New Forum Ideas

I still would like to see a classified items status sticky at the top of a post, i.e. For Sale, Pending, Sold. it can be hard to pick up on what items are still for sale after trawled through several pages of posts.

Graham

... from my perspective, one of the coolest things the A2 forum did was create yearly meetings and then encouraged local "stammtisch" meetings, held regularly or irregularly. People know you and are (more) prepared to help as a result.
The ice track meeting last year bound the guys who came together in a way that they'll never forget. They spent a *lot* of money but had a shedload of fun and everyone screwed something up or did something silly and they all remember it and still talk about it. I am proud of that - as the advert went - "have you ever held a party people still talk about?" - and they feel good about the whole thing such that they're prepared to put their monies where their mouths are again. And I'm talking the thick end of a thousand euros for a long weekend.

I think that there needs to be the feel of a community - and that means reliable advice and thoughts on a lot of subjects, which may or may not be relevant. I see it here in - for example - the food discussions.

I realised yesterday as well something else that's missing: Wiki. Identification, simple, clear information for newbies. Camera spec differences (K100D, K100Ds, K200d...) - what are they exactly and more to the point, what does this mean for me?
Wiki may actually help the community, too, as someone somewhere gets to write stuff and needs to defend it. Others get knowledge and may point out inconsistencies, meaning they also have part-ownership - which is crucial IMO if you want the community to prosper.

Bret

I believe lats year there was some talk about a wiki, i think it might be a good idea.

Gareth - not had allreplies to the PM yet - tomorrow

How about a calender - we can note on it events like the Glasgow one I posted. You could add your birthday if you wanted. That sort of thing?

http://www.calendars.net/ offers free calenders. Can be incorporated into a website, or we can just set one up there to use?

Looks like fun Gwyn
So can we expect presents then for our birthdays?

Nah, just our best wishes. No whip round for a K-5 for you Stefan, sorry .

too bad

I'm sure that many of us will also have cameras that were not made by Pentax.
Apart from my Pentaxes, I have a quite a few others, mostly fixed lens rangefinders. Perhaps it would be nice if there was a little corner of the forum where non Pentax cameras could be discussed. It could be made a requirement that any pictures of equipment displayed, still be taken with a a Pentax.
I am a member of only one forum. This one. I don't particularly want to join any others to cover my other cameras. - Yes. A little section for 'Other' cameras, would be good.

I agree Mowog.

The best K-7 user report I saw was on Alphamount World. Clearly they are more relaxed about this issue. Pentax User does not have any ties to Pentax so there's no reason we need to be uptight either.

The general chat is for that (also) or General Digital Photography chat

Well... Not really, Stefan. I at least, always think of the General chat section as a place for non photographic subjects.

That's not what the mods said here.
That's why there was also a suggestion for a free talk or pub section some time ago

But even if you don't want to use the general chat for that you still have the option off General Digital Photography.
Now don't say that isn't for photography

That's only for digital photography tho' Stefan.

No, I'm talking about a seedy little place, where us degenerates can occasionally huddle together and whisper furtivly to each other about Olympus compacts, Russian rangefinders, lubitels and such like.

But discussion of non-Pentax gear is discouraged, and showing images taken with it is outlawed in any part of the site. A little corner for discussion and a few pictures without worry about confrontation with the Mods is what I thought Mowog was talking about.