Where Have the Good Threads Gone? CPF Kinda Boring Lately?

[idleprocess]

Seriously hoping you're not referring to The Underground..

Indeed. I frequent the place and would not describe myself as creative as the term is typically used.

 

[Monocrom]

I've actually wanted to put together a SureFire L1 compendium post comparable to the above (as that topic is rather dear to my heart), but yes things like that take time to put together.

My Milky-modded L1 Xtreme was the first 200+ actual lumens light running off one CR123 cell. Came out months before the first commercial offering. One of the few lights I'll keep for Life.

But I believe that right there is one of the reasons why so many good threads are no longer around. No need to mod anything when nowadays some slob can just walk into Wal-Mart and walk out with a cheap, lumen monster. Some day soon, even one as small as my Milky-modded L1. No, the quality won't be the same, but the general public no longer gives a crap about quality. Just cheap junk to replace once it stops working. Even worse among knives. Plenty of folks buy a cheap knife for work purposes, use it until it gets dull, throw it away.... Then buy the very same cheap knife again! They do the same with their kitchen cutlery. Having no clue how to do something as basic as sharpen a knife.

Several years back, you could find good lights at Brick & Mortar shops. Then the selection at places like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, etc. turned to absolute garbage. Now the lights are back, but they're cheap, lumen monsters.

 

[flashy bazook]

which has already been done for some stickies - Norm

Here's a couple of examples.

Posting photos

Incandescent Forum - Threads of Interest

It all takes time and effort and means extra work for an already busy volunteer staff.

And indeed, these are excellent examples of what I had in mind. And the work to create these "master stickies" is very much appreciated.

But there are still plenty of pages where this has not been done, and the standard of excellence there can be improved!

 

[Norm]

But there are still plenty of pages where this has not been done, and the standard of excellence there can be improved!

Righto, must improve I'll get right on it.

There is no reason why you can't start a new thread as you described, it can then replace the superfluous stickies, are you volunteering?

Norm

 

[Cataract]

Annyone could still take notes in a word document and submit new ideas to mods to make their job ready-cut once it is approved... improving on a forum that already has covered pretty much all know aspects is a full-time job in itself.

I think the real key here is that pretty much anything worth general interest and mention IS covered on CPF. We have great members that have covered the important points to a point there is no use discussing most aspects of technology other than preference anymore. Being efficient becomes boring fast, that's CPF's own killing point. We need new technology and maybe we need more imagination to discuss possible advances so makers can give us that tech and feed us new interesting stuff to talk about. The end problem is; in how many ways can we make a flashlight better? We're not talking about jet engines and aerodynamic tricks, so the walls are not as numerous or as far...

I hope I'm not being too cryptic here

 

[Gaffle]

I go on yearly sabbaticals with CPF. It doesn't help that the last light I bought I find to be superior to a lot of other lights in the EDC category, so every new thread about some (what I would consider) cheap light just flashes past my eyes with no intention of reading said thread. Yesterday I was in my account settings just looking at some older threads I participated in. Figured out that I bought my HDS in Nov of 2010. For four years I have been really spoiled by a light that IMO isn't beat. An extra 70 lumens in the new HDS models does not make the need of a new purchase. Now if HDS doesn't impress, compared to my current HDS, then all else is just fluff. So yes I agree, there is a lot of boring.

The good ole days of reading FlashlightReviews and finding out a good light with the lux reading etc. is gone for me. I remember getting my Streamlight ProPoly lux and just loving that light. Until my daughter took it down in the basement, left it on in the cat post, and cause the alkaline batteries (not using NiMH yet) to leak and , there goes the Poly. Those were fun times.

Even reading the HDS thread, or the Malkoff junkie thread, just gets boring. The last thread I was super into was reading about high cri lights, LEDs that were so much non-existent back then, and now the warm LED is almost becoming a new standard. Reading about warm LEDs isn't as fun as it used to be.

