Lenses

There is an interesting debate about lenses happening in the discussion forum on the View Camera web site. Go to

www.viewcamera.com

and then go to the forum

It is free to all!!!


steve simmons

Thanks Steve.

Which of the debates do you mean?

Gilbert

Shameless advertising Alert

Thats ok, I rather look at the interesting threads ON THIS SITE.....

mark said:

Shameless advertising Alert

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I have no problem with busines's such as J&C or others that actually sponsor and support apug making comments or advertising. I even encourage those people making new prodcuts to bring their items to the attention of those here. I resent other forums coming here jsut to draw membership away. In fact it is so bad that Steve's new forum has the exact same look and functionality as this one. Seems it is all just a way to grab members now that this site has grown. It wasn't worthy when it was small to even honor his sponsorship agreement with Sean. He got a lot of free advertising out of Sean. maybe we should move this to ethics and philosphy were it really belongs

Just ignore it.

Aggie said:

I have no problem with busines's such as J&C or others that actually sponsor and support apug making comments or advertising. I even encourage those people making new prodcuts to bring their items to the attention of those here. I resent other forums coming here jsut to draw membership away. In fact it is so bad that Steve's new forum has the exact same look and functionality as this one. Seems it is all just a way to grab members now that this site has grown. It wasn't worthy when it was small to even honor his sponsorship agreement with Sean. He got a lot of free advertising out of Sean. maybe we should move this to ethics and philosphy were it really belongs

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Atta girl, you tell him.....BTW, this was posted at Luong's LF forum.

There are always interesting debates about "something" happening somewhere else on the web. If each time that happened someone made a post like that, soon the forum would be swamped. This post will be deleted very shortly.

Second point: when providing a link, please link to the specific page, not to the home page of the site.

How about doing the same here.......?

"maybe we should move this to ethics and philosphy were it really belongs"
Should be moved to the trash can. Disgraceful display. Bad form Mr. Simmons.

Glory be!! - The outrage!!!

I've been reading here, and I haven't been bent out of shape for a while .. quite a while!

What am I missing? WHAT???

Personally, I don't mind seeking input on the location of the next View Camera conference. This post, though, seems to be nothing but a troll.
juan

Steve, The tribe has spoken...

Brian, I don't think he cares.

bmac said:

Steve, The tribe has spoken...
__________________
Brian McGuiness Photography http://bmacphoto.com

Please take a moment to check out my Ebay Store! http://stores.ebay.com/modelaford It's a processing tube Bonanza this week!

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Not all of us...

First of all I didn't find any Processing tubes, nor a Bananza at your ebay store...

Second of all...
I whole heartedly agree with Aggie. An example of how to do this properly can be seen by Bjork.

I don't give a rats @ss about Steve's issues with some members here (although Jorge is not on my ignore list), but I do care about him using bandwidth we and sean are paying for so that he can build his forum.

I don't care about the fights Steve has had on different newsgroups or other forums. The way he abuses free media to promote his personal business is very effective anti-propaganda. And if he wants to continue distroying his personal reputation this way, that's his choice.

In the meantime I welcome interesting input from anywhere. So I had a look. Unfortunately, unlike Steve stated, I haven't discovered an interesting debate between the few present. So, I guess I'll stick to apug.

Gilbert

So who wants to try posting to his forum about another web site or debate? Any odds on how long it would be before the blacklist would be encated? I have a feeling that there will be precious little input at VC's forum from the apug community, but I might be wrong.

Lets see, "There's a great thread going about Steve's self promotion on APUG...."

Sometimes it makes me humble, when I think how great I am.

noseoil said:

Sometimes it makes me humble, when I think how great I am.

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LOL...I am with you, sometimes I even amaze myself at how good I am.....lol...

In fact it is so bad that Steve's new forum has the exact same look and functionality as this one.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


We are using a free shareware template. Perhaps it is the same one used by APUG.

Now, for the free advertising complaint. Twice in the last year CameraArts has given a plug for APUG. I have also recommended APUG in other forums.

steve simmons

steve simmons said:

Twice in the last year CameraArts has given a plug for APUG. I have also recommended APUG in other forums.

steve simmons

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uh huh, yep, and that barely covered for you not paying for 6 months of a banner when APUG started.

