Are we doing the right thing?

[Scott Stephen]

Maybe it is just me, but I think I see a decrease in forum postings on TDP. I hope I am wrong. We should promote TDP and its value on other sites, to new camera enthusiasts.

There is no other site I have ever heard of that has the LENS COMPARISONS that TDP has. And the un-biased body reviews too. What a RESOURCE.

When you buy something from B&H or ADORAMA, are you doing it thru TDP?

I try to spread this site around on other sites whenever I can. Is eveyone else doing so too? Any time you see the 1,000,000,000th time someone asks how lens X looks vs. lens Y, who do you refer them to?? The TOOLS section of TDP?

Not getting preachy, here, I hope. Just supporting something I think gives value to people. Happy new years, friends!

[Kayaker72]

It is a good thought and reminder that when purchasing from Adorama, B&H, and Amazon, clicking through TDP icons is a great way to support the site. Linking back to TDP is always a good idea as my understanding is that is one way a site builds clout in search engines. But I did a few random searches and TDP is still on the first page. I do both when appropriate.

Regarding the posting slow down, first off, I agree. I've noticed a small down turn of new people asking about lens choices...not huge, as there have been a few. I am not sure why this is. There has been a small down turn in the pros on TDP for awhile, but they are several that are still around as I can see them posting when something interests them. The biggest down turn I've seen in the last few months is from regulars, but that has happened every winter that I've followed the forum. I've always attributed it to weather and the holidays.

So, I didn't find your post preachy...it is a good reminder to do such things and I think we all agree, this is a great forum.

[Busted Knuckles]

I have certainly brought many people to the site and have even conference called with a friend using the resolution tools. I miss Dan Browning's knowledge he has been rare since moving to Nikon.

I have benefited greatly from the expertise on the site, beyond the technical expertise. The spirit of helpfulness of the TDP'ers is simply not found anywhere else exceedingly few flames and wonderful apologies the one or two times it happened - even a TDP'er will have a bad - just less common than most.

I am hoping the slow down is that people are out taking pics and enjoying their equipment and sharing images, etc.

My perception is that there was a leap in technology 2 years ago or so, and lots of the tech was robustly reviewed and debated (sensor resolution mostly) I am wondering if people are searching the site for the answers to the questions before asking them and making use of the wealth info in the historical archives?

I enjoy the discussions of the TDP community, the questions, answers, and insights - even though I don't have a lot of time to push the shutter button, I can relive some of those moments with the discussion groups here.

[Dave Throgmartin]

Honestly, the quality level of images posted here is quite high compared to most sites. Maybe I should post more pictures here too, but you want them to be representative of the site's quality. Before I post anything here I want tho make sure they must be really good!

Dave

[Joel Eade]

Honestly, the quality level of images posted here is quite high compared to most sites. Maybe I should post more pictures here too, but you want them to be representative of the site's quality. Before I post anything here I want tho make sure they must be really good!

Dave

Agreed.....but a person can contribute a lot more than just images and one is always free to ask for help with problem images or how to improve. I hope no one is being intimidated by the images already posted as I really do learn a lot from studying other people's work.

I have not posted much lately mostly because work, weather, short daylight hours and holidays have consumed my time. I still read the forum daily and I do try to spread the word about this site as it is unusually nice.

[HDNitehawk]

Maybe if the posters here would spread more rumors, flame a bit more, be hyper critical of everyone’s posts and work then offer veiled criticism we could get a few more posters and be as popular as some other sites. Don't forget we would also need at least one if not two grammar police (I had a word other than police but it was a bit offensive).
You can increase the post count on the forum by just disagreeing with one part of a persons comment and picking on it. Their overall point can be valid, you just have to debate the small minute points in their post and try and show they do not understand what they are talking about.

But then the threads stay fairly civil here, and it is probably why some of us prefer this site. It is not the dark side of the forum scene.

[DavidEccleston]

There will be a seasonal downturn due to holidays, but also due to less light, less wildlife, increase hassle just getting outside in winter. I know it's summer down under, but there's far fewer members from the southern hemisphere.

I limit my number of posts because I expect there's a limit to the number of shots of Bella and Zuni that the general public is willing to put up with. For example, I had a third day of dogsled photos, but didn't think anybody would miss them, and some might be annoyed at seeing yet more of the same.

I also tend not to post many "great shot" and "+1" type posts. I find reading a forum filled with 90% of posts like that can get annoying. I tend not to have any in-depth critique to add, so no posts. I also worry about my lack of "great shot" type posts, because when I get them I appreciate them, and I'm depriving you guys of that. I honestly do like many shots posted here, but only comment of a few extra remarkable ones. It would be nice if we could +1 or "like" a post if we enjoyed the pictures, or learned a valuable insight, so we could show appreciation without worrying about clogging up the forum.

[Kayaker72]

I also tend not to post many "great shot" and "+1" type posts. I find reading a forum filled with 90% of posts like that can get annoying. I tend not to have any in-depth critique to add, so no posts. I also worry about my lack of "great shot" type posts, because when I get them I appreciate them, and I'm depriving you guys of that. I honestly do like many shots posted here, but only comment of a few extra remarkable ones. It would be nice if we could +1 or "like" a post if we enjoyed the pictures, or learned a valuable insight, so we could show appreciation without worrying about clogging up the forum.

It would be great if we could add something like "like" or "comment" on a photo where it doesn't become part of the main thread but rather a subdirectory. Not sure if that is possible. While I do some "+1" and "really wicked awesome photo" comments, I actually hold back for the reasons that you mention. It is one nice thing about also being in contact with many on TDP on flickr. I can hop over there and comment without clogging TDP threads.

[DavidF]

Since getting into photography last year I have found TDP to be an invaluable source of information. The knowledge gained from this site was invaluable in making my hardware decisions. The information Bryan provides forced me to think beyond my primary interests and factor in decision points that I was not even aware of before reading his reviews. Same goes for the forum, so much talent here and the depth of the knowledge base is unreal. The only other site I check daily is POTN, but the size of that site is very intimidating for a newbie like me. Makes me appreciate this site even more.

I haven't posted much to the site as of yet, mainly because I feel that I'm just getting to the point of having something worthwhile to contribute. I fully expect that to change and my plan is to get more involved and make TDP my first and last stop of the day. All sites wax and wane to some degree I guess, but this community shows heart and seems to have a solid group supporting it. I only see good things to come.

Dave

[HDNitehawk]

David, I don't think you have to worry about clogging the forum. The OP's point about the forum is correct. Over the last few months it has gotten very slow on the forums.

I say keep posting the Bella and Zuni photo's. Those who are not interested will just click out of the thread. Those of us who have never even seen a dog sled will keep on viewing.