What are we here for?

[sxesweets]

Are we here to share information/ ask questions or just to share images, C&C and say ooohh, look what new toy I got?

I know a lot of the same questions have been asked in the past and likely even today more than once. And often, especially these days the responses are to do a search, fair enough, I understand that it is tiring/ frustrating to have to answer time and time again. I get it that it will bog down the site too... But if all we are ever telling people to do is search and find other resources I don't get the point of the "newbie, ect. " sections. Should newbies just post pictures for c&c and hope we've gotten it right? Maybe make a post containing the useful sites/ links we have found? I'm really hoping I'm not comming off as sarcastic. I just think I maybe don't understand my "role" in this community.

One person, right off the bat, that I'd like to thank is Samanax, not to say that lots of other people haven't been great about answering my questions, but because every time I see one of "those" threads he has usually been great about posting useful links. Thanks. Thanks to all the people who have contributed responses to questions I have had.

It's a personal problem I know... but my computer recently crashed/died and I lost EVERY single bookmark I ever had, I spent hours finding the info I needed wanted and like a good book I refered to it religiously, even printed some pages to carry with me or read on long trips:blushing: With a almost one year old and renovations going on I don't get much time to read/surf but I'm not willing to give up on trying to get to use my camera and learn because I enjoy it but I refuse to ask questions on here... I was amazed I didn't get jumped on for asking about editing because there are tutorials avaliable.

So, what are we here for?

 

[PhotoXopher]

I'm here to learn, enjoy and explore photography while helping others where I can.

 

[table1349]

I'm just here for the free BEER!!!! :cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

 

[Sherman Banks]

I'm here for the babes.

 

[kundalini]

I'm trying to get laid.....

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

So, what are we here for?

I don't know. Let me Google that for you.

 

[DavidElliot]

I'm just here for the free BEER!!!! :cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

FREE BEER?! WHERE!?!?!

i've obviously been looking at the wrong threads apparently.

 

[Overread]

I'm just here for the free BEER!!!! :cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

I'm here for the babes.

:scratch:
We there is a bar/pub round here and nobody told me?
Don't tell me its in that subscribers section!

As for why we are all here - all for different reasons.
AS for those that like to keep saying "google it" meh just don't pay any attention to their post and read the ones that do give you the info you need. Google and searching for info are great ways of getting information, but in so many cases you often have to have an idea of what your actually looking for inorder to sift the data and results you get to actually get the answer you want/need.
Its a more complicated thing when your new to the hobby so sometimes the human touch is a more steady way of getting the info.

Sadly some people get bord with the forums constantly having the same talks over and over (as we get new photographers over an over) - I never hold to this thinking - if the forum is not talking about what you want to talk about then start your own thread talking about it - one of two things will then happen.
a) people start talking about something that you want to talk about
b) it gets ignored - wait and try again another day/week/month.

Forum threads to entertain are not just going to appear out of thin air.

Welcome to TPF

 

[Bakko]

I'm just here for the free BEER!!!! :cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

ftw!!

 

[slash]

i came here due to the fact that i created a similar site that solely focus on selling used gear ( and i was going to just try to promote it, but found this site so compelling that i wanted to be apart of the community while i build my site.

i have run into some very high strung very condescending people here that hide behind their computers and have no self esteem but for the most part have found this fourm very useful and wil continue to learn, post and annoy.

 

[bigtwinky]

i have run into some very high strung very condescending people here that hide behind their computers and have no self esteem but for the most part have found this fourm very useful and wil continue to learn, post and annoy.

This is the same with any and every online community. Its a sympton of the anonymous internet world. You just ignore those people and move on. Some are just looking for emotional responses and try their best and getting them out of you.

I enjoy TPF because there aren't that many around so the ignore list is somewhat small hehe.

Why am I here? To learn, share and discuss. I am still new to photography and enjoy reading. I love looking and pictures and I find that giving CC helps me understand and take the time to think about a picture, which in turn ends up benefitting me because I will be more aware when taking my own images.

I like to read about ideas, read about techniques which are still new to me.

Will I be here 5 years from now? 2 years from now? I don't know. But as with all online communities, people come and go. For now, I'm enjoying it and benefitting from it so I try and help other ppl benefit from my limited knowledge while I am here.

 

[inTempus]

I'm trying to get laid.....

You're on the wrong website, head over to the photographer hook-up site: Where Professional Models Meet Model Photographers - ModelMayhem

 

[RONDAL]

i think everyone is here to learn, but learning is a two way street.
i have no issue helping understand someone if i can share information with them....

however, and this is not only to do with photo forums;

i find new people, no matter what it is, photography forums, car forums, computer forums, they get a question in their head, and the FIRST THING THEY DO is make a post about it.

They don't bother to do the basics to help THEMSELVES, like reading the manual, running a search in the forum, or a simple google entry.

It's like people have gotten lazy and want everyone else to do the work for them. Many of the questions that get asked are EXTREMELY basic, and a quick search would net them the answers they require. And if by chance the search doesn't, that person I guarantee you, by searching and reading the results, will be better informed to ask the RIGHT question.

How many "what camera should i get" threads do we have a week? Now if a new person simply typed that into the search here they would get boatloads of threads. And while those threads may not give them the specific answer, i am sure all of those threads have the usual "whats your budget, what are you shooting, etc." type questions that the person had forgot to include.....and can now include in their initial post with more specifics.

I'm all for helping people, but if people want to be lazy there is google....put a LITTLE effort into it and you would be surprised at how willing to help people are.

 

[Overread]

that can be said to be true -but it does not explain why such threads meet with (sometimes) hostility from other members.

As for asking questions or not its agree that we come to forums for different reasons that our use of them is down to the users themselves. I have always viewed a forum as a gathering of people around a similar interest and to that point asking simple questions makes sense. Also sometimes a formal article or manual can be read by a person, but still not make much sense - there is a lot to be said for different wording of the same information. Also many people get snowed under when making a choice like a camera for the first time. So many technical details have no real world context for the people to base their choice on - heck even when they do people still like to talk to others about their choice or possible choices - who are we to deny others that?
I see people asking which camera when its a 400D/D50 or a 1DM2 or 1DM3 so certainly level of experience is not always the main clause - its just that more people can afford entry level gear and that (At this point in time) more people are starting photography as an interest or hobby.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Are we here to share information/ ask questions or just to share images, C&C and say ooohh, look what new toy I got?

The way you worded this, sounds like you are belittling a valid educational tool. To have a place to get decent criticism, is gold. You can only learn so much from books/text. You can't submit an image to a book and have it tell you if you are progressing.

The reason I personally get snarky with simple questions on an internet forum, is because you are on the internet! Use it! Perhaps in addition to helping people learn photography, we should also teach them basic research skills? For instance, a user reads a post and sees the word bokeh. Instead of posting a reply asking what bokeh is, the user can open a new tab in which the users favorite search engine is the home page, and type bokeh and hit enter. With one click and 6 keystrokes all the information you need is right there. It actually takes far more time to click reply, type "What does bokeh mean?" and then sit back and wait for someone to answer. In a world where people argue that schools are failing at educating people, I see a different problem. People are unable or unwilling to educate themselves. Mannnn...if I had the internet when I was kid....