Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/10

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Subject: [Leica] a little venting
From: "Bryan Caldwell" <bcaldwell@softcom.net>
Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 20:34:10 -0700

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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

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<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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Just my two cents - and a bit more</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bryan</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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