Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_0020_01BE9B24.75352E20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I've been trying for some time to not address a lot of the recent issues = that have arisen here, but I just can't hold back any longer. When I joined the LUG, there were a couple of things I took for granted. = First, I figured that I was never going to be interested in every post = on every topic. I use M Leicas and have very little interest in thread = mounts or SLRs. Nor do I have any real interest in microscopes, digital = imaging, binoculars, or any of the other topics that could very easily = (and suitably) be discussed here. Because I don't expect to find every = post up my alley of interest, it really doesn't bother me when people = decide to talk about the origin of boxes or German vs. Canadian or = pressure plates that scratch film, etc. I have noticed, however, that = when one of these threads begins there end up being more postings that = are critical of the topic than there are about the topic itself.=20 The quickest way for a topic to die out is to stop posting responses to = it.=20 For example, we had far more criticisms of the pressure plate thread = than we ever did about defective pressure plates. Which brings me to the second thing I took for granted when I joined the = LUG. As I've said here before, everybody should be able to post whatever = they want. I think we all have delete keys. If anyone starts saying that = certain things are off limits or too absurd, or not worthy, we've got = censorship whether that's what you want to call it or not. A group like the LUG should serve as a means of communication among = those who own, use, collect, aspire to own, or used to own, all things = Leica - be they cameras of all kinds, microscopes, binoculars, = projectors, enlargers and darkroom equipment, digital cameras, etc. This = doesn't mean that the conversation always has to be about specific = Leicas or even about photography. Read what you're interested in, skip = what you're not. If a few people want to talk about the printing on lens = boxes - why not? If you post something that really doesn''t interest = anyone - no one will respond. No one should feel that they have to fear the wrath of others if they = don't tread the party line here. Everyone has some things Leica that = they're interested in or they wouldn't be here and, I would assume, some = things Leica that they're not interested in. We have a pretty big forum = here and there's no reason to push anybody aside. If we do, we're really = not what we claim to be. Just my two cents - and a bit more Bryan - ------=_NextPart_000_0020_01BE9B24.75352E20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I've been trying for some time to not address a lot = of the=20 recent issues that have arisen here, but I just can't hold back any=20 longer.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>When I joined the LUG, there were a couple of things = I took=20 for granted. First, I figured that I was never going to be interested in = every=20 post on every topic. I use M Leicas and have very little interest in = thread=20 mounts or SLRs. Nor do I have any real interest in microscopes, digital = imaging,=20 binoculars, or any of the other topics that could very easily (and = suitably) be=20 discussed here. Because I don't expect to find every post up my alley of = interest, it really doesn't bother me when people decide to talk about = the=20 origin of boxes or German vs. Canadian or pressure plates that scratch = film,=20 etc. I have noticed, however, that when one of these threads begins = there end up=20 being more postings that are critical of the topic than there are about = the=20 topic itself. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>The quickest way for a topic to die out is to stop = posting=20 responses to it. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>For example, we had far more criticisms of the = pressure plate=20 thread than we ever did about defective pressure plates.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Which brings me to the second thing I took for = granted when I=20 joined the LUG. As I've said here before, everybody should be able to = post=20 whatever they want. I think we all have delete keys. If anyone starts = saying=20 that certain things are off limits or too absurd, or not worthy, we've = got=20 censorship whether that's what you want to call it or not.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>A group like the LUG should serve as a means of = communication=20 among those who own, use, collect, aspire to own, or used to own, all = things=20 Leica - be they cameras of all kinds, microscopes, binoculars, = projectors,=20 enlargers and darkroom equipment, digital cameras, etc. This doesn't = mean that=20 the conversation always has to be about specific Leicas or even about=20 photography. Read what you're interested in, skip what you're not. If a = few=20 people want to talk about the printing on lens boxes - why not? If you = post=20 something that really doesn''t interest anyone - no one will=20 respond.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>No one should feel that they have to fear the wrath = of others=20 if they don't tread the party line here. Everyone has some things Leica = that=20 they're interested in or they wouldn't be here and, I would assume, some = things=20 Leica that they're not interested in. We have a pretty big forum here = and=20 there's no reason to push anybody aside. If we do, we're really not what = we=20 claim to be.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Just my two cents - and a bit more</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bryan</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> - ------=_NextPart_000_0020_01BE9B24.75352E20--