What has happened?

No one gets on with everyone in a forum I don't see the point avoiding everything else.

I suppose it all depends on why images are posted. Some of mine (like the last set shot with the 1.4TC) are more for information and although I always invite critique, I won't take much from it in terms of artistic comment as I wasn't taking the shots with artistic impact in mind. For others, the comments about artistic and technical skill are more important. Yes. I like people to say they like them, but I also want honest feedback on what's wrong with them and it is this type of feedback that is very difficult to attract. There are a few exceptions, e.g. DrOrloff and Blythman for example.

Regards
David

Phew... I'm relying on it to turn me into a better photographer...

(yes, I know... ... like the golfer that hadn't played for ten years, and said, "I know what will improve my game - some shiny new clubs...")

I'm one of those with another brand, a Fuji, so I could not help you with Canon or Nikon.

If you see what I mean, the value of comparison is diluted on here.

If people have switched entirely would you necessarily have an unbiased opinion

Of course not And I'm very aware that once someone switches, there'll often be an element of confirmation bias in anything they give an opinion on.

But overall there would be more balance. And I'm perfectly capable of teasing out the helpful from the unhelpful.

In general, I prefer a 'warts and all' approach to anything, rather than a Pollyanna-esque 'everything is lovely'. On balance, I think it would be helpful to have somewhere where other brands could be usefully compared and contrasted. I'm not asking for a Nikon gallery, of course there'd be no point in that.

There are a good number of members on here who have recently moved to other Brands. AndrewA for example remains an active member who often contributes to the Gallery and Forum threads, he sold his K-5 kit in preference for a Nikon D7100. Maybe Andrew could give us some unbiased feedback that won't be deleted?

Regards
David

Is that not better achieved on other marque forums, where bitching about the brand/model is as likely to happen as unbridled praise.

Just like here really

That happens when people switch from one pentax camera to another

Yes it's easy to filter out irrational bias


this

This is my big issue with the forum, the Ads (often for non-Pentax camera gear) that annoy me. I used to be a member of PU in the film days for the magazines, and until recently paid to be a PU member of this forum but not anymore. There are so many Ads (several animated ones on-screen at once) and I can't justify paying and being subjected to the level of advertising.

I've decided to start supporting the US forum instead because Ads disappear when you log in. I also frequent other non-commercial forums and find them much more interesting as a result.

As for Ad Blockers, I'm a bit old school and don't knowingly download random bits of software off the web...

John.

What Ads do you see John? I'm a bit puzzled by that, as I just have a banner Ad at the top of the page, often for eBay or SRS, and a small strip of ads /info down the right hand side. Nothing interferes with the forum in any way and I'm not using AdBlocker either.

I can only think, if we're seeing the same thing, that we have different levels of sensitivity to their presence.

Don't you see extra Ads if you are not logged in?

Currently, Asda are trying to tempt me, along with the Univ of Herts (for a photography degree course), SRS, and Clifton Cameras. It could be worse (!), and the ads could easily be more intrusive, breaking up threads -- as it is, apart from the banner ad at the top, they sit snugly in the rt-hand column.

Since the ads are provided by Google based on some relationship to past browsing, we largely (if unwittingly) choose our own poison.

That's an interesting point - I've noticed the ads can respond very quickly to any browsing as well.

Hi,

Some adverts allow you to opt out from tracking your browsing history with yet another cookie. Trouble is you then get random adverts. A devil though if you've been searching a surprise present (for others or yourself in the case of this forum )

Having agreed to the side adverts on click commission I doubt the web site publisher can do much about them.

What fascinates me is how few people realise that Google search is particular to your habits too promoting what you search for most within a subject.

I switched my netbook over to Windows 7 from XP a couple of weeks ago and yesterday SuperAntiSpyware found 357 tracking cookies. Big Brother's certainly out there.