Originally posted by Larrymc I like their philosophy! Very simple to understand and new or prospective members know upfront what is expected of them. Unfortunately I'm not fond of Facebook at all or I would check the group out.
Yeah, I'm not referring to social media, even though a photographer wanting to engage with the real world and customers has to use more of FB, Twitter and so on these days, not less. Someone like LeRolls has said that Instagram (owned by Facebook) is how he gets clients. This is understandable. You post here, the pics are only going to be seen by a lot of old men like us.
What I'm looking at is that group's rules and culture, which is very supportive of the secure environment its members really want.
Here, a troll who remains civil is tolerated. A past owner who was unhappy with their pictures and thought that becoming a Fuji zealot will somehow make them become a better photographer, for example, can go on and on justifying their choice. In one case this year, a PF member basically called us all losers for still shooting Pentax, but in the Marketplace was very cute in trying to get us to buy their gear to fund this change. Or a Canikon owner can sign up on the forum and engage in a whispering campaign, just for their own amusement.
This is a bit bizarre. At a Mustang Club, you wouldn't tolerate a stranger sitting up the back quietly chiming in with various points for Camaros week after week. That's not why you spend time and money to be part of a group. And there are people like me who spend time and money to be part of this forum.
In my experience, neither of those two kinds of people contribute to anywhere but the treacherous News and Rumours threads. They're not displaying a love of photography by submitting their own pictures and admiring those of others. They don't want to make themselves useful by helping members (especially beginners) troubleshoot. They don't take part in challenges or reach across to other members in the social threads. They don't donate to become Supporters. They are gone anyway after some time when they get bored, but their destructive posts remain in Google searches for the number one Pentax website on the planet.
IMHO, their presence acts as a barrier for a very large number of knowledgeable, skilled and passionate Pentaxians on the Facebook group who won't come here - including Pentax Ambassadors. Some are in fact registered PF members, but they don't post. We should want them all to be here, and involved. They are all our brothers.
I think that FB group has a better vibe and less hostile discussion outbreaks because it's driven by what their members want - catering for current Pentax owners.
I certainly don't think it's because it's better run.
I think the owner/s and moderators of PF do a much better and much more difficult job, they've got some serious skilz, both technical and peoplewise. But embracing or even tolerating freedom of speech by non-Pentaxians has to make their day harder. By the 80:20 rule, that type of person is in the twenty, to be sure.