Has DVXUSER Jumped The Shark?

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On other forums similar issues of people upset not knowing the reasons for a member's sudden banning. In my experience there is always a history where mods have privately warned someone but the person ignores it. Mods out of respect keep their communications between members private.

It's not a mystery what's going on. The mods are trying to not let this forum descend into another place where people have petty fights with one another. That type of environment is more likely to turn off the type of people they want to attract, serious minded video professionals. Anyone who joins or currently is a member shouldn't have any fear of banning if they don't talk politics, are respectful of others, and stick to the purpose of this forum. Unfortunately, it often takes a suspension to let people know that the mods are serious.
 
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JPNola said:
Can I note the irony that this very topic / thread has nothing to do with video production?
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Yes, entirely deliberate on my part.

You could make a case the way the forum has changed is in part due to the fact there are so many great quality cameras at an affordable price point there is less trickery pokery to learn or share. Though I don’t miss all those idiot wannabes who used to claim whatever camera was released wasn’t good enough to shoot their script. Given, they have no excuse anymore they just disappeared!


ahalpert said:
what do you suggest as a remedy?
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For me the format needs a major overhaul. I’d like to see more interaction between professionals who post here. More discussion of technique, best practice etc. More networking. Maybe mentoring for newbies. Definitely more banter and more humour. And definitely more discussions of issues that really matter.
 
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dcoughla said:
If this community wants to grow, then it needs to operate in a way that reflects the community at large.

What's being championed in the industry right now? Diversity, transparency, activism, etc.

What's okay to talk about on this forum? None of those things.

The reality is, people aren't satisfied just talking about cameras and technology anymore. To try to operate a community while pretending none of this is happening outside it is non-viable, and partly explains the dwindling quality of the membership and the posts here, imo. If you're still listening, I would like to see

1. A forum where members are actually allowed to discuss, freely, the issues and topics that impact their lives, political aspects included.

2. Abandonment of the current "I know it when I see it" approach to moderating and transparent moderation policies. If there is a high profile banning of a member, the circumstances that led to the ban must be clearly explained to the membership. Otherwise, how is anyone to know what's acceptable behavior for themselves? Point to a list of rules, and clearly state how they were violated.

In the absence of transparency, you're actually harming someone like John Brawley's reputation because now people like me are legitimately questioning whether he said something incredibly awful if he got banned and his banning is being discussed by moderations in the same context as a person who used slurs. No one with a reputation at stake is going to sign up for a forum where there's a risk of that kind of association happening. It's a chilling effect.
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Yup. Couldn’t agree more.
 
Peter C. said:
On other forums similar issues of people upset not knowing the reasons for a member's sudden banning. In my experience there is always a history where mods have privately warned someone who has a pattern of behavior violating the rules and behaving badly. Mods out of respect keep their communications between members private.

It's not a mystery what's going on. The mods are trying to not let this forum descend into another place where people have petty fights with one another. That type of environment is more likely to turn off the type of people they want to attract, serious minded video professionals. Anyone who joins or currently is a member shouldn't have any fear of banning if they don't talk politics, are respectful of others, and stick to the purpose of this forum. Unfortunately, it often takes a suspension to let people know that the mods are serious.
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I’m going to politely ignore this post as I think it’s total bollocks. YMMV.
 
Liam Hall said:
Yes, entirely deliberate on my part.

You could make a case the way the forum has changed is in part due to the fact there are so many great quality cameras at an affordable price point there is less trickery pokery to learn or share. Though I don’t miss all those idiot wannabes who used to claim whatever camera was released wasn’t good enough to shoot their script. Given, they have no excuse anymore they just disappeared!




For me the format needs a major overhaul. I’d like to see more interaction between professionals who post here. More discussion of technique, best practice etc. More networking. Maybe mentoring for newbies. Definitely more banter and more humour.
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Obviously, sometimes it can go too far, but I'm fine with the natural flow of some of the discussions on here, and as I've said numerous times, sometimes it leads to something even better.

