say without being privvy to these, I can only look upon them as
hear-say (Sorry watched a few episodes of Judge Judy)
Concerning Banned threads on the SWPP forum. Well I think one of the banned threads should had not even been started by the OP and should have not been continued by the Owners before it was banned. I believe that if a thread of that nature had started on here, it wouldn't have been eliminated altogether, but feel it would have been closed before it gained the momentum it had. As for other banned threads? Well apparently the SWPP have their forum rules and if a post go against those rules then fair enough. I probably haven't seen all the banned threads, but did see Munchies post and surprised it was taken off so soon. Did the banning of threads effect me? Yes, it saw the end of our posh Scouse lady, who I will (DO!) miss on the SWPP forum! Apart from that, it gives the impression that the SWPP forum is dis-regarding the view of some of it's members. Again it doesn't effect me 100%, but I can see why people are upset about it.
Apart from all of the criticisms of the SWPP/BPPA I do believe it can be worthwhile to many and hope that people will give a membership a go. You can pay monthly, but I am unsure how this works. Maybe it is possible to sign up for one month only to give it a go. Why not phone and ask?
Someone said on this thread that the SWPP forum is
warm and fuzzy or something like that! Well perhaps it is, but the forum is very helpful, it still have regular pros who are willing to give advice and is private from public view if you wish to discuss private matters that only other photographers understand, if you get what I mean.
On the whole I enjoy being a member of thr BPPA/SWPP. They do need to show more clarity/transpancery about themselves and certain aspects of their business, but it is up to them to decide. I hope they make the right decisions in the future and wish them, and all of you on TP a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
