And it's goodbye from me

I took a time out from the forum - I have said previously I wasn't feeling at home here any more.
Well I came back, and sadly found things haven't changed for the better.
So I have come to say goodbye.

I shall still be using Pentax equipment, so you don't need to slag me off about that. If I were changing brands I think I would put my gear on e-bay and just quietly disappear rather than risk the onslaught here.

I just don't feel happy here any more. It has changed too much for the worse. It was fun while it lasted.

Thankyou for your advice, comments and general good humour over the years. It's a pity some of it has been lost of late. Don't pick on people who change brands please. It's a free world, and you, the Pentax Users are the ones who dare to be different, and can show the world just how good Pentax equipment is. You do not need to turn on anyone who leaves the fold.

I wish you all many happy hours of picture taking, with what ever make or model of camera you choose to use.

Goodbye all.

Very sad to see such a long established contributor go.

Sorry to see you go Gwyn

...I too am sad to see things getting heated up more often

Matt

It's a pity a minority out of almost 10,000 members have spoiled it for you Gwyn. I'm sad to see you go but you'll be welcome if you decide to come back one way.
david

Of course if you are unhappy it would be silly to continue to read the forum, you don't say what in particularly upsets you as there is as far as I can see, loads of help and advice to be had and those who are on occasion aggressive can be ignored.

In stead of making a point and a public good bye why not stay in the background and still be able to read the advice given and if you wish post yourself (no not yourself but a comment or image for your self)

Gwyn, I have always thought of you as a voice of reason and thoughtfully considered opinion. So as a relatively new member I am very sad to hear that you have decided to leave.

I must admit in the short time I have been here some of threads to which you allude have been uncomfortable to say the least and I too find most of the vitriol unnecessary and sometimes damn right mean. I just hope that some members take a 'cool pill' in the future because it is only helping to serve the notion that perhaps being a 'Pentax User' is not such a nice thing to be.
Please keep an eye on the site because you never know it might take a turn for the better. I truly hope so for the all the members including the ones that get carried away.

Best of luck with your picture taking Gwyn I will miss your posts

Sorry to hear that Gwyn. Sad to see you leave.

In defense of the forum (rather than trying to change your mind).
I can see that things are a little different round here, but actually the case in point (swapping brands) started to be misunderstood when the established members (not the newbies) pointed out that it might have been the photographer not the camera. I happen to agree.
I don't remember anyone getting all funny about brands and picking on the op, all I remember was constructive and technically accurate advice to counter over confidence, followed by defensiveness and misunderstandings.
It went properly sour when one of the newbies (who happens to have made thousands of posts) got all silly, but hopefully he has gone now (as he promised).
For me it made good reading.

door is always open, hope you change your mind.

Gwyn, sad to see you go. As a newbie into DSLR I recall receiving some extremely good advice from lots of members here and you were one of them that helped me often and put up with so many of my boring questions. So pretty sad to see someone like you go in fact.

But I fully understand and can relate to that feeling. I started here hardly a few months ago, not sure if these exchanges already existed before but for a good few months I didn't notice anything, it was pretty smooth, but then suddenly it all went pear shaped. Sad but true.

Its pretty sad when things come to this extreme and name calling to tutors, court action threats etc start proliferating in the forum. It just turns the once so friendly forum into a an unwelcoming place

Mark, not entirely true. You might have missed a few posts in that thread. Don't want to inflate it again and restart the debate but certain posts I read really made me feel very angry personally. I just decided not to chip in because didn't want to get drawn and would end up too involved.

True also, I agree with that and it was ridiculous seeing the behaviour and attitude of the member.

Amin, I think this is still on topic, because I want to defend a brilliant, informative and friendly forum.
I read all 13 (was it?) pages as they appeared. I read dispassionately and thoroughly and actually came away thinking I must have a look at the D700 !
But also wishing the op would try to calm down and understand the advice she was being given.

Arguments and bickering happen in all walks of life. It takes all sorts to make a world and this forum is a truly friendly and helpful place.

I have seen some extraordinary language and attitudes elsewhere, it simply NEVER happens here.

Fully agree. That's why I love this forum. Very friendly and great place. My browser is always open on this site while I work around.

Wouldn't like someone calling my tutor an "idiot". That's just one of the examples. Very few ones I admit but still nonetheless very disturbing. Makes me wonder where suddenly the friendliness goes when something like that is chucked into a forum.

But hey, I still like this forum, that's why I get withdrawals symptoms when I am away for many hours and now I have reverted to come for a fix in the middle of the night every day

It's too late for you Amin, you need medical help m'dear.

This comes as a bit of a shock for me Gwyn

I would urge you to reconsider and at least give it a little longer, even if you just sit on the fence for a while.

I personally didn't follow the most recent heated topic as I was in hospital (my poor old heart decided it needed a rest) but I did give it a quick read over a day or so ago and to be honest I just gave up on it when the bickering started, and thats the point I would like to make here, You dont have to read it if you dont want to.

We have had it good on here for a long time but the forum is growing in numbers so an increase in confrontations now and again is inevitable, but you cant let the actions of others dictate, you have to ignore it and get on with your own agenda.

Gwyn, I understand you. Sometimes it gets nasty and certain subjects tend to bring out the worst in people.

Some lack communications skill completely, but more often than not I think small things get blown totally out of proportion because of assumptions about motives and agendas. Where I come from it's normal to argue, ask critical questions etc. but you can't always asume other people feel the same way. What to me might seem like a heated discussion with some silly remarks thrown in will for others be reason for court action.

I was seemingly under personal attack once, but decided to play calm and it turned out be a misunderstanding - no hard feelings.

But hey, that's like real life - you can't love them all. 98% of what goes on here is still pretty easy going.

I have asked several critical questions here about Pentax, partly in order to clarify for me (and hopefully others) where I would like Pentax to go. But it's always a fine line how long you want to go - I think these questions are relevant but I also know others just hate them. Give it a thought!