Abe and I were having a PM discussion about this very thing and I said that I believe the much lower priced gear has had a toll on this board, as well. But from a slightly different perspective. This board started out years ago, because of the low-end/prosumer digital gear that started opening up the industry and indie movement. It's safe to say that most people that were here then, were striving to climb the ladder with their work and equipment. And now they play with the big boy toys. Now, the industry is kind of regressing with "cheap gear" and the biggest, most active threads on gear on here involve the super-low priced gear. When was the last time there was a multi-page discussion on a real cine or broadcast zoom lens? And every few months you get, "What $200 tripod should I buy?" I'm not trying to be elitist or anything like that, because the industry has changed at all levels, but I can see why some of the old faces are gone or at least less active. They've outgrown so much of what goes on here, now.

I will say, that for the most part, this board is much friendlier and more open than some of the others out there. RU is very toxic at times and full of RED sycophants or guys that just wanna ***** about the cameras not having "this" or "that". There are some good people on there and I like the slightly more "adult" interactions that can be had(no language censoring like we're in elementary school), but there are some very rude, self-righteous @$$ holes on there, too.
 
Run&Gun said:
Obviously, sometimes it can go too far, but I'm fine with the natural flow of some of the discussions on here, and as I've said numerous times, sometimes it leads to something even better.

Abe and I were having a PM discussion about this very thing and I said that I believe the much lower priced gear has had a toll on this board, as well. But from a slightly different perspective. This board started out years ago, because of the low-end/prosumer digital gear that started opening up the industry and indie movement. It's safe to say that most people that were here then, were striving to climb the ladder with their work and equipment. And now they play with the big boy toys. Now, the industry is kind of regressing with "cheap gear" and the biggest, most active threads on gear on here involve the super-low priced gear. When was the last time there was a multi-page discussion on a real cine or broadcast zoom lens? And every few months you get, "What $200 tripod should I buy?" I'm not trying to be elitist or anything like that, because the industry has changed at all levels, but I can see why some of the old faces are gone or at least less active. They've outgrown so much of what goes on here, now.

I will say, that for the most part, this board is much friendlier and more open than some of the others out there. RU is very toxic at times and full of RED sycophants or guys that just wanna ***** about the cameras not having "this" or "that". There are some good people on there and I like the slightly more "adult" interactions that can be had(no language censoring like we're in elementary school), but there are some very rude, self-righteous @$$ holes on there, too.
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All good points and I largely agree but being better than ResUser is a very low bar. I can’t remember the last time I posted in there.

Maybe it’s the format that needs to change, it seems dated. Camera tech changes fast. Social media changes fast. DVX not so much.
 
Liam Hall said:
All good points and I largely agree but being better than ResUser is a very low bar. I can’t remember the last time I posted in there.

Maybe it’s the format that needs to change, it seems dated. Camera tech changes fast. Social media changes fast. DVX not so much.
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Like the "look" of the forum or other aspects? I actually like the overall look, despite its age. The color palette is very easy to read and easy on the eyes. But I support exploring possible ways to improve the forum, for sure.
 
Stephen Mick said:
If we could, let’s keep the discussion focused on where we want this site to go in the future. Thanks!
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I must have been too subtle responding to a previous poster. So, I'll elaborate. There's a world outside of Hollywood and what plays well in Hollywood doesn't always play well in Peoria. Come to think of it, Hollywood itself doesn't play well in Peoria.

And I am saying that as a former resident of Hollywood.
 
Run&Gun said:
Like the "look" of the forum or other aspects? I actually like the overall look, despite its age. The color palette is very easy to read and easy on the eyes. But I support exploring possible ways to improve the forum, for sure.
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The chat forum model has barely changed since the 1990s. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc didn’t even exist then but all provide more dynamic ways for people to interact.
 
God, you have a break for a couple of years and everyone goes mental on here.

My very limited interactions so far back on here it all feels a bit more like an anonymous youtube comments bin instead of that helpful community of likeminded souls but we'll see.
 
