brianjb
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 p.9 #3 · Answers and info from Buff and others | |
Very well said, and you share the same opinion as me.
I am not much of a contributor either, but I do frequent these forums to gain useful information as well. I am smart enough to realize what is blatant self promotion and what is not, and I don't need anyone to filter what I read. If I saw Paul's posts as being self-serving, then I would just ignore them. Unfortunately that is not the case, and I hope that he stays. I see Paul's posts as being informative and nothing else.
Unfortunately the attacks and all the BS is the nature of the beast when it comes to Internet forums. Too many clashing personalities I guess. I learned to ignore those posts and move on. It would be nice if it would stop, but I know it never will.
bcerasani wrote:
Here's the way I see it:
I come here for information. The more information I absorb and the more I learn, the better I become. If I see something I like, I want to know how it was done. That's why I'm here, and I think that's why most of us are.
I don't see your participation in this forum as objective solicitation, nor as any sort of clever marketing or PR ploy to sculpt the minds of the amateurs that dominate this community. Your participation here is exactly what I appreciate from a company; quick, legitimate answers that are available for public access in a largely neutral community.
Every day I'm asked to become a fan of a product or business on facebook. I decline; That is not why I have facebook. 30 times a day I'm organizing my Gmail inbox, where Google has a script that reads the content of every subject and e-mail and displays relevant advertisements above my most recent messages. Many people struggle with these facts of the digital world but really now, welcome to the internet. Smart people buy houses off of online ad revenue, and though I don't know if this is work they find particularly satisfying, I won't belittle them for making a living off of it.
Paul, in my opinion, you spamming the FM forum would be popping up on every underexposed portrait in the people forum and suggesting, "Hey, you've underexposed your subject. Buy product x from me," or every time someone posts a picture with harsh shadows from OCF enter, "Your lighting is flat and unflattering. Buy product y from me to fix it!"
...but that is ridiculous, isn't it?
I have never read a questionable reply from you on this forum, and just because my post count isn't even three figures doesn't mean I'm not reading these forums every day. I appreciate your presence here as most others do too, and I'd be disappointed if you left. Company branded forums don't work, because they never appeal to a neutral crowd. No matter what the company or product, any time there is a corporate branded forum it does not work. Members of a corporate forum will either absolutely love the product/service that this company offers or they will hate it, which hardly makes ground for intelligent discussion. You figured this out, and I'm glad.
Even though your forum is now closed, there will still be the people that love what you offer and hate it, but in a community like this the childish arguing is less often in the way. There is and always will be unprovoked attacks towards your products by those with nothing better to do, and with your name quite literally on the products they speak of it is certainly understandable for you to become defensive. My only advice to you is to know when to leave it alone, as for the majority of us here with the intent to learn, derailed posts that turn into flamewars leave us wanting nothing more than to shush all you thread-jackers up so we can get back to the topic at hand and learn more.
We appreciate your presence here, and you taking the time to participate in discussion and answer people's questions definitely shows you care about your customers.
I decided to place an order with your company recently not because you hang out on the same forum that I do, but because the majority of the photogs that I admire on this board are using your product, so I want to too. This is the same reason I've bought the lenses that I've bought, and want the ones that I do. For me, you participating in the forum simply enforced the plethora of good reviews online regarding your company's customer service standards, and my experience thus far as further enforced this too.
I placed my order late Sunday night, and UPS attempted to deliver the package on Tuesday to a location deep enough into Central Canada that I'm expecting snow on the weekend. I was out at the time yesterday, but sure enough UPS returned this morning and delivered a single box, packed well and included with everything I had ordered. Thanks. I appreciate what your company provides for today's photographers, and would do business again in a heartbeat.
Remember not to get sucked into the haters; One of the most Important things I've learned hanging out in the people forum is that those with nothing good to say usually take the worst pictures themselves, so why does what tthheeyy would do different really matter anyways?
All the best Paul, stick around!
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