I am new to this site, though I visited it a few years ago when I owned a few Leicas. I now am using a Leica again, and tuned in to this forum to see what's happening. I was astonished by the change in tone and the fighting going on.

Question:

There are obviously a few individual who are taking great dlight in being abusive and mean spirited toward other members, on a regular basis.

Isn't it possible for Tony simply to ban postings from those individuals who are intent on destroying the intended purpose of the Leica Photography forum...like, forever?

This can be done on photo.net. I think it should be done here as well.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), May 12, 2002

Answers

Apparently this software doesn't support logging in and banning, but Tony's been considering moving to photo.net for just the reason you're suggesting.

Don't give up on us yet--I don't think anyone likes things as they are, and they haven't been that way too long. Before the jerks signed in it was a great forum, and I'm sure it can be taken back in that direction, if people will learn to not respond to the bad posts (but it does seem like some are just as dumb as rocks on that point, unfortuantely).

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), May 12, 2002.

Can't do it Todd, as you may have noticed, there is no sign in/password thing here like photo.net with this or any of the Lusenet sites. Someone can actually type in anything they want and use any name and e-mail address. It isn't a good system and it encourages the type of problems we encounter here from time to time. There needs to be some way to know who is posting what at sites like this, and hopefully soon this site will join Photo.net as promised and thiese type of problems can be minimized.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), May 12, 2002.

Not currently possible on this site, Todd, because this site has no way of authenticating the poster's name or email address. The IP Address changes each time a person signs on through dial-up, so that can't be used either.

The only method of blocking a poster is by going through a registration process. That involves authenticating the email address the first time a person signs up. This is done by sending a message to the so-called email address, and requiring the person to respond to the message, thereby authenticating the address. From then on a person must sign in using that address or he/she will be blocked. When a poster gets out of line that email address can be black- listed. Yes, the offender can change email addresses, re-register, and start over, but sooner or later the new email address will also be black-listed, and so on. Too much hassle for most offenders.

Supposedly this site will be moving to photo.net in the near future, and that registration process will be used. But preparations are not yet ready for that move.

-- Ken (kennyshipman@aol.com), May 12, 2002.

Understood...I think that the advice to ignore the abusers and not play there game is the best way. I used to argue with such people on photo.net and it only made it worse. It gave them attention. I eventually learned to ignore the attacks (very hard to do), and I don't have too many problems now.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), May 12, 2002.

The constant and voluminous repeating of messages bothers me much more than the yin/yan bs that erupts some times. Why the sontinuous repeating of messages and the instructions to resign?? Regards, Bill

-- Bill Carson (KE7GMx@cs.com), May 12, 2002.

Constant and voluminous repeating of messages bothers me much more than the yin/yan bs that erupts some times. Why the sontinuous repeating of messages and the instructions to resign?? Regards, Bill

-- Bill Carson (KE7GMx@cs.com), May 12, 2002.

Andrew:

Can't do it Todd, as you may have noticed, there is no sign in/password thing here like photo.net with this or any of the Lusenet sites.

Of course there is, just look at the bottom of the index page. Of course, that is where sites go to die [you know the ol'turtle story]. It is possible to ban people here; if they have a fixed IP. Many don't. The same problem exists on most closed sites. Besides, you can use a proxy if you want. Every high school kid knows how to do that.

Nope, just learn to live with it or you will be on a site where you are talking to yourself. Just my experience.

Art

-- Art (AKarr90975@aol.com), May 12, 2002.

Hi Todd and welcome!used to see your answers etc on photo.net. this is on the whole a great site.ignore the folks who are miserable. i've received good useful imformation here.Tony runs a great site. Bet your glad to be back with Leica...esp the M's.less weight. For me its my lightest "rig".Probably as i cannot afford the extra lenses...

-- jason gold (leeu72@hotmail.com), May 12, 2002.

Todd, please don't be too worried, especially about my last post. I am usually the one on the forum that goes up against people who are abusive, and my recent outburst was the result of the same thing, excpet I became as bad as those I was disagreeing with.

Most people on this forum are fantastic and very polite. I think that you'll find many off topic posts to come because we're all running out of Leica stuff to post- plus stuff keeps getting repeated. But that's how life works.

Don't be discouraged by anyone and certainly don't let them get under your skin. Hopefully the plans to move to "photo.net" will go through. The biggest problem we have is that people are popstin under false and others' names. I have a feeling that the people or person that keeps hasseling me on this forum knows me personally and is quite jealous, because I can't seem to work out why people always target me.

but hey, let's keep it positive and if you have any concerns contact the "good members" directly and don't make too many posts like this. Or else every second post will be like this.

Good luck

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), May 12, 2002.

Todd: It is a sad turn of events but if we just ignore those sickies, they will eventually pick up their toys and go back to their asylum. Please stay with us!!

-- Albert Knapp MD (albertknappmd@mac.com), May 12, 2002.

Hi, Todd, and welcome to our forum. I was gone all weekend since Friday morning, and the forum got a bit out of hand. We drove to Homer, AK, and I had a blast of a birthday party there. Cool town, very photogenic.

This is different software (less versatile) than what photo.net runs on, but we'll be a part of photo.net soon (I am told) with much tighter controls in place to keep our forum cleaner and friendlier.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), May 12, 2002.

Hello All:

I learned only too late in dealing with my kids that "ignored behaviour extinguishes itself"! It works all the time, no matter how old the kids are.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richard.ilomaki@hotmail.com), May 12, 2002.

Everybody think back to your first post here on the Lieca Digest. It was about Leica's, wasn't it. Now consider Todd's first post. This has really degenerated.

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), May 13, 2002.