Banned Photos...

[Steve5D]

Steve, move on for heavens sake! The MODS have made significant changes in the gun policies in this forum to help better accommodate its members, and to allow us to share our images in a responsible way. Use your common sense. If you are unsure, don't post it or ask first. You are certainly not helping your case or your reputation here on the forum today. You are arguing for the sake of argument. Go change up your day a little, and maybe pay it forward somewhere or somehow. Buy someone a cup of coffee or just do something nice. Your negativity is a really downer!

Trust me when I tell you that I will give your post all of the consideration warranted.

There. Done.

Kathy, how do you feel about the fact (and that's what it apparently is) that you are no longer the person who determines whether or not your work possess any artistic merit? That's one of the things I've taken issue with...

I don't give a ****. That is the point. I am not an artist, I am a person who takes pictures. You either like them or you don't. I enjoy it. It is relaxing, and I make money. End of story.

Then you have no chip in this game.

Accordingly, you're dismissed...

 

[Steve5D]

Ok, first some background so you know where I'm coming from. I'm ex military. In fact I had the honor of serving two different nations as a member of their armed forces, so I spent a lot of time carrying guns. Using guns. Cleaning guns. Dissasembling and reassembling guns while some guy stood behind me with a stop watch. Loading guns. Unloading guns. Signing guns in. Signing guns out. Counting guns (inventory). So no, pictures of guns don't bother me in the slightest.

Sadly however there are a lot of folks that get very upset by pictures of guns. Granted, I don't get it. But I do get that for them it hits a nerve. Everytime somebody posts a picture of a gun, some folks get all up in arms.. ok, bad pun, but they start harrasing the OPs with reports of inappropriate use, and sometimes they start a heated conversation about how nobody should own or want to own a gun.

Now if we could all handle a conversation like that as mature adults, hey, that would be great. Track record clearly indicates otherwise. This really isn't the proper venue for that kind of debate. I don't hang out here in the hopes of participating in a scintillating debate on the 2nd amendment. Most other folks don't either. Originally the policy was completely hands off, no gun pictures. I get why, it's a hot button issue on both sides and just seems to lend itself to nothing but endless debate and argument.

So they eased the restriction on gun photos, I guess they were thinking it might be nice to give the folks that actually own guns and take pictures of them a chance to share that at least where it relates to the broader topic of photography - and instead of responding maybe with a bit of gratitude and maybe a modicum of understanding all they are getting for it is grief.

On the one side you've got the "You have to let us post whatever we want for gun photos and the people who don't like it be damned" crowd, and on the other side you've got the "You should'nt let anybody post gun pictures ever because all guns are evil" crowd, and neither side apparently is willing to compromise or even just simply agree to disagree.

Steve, you know I love you man. I'm in awe of so much that you do, including this mystical ability you have to drive a stick shift. But on this one I'm afraid I really don't think your giving the Ops a fair shake. They have the unenviable task of trying to keep the peace here, while doing their best to accomodate two diametrically opposed groups neither of whom want to give them even a single iota of slack.

That's pretty much my 2 cents worth, take it for what you will.

So because some people get all pissy when they see a gun, it prevails over those who don't?

That's neither reasonable nor fair...

Well, because we are in a forum that is for the discussion of photography and because the gun debate has almost always erupted whenever such pictures were posted in the past I guess it made sense to them to just avoid the subject entirely. Now because they tried to change that rule and give folks who own guns a little slack, instead of being shown appreciation for that they are getting a lot of snark from the very people they were trying to give that consideration. This of course because apparently some of those folks are every bit as rigid in their "all or nothing" view as the other side of the debate.

Me personally, I don't really get either point of view. But I guess if you can't live with a "don't go out of your way to piss people off" rule then maybe you should re-examine what it is that your trying to accomplish in the first place.

I don't see how posting a photo of a handgun is going out of my way to do anything.

If people truly have an issue with it, though, they must be apoplectic over the gun ads on the home page...

 

[robbins.photo]

I don't see how posting a photo of a handgun is going out of my way to do anything.

If people truly have an issue with it, though, they must be apoplectic over the gun ads on the home page...

Lol.. Steve.. come on now. You are a lot smarter than that and we both know it. You know full well that posting these pictures does get a rise out of some people. Debating on whether that is right or wrong, well that's a different debate entirely. As for the ads, I'm assuming a lot of folks are like me, they just ignore them completely.

But frankly Steve I have to be honest and say that I think your ire is simply misplaced here - I don't think it's fair to put this on the Ops when the original intent was to actually ease the restrictions and give some consideration to gun owners. Had they allowed such pictures in the past and were talking about a total ban, well then I could probably see why that might get you up on the soap box. But the opposite is true, such things were completely banned in the past and now they are trying to give gun owners a bit of consideration while attempting to balance that with the I hate guns crowd - In a forum, I would point out, that isn't about guns, gun ownership, gun rights, the 2nd amendment, politics or anything even remotely related.

 

[EIngerson]

It wasn't the title - it was the fact that the gun content wasn't being posted in an artistic context but a "show your gun style". Yes it wasn't the intent of the thread and not all posters were posting guns, but its what had happened to the thread after a while. Even the single posting of a gun photo in that thread shouldn't be allowed under the rules.

