A Sad Day Revisited

[Jakaleena]

I honestly think this whole thing has gotten way out of hand. And out of proportion. The previous thread was deleted, and yet here we are once again. If we quit dredging it up, it will cease to be an issue...

The images in question depict nothing I haven't seen on a downtown street in a major city in the US. And, they are actually good examples of image manipulation.

They may not fit with my own personal tastes, but heck, I see worse every day on network television... Or from hormone driven teenagers groping each other at public bus stops...

Ultimately, Doug has the final decision about what is and isn't acceptable on his site. Since the question seems to have been whether to let him decide (like he needs our permission), and since the images remain, I think we can pretty much deduce what Doug's decision has been regarding them.

Let's all move on to something a bit more productive, shall we...?

[Mig]

I agree with you 100% Jakaleena. It's silly. Much of what we're talking about here is part of our culture, whether we like it or not. (I like it.)
Just excercise a little common sense when posting images and commenting. Occasionally something will come up that's deemed inappropriate, it'll be removed - fine, no big deal. And if you accidently catch a glimpse of a breast before that post is deleted, don't worry...you're not going to hell.

Mig

[dcarr]

We discover what offends as we move on. I missed the post in question, but it must have been a doozy for it to cause so much controversy.
When we see something that offends, we should report our feeling to the moderator. But slamming for flaming the poster does very little. Usually that is what an offender is waiting for. The moderators do a good job of filter what goes on here. Sometimes things slip through, or what bothers one doesn't matter to another.
What I have come to notice and appreciate, during my 2 months at this site, is the general "downhome welcome y'all" feeling I get from the members. I truly feel I belong to this site now. When I offered my 9/11 photo I hoped it would reach all the members I have come to recognize and respect. I don't know of any other site to do that on. (bad grammar, I know!!)
If a photo offends...even one member....remove it. If the poster doesn't like or can't abide by that decision, he/she doesn't belong here and will probably move on.
The flavor of this site will remain as long as its members stand up for it. Sure as it grows it gets tougher, but there are many of us who feel the same way and can exert our collective pressure if necessary. But lets do it in the same way we express ourselves here, with dignity and responsibility.
Debbie

[KenB]

I think any person with any inteligence at all, knows, before they post anything, wether it be an image or a reply in a forum, of it's possablities of causing a controversey. If you post anyway and it gets deleted and you get told about it, then deal with it. Either accept the moderators decision and stay within the guidelines or disagree and move on elsewhere. Unfortunatley, though, I think there is an element out there that their only goal is to shock and cause unrest. I think that if someone is continuing to go against the grain of this site , then the owner should just delete them, ban them, kick em to the curb. It won't affect anyone that comes here for what the site offers except we wont have to put up with anyones tantrums and such. In my oppinion , this ordeal got way out of hand also in my oppinion, I dont think things like this need to be taken care of in a public forum, I know that wasn't because of the owner of this site , it was because of childish behaviour of a member.

Ken

[airubin]

I like Retouch Pro as it is. Obviously, any site can improve with time.

I am sure that there are many non-professionals, like myself, who are attracted to the site. I am not able to participate as much as I would like at present, but I’m in there viewing everyday.

I studied online for about three years with ZDU.COM, which became SmartPlanet.com and eventually disappeared. ElementK is the closest thing to it, but I have not seen the vitality of the original product reproduced in any of the sites that I have gone to. The students were very interactive and the staff support was fantastic.

The non-technical forums were a very important component of ZDU. Students developed friendships much the same way that they would have in a real life environment. The salon is where this should happen. I read about Zimbabwe with a different insight as a result of the salon. The on going British dialog is also enjoyable to follow, but it has not yet approached the level of the “goon show”. There is so much more that is interesting in the salon, so I hope that I have not slighted anyone by leaving him or her out.

Retouch Pro has the essential flavor that I enjoyed at ZDU. People of varying skills support each other and beginners are not made to feel uncomfortable. It is comforting to know that there are no “stupid” questions.

Good taste is in the eye of the beholder. I’m 67 and I find that very little bothers me. I do not obsess on the little things. Differences of opinions are very healthy, but it is essential that personalities be left out. I like to know what other people think, whether they agree with me or not.

People should not be judged on the frequency of their posts. I do not post a much as I would like, but I’m short on time right now. However, I am dedicated to the growth of Retouch Pro and I have supported it other ways. It is nice to know that it is there and I can tap into a great support network when necessary.

I like to see the dialog focus on how Retouch Pro can be improved.

Alan