Hear, hear! Well said, Cotty.
Rick --- Cotty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > May I just make a little point here please? > > I don't believe that it says anywhere on Doug's > PDML.net web pages that > anyone actually has to own a single piece of Pentax > photographic gear to > subscribe to this list. In fact, the 'About Us' page > describes the > subscribers as: > > '...we remain a loosely allied gang of threadheads, > robophotographers, > hobbiests, geeks, wienies, manual focusers, > theorists, feature counters, > psychos, purists, one large cross-dresser (that we > know of) and another > guy who just disagrees.' > > <http://www.pdml.net/dbrewer/p1.html> > > I personally think that is a very important point. > There is much more to > this list than just owning and using Pentax > equipment. Sure, the obvious > thing is that most, if not all, subscribers have, or > have had, or even > would like to have, Pentax gear at some point. After > all, the P in 'PDML' > stands for Pentax. Nobody expects contributors here > to start asking what > the bokeh is like on a Canon lens, or a Nikon lens, > or even a Pentacon > lens, that much is true. Similarly, just because a > contributor decides to > ditch and switch to a different brand, does not > automatically mean that > that person should consider their options WRT > hanging around here. I can > sell all my Pentax gear but actually still have an > interest in it! > > > > > Personally, I ditched and switched, and I'm glad I > did - I wouldn't > consider any of Pentax's latest digital offerings. > They just don't suit > me. So why do I still hang around here? > > Two big reasons. > > The first one is that believe it or not, my > favourite camera of all time > sits on a shelf above my desk. It does not work > anymore, it certainly > won't win any beauty contests, and I'll likely never > put another roll of > film through it again. Yet this lonely black Pentax > MX represents a place > and a time from years now passed - a place and time > that I was very happy > with. Still am. But even if I did not own this > camera, I would still have > the memory of it, and that is just as valid. Fond > would be an > understatement. My interest in it lives on. Others > agree, and I can > connect occasionally with those people through this > PDML conduit. That's > a pretty good reason to stick around. > > > > The second, and IMO most important reason, is the > camaraderie. The close > proximity of kindred spirits. The like-minded > attitudes and crucially - > the communication. This list is alive: breathing, > eating, sleeping, > happy, angry, sad... Hell we even know when > someone's had a baby! We > gather for chat and food and experiences, on list - > and off. Even in this > day and age, these things are pretty unique. > Colleagues of mine are > amazed. "You're meeting up with a bunch of people > you met on the > internet???" Yes, well, not strictly, er, look, it's > not easy to explain... > > This place is very special - and every single one of > you reading this > text - from the most prolific poster through to > lurker though to the > person who subscribed 5 minutes ago (and is about to > unsubscribe with > 10Mb of digest attached) - all of you are the reason > why. > > There are no rules here. It's almost a perfect > democracy (cue politics > thread) in that we can all put in our say, but as > long as there's > electricity in the wires, willingness in the > fingers, and tolerance in > Doug Brewer's smile, this list will continue, and > nothing anyone does or > says will change that. > > Someone wanted to know why someone sold some gear > and bought some other > gear to replace it. I wanted to know. Now we know, > and we can use that > knowledge as we will. That's no reason to deny > anyone who wants to be > here, whether Pentax owner or not, user or not, > dreamer or not, that place. > > > Pentax has a lot to answer for. > > > > Peace, > Cotty > > > ___/\__ > || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche > ||=====| http://www.cottysnaps.com > _____________________________ > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