Stop hiding behind that and realize you are wrong. How about you remember that you are a TPF member first and a moderator second.

edit; After reading more posts this could be viewed as a personal attack towards Overread. That is not my intent, I am addressing the whole moderation staff with this comment.

 

[The_Traveler]

I think that there is confusion about why people are anti-gun photos - and it has nothing to do with the guns themselves.
There are many times when guns and other instruments of people destruction are shown in photos and people don't mind or care.
I've posted lots of Vietnam shots to quite good response.

What people get perturbed about is that to some people guns are almost an object of veneration and it is exactly that attitude among the people who get off on any gun picture that bothers me - and probably others.

Like the Confederate Battle Flag, guns are a symbol for something that many people, not only dislike, but find distasteful and reprehensible.
For most of her life, my mother would not ride in a German car; that was a line too far for her to sit in a car made by a country that did terrible things.
People have visceral, emotional responses all out of proportion to any intellectual response.

"Now if we could all handle a conversation like that as mature adults,"

Saying that people should act like mature adults.
Just as the mods have tried to make the situation manageable, those people who really, really need to post pictures of guns should also realize that their actions have impact and if they expect their desires to be respected, they should also respect how others feel.
Pushing this issue seems to show that they have very little understanding or compassion about others' feelings when they insist on having it their way.

 

[EIngerson]

If the mods judge that this is not provocative art but merely a self-focused attempt to be disruptive for the sake of disruption, then it should go.
Asking for a definition of fine line won't be productive because the mods seem to be smarter than providing a line which can be bent.

I submit that they don't provide that line because they don't know what it is.

If they can determine that a photo possesses or does not possess a particular quality, they should be able to explain on what basis they've made such a determination.

Thus far, our moderators haven't been able to do that...

Because its not their call to make. It is now beyond simply being ridiculous. Its abuse of moderator status.

 

[manicmike]

In my opinion, the best thing to do would be to create a subsection for gun photos. Then, no one would have an excuse for clicking on that subforum. It's really not that hard to avoid a clearly marked area. It wouldn't even have to be in the paid section. Heck, I'll gladly moderate the subsection.

 

[runnah]

I think that there is confusion about why people are anti-gun photos - and it has nothing to do with the guns themselves.
There are many times when guns and other instruments of people destruction are shown in photos and people don't mind or care.
I've posted lots of Vietnam shots to quite good response.

What people get perturbed about is that to some people guns are almost an object of veneration and it is exactly that attitude among the people who get off on any gun picture that bothers me - and probably others.

Like the Confederate Battle Flag, guns are a symbol for something that many people, not only dislike, but find distasteful and reprehensible.
For most of her life, my mother would not ride in a German car; that was a line too far for her to sit in a car made by a country that did terrible things.
People have visceral, emotional responses all out of proportion to any intellectual response.

"Now if we could all handle a conversation like that as mature adults,"

Saying that people should act like mature adults.
Just as the mods have tried to make the situation manageable, those people who really, really need to post pictures of guns should also realize that their actions have impact and if they expect their desires to be respected, they should also respect how others feel.
Pushing this issue seems to show that they have very little understanding or compassion about others' feelings when they insist on having it their way.

The allegory about your mother isn't quite fitting. Now if she had called for the banning of all German cars and anyone who drives them, that would be more fitting. I don't deny her right to feel that way but she shouldn't deny me the right to feel differently.

 

[480sparky]

Seems to me this topic is much hotter than any gun debate that's ever been on here.

Just an observation.

 

[ratssass]

how hard is it to just not look at something you find offensive,or change the dial,or whatever it takes to become un-offended.It takes a lot less effort than complaining to a moderator,that for some reason,you were unable to look away.Can we have separate Religion and Politics for those affected?

 

[EIngerson]

Someone asked a very good question earlier. Who are the site owners? Where is their vested interest in their site to come in and explain things? I don't think the moderators are meeting their intent on this one.

 

[Tailgunner]

I am not an artist, I am a person who takes pictures.

I'm so confused, one day you're an professional photographer creating wonderful artistic works and then next day your a hobbyist running around with a P&S.

If people really don't care, then you don't have a dog in this race. The only heat that has come from this subject thus far has been Admins and people with nothing better to do.

 

[JacaRanda]

Just out of curiosity, who is the owner of the forum?

Me Damnit. I thought I made that clear

 

[ratssass]

I am not an artist, I am a person who takes pictures.

I'm so confused, one day you're an professional photographer creating wonderful artistic works and then next day your a hobbyist running around with a P&S.

If people really don't care, then you don't have a dog in this race. The only heat that has come from this subject thus far has been Admins and people with nothing better to do.

I'll go along with that.....I'm not a moderator either,therefore...........

 

[robbins.photo]

I am not an artist, I am a person who takes pictures.

I'm so confused, one day you're an professional photographer creating wonderful artistic works and then next day your a hobbyist running around with a P&S.

If people really don't care, then you don't have a dog in this race. The only heat that has come from this subject thus far has been Admins and people with nothing better to do.

I'll go along with that.....I'm not a moderator either,therefore...........

So if I chose to recuse myself do you think your bride would write me a note? Lol