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Thanks for taking this step. I have abandoned a different forum for exactly these reasons and was very happy with the atmosphere here. I don't contribute often but I check in daily and have learned a lot!Effective immediately: threads started with the sole purpose of telling others why you or someone else has either switched to one brand (or gotten rid of one brand) in favor of another will no longer be allowed. They inevitably end up starting a fight and they serve no real purpose. It frankly doesn't matter if you or someone else has decided to move from brand A to brand B and it is making coming to the forum an unpleasant experience for many members - myself included.
Going forward, when those kinds of threads pop up, I'm going to delete them. Anytime I see pre-existing threads that are violating this rule I will lock them.
However, this doesn't apply to asking legitimate questions about what brand is better for what activity or what people's specific experiences are with a given brand. If you have legitimate questions or observations, they are always welcome. What we're trying to avoid are threads that instigate conflict and that do not really add anything to the conversation other than to help rationalize your own purchases.
Finally, remember to keep a civil discourse when discussing various aspects of different brands and their features. Remember that this forum is intended to teach and help others with using their gear and sometimes making purchase decisions. Each photographer is different and has different needs and that idea needs to be respected with every response.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Steve
I concur. I actually don't think I've seen any brand bashing here per se but I have seen people get very defensive when someone expresses a preference for other brands (let's be honest, it mostly happens when that preference is Sony) or for mirrorless in general. I think it's because this has primarily been - and primarily probably still is - a forum filled with Nikon users (that's how I got here). Maybe it doesn't matter though whether it's literally brand bashing or not if it creates contention. Perhaps we need separate Sony and Nikon boards along with the general photography discussion one?The problem with this is the people who have issues with different brands being compared are still going to have issues even during an honest comparison when their brand of choice isn't the top dog.
As soon as someone starts giving their opinion on gear someone is going to say that is brand bashing or brand bragging.
So is all gear discussion just not allowed now? Because someone is always going to have an alternate opinion.
I come to this forum and FM to read about and discuss gear. It is hard for me not to compare to other brands because I've owned pretty much every top end camera from the big three over the past 10 years. Hopefully that will still be allowed given that I won't go off on a rant in favor of one particular brand.
We shall see.
Unfortunately you had to do this. some people like to "brag" or "bash" to feed their insecurity. I had a friend how kept telling me that which ever lens he was shooting at the moment was the sharpest lens he had ever owned.Effective immediately: threads started with the sole purpose of telling others why you or someone else has either switched to one brand (or gotten rid of one brand) in favor of another will no longer be allowed. They inevitably end up starting a fight and they serve no real purpose. It frankly doesn't matter if you or someone else has decided to move from brand A to brand B and it is making coming to the forum an unpleasant experience for many members - myself included.
Going forward, when those kinds of threads pop up, I'm going to delete them. Anytime I see pre-existing threads that are violating this rule I will lock them.
However, this doesn't apply to asking legitimate questions about what brand is better for what activity or what people's specific experiences are with a given brand. If you have legitimate questions or observations, they are always welcome. What we're trying to avoid are threads that instigate conflict and that do not really add anything to the conversation other than to help rationalize your own purchases.
Finally, remember to keep a civil discourse when discussing various aspects of different brands and their features. Remember that this forum is intended to teach and help others with using their gear and sometimes making purchase decisions. Each photographer is different and has different needs and that idea needs to be respected with every response.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Steve
My take is it was more brand bragging than bashing, but some of that bragging contained some bashing, maybe unintentionally, which created the contention. It’s not someone expressing a preference of one brand over another, but how that is preference is phrased. You can see defensiveness on all sides, just look what happens when someone stated something negative about Sony’s ergonomics, colors, menus. It’s natural to respond if you don’t agree with one’s findings or to confirm the findings if they match yours. As long as it is done civilly we should all be able to get along without issue. I don’t think there needs to be a separation by brand as a lot of things apply to every brand.I concur. I actually don't think I've seen any brand bashing here per se but I have seen people get very defensive when someone expresses a preference for other brands (let's be honest, it mostly happens when that preference is Sony) or for mirrorless in general. I think it's because this has primarily been - and primarily probably still is - a forum filled with Nikon users (that's how I got here). Maybe it doesn't matter though whether it's literally brand bashing or not if it creates contention. Perhaps we need separate Sony and Nikon boards along with the general photography discussion one?
If someone is asking questions about gear that they own what benefit can there be in bringing up features of equipment from another manufacturer that they don't own? "Oh sorry, your camera can't do that. You should have purchased this other one by a different brand." If someone specifically asks for a comparison of one versus the other sure that's valuable information. But what is objectionable(and commonly happens here) is when people ask about specific cameras/lenses and get unsolicited input about equipment of another brand. That is a common way that things go off the rails in discussions. Once that door is open everyone chimes in being offensive/defensive and it ratchets up.The problem with this is the people who have issues with different brands being compared are still going to have issues even during an honest comparison when their brand of choice isn't the top dog.
I come to this forum and FM to read about and discuss gear. It is hard for me not to compare to other brands because I've owned pretty much every top end camera from the big three over the past 10 years. Hopefully that will still be allowed given that I won't go off on a rant in favor of one particular brand.
If someone is asking questions about gear that they own what benefit can there be in bringing up features of equipment from another manufacturer that they don't own? "Oh sorry, your camera can't do that. You should have purchased this other one by a different brand." If someone specifically asks for a comparison of one versus the other sure that's valuable information. But what is objectionable(and commonly happens here) is when people ask about specific cameras/lenses and get unsolicited input about equipment of another brand. That is a common way that things go off the rails in discussions. Once that door is open everyone chimes in being offensive/defensive and it ratchets up.
What you describe here basically says no change needed. Do we all agree on what pornography is? I doubt it. Do we all agree on what brand bashing is? Most certainly not. I suspect most of us think that criticizing brands other than those we own is justified or we would be using those other brands. "Done nicely if it's a fact then it's a fact"? WTH does that mean? Virtually everything that's discussed other than hard specifications about equipment is opinion, not fact. And even specs can be used to slant conversations. Play nice in kindergarten? Some kids come home with black eyes.I have to admit…on further review the last a few posts that talked about discussing merits make sense…and really we don't want to (I think) stop respectful discussions about something that say a Nikon can do that Sony or Canon can't do or not as well or different or something that one of the other brands does better. It's a lot like porn…we all know it when we see it and everybody needs to self police them selves so as not to take the discussion to the toilet. However…Steve's point is valid…but where does he or we draw the line between a reasonable discussion and chest thumping or brand bashing? For instance…and even Steve has said this I think…the A1 is a little better at keeper rate for BIF than the Z9…but is saying that brand bashing? Done nicely…if it's a fact then it's a fact. OTOH, Nikon his historically been praised for having 'better' color fidelity…is saying so bashing or chest thumping? Dunno…but I'm glad I don't have to figure it out…and I think if we all play nice with the other children like we learned in kindergarten mostly it will be a non problem.