Why?

[jaapv]

Why are the photoforums segregated along language lines? Surely the language of a photograph is international? Our many multilingual members can easily help out with any language difficulties in the comments.

[stunsworth]

Jaap, I suggested the same thing ages ago.

I'm guessing that the German speakers would be concerned about their photographs being swamped by the English ones - if you're a German speaker who isn't fluent in English you'd probably only be able to respond to German posts.

[jaapv]

I think, by now, Steve there are plenty of Dutchmen and other multilingual posters around to help out. There are many Germans, if not fluent, at least well versed in English enough to join in. Nobody on this forum, thankfully, ever takes another member to task on his language. Except, maybe, Magyarman...
Maybe we couldhave one multilingual photoforum in the "Keine festgelegte Sprache"section, right under Barnack's Kneipe.

[stunsworth]

Jaap, as I say my personal preference is for one photographic forum, but at the same time I respect the right of the German speakers to have their own section if that's what they want. Why then not French/Dutch/Spanish photo forums? Well I guess that's historical because the forum was originally created by Leica.

I do think that I quite often miss some excellent photographs because I don't visit the German photo forum as often as I should.

[fotografr]

For that matter, why separate the photos by subject? This only encourages people to explore subject matter they think most interests them, while completely ignoring others and missing out on some great images in the process. In the photo forum, hardly anyone looks at the "architecture" and "other" categories, while the "people" category is looked at quite a bit.

[square_one]

Originally Posted by fotografr

For that matter, why separate the photos by subject? This only encourages people to explore subject matter they think most interests them, while completely ignoring others and missing out on some great images in the process. In the photo forum, hardly anyone looks at the "architecture" and "other" categories, while the "people" category is looked at quite a bit.

Thank you fotogafr!

Every few months I whine for a subjectless Photo Forum for the reasons you have so well expressed ... but nobody seems to care. Would be much more fun and I'll bet participation would jump big time.

[stunsworth]

Brent, sounds like I'm representing 'the management' - which I'm not <grin>, but one of the advantages of having the separate sub-forums is that a posted photograph doesn't get pushed into the second page very quickly. My guess is that once a thread disappears from the front page in the vast majority of cases it dies as most people only look at what's on the first page.

I too like the idea of having a single forum, but combine all the sub-forums into one, then add in the German posts, and on average a photograph would last a much shorter time on the first page.

[joachimeh]

Originally Posted by jaapv

I think, by now, Steve there are plenty of Dutchmen and other multilingual posters around to help out. There are many Germans, if not fluent, at least well versed in English enough to join in. Nobody on this forum, thankfully, ever takes another member to task on his language. Except, maybe, Magyarman...
Maybe we couldhave one multilingual photoforum in the "Keine festgelegte Sprache"section, right under Barnack's Kneipe.

German or English Language, who cares. Everybody should feel free to publish, look into, and comment in any forum (without any language restriction).
Interesting enough to see different stiles and criteria in the feedback comments when sombody has published the same foto in a German and in an English forum.

[jaapv]

What is also very interesting to see are the different reactions to this question, as I posted this on the German side as well. It seems the international side is far more relaxed about this.

[Digitom]

Originally Posted by jaapv

What is also very interesting to see are the different reactions to this question, as I posted this on the German side as well. It seems the international side is far more relaxed about this.

YES! Thats the way we (Germans) are

[Digitom]

Originally Posted by jaapv

What is also very interesting to see are the different reactions to this question, as I posted this on the German side as well. It seems the international side is far more relaxed about this.

I think the problem in the Forum is not, that germans do not want to talk in english. Whenever I talk to foreigners visiting, they say, they are often surprised how much english is known and spoken here in Germany (and mostly good). So I think it is maybe more a generation problem, I guess the majority of older people in Germany do not understand english much. And maybe many older - or let me say more "mature" (in age) people are Leica customer, e.g. if you see the price of R and M systems you can see that not many students are able to buy.. .
So these older want to interact in their mother language to other german users. I think it is no problem! I also prefer the german language in the forum because it is quickly read and written for me as a german. Nevertheless, I am also interested in the english (international) forum.

