What are the six most important things you've learned from yopur participation in photo.net

1) Most people look for magic bullets to improve their photography. It's easier to buy a new camera or a new lens than to do real work.

2) Lighting will improve one's photos more than buying a new camera or a new lens.

3) Nikon is better than Canon.

4) The digerati feel obliged to pronounce, at every opportunity, that film is dead. Some of us shoot, and enjoy, both.

5) Most people do wayyyy too much editing in Photoshop.

6) The 'decisive moment' is dead. Just blast away at 10 fps and choose your favorite.

1) Be as specific as possible when answering questions

2) If you have to make assumptions to answer a question, clearly state those.

3) Don't try to make jokes when writing in a language that's not your own. (They're too often misunderstood).

4) When commenting on answers given by others, be extremly careful and as polite as possible, as some of those who answered are extremly picky when someone points out an error in that answer.

5) If you get an offensive comment after acting like in 4), be thickskinned enough to handle that, but as well, don't hesitate to use abuse@photo.net if things come too thick.

6) Have fun in (and with) the community.

1) Ellis is sometimes grumpy but almost always right.
2) True originality is extraordinarily difficult to come by.
3) It turns out that #2 is absolutely no excuse for boring photography (see Eastern Europe, per Ellis)
4) Equipmement doesn't matter...
5) ...except when it sure as hell does.
6) Interacting with other photographers online can be hugely eye opening, but can also be a life-sucking, yawning pit of a time-sponge that can keep you from a few more hours a week you should be spending behind your camera, dammit... so, moderation in all things (except for aggessively deleting shots that should not have been taken, where being more moderate means having to buy more disk space, too).

I think I need more than six things, Ellis! But it's actually very helpful to ask yourself what any given activity has taught you in the past year of your life. Photo.net - more than anything else - is remarkable for the breadth and depth of the personalities, talents, and interests that populate it. Regular exposure to that makes every day a chance for at least six new things to digest.

Why six? I can only count up to 5 (it's a digital thing).

1) The www has become the most effective medium for information sharing for special-interest groups.

2) Most people can be incredibly generous in sharing what they know.

3) Some people like to use the anonymity of the internet to be unpleasant in a way they couldn't get away with face-to-face.

4) There is really no agreement about what makes a good photograph.

5) Ditto good camera.

1) " it's not the camera it's the photographer " 2) photographers really do have a sense of humor ( well, most do ) 3) Ellis is no longer crabby 4) learning about HDR FOV DOF IQ DSLR FX DX ISO NEF HMC LCD IS VR PS CS3 and EXIF 5) imagination is limitless...just when you thought you've seen every conceivable landscape or flower 6) there are some very talented photographers that post here

1) Always read 2) Then start shooting 3) Return to the first step 4) Then redo second step 5) Always ask opinion of the others 6) NEVER make the BOSS angry . :)

1) Never say anything bad about Photo Shop.

2) More people use Zorki's than I thought.

3) There are a great deal of excellent Photographers on Photo.net

4) Don't compare such things as: Nikon vs Canon or Film vs Digital

5) I don't need a Computer to be a Photographer

6) Large Format photographers have super powers and are rarely wrong.

1. If Ellis or Bjørn answers a question, make a note of what E. or B. says. It's not only going to be right, it's likely to be important.

2. What you write on the web, stays on the web.

3. Photographs are made, not taken.

4. (Following Brian, above) People can be incredibly generous in sharing what they know.

5. Many people know things that are not true, and they're incredibly generous in sharing that also.

6. The photo rating system bothers those who participate very much. Fortunately, it keeps them participating.

1. My photography can always improve 2. There are always good people here, who really do want to help 3. Literally anything about photography can be degraded into idolatry 4. Diversity of opinion is not a bad thing 5. Those who continually upgrade and maintain this site are to be heartily commended 6. Those who regularly use this site to support their fragile egos by flaming others really do need therapy