The survival of a forum over a period of time is people talking more so then images....Images make it interesting but conversation is the core part of a forum,the life blood of it.....People who wont post cause they dont have images will simply go to another forum where its not a issue...
It's a free world. Folk are not charged to join and they must find their own value here to stay. We do work hard to do that and you, more than most, must know that's true!
But we, ourselves also have an identity. It has formed by the interaction of many folk here. A lot of photographers you may not have met, visit here between projects. Not all our members check in every day. We're not trying to get statistics up to draw people in to sell things. Now we're a small, specialized community that tried to withdraw from hype. We want to relax, and enjoy all aspects of photography and what influences us. Although we're fairly technically competent in most areas, photographs are emphasized as opposed to gear, competitions or mastering one particular market. There are specialty forums for each of these.
Do we want to survive over time and grow? For sure, but in quality, depth and breadth. Photographer's here value a rich array of images, experiences and ideas. We like feedback that's from multiple points of view. So to this extent, growth is a worthy cause.
The more interactive and open a forum is the more it grows and people feel a part of it...
Just arriving and merely delivering an opinion on everything is not likely to go down well here, unless you have special insight, knowledge, expertise or experience. Folk make an assessment of every other person. Can they be trusted, are they helpful, do they share? This weighing of things is not based on either elitism or any arrogance. Many of us work very hard in and outside of photography. The time in OPF is squeezed into our precious spare time. We want more than chat. We can put their feet up, chat and share goodies, so we all go home entertained and amused. Sometimes, we're inspired to something new or approached from a fresh perspective.
An example in point is the thread on the 70-200 4.0L lens by Sydney. I, myself was challenged by several of her numerous pictures. We heard different points of view. Ken opened up his own collected references to photographers that used snap shot as a style. Altogether, we all had more than we gave, but we all gave. Sydney received this attention provided some personal background which helped us understand a few of her pictures better. This and Jim Galli's picture of his daughter as a young girl was a call back to earth and the special value of the personal picture.
Without Sydney's pictures, we'd have just had a far less interesting chat. But this might not have interested you, so you could go to Janet Smith's landscapes, Frank Doorhoff's, "Leslie" dangling from a rope or perhaps to Jim Galli or Alain Briot's fine landscapes.
Your own pictures, the ones of the outside and the snow, as well as the new ones of the motorbikes gives you some identity to us. A person who just gives opinions or tells stories is just that. One who shared photographs provides the fuel for the core values of OPF in promoting each others paths to our respective goals.
The more restrictions and regulations a forum has the smaller and less appealing it is......
We have no overbearing restrictions and regulations, just a personality one likes or does not. This OPF personality is concerned with being open, honest and trying to appreciate the parameters by which our work effects us and can been improved, presented, marketed, promoted, sold or just shown to us here.
Art should be appritiated and people should be allowed to take part be it a beginner or someone who just wants to view,talk and be in the company of the artists......
It's a pity, but not everyone can simply come up on stage and play in an orchestra. Our forum is somewhat like that. Come, show yourself and your work, give your opinions and ask, what am I giving and getting? If someone wishes to just turn up and observe, that's fine. If someone has a reference on a subject or an answer to a question, go ahead, we want that helpful comment. If they have no images, then I don't mind. A beginner has a question that’s not readily found by a search; please ask us! We don't need pictures to go with
every post, far from it!
However, when one creates, for him/herself, a high profile, with many posts, continuously talking a big talk about everything), people start to wonder what's going on. With nothing to examine or enjoy, eventually, folk want to see
something of substance, as I've said, something brought to the table.
We're open to ideas for improvement but based on our core values, photography first. We run a self-imposed discipline in having fun this way.
If however, none of this has resonance, likely, we're not a good match.
Asher