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"I can answer one of the questions in here not related to the list of popular gear. The desire was expressed that the mods would delete this thread. That will not happen. The most that might ever happen is that it gets locked and then floats downstream. But it is here forever and ever. Check out the section of Lowlight Directives.
There was another person who wanted his account deleted and all of his reponses erased. It will not be done. The big reason is that it is a record of a member ID. They do not want a person coming back in different IDs. The best solution offered by Lowlight is log out and don't come back. This is a specific and tight little community but none of us has to be here. Also, I would say, before a person logs out and doesn't come back, change the profile settings to not get email updates. Otherwise, a guy will be reminded of the halcyon days he now misses.
IOW, if you crap the bed, you have to lie in it or clean it, yourself.".......
This is Lowlight's "house" and I respect that. It's his right to run it his way, no problem.
Since the above comment was brought up, and in light of how this discussion went, I'll mention a few thoughts VERY RESPECTFULLY as something to chew on.
We have a photography blog/forum, it's also a tight knit group, way smaller than here, and we think it runs pretty smooth.
We've incorporated the extension of the "ignore" button where if U start a conversation, the folks on your ingore list are locked out from the start, no three day rants resulting in wasted energy, trolls looking to swat someone down, don't get to fuck w/somebody after the first time.
The end result which doesn't happen often these days is that if you're enough of an asshole/on enough ignore lists, U freeze yourself out.
If U get silly w/putting everybody on your ignore list, U freeze yourself out.
We had folks complain about this system at first saying it prevents free exchange, but it does quite the opposite, it eliminates endless unpleasantness that can go on for days, B4 it starts.
It SHUTS UP TROLLS.
If one of U is on somebodies "ignore" list, then the two of U can participate in a thread started by somebody else, but U can't respond directly to each other.
Moderators on other venues suggest U stay away from folks U don't like, we don't give U a choice. Folks have accepted this and love the "peace and quiet" to discuss ideas and issues in a pleasant atmosphere.
Folks who insist on fucking w/somebody indirectly usually get put on more "ignore" lists as a result Bcuz folks will no longer tolerate being that petty.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, it's helpful to the "laid back"/quiet folks who're new to a discipline and want to try to "jump in" w/o getting swatted down by whoever and again, it eliminates a LOT of NEEDLESS DAY LONG BS.
Like here, we don't ask anybody to come, and we think "our place" is turning into a very welcome place where the trolls who show up get tired of not being able to fuck w/anybody, and get rid of themselves.