I have yet to see you recommend APUG anywhere, and you know I check on that.

Besides, what is your point? that because you gave two plugs in your rag you are now entitled to endlessly advertise here? I dont thinks so, and from the looks of it a lot of people seem to agree with me on this one.

steve simmons said:

In fact it is so bad that Steve's new forum has the exact same look and functionality as this one.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


We are using a free shareware template. Perhaps it is the same one used by APUG.

Now, for the free advertising complaint. Twice in the last year CameraArts has given a plug for APUG. I have also recommended APUG in other forums.

steve simmons

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#1 There is no such thing as "Free Shareware"

#2 Are you serious? Do you tell the telephone company you aren't going to pay your bill because you mentioned them in a forum? How about the electric company? How about the people that print your magazines?

I find it really offensive that you continually spam this community. If it is'nt obvious to you by now that the majority of the membership of this site is fed up with you posting spam on our boards, then there is seriously no hope for you.

How many people have stepped up and supported you on this thread? Get a clue.

Steve, I like the work you do with the two magazines, and I know this is unsolicited advice, but you would attract less ill will on the internet, if you wouldn't start a new item every time you want to announce something about _View Camera_ magazine.

Imagine how people would react if Bob Salomon would open a new item in four different forums every time Linhof, Rodenstock, Gepe, Kaiser, Giottos, etc. had a new product. People would get really annoyed, and he would be banned. Sure he bugs people sometimes, but he provides information about the products he represents when it's asked for, he starts very few new items himself, and despite the fact that his occasional stubborness can rub some people the wrong way, he attracts good will.

J&C is a registered user of this forum, and they only open new items to announce product recalls, service delays, and such. Otherwise, they just respond to questions about their films. David Carper from Ilford does the same, and there's a fellow active on photo.net from Kinesis belt systems, who is absolutely scrupulous about not being overly aggressive in pushing his products. Henry Posner, service manager from B&H, is another excellent commercial internet citizen who watches forums and answers questions about B&H service and things he personally knows about (lighting and Bronica cameras mostly), but he doesn't open new items to tell people what the latest deals are at B&H.

Look at Ailsa McWhinnie. We know she's editor of _B&W Photography_ (UK), but few of her posts are about the magazine, and she's attracted readers just by posting interesting things about photography and even participating in the postcard exchange. Many APUG participants have bought Les McLean's book, because he's a helpful, generous, friendly and interesting guy--not because he's flacking his book at every turn.

Most people here and on other forums are sympathetic to _View Camera_ and _Camera Arts_ and are interested in what you're up to, but aggressive promotion in internet forums is a turn-off, and whether you realize it or not, what you're doing looks like aggressive promotion. If there were one item called, "What's new at _View Camera_ Magazine," and you posted once a month about the VC conference, forums, new features, in the same item, I don't think people would object. By opening a new item for every little thing (and the hot "debate" about "lenses" was a *very* little thing--which I can say because I posted in that thread), you make readers think that every post you make has some hidden commercial motive.

Put out a good magazine, be generous with your knowledge by participating in the forums, and subscribers will follow.

David A. Goldfarb said:

.... Put out a good magazine, be generous with your knowledge by participating in the forums, and subscribers will follow.

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There is also one very significant difference between all of the examples of people that you mention, and the posts that I have read from Mr Simmons. And I think it is the reason a few people have been rather irritated. That is, none the people you mention are attemting to directly snaffle membership attention away from the host of Mr Simmons posts APUG, to their own forum.

David A. Goldfarb said:

Put out a good magazine, be generous with your knowledge by participating in the forums, and subscribers will follow.

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I couldn't agree more.

View Camera is a very good magazine. But Steve's spamming does only one thing: preventing me from buying VC.

Gilbert

David A. Goldfarb said:

Steve, I like the work you do with the two magazines, and I know this is unsolicited advice...

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Once again, the voice of reason is found in the guise of Mr. Goldfarb.

Great Post David, I agree 100%.

I don't own a large format camera, i have never seen view camera magazine but i have always been amazed by the crass opportunism of your posts Steve. I hope you are having a very good read of David's advice and you take it in the spirit it is intended.