Thank you Rob for posting. As Bernard hinted, I still feel the benefits of diversity in background and opinions outweigh the negativity and attacks. I think the feeling that it has gotten worse over time may simply be hearing the same thing repetitively gets old, and 5-10 years ago we had not yet heard it that many times. We could all use an occasional dose of “Wag More, Bark Less.”
I will turn this on its ear and show something below I was going to post several years ago. Never did because it was meant to be funny and I was afraid many would not take it that way. But given the topic, here it goes. Again it is old, so some of those referred to below have gone on to better places, either literally or figuratively. I also made a few minor updates. I only hope you all interpret this as a celebration of that diversity:
My ode to a few of the many great contributors to this forum.I’m going to steal a few pages from the great but controversial climber Warren Harding. No, not the presidential “G” version of Warren Harding; this guy
here, aka Batso. In the end of his book “Downward Bound,” he had the audacity to rate people he loved, revered, despised, climbed and associated with. His rating system was borrowed from Adams’ version of the Zone System, although as Galen Rowell used to point out, Warren erred by going from 1-10 instead of 0-10, and he certainly didn’t bother with roman numerals. In good tradition I will continue those mistakes here. 1 being a brilliant but dark, sinister person that few understand and most avoid at all cost. 10 being the revered folks who always do the right thing and everyone admires.
- BernardLanguillier – 8: Great photographer, trekker, and insightful poster. A potential 9 or 10, but there are just too many prayer flags and monasteries to the D3X/D800/D810 in his closet. He also spends far too much time knitting. That was knitting, right, or was it sewing?
- Wayne Fox – 9: Another great photographer. Wayne knows printing like no one else, and he has the best-looking avatar. His posts are always helpful, and he does something many of us have trouble with: In the midst of some off-in-the-weeds direction a thread goes, Wayne actually answers the OP’s question. Hmmf - what fun is that?
- Mark D Segal – 5: Mark has been extremely helpful to me personally with all my dopey scanning questions. He’s stuck there at a 5, perfect middle gray. Could be higher but he’s an economist, and economists are, well, just so economic.
- Schewe - 1: Ah, Mr. Schewe; the epitome of a 1. His wonderful contributions to the art and craft of photography make him at least as important to digital image processing as Harding was to climbing in the 60’s. Combine this with his dark, who-cares-who-I-piss-off approach to life, and I can only conclude that Jeff and Warren Harding should have been brothers. The only problem is Jeff enjoys a good bottle of wine, while Warren wanted nothing to do with the stuff unless it came in a one-gallon glass jug (boxed wine would work in a pinch). Also, I have no idea what kind of shirts Warren liked, but it probably wasn’t Hawaiian. I am worried, however. Recently there seems to be a bit of civility in Jeff’s posts. Or perhaps my sensitivity has been dulled…
- Madmanchan – 10: This guy is just plain perfect. Way-smart, gives away important stuff and tips on his website, always has something very valuable and important to say, yet never gets riled when some dud is mindlessly bashing the ACR/LR processing engine. Oh, and Eric takes really good pictures too. He is the Royal Robbins of digital image processing here at Lula.
- Michael – 9: Michael is an obvious candidate for a 10, but his well-known and frequent association with the sinister Mr. Schewe holds him back like a 600mm f/4 on a day-hike.
- Eric Myrvaagnes – 8: I think Eric’s a great photographer. But that name is a real marketing challenge. How ‘bout changing it to Cougar? Or Cougar-Myrvaagnes? Nevermind.
- Bjanes – 6: Wicked smart. But anyone who is wicked smart simply must be wicked too, even if it never shows! He is really a 10, but nobody else got a six, and sixes go with the word “wicked” quite well.
- Theodoros – : No score. Dark Energy does not fall within the zone system.
- Wolfnowl – 10: Gandolf, pure and simple. If there is a debate about the identity of some obscure plant or animal, my wallet is in Wolfnowl’s corner.
- Rob C – 4: Rob might very well score higher with others on this forum, but half the time I can’t tell what the hell he is saying. His wit and intellect brightens my day when I understand it, but most of the time he is in a far more enlightened space than me. He also often hints at a dark, disturbed past, so I couldn’t give him anything higher than a 5. Oh, and he’s using Windows Vista. Jeeze…
- BartvanderWolf – 6: See bjanes.
- Erikkaffehr – 10: Erik seems to know an awful lot about everything related to photography. From physics to composition, his posts just make sense. And, every post begins with a very diffusing, “Hi.”
- Eronald - 2: A bit like Rob in that he is often in a more enlightened space than me. The 2 is because he fits the Batso esteem quite well: Enormous contribution but constantly poking the Angry Bear. I can’t help but think someone from Phase One ran over his puppy in the not-so-distant past. The only thing keeping him from a “1” is his humor.
- Torger – 3: Would have scored higher, but Torger uses a technical camera. In fact, Torger carries the tech camera torch for us all. He is the person in the commons preaching to everyone (yet no one in particular) that dark days are ahead for the equipment he loves (and I love). When he isn’t wasting time posting he is wasting time producing valuable software, especially the Lumariver DOF App, which is the real unsung “Game Changer” in these parts. Ok I admit it. Probably too low of a score but I’m biased. Yeah, as if you didn’t already know that.
- Panopeeper – 10: We miss you.
If some are offended by all of this, then I blame it on reading too many Schewe posts. There are of course many other great contributors: Cheers to you all and thank you for your invaluable contributions to the Great Place. Oh, and I sure hope Rob has by now upgraded from Vista.
Semper Farcisimus!
