Thank you, cafe members!!

[Terri French]

The Nikon Cafe is a safe place. No politics.....no fighting. I'm about ready to quit Facebook. It's all so exhausting. I have been coming here more and more because the cafe is just a fun place with nice people. I know that many of you have different ideologies than I do, but you accept me for who I am and I accept you for who you are. We talk about common ground that we are interested in. The world needs more places like the Nikon Cafe!

 

[bsinc1962]

The Nikon Cafe is a safe place. No politics.....no fighting. I'm about ready to quit Facebook. It's all so exhausting. I have been coming here more and more because the cafe is just a fun place with nice people. I know that many of you have different ideologies than I do, but you accept me for who I am and I accept you for who you are. We talk about common ground that we are interested in. The world needs more places like the Nikon Cafe!

Exactly Terri. I feel like everyone on here is a friend. There's a lot of online forums out there that are overloaded with keyboard warriors who only want to take the fun out of life.

 

[Clix Pix]

Absolutely agree with both of you!

 

[Palouse]

This is home. We are family. It's my happy place.

 

[Mike Buckley]

The Cafe also has the best wine lovers! ?

Ironically, I recently began using Facebook for the first time. That's because the manufacturer of my drop art photo kit has a private group participating there displaying and discussing drop art photography made using his and other manufacturers' kits. I've learned a lot from the folks there and I've been inspired by their photos. However, I can't believe Facebook became so successful with such a horrible user interface. It's so unbelievably bad that I wouldn't be using Facebook if it weren't for drop art photography being such a small niche. And I certainly have no plan to use Facebook for anything else. Indeed, Facebook has another group discussing drop art photography and I'm not the least bit interested in it because of the awful interface.

 

[Commodorefirst]

I feel like featuring your post! Ha! My sentiments exactly.

 

[wrighton]

You said it well Terri! This Forum has always been my happy place to visit for many years.

 

[pdk42]

I'm new here, but have been an active mu43 user for many years. I think what you say about Nikoncafe is also true of that place. Amin has successfully avoided the acrimony that often accompanies camera gear forums (dpreview being THE prime example). There is the occasional flare up over on mu43, but the mods are very prompt on closing it down without being too heavy handed.

Leaving politics out of the forum is an excellent principle - I'm also a member on the UK e-System Group forum and during the Brexit debate there was a very polarising thread on it which TBH changed my view of members quite unnecessarily. I've since tried to relate to them again purely through the eyes of photography and feel very much better for it!

 

[Randy]

as you can tell by my post count this place is a very special to me. I am about done with FB as well. All of a sudden many of my photography friends are posting politics or protests.

 

[alexf]

You are right.

I do not have an FB account (and never will), but I do Pluspora daily (a much better place than FB, and the inheritor of tons of G+ people).

But not here. This is not the place for that,

Cheers!

 

[gchappel]

Ironically, I recently began using Facebook for the first time.

I also just opened a facebook account in the last 2 weeks. My main hobby is close up magic, and there was a group I wanted to join. Mike, as you said, if it wasn't for that group I would never join.
Thank goodness there are places like this where people can still talk. I suspect many here have different opinions about many things, but this is not the place for that.
Thanks all!!
Gary

 

[Pa]

Certainly I agree with the sentiments expressed above. My wife and I have no interest in FaceBook and have never joined even though we know we are missing quite a bit of family interaction.

I would like to point out to Paul (pdk42) that while we all greatly appreciate Amin's ownership and administration of the forum, it has been like this from the beginning (2005) through three owners. It's mainly the kindred spirit and attitudes of the members that keep it so enjoyable to visit.

 

[jbird]

What is face book? I like the cafe because of the critiques on my photography, opportunities to learn from others snd the support I received in my cancer battle (winning).

 

[JeeperDon]

This is home. We are family. It's my happy place.

I agree with Terri. The best family gatherings don't involve discussion of politics or religion. Honestly though, the closeness of this Cafe 'family', with most activity coming from a person with zillion posts over a dozen+ years, can be intimidating for a new person. It can seem hard to fit in, to feel comfortable posting. I've 'only' been here a year and still hesitated hitting 'send' on this.

 

[Allan]

as you can tell by my post count this place is a very special to me. I am about done with FB as well. All of a sudden many of my photography friends are posting politics or protests.

NC has always been great - right from the time I joined. I quote Randy because I too on FB am learning that many "friends" there do not agree with me and I face a dilemma when I read political or social comments I do not agree with - ignore, respond, or unfollow.

 

[Randy]

NC has always been great - right from the time I joined. I quote Randy because I too on FB am learning that many "friends" there do not agree with me and I face a dilemma when I read political or social comments I do not agree with - ignore, respond, or unfollow.

I Unfriend every time

 

[Randy]

What is face book? I like the cafe because of the critiques on my photography, opportunities to learn from others snd the support I received in my cancer battle (winning).

Glad to hear that !!!

 

[SRHEdD]

A couple of years ago I became a high school teacher in the school's arts academy. I had to drop my sons' friends who followed my photography of their sports events because it wasn't proper for teachers to have FB friends who were students. I also now have to be REALLY careful what I post so as to not anger parents and future parents of students. If it were not for family far away, I'd not use FB at all, you just can't hang your opinions out there anymore without running the chance of a flaming post war or getting a call from HR. Very sad it has come to this.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Honestly though, the closeness of this Cafe 'family', with most activity coming from a person with zillion posts over a dozen+ years, can be intimidating for a new person. It can seem hard to fit in, to feel comfortable posting. I've 'only' been here a year and still hesitated hitting 'send' on this.

I understand that people feel that way but I really don't think the longtime members impose that on new members; from my perspective, it's mostly self-imposed by some, though notably not all new members. Glad to see that you posted your thoughts about it. I've always enjoyed your posts.

 

[nuclearjock]

I would like to point out to Paul (pdk42) that while we all greatly appreciate Amin's ownership and administration of the forum, it has been like this from the beginning (2005) through three owners. It's mainly the kindred spirit and attitudes of the members that keep it so enjoyable to visit.

+1 Jim.