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Is TPF 'the Internet'?

Well then stop thinking of TPF as your Mommy who should be tolerant and answer every silly ambiguous question you can dream up, do some work, do some reading and get enough background either to learn stuff on your own or to ask better questions.

Thank you.

Might I add that we now have at our fingertips the most comprehensive resource of mankind's knowledge ever assembled. Any question can be answered with a few keystrokes. Thousands of pages and videos exists documenting every process known to mankind, all of which you can view on your phone while taking a dump. Not using this vast ocean of information is just lazy.

Youtube searches:
"What is camera ISO" - 624,000 results
"What is exposure in photography" - 528,000 results
"How do I clean a camera lens" - 174,000 results
 
Too much information is in fact just as bad as too little.

Worse when most of it is wrong.
 
Well then stop thinking of TPF as your Mommy who should be tolerant and answer every silly ambiguous question you can dream up, do some work, do some reading and get enough background either to learn stuff on your own or to ask better questions.

Thank you.

Might I add that we now have at our fingertips the most comprehensive resource of mankind's knowledge ever assembled. Any question can be answered with a few keystrokes. Thousands of pages and videos exists documenting every process known to mankind, all of which you can view on your phone while taking a dump. Not using this vast ocean of information is just lazy.

Youtube searches:
"What is camera ISO" - 624,000 results
"What is exposure in photography" - 528,000 results
"How do I clean a camera lens" - 174,000 results

Luckily i just got off the boat, but some people are still on it trying to find the shore. You are a land dweller who's forgotten how hard it was to get to that point.
 
Luckily i just got off the boat, but some people are still on it trying to find the shore. You are a land dweller who's forgotten how hard it was to get to that point.

90% of what I know I learned by reading manual and articles, watching videos and practicing.
 
Well then stop thinking of TPF as your Mommy who should be tolerant and answer every silly ambiguous question you can dream up, do some work, do some reading and get enough background either to learn stuff on your own or to ask better questions.

Thank you.

Might I add that we now have at our fingertips the most comprehensive resource of mankind's knowledge ever assembled. Any question can be answered with a few keystrokes. Thousands of pages and videos exists documenting every process known to mankind, all of which you can view on your phone while taking a dump. Not using this vast ocean of information is just lazy.

Youtube searches:
"What is camera ISO" - 624,000 results
"What is exposure in photography" - 528,000 results
"How do I clean a camera lens" - 174,000 results

this is all true.
however, how does failure to use other available resources by a member justify harassment and ridicule here?
The point is....I dont think it does.
if you don't think the question should have been asked, just ignore the thread.
if you cant provide an answer in a civil manner, just ignore the thread.
There are TPF rules prohibiting that sort of behavior, and the Admins have made it quite clear to us that they do not want new members (or any members really) feeling that they will get smacked down here just for asking questions on an internet forum that basically exists for people to ask questions and share ideas with.

why are people expending the time and energy it takes to stalk and harass members asking questions they don't feel is "worthy" of a TPF post instead of simply ignoring the post and moving on to something they do think is worth their time?

begging, pleading, warning, and locking threads has apparently done nothing to deter this sort of behavior.
our only options seem to be to either start issuing temp bans to newbies asking questions the veterans might feel are "dumb", OR start issuing temp bans to people that cant act civilly to people just trying to get some information.

I will shoot a PM to the admins and see which way they want the mod team to go on that one, and get back to you guys.
 
however, how does failure to use other available resources by a member justify harassment and ridicule here?
.

Not the first time, nor the second, but 3rd and 4th time it wears thin.
 
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Luckily i just got off the boat, but some people are still on it trying to find the shore. You are a land dweller who's forgotten how hard it was to get to that point.

Well I guess I like to chart my course while some like to be in the cargo holds eating hay and waiting for someone to lead them around by their nostrils.

case in point
 
Luckily i just got off the boat, but some people are still on it trying to find the shore. You are a land dweller who's forgotten how hard it was to get to that point.

Metaphorically speaking, you are like the smart kid in the front row who stays awake all night thinking up tricky questions in an effort to stump the teacher the next day. It wears thin rather quickly.
 