Last aspect:
here in Germany, there are so much (in my point of view unnecessary) anglizism coming to our language since a few years - which are used everywhere - in business, in commercials - and daily life by the media. Maybe as a (psychological) reaction more and more people refuse english language to interact in a forum of an -original- german company in english?

Only some reasons I guess about.

But I use both platforms.
And I like both platforms.

Many Greetings to the foreign and german Leica friends

[michael_boylan]

Originally Posted by stunsworth

........My guess is that once a thread disappears from the front page in the vast majority of cases it dies as most people only look at what's on the first page.

Actually that's one of my gripes. 22 threads per page is too few. I frequently can't be bothered clicking onto the next page, and I'm sure I'm not alone, so I often miss threads.

There should be 200 threads per page. They are only text, the loading speeds would be unaffected. Whereas scrolling down, or paging down, would be a much quicker way to view them.

Then we could have all the photo threads together.

[cocker]

I use the "New Posts" Button so that brings up, obviously, all the posts since the last time I visited. So I see the German photos - If I see something I like I comment on it in English (wish I could comment in German but I gave it up at 14 having been terrorised by the German Master at school whose well deserved nickname was "SOW"!).

The present arrangement works for me.

[square_one]

By accumulating submitted images in daily preview baskets, ala APUG, image browsing, and the option of commenting, is more fun and way more efficient.

Maybe we could consider the same approach: front-loaded thumbnail browsers for each subforum so you can get to the individual pics fast, then quickly move on if you don't care to comment.

I've complained that the present subforum structure is unnecessarily cumbersome BUT, with daily preview thumbnails the whole thing would be turned on it's head and the existing sub-structure would suddenly be I suspect, a JOY to navigate.

If such a move needs the help of small 'voluntary subscriptions', fine, many here would be happy to chip in ... I think.

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by Digitom

YES! Thats the way we (Germans) are

I should know. We Dutchmen are sitting on a fence, one leg in London and one in Berlin.. And do post in both forums, albeit mostly in the International one.

[zernikepolynom]

Originally Posted by Digitom

Whenever I talk to foreigners visiting, they say, they are often surprised how much english is known and spoken here in Germany (and mostly good).

I'm not sure - I lived in England for half a year but would rate my English at 80% although I negotiate in English. I would call it Business-Pidgin rather (sorry for this hidden pleonasm ). We have one advantage - the German pronunciation is very distinct but at least easily understood, even over a poor phone line...

Colloquial English is very tricky (I guess even the Australians wouldn't catch anything). But I guess this is valid for all languages if you are no native speaker.

Originally Posted by Digitom

Last aspect:
here in Germany, there are so much (in my point of view unnecessary) anglizism coming to our language since a few years - which are used everywhere - in business, in commercials - and daily life by the media. Maybe as a (psychological) reaction more and more people refuse english language to interact in a forum of an -original- german company in english?

I have a rule to speak one language at the same time only.

[zernikepolynom]

Originally Posted by jaapv

I should know. We Dutchmen are sitting on a fence, one leg in London and one in Berlin.. And do post in both forums, albeit mostly in the International one.

Then there are Germans who mainly disregard the German part - well, at least me. I like the idea someone somewhere else on the planet is responding over (my) night....

I also doubt there is a German translation of 'Imants'

[andybarton]

He's been very quiet recently.

Have we banned him while I wasn't looking?

[jejuneje]

Wonderful idea, combining the German and international photo forums. When I do manage to visit the German forum more often than not I find very interesting photos, esp in the architecture forum.

It is a shame that photos get lost so quickly, bumped off the first or second page. Every once in a while I try to go far back and see if I've missed anything....
JE