The Arc of a Forum Exchange

[Thread found recently on the Digithead Mycam Forum:] 

Whoo-hoo! Get a load of this, all you Mycam fans! Harold Parker Chasen over at LittlePhotoBlog.com says he's not going to buy the Mycam 47J because it doesn't have an accessory he wants. I quote:

"While the Mycam is really a beautiful camera that I've been sorely tempted by, I really want a moderate wide-angle prime lens for my new camera. That's just me, but I've decided I want to have that option. Nothing against the camera, which I really like, but I guess I'll just have to look elsewhere."

Sorry! One more expert who blows snot in the general direction of the Mycam 47J! Losers!

Posted by: MountainTroll847

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So what? I'm not going to be deeply offended because one supposed expert doesn't share my unimpeachable taste in cameras. Certainly not to the extent that I'm going to exhibit my hurt feelings in public by going to the trouble of writing a forum post about it. I wouldn't do that. This is not something I'm going to worry about. Why would I?

Posted by: Mycam4ever

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READ ON

(Warning: Another long one, and, at the end, I hang myself.)

______________________

Mike

Featured Comment by JRA: "Mike, This is hilarious! I've thought about going to forums for advice on purchasing a camera but this is exactly why I decided against it. My post would go something like this:

"'I would like advice on buying a camera. I am an old-fashioned purist but I do appreciate the latest technology if it is helpful. I am looking for a camera that would shoot B&W film and is manual focus for taking pictures of architecture when I travel. I would produce prints up to 11x14, is a medium format camera a good idea or overkill? Since this is a camera for traveling and I hate tripods, would a rangefinder really make a difference with results with the lack of mirror slap?'

"And I would get replies like this:

"'B&W film?  Why don't you just take pictures and let Photochop turn them into B&W?...Don't you know B&W AND film are dead?...Manual Focus? What a special torture! How old are you anyway?...Were you born before 1925?...Taking pictures while traveling has been done by every man, woman and child since 1930. Why don't you find a new/better/unique style?...Don't take picture of architecture; take pictures of people/flowers/cats/clouds/lemurs...You should do prints up to 100x150; it will blow your mind!...Don't be a schmuck—you can't do real photography without a tripod!...Yes, you need medium format...No, you don't need medium format...Yes, mirror slap would give you wholly unacceptable photos...No, mirror slap vibration is a myth...You should learn to press the shutter release just right so that the mirror pre-fires 6 picoseconds early and all vibration dies by the time the shutter opens. I've learned to do it with my xyz123 camera and my girlfriend loves the results...Since you're/your/yore old-fashioned you should look for the 11x14 hand-held daguerreotype I saw in a museum. There were only two ever made, maybe you could find one on ebay.'

"Then, instead of hanging myself, I would bash my head into my CRT computer monitor and die from a combination of serious head trauma, facial lacerations and strong electrical discharge. Forum posters would say I deserved it because it wouldn't have happened if I had a proper monitor like an LCD."

Comments

[Janne]

You just saved myself many, many hours of reading *cough*dpreview*cough* forums. Where I would have opened a thread like this I can just think back to your version instead. I won't miss a thing.

[John Roberts]

Can I borrow the noose when you're finished with it?

[Eric]

Also richly ironic is that in a separate "mycam" thread, a user says he chose "mycam" vs. the other brands because the "vueron" shooters were too defensive and fanboyish and closed to criticisms of their brand.

[Bill Mitchell]

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=32150

[charlie d]

Funny as hell Mike,

I might add the context of where this originated and or post it directly in that thread if you want to be really funny.

[Martin Doonan]

Both your post and the featured comment have brought me to tears of laughter. Trouble is, it's all true.

[Jeremy]

Dear god,

You have just managed to summarize every single forum out about camera purchases with that post! Truly brilliant, insightful, and funny all at the same time :)

Jeremy