Photography forums and our hobbies. Do we really have time?

[fastr1red]

So I get up an hour early in the morning, shower, coffee etc then jump on the forums to make sure I haven't missed out on anything.

Aus Photography
Car Forum 1
Car Forum 2.
Motorcycle Forum 1.
Motorcycle Forum 2.
Motorcycle Forum 3.
Radio Communications Forum.
CEO Forum.
Facebook.


Now as you can see I simply don't have enough time to dedicate to all these forums yet I'm a very active member of most. Well I was a very active member..

Do I become, or have I become, and internet junkie?

Can I be an active member of each forum in order to become an administrator, event/meet organisor, or contributor to a high enough level to gain respect from other members?

Even after an hour of replying etc, I still need another 2 or 3 hours after dinner when I get home to be fair to all....

I don't think I have to many hobbies but I'm an enthusiast in everything I do. All I want is to offer or receive the right advice in order to benefit myself or others.

My camera comes with me on the pushbike and motorbike, in the car, and everywhere I go.
Customer visits during the day, club meeting at night, socialising everywhere else.

Australian Photography is the first and last forum I check each day plus a few times throughout the day and still I feel I'm not contributing enough.

How much time do you spend on Australian Photography?
Or should I ask how much time do I NEED to spend?

[etherial]

LOL, time management. I think you're over thinking it. But at times I wonder myself. My must reads are my RSS feeds which are about 300 per day and half of them would be AP! AP subscribed threads, and Facebook. That is plenty for me, so other forums I am on (Whirlpool and Android in particular) I have fallen away from unfortunately.

Don't over think it, just go where you want to frequent, participate as you can and enjoy. You needs/wants and interests in hobbies will change from time to time and so will you net habits. Don't over think it.

[ricktas]

I will answer some of your comments:

Can I be an active member of each forum in order to become an administrator, event/meet organisor, or contributor to a high enough level to gain respect from other members?

Or should I ask how much time do I NEED to spend?

Putting these two parts together. To get a role of moderator on the site is not a sole decision. The existing mod team discuss members and suitability when we feel we need a new mod or two. It is a combined decision between all of us. Now one thing that will not get you a mod role is asking for one. Any one of us has the power of veto, if they can justify their concerns regarding a candidate. We have had members ask us repeatedly to make them a mod, and we refuse. If someone is desperate to become a moderator, it makes us wonder what the motive is. I have had a new member join me on an AP meet, only to talk incessantly about how great they would be at moderating etc. When I told them they would not be considered, they moved to another forum, on there, they publicly asked how to be made a mod, a week after joining, they were told no, and a few weeks later turned up on a third forum (that I am a member of) and repeated it. It makes us wonder what the motives behind this activity is, what they want, Power? That is not a reason to be a mod, and if it was granted, they would be removed quick smart from AP as a mod.

Becoming a mod is about being active on the site, but also showing a level head, having a good grasp of photography, or at least one genre. You have to stand out over an extended period of active contributions. We have had members join up, post frantically, ask to be a mod, told no, and they disappear. It is about ongoing long term contribution. There are many factors we (the mods and I) consider when we look at suitable members to be offered mods roles.

[Tommo1965]

Rick

can I be a mod please.....LMAO

sorry mate..couldnt resist the temptation...

[ricktas]

Rick

can I be a mod please.....LMAO

sorry mate..couldnt resist the temptation...

NO!.. : lead me not into temptation...also

[Tommo1965]

well played sir....well played...

OP

Ive cut back on my forums..I visit here and DPR ..thats it for me...DPR gives news on gear....AP is giving me inspirations...Im truly gob smacked at the quantity and quality of the image posts here..also the weekly comps are good as it drives you forward to capture images you might not have done otherwise .

you probably need to evaluate whats most important and delete the rest...

[fabian628]

I think you can get away with quality not quantity.
Spending heaps of time looking at every thread, rather look at some and have time to make a useful post.

[fastr1red]

I've taken all that in, thanks for the responses.
I DON'T want to be a moderator, I guess putting that into the same sentence was inappropriate. I may be over thinking it a bit but also I'm trying to prioritize my time a little bit to what I enjoy the most.

