What has happened?

A large number of members, like me,possibly visit the forum on a regular basis and gain enormously (like Rob) from the advice offered even though we fell we don't have the time or expertise to contribute much and give something back. I enjoy my photography but do not have the skill or time to take pictures which I would post on a site but I can take family/holiday shots which are am improvement on my past efforts because of what I have learned from this site. I read it daily and sometimes ask questions and enjoy the debates. It also encourages my loyalty to Pentax (almost an elite private club which has a certain coolness) - so thanks to the active members on behalf of the silent majority!

I expect you're right.

The fact is, however, that since the gallery is for people to post pictures they are pleased with, you can be sure that whatever feedback is left will be artificially skewed towards praise, since no one likes to rain on someone else's parade (not even me!!)

I suppose people like to feel good, so if getting a bit of mild praise (and no feedback at all from the people that think the picture is no good) floats people's boat, so be it.

Rest assured nothing will change, though

Like most people on here I'm quite pleased when I get good feedback on an image and very pleased when it's from someone whose work I admire. I also try to adjust images where someone has suggested, eg lift the levels a little or crop some off etc. I do put images in "Your Photos" and have had some good advice from various members. So long may the forum run.

I've only ever posted images in the Gallery and I always look there to see the latest additions. It's nice to know if someone likes something enough to comment.

Its funny to read this thread as a very new member, I have spent the last several years as an active member of various Wargames forums and a dissusion very much like this shows up more times than you wold think.
I think any forum for anything is constantly evolving as fresh blood comes in and others leave.
A forum in the end gives you as much as you put into it. I for one am hoping to get to know a few guys/girls and pick up a few tips. If I can spread a little cheer as I do this all the better
My rule for life applies to forums, treat everyone as you wish to be treated, if they do not return the favour then turn the other cheek life is too short.

Peace James

I'm not taking any credit for making this thread, but it does seem to me that since it was posted the forum has been a lot more vibrant? Whether this has sparked some interest, or whether it's just a coincidence I'm not sure, but I've enjoyed the site a lot more over the past week or so.

Regards
David

Well you should

Yes. The discussion in places has been a lot less vacuous.

In general, things are a lot more interesting when people aren't just agreeing all the time. I'm still figuring out what to say about the Doc's dark pics, since mostly I don't like them very much, despite the accolades from everyone else. When I've figured out why, I'll write something. It may just be because at 800px, they're just too small.

That limitation is probably the single thing that gets my goat on this forum more than anything else - it's either that the powers that be are too stupid to realise that no-one uses a 1024x768 monitor any more, or they like to keep the pics small to ensure that there's plenty of room for the adverts.

Either way, it really annoys the bejezus out of me.

I think people are generally quietly leaving the Pentax fold, or at least some of the characters have. On the Interweb in general it is all mirrorless this and mirrorless that with Fujifilm getting most of the attention. Great lenses are being developed by Sigma, Zeiss, Voigtlander and they are not coming to K-mount. K-3 may well be the best APS-C camera on the market, but it has been forgotten. You can see that in the classifieds section, great lenses at great value hanging around for days and weeks, whereas this time 2 years ago, would have been snapped up in hours.
As to the gallery, I think everyone is too polite , i'm sure I've put up 2 sets of images and they quietly disappeared after a day or two with a hundred views or more but no comments. My reading from that is that the subject matter was too boring, possibly, they didn't follow the correct photographic rules, possibly or that my technique was off, again more than possible. For one reason or another, they were crap but everyone who looked was either too polite to say so or just couldn't be bothered because I wasn't in the right clique

What is this rubbish about cliques?

How is a clique even possible in a public forum?

Post if you want, don't if you don't. How that can be anything about a clique?

"Too polite", "Can't be bothered" - quite likely. But the notion that it's got anything to do with a clique is just paranoia.

I was using 'Clique' in this form DEFINITION
Paranoia does not come into it, it was / is an observation. Funny how you jumped on that though, very tetchy response methinks

Cliques are more usually associated with some sort of exclusivity.

For instance, this.

If you weren't implying exclusivity, then fair enough. Call the frequent posters a clique, if you want, but I think it will be misleading.

Usually when people start accusing people of being cliquey, there is at least the implication that there is some kind of exclusion going on.

Which clearly isn't the case here - as I say, we can all post if we want, not if we don't.

I used the word "clique" also Robbie but thankfully Chris appears to have missed it

I think it would appear from my perspective that some people are more likely to respond to my posts than say other forumites. Those other forumites may respond more frequently to others therefore giving the impression of a clique, for want of a better word.

We have massive variation of talent and knowledge because anyone can buy a Pentax and be considered a user. It is human nature to find a level in the forum, a hierarchy if you will, that for all intents could be described with said word.

My first observation is probably the truest. I receive responses to queries from about a dozen players. Another 70 or so will respond to others but not me, and then there are those that don't participate at all.

If Robbie feels the same way it would give the impression of cliques. BTW Chris you're in mine, Robbie's in mine cos I have jumped to his defence but we are not all three in the same cos you poopoo'd Robbie's position haha

Think I'll write a book on forum politics and interactions

I still think cliques are more about exclusion. I reply to posts that catch my interest in some way, and not to ones that don't. Certainly some people's posts catch my interest more than others', and I tend to notice those more.

I expect the same is true of others, so perhaps all we're saying is that different people are interested in different things. I don't think that's anything to do with cliques, which tends to have negative connotations.

yes i'd agree with Gravelrash

Further in a thread once I asked a question of someone, in relation to their post, and was totally ignored. Whereas the person concerned seems to be well received on here..

Maybe it's just an inevitability in life ?

It's similar with posting images. Sometimes I have posted images, had over two hundred views and either 1 or 2 comments , whereas others get several pages of comments. This is hardly conducive to people feeling encouraged to be active on here and lack of replies in itself is the very lack of activity being discussed.

I'll plod on regardless and post here n there, comment and post pics

So what are you saying here?

That if people aren't interested enough in posts or pictures, to comment on them, that's somehow their fault?

Eh?

People are way too touchy. If what you post attracts no comment, maybe post something more interesting