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Run&Gun said:
This board started out years ago, because of the low-end/prosumer digital gear that started opening up the industry and indie movement. It's safe to say that most people that were here then, were striving to climb the ladder with their work and equipment. And now they play with the big boy toys. Now, the industry is kind of regressing with "cheap gear" and the biggest, most active threads on gear on here involve the super-low priced gear. When was the last time there was a multi-page discussion on a real cine or broadcast zoom lens? And every few months you get, "What $200 tripod should I buy?" I'm not trying to be elitist or anything like that, because the industry has changed at all levels, but I can see why some of the old faces are gone or at least less active. They've outgrown so much of what goes on here, now.
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This is where I'm at.
I don't find myself looking to DVX user for questions related to where I am at in the industry anymore. I still will read anything by Charles or JB though. Combined with camera and lighting tech that is nothing ground breaking but a building on from existing tech I have less questions about how it will be used in my tool box or how to get the best out of the equipment. Also since I joined DVX user there are so many other social media platforms that I can get answers from a carefully curated group of experts and collaborators. Maybe I'm getting old but I also don't remember the same number of pure trolling posts as when I first joined. Maybe its because I was coming for specific information instead of a general browse.
 
If we're losing people who've "out grown" the site, then perhaps we should try to attract people who are new to video.

Since the video DSLR revolution, photographers have started experimenting with the video features in their photography camera and branching out to shoot video for their clients, so that is the demographic that I suggest we begin with. DPReview added a video forum a few years ago, but there aren't very many serious video people on there, although John Brawley pops up from time to time. I've pointed people from DPReview to DVXUser, as they're more likely to get a useful video related answer here than on DPReview.

I think we should have a new-to-video section with stickies that guide people through the basics. Perhaps we could get some volunteers to collaborate on writing the stickies.

This site has become a general video forum, but given the name, most people would assume it's for a specific camera range. I don't really want to change the name, I suppose out of nostalgia, but a more general video name might prevent people from writing this site off.

P.S. There are a lot of good archived threads, but I've never had much success with the search engine, even when using the advanced search options. I've found that it works better to type "site:dvxuer.com" into Google, followed by my question.
 
Imamacuser said:
If we're losing people who've "out grown" the site, then perhaps we should try to attract people who are new to video.

Since the video DSLR revolution, photographers have started experimenting with the video features in their photography camera and branching out to shoot video for their clients, so that is the demographic that I suggest we begin with. DPReview added a video forum a few years ago, but there aren't very many serious video people on there, although John Brawley pops up from time to time. I've pointed people from DPReview to DVXUser, as they're more likely to get a useful video related answer here than on DPReview.

I think we should have a new-to-video section with stickies that guide people through the basics. Perhaps we could get some volunteers to collaborate on writing the stickies.

This site has become a general video forum, but given the name, most people would assume it's for a specific camera range. I don't really want to change the name, I suppose out of nostalgia, but a more general video name might prevent people from writing this site off.

P.S. There are a lot of good archived threads, but I've never had much success with the search engine, even when using the advanced search options. I've found that it works better to type "site:dvxuer.com" into Google, followed by my question.
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They couldn't even get a dedicated FS7 sub-forum here, just a temp one when it was the most used camera in the world. Good luck initiating a website namechange :)

On a personal level, while I am absolutely happy to discuss gear/technique/best practice etc with newcomers what I don't enjoy quite so much is having very inexperienced people shouting off very loudly as if their opinions are cold hard fact because they once watched a Vishi Visuals or Gerald Undone video.

This place has always had a lot of people with very strong opinions about stuff they have never used and on jobs they have never done. It's great to find people you believe absolutely know their **** so even if you differ in opinion you absolutely respect where they are coming from and what leads them to certain decisions.

The single best thing about this place is the presence of those I would consider experts and their willingness to share.

Would 100% make it a real names forum.
 
You nailed it Ben!

I think a lot of the internet would be better with less anonymity. Yes I get the irony of myself using my old production company name which hasn't operated in years but its a pain to campaign for a name change. Oh that FS7 sub section was humming when that camera launched.

I wonder if format wise the facebook group has killed the web forum. I personally deleted facebook last April so these web forums are still possibly a great resource.
 
FrameFarmMedia said:
You nailed it Ben!

I think a lot of the internet would be better with less anonymity. Yes I get the irony of myself using my old production company name which hasn't operated in years but its a pain to campaign for a name change. Oh that FS7 sub section was humming when that camera launched.

I wonder if format wise the facebook group has killed the web forum. I personally deleted facebook last April so these web forums are still possibly a great resource.
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Yep I deleted FB about 3 months ago so those avenues are closed to me. I think company names are allowed! :)
 
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