My question arises from a comment I received some years ago.
I was an active member of this particular club, meeting once a week of which I only went twice per month with the occasional Saturday or Sunday activity. I didn't participate as much as a few other members who I know had time as they were retired.
Now only after that much activity I was accused of being "obsessed" with the club.
I feel in order to be at least a good and active member one must participate in a minimum amount of activity, that is attend at least one monthly meeting and the occasional weekend daytime function.
With a lot of participation now being "online" and no actual having to get out of the house to be active, has this created a new era of "clubs" or way of socialising thereby allowing us to participate at a higher level from the comfort of our own homes.
But is it the same?

EDit: I should add that I have in fact moved away from a couple of other forums, hobbies I still participate in but feel quite solitary in doing so as there is little to no active participation in the relevent forum.

[bobt]

Ok .. Ok .. so you've made a couple of obvious mistakes in your time managment here. Firstly, you mention the shower. Now a good shower can take 15-20 minutes, and really - what's the point? We can't smell you anyway, so you're not gaining any brownie points by being clean. Dinner? Did you mention dinner? You don't need to stop just to eat. Gnaw on something while you're reading stuff ... it saves time. Apply this to all three meals or simply do without one of them altogether. Finally, "getting up an hour early" imples you went to bed. Surely you can catnap at the keyboard rather than taking the time to go to bed.

I'm sorry, but you really need to lift your game a bit and put in some genuine effort.

[fastr1red]

Ok .. Ok .. so you've made a couple of obvious mistakes in your time managment here. Firstly, you mention the shower. Now a good shower can take 15-20 minutes, and really - what's the point? We can't smell you anyway, so you're not gaining any brownie points by being clean. Dinner? Did you mention dinner? You don't need to stop just to eat. Gnaw on something while you're reading stuff ... it saves time. Apply this to all three meals or simply do without one of them altogether. Finally, "getting up an hour early" imples you went to bed. Surely you can catnap at the keyboard rather than taking the time to go to bed.

I'm sorry, but you really need to lift your game a bit and put in some genuine effort.

@ bobt hahahaha that's fantastic Brought the laptop into the bathroom so I can keep on going.

[tcdev]

I'm a member of more forums and subscribe to more newsgroups and mailing lists than I can remember. Most of them are related (not photography), but they do cover a fairly broad spectrum across a particular area of interest. Most of them I rarely visit; mainly because of time, frequently because I've had a shift in focus of interest, and sometimes because there's little to no activity worth following. I have a few favourites that I monitor daily (and have for years) and others that I do monitor regularly but less frequently.

My interest in photography really only started a little over a year ago, but it is one (other) hobby that I really try hard to devote my time to on a regular basis. And part of that devotion is reading (and attempting to contribute) to AP. There are times when my work takes over my life and I neglect this hobby (and this forum), such as happened recently, but it's never been more than a few weeks at a time. Ideally, I like to at least peruse a few of the forums here daily, if not more regularly. I make a bee-line for the panoramas (my recent obsession) and land/sea-scapes, but if time permits I like to look at other forums from street & documentary to night/astro and even to people (much to my surprise). On the odd occasion that I have a photo to share, I'll post for CC.

To be brutally honest, although it is most often the case that I don't have enough time to look at everything I'd like to on AP, there is the odd occasion that I feel that I've 'seen enough' photography for one day and move on to something completely different. I don't think anyone can give a meaningful answer to your question; it depends on everything from the level of obsession/enthusiasm one has for photography down to one's mood on the day. I wouldn't like to think that anyone on AP be judged by how often they read/post on the forums, but rather their attitude and willingness to give back to the members as much as they receive. I know I endeavour to do that at least...

I'm also in awe of how the likes of Rick, Kym and Kiwi can maintain the level of enthusiasm that they have for this site. It's obviously an obsession - err, passion - for them and admirable that they devote the time to contribute so heavily to AP.

[Namus]

I've dialed back my time on forums lately due purely to the fact that it's taking time away from the purpose of my being here in the first place - taking photos.

I used to be like the OP and visit 10+ different sites per day, but now have it down to 2 sites daily, with 4-5 at least once a week.

Besides, seeing other people's photos more often than not makes me sadpanda that I can't afford a piece of kit or visit that particular place due to lack of funds Anyway, I digress...

[moonshine]

think of it as an education ...