Hamlet, you just received a dose of what is called "hazing".

Next....the upperclassman will yank your underpants up by the waistband sooooo tightly that they will be wedged between your buttcheeks for 15 minutes. This is called "a wedgie".

Tomorrow he and some of his pals will hold your head in the toilet while they flush it, giving you what is called "a swirly"...then later in the week, they will demand that you turn over all the money in your wallet... ;-)

Woah, this reminds me of last weeks episode of Criminal Minds.
 
It "might" save everyone a lot of aggravation, if the opening post for many questions would have something like this:
1) This is what I am trying to do. (description of goal)
2) This is what I think will get me there.(description of process)
3) This is the result (result, usually far from goal)
4) What am I missing?

This structure will show that the poster has thought about the problem, has identified a path to get him/her there, has actually tried, and has identified that the result was not what he/she wanted. Now we can all jump in and offer help because we see there has been some effort invested. Or is this too idealistic?

I am thinking it's too idealistic. Closer to ideal is to ignore and simply skip to the next thread. (Even though I know how tough that can be - but should not be.)
 
Yes, Lew, TPF is a web-based forum, therefore it is considered part of the internet. That also means when general queries are made (googled), TPF posts are likely to show up as responses. Again, we will point out that the forum owners have invested into having this very scenario take place to drive potential new members to the forum. Once here, they are welcomed and invited to explore, read and ask questions - from the level of timid beginner to experienced professional.

All are welcomed; all are valid!

It’s tough crap for you, Lew, that you have such strong distaste for the “timid beginner”. But there are real people out there behind user names, and real people have their own way of going about learning, or researching, or trying to compartmentalize information about photography that interests them. They get to do that, as being part of human society – you know? They actually get to approach their hobby in whatever manner fits them. We don't all come from the same place! :)

And you get to ignore them when you find yourself in disagreement over their approach. In fact, in the world of TPF, you are actually encouraged to ignore them when you find yourself in disagreement with anything another member may post – be it an awkwardly asked question, or a bad image.

What you should probably quit doing is proposing things like a TPF “Welcome” letter advising newcomers not to expect any actual help here, or opening inflammatory threads like this one in a roundabout, though transparent, way to take a swipe at members whose questions annoy you. If you cannot accept the fact that TPF has always considered itself a photo forum for ALL skill levels, and there are far more inexperienced photographers than not, then perhaps this place isn’t a good fit. If you still cannot find the self-control to add folks to your Ignore List, you’re only causing needless mischief and creating bad feelings on a forum that is supposed to be informative and fun – as well as a safe place to raise a hand and toss out a question or twenty, without being talked down to or jeered at.

Just.Be.Nice! :heart:
 
Very well said by the mods: Pix, Overread & Terri.

I totally understand where Lew and Runnah are coming from but it always comes back to asking myself "Why in the heck can I not simply ignore things?" Sometimes it depends on what side of the bed I woke up on. Most of the time it's because I have issues. :wink:
 
pixmedic said:
SNIP>>however, how does failure to use other available resources by a member justify harassment and ridicule here?
The point is....I dont think it does.
if you don't think the question should have been asked, just ignore the thread.
if you cant provide an answer in a civil manner, just ignore the thread.>SNIP

Brilliant, concise advice! " if you don't think the question should have been asked, just ignore the thread. "

A lot like what my mother taught me as a boy, with, "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all." as in... if you cant provide an answer in a civil manner, just ignore the thread.
 
I totally understand where Lew and Runnah are coming from but it always comes back to asking myself "Why in the heck can I not simply ignore things?" Sometimes it depends on what side of the bed I woke up on. Most of the time it's because I have issues. :wink:

I try to ignore most of the these type threads and focus on critiques but I like everyone else get annoyed by certain behavior. Rather than say nothing I will speak up after a point.
 
Brilliant, concise advice! " if you don't think the question should have been asked, just ignore the thread. "

A lot like what my mother taught me as a boy, with, "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all." as in... if you cant provide an answer in a civil manner, just ignore the thread.

Hmm.. sounds like maybe your mom knew my mom.. whacky.. lol
 

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