Closed thread or not?

[Ramon M. Casares]

I am sorry, I don't intend this in a bad way, but I tried to answer to Artie on the "Misrepresentation in Photo Contest" thread but this one had been closed, a few hours later I went back and there was a new comment made by Artie, I know that this is his site, but as everybody talked so loud and strongly that rules this and rules that and integrity this and integrity that, I think that to disable the respond option to everybody but the owner is not fair, rules should apply to all of us users, member, moderator and owners as equals, so if the thread was closed and a moderator or the owner had something left to say, well then, too bad or enable it to everybody else too... I also had things left to say and I wasn't able to make any new comment there so... The least we can be is coherent.

Best regards to all.

:)

If this massega doesn't belong here os is out of place, feel free to remove it.

[James Shadle]

Ramon,
I closed the thread. I'm sure Artie was unaware of that fact and because he is a moderator was able to post a reply. I'll let him know.

[john crookes]

I am sorry but I agree with Ramon and I also believe the thread should be reopened as there were many unaswered questions raised and responses not being able to post.

Artie raised an issue with myself in his last post and I am unable to respond to the same post

I guess this is a dictatorship not a general forum

I can see a thread being closed but not at the height of its concern and readership

John

[Alfred Forns]

John there is nothing in Arties last response to bring out your comments in the post above.

Your comments above about "dictatorship" are off base and I'm asking you to tone down, nothing wrong with discussing issues in a civil manner but I do not appreciate your attitude. After James gave the explanation your intentions are clear.

[john crookes]

Sorry Alfred but in a discussion forum it simply is not right to close the forum to all but the owners and moderators call it what you want but a forum should be either open to all or closed to all not one or the other

as of that I will now leave this site and remove all of my attachments

I can no longer take part in a one sided affair

[Alfred Forns]

That is your choice John.

James closed the thread, period. James did not notify Artie. As an owner he is able to post even if the thread is close by permissions default. If he would have know I'm sure he would not have posted. .... thread was close to all. You are saying above that is was closed to all except owners and moderators, not the case. Clearly shows your intentions !!!!!

[Ramon M. Casares]

Ramon,
I closed the thread. I'm sure Artie was unaware of that fact and because he is a moderator was able to post a reply. I'll let him know.

Ok, if that is the case, then it is Ok, I guess that could've happened, now, I think that as in those last posts are some comments that could be answered, my guess is that the thread should be re-opened but I do not intend to make a big deal out this at all. Thanks for clarifiying this matter to me James, I apreciate it. :)

[Wilson Hum]

Quite an interesting discussion on this subject both here and over at NSN. I don't personally know the person involved except for seeing the occasional post here and there. I am not here to judge anyone but just offer my observations from what I have read so far.

In the NSN thread, the person tried to turn what happened into an image manipulation issue which it is not. Perhpas it was an attempt to put a positive spin on the matter? Like, hey, if Artie and everyone else is doing it and some people are promoting and teaching it, then what's the big deal? Maybe we should all rethink image manipulation. That's not even the issue here. This is not about image manipulation. There's nothing wrong with image manipulation in itself....unless of course you enter a contest that does not allow for such a thing (or to the extent to which it was done).

Then there was the matter of misstating the location where a photograph had been taken. I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the person that he simply was confused about where it was photographed but as Artie mentioned and many of us bird photographers know to be true, we remember very well where we photographed a particular species of bird especially if it's one that is not commonly photographed or can be photographed only at certain locations. Someone mentioned in another thread that what happened will impact on the person's credibility in the future. That's only common sense and to be expected.

A few years ago we had a photographer who reported a Barn Owl sighting in eastern Ontario. Besides the fact the Barn Owl would be exceptionally rare to find here, the photographer made the mistake of photographing it perched on a post you would find at a raptor centre or raptor show. He hadn't thought about that part before posting it. The more knowlegeable birders were quick to call the sighting a hoax. What are the chances that this photographer would have any future sightings called into question? It's only common sense people would question any photo or bird sighting this guy would make in the future.

[James Shadle]

John said: "I guess this is a dictatorship not a general forum."
If you to choose call the CEO of birdphotographers.net a dictator, I'm your guy. And I'm the one you should have issues with and no one else. The decision to close the thread was mine and mine alone.


John said: I can see a thread being closed but not at the height of its concern and readership.
Roman posted this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IU1bzZheWk and I think it summed things up nicely.

Thanks,
James

PS I'm closing this tread too.

[Arthur Morris]

When I created my last post, I was not aware that the thread was closed. When previous threads had been closed, I had been unable to post.