[crewl1]

When I see a person start to act in a manner that I find detrimental to my general good nature, I simply add them to my ignore list.

I also tend to avoid non-photo posting threads that go into the multiple pages, as I know after a couple of pages the thread will degrade to opinions and insults.
Threads about full frame or any object or feature that is a 'wish list' type will generally fall into this category.

By taking this approach the whole Pentax Forums experience for me has been rather pleasant, and I have met and made friends with many wonderful people here, and have learned much along the way.
I have only been a member for a little over two years now.

[bigted]

Today I came across my first post that left me feeling uncomfortable. After reading this thread I did something about it.

To the OP, I'm sorry you've not seen the best of PF, I can promise you there are a lot of nice folks here with great things to share.

[crewl1]

Just add them to your ignore list.
Sometimes folks get up on the wrong side of the bed so I will give them a pass, but if they continuously act the same way then I ignore them so I don't have to see their posts

[SpecialK]

... if they continuously act the same way then I ignore them so I don't have to see their posts

Unless they are quoted :-(

I avoided a few threads when I saw a particular poster was involved. I believe he either died, or was banned permanently.

[SpecialK]

Agreed! After years of visiting this forum I finally signed up, then was ridiculed by another forum member for making a suggestion for improving the site.
What a way to welcome a new member!

Everyone is 10' tall on these forums. Different story in person.

I think that was because it was in a totally wrong thread.

[GeneV]

This forum isn't immune to flame wars. That's why the moderators gave up on the Political/Religious forum all together and removed it. Try to avoid full frame threads or anything about the new pricing policies and you're usually all right.

Trouble is, that all those threads (including the ones the mods gave up on) seem to be the most active. Post a subjective comment about the K-01, you will get a response pretty quickly. Post a comment about the merits of a flash unit, and you may hear crickets. People enjoy a spirited discussion.

[normhead]

Please don't judge the forum by the posts of one individual! Most of us here aren't half bad.

And the others are more than half good...

[kenafein]

Trouble is, that all those threads (including the ones the mods gave up on) seem to be the most active. Post a subjective comment about the K-01, you will get a response pretty quickly. Post a comment about the merits of a flash unit, and you may hear crickets. People enjoy a spirited discussion.

I am not one for avoiding conflict. I for one, miss the Politics/Religious discussion forum. I was just providing a survival guide for the OP.

[Tom S.]

I am not one for avoiding conflict. I for one, miss the Politics/Religious discussion forum. I was just providing a survival guide for the OP.

If it's your belief that not avoiding conflict means posting insulting remarks, swearing, being rude and/or belligerent, then I foresee problems since those are all reasons why the P & R section was eliminated.

On the other hand, if you are saying you enjoy a good debate while staying within the forum guidelines, then by all means, carry on.

Presenting different sides to issues is good because it helps people make intelligent choices or form intelligent opinions. Trying to cram beliefs down someones throat on the other hand, has no place here.

[kenafein]

If it's your belief that not avoiding conflict means posting insulting remarks, swearing, being rude and/or belligerent, then I foresee problems

Certainly not, and I don't think anyone would have accused me for such, but I have a thick skin and I never had a problem with P&R as it was. I disagreed with the decision to remove it, and I think the forum is diminished because of it; but I'm not the one who had to moderate it.

[kcmadr]

Certainly not, and I don't think anyone would have accused me for such, but I have a thick skin and I never had a problem with P&R as it was. I disagreed with the decision to remove it, and I think the forum is diminished because of it; but I'm not the one who had to moderate it.

I say the forum is better for it. The reduction in "excitement" far outweighs the loss of a little wee soap box for the good peoples to vent about completely non-Pentax and non-photography related issues.

[jva59]

I didn't read the thread you referred to, but overall I feel the community here is very friendly and helpful. Some folks are more vocal & opinionated than others, so disagreements are going to occur. As kenafein noted, you're more likely to run into possible conflict in the FF threads, & news/rumors/pricing discussions. But even there I find it civil, for the most part.

For what it's worth, my experience has been like Paulh's

[kenafein]

I say the forum is better for it. The reduction in "excitement" far outweighs the loss of a little wee soap box for the good peoples to vent about completely non-Pentax and non-photography related issues.

No, you are wrong, expletives and rudeness .

[wildman]

Is this just the curse of all online discussion forums after they've been around a while?

For me the "curse" of internet forums such as this are people who, apparently, have never learned the difference between a monologue and a dialogue and that a "forum" by definition implies a dialogue.

They are people who take the position:
"I have found the answer not only for myself but for everyone else on the forum and by God I will keep grinding away at it until everyone else sees the light".

It makes for a very dull impoverished thread that goes nowhere and often ends up just being a dead-end conflict between two equally fragile egos.

[JJJPhoto]

For me the "curse" of internet forums such as this are people who, apparently, have never learned the difference between a monologue and a dialogue and that a "forum" by definition implies a dialogue.

They are people who take the position:
"I have found the answer not only for myself but for everyone else on the forum and by God I will keep grinding away at it until everyone else sees the light".

It makes for a very dull impoverished thread that goes nowhere and often ends up just being a dead-end conflict between two equally fragile egos.

Amen!