I have come back to CPF because I am in need of a new light. A nice warm headlamp please. I know once I get the light I'll be gone for another sabbatical. It is still fun to find some good CPF threads, there is just so much reading material that I just blow by because I have zero interest in EVERY light around.

 

[sween1911]

I gotta say, I find myself agreeing with this thread. The quantum leaps in technology with the LED's have made a huge difference over the last 10 years or so of CPF activity. It used to be a race to get a couple more lumens out of a hot wire, and every new light was exciting. Now you get whatever batteries, whatever LED you want, whatever circuitry in between to give the LED the current that it wants, and you're done. There's $20 lights that pretty much do all we expected out of our beloved incans did and more.

I've actually found myself browsing CPF more because just a couple days ago I scored an old school Surefire M3 with an MN11 HOLA and it's so beautiful! It's rekindled my love of a nice warm incan beam. I'm not in a rush to slap an LED in there for runtime, I want to find a tint as close to the original lamp as I can get. I've got a bunch of LED's now, and I don't want another cold beam, it needs to have character and love now.

 

[flashy bazook]

Righto, must improve I'll get right on it.

There is no reason why you can't start a new thread as you described, it can then replace the superfluous stickies, are you volunteering?

Norm

Thanks for the suggestion!

I've done my bit I feel over the years with contributing to existing and starting new threads. At one point I was doing a summary thread for Lumapower, since I liked their stuff and felt their web-skills were very poor. I took it upon myself to clean up their posts and put them in a much shorter thread, so one could actually figure out what their new products were and what were their advantages.

However, I am getting ready for another long trip out to a 3rd world country, where my access to the forum will be limited...and somehow instead of getting fewer of these gigs as I get older I seem to be getting more.

If I find a quiet period (unlikely through at least the end of the coming year, on current plans) I will try my hand as you suggest.

 

[thedoc007]

I like the idea of a newbie questions thread! That could help limit the number of repetitive threads, in that it would be a centralized place to post thread links and such to answer questions instead of 50 new threads. I'm going to try it.

How did that go?

My main contribution is here (I don't start a lot of threads): http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?386393-Giveaway-Thread-(general-info)&p=4455303

I'm happy to say that the thread has some legs...a number of CPFers and manufacturers have gotten involved. Hope we can keep it going together!

 

[nbp]

How did that go?

My main contribution is here (I don't start a lot of threads): http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?386393-Giveaway-Thread-(general-info)&p=4455303

I'm happy to say that the thread has some legs...a number of CPFers and manufacturers have gotten involved. Hope we can keep it going together!

Mixed results; some wanted to participate, some just felt it was useless. I suppose I could give it a bump and see if it gains any traction.

 

[nbp]

I've nailed down another culprit for this problem: People antagonizing the dedicated long timers (whose posts I genuinely want to read) until they stop posting or leave all together. That irks me. :thumbsdow

 

[savumaki]

I have found the lights that have solved 99% of my illumination needs and wants. That said, I still love CPF and still find it one of the most interesting forums on the web. The mods do a wonderful job of keeping a plethora of strong and unique personalities from turning a inch into a yard, so to speak. Often times I think that familiarity does breed contempt. I believe some folks spend entirely too much of this limited lifetime on the web. From what CPF was to what it currently has become is a nice compromise considering the quick growth of both the industry and the forum

My thoughts also;
My first 'solution' was an 2e body with a McGizmo board and a PRT head- updated the led twice and presto, the last 7 years have been need free in the house; same philosophy for outside lights (four) and all I do now is read!!!!!!!!

 

[Monocrom]

If I listed my favorite threads, I realize that constant, daily, updates would seem horribly out-of-place in most of them. Star Halo's "Recomend a book" topic being a prime example. One recommendation every 3 months means a distinct lack of spam and a lack of mediocre titles. Though, once again, daily updates would seem out of place.

 

[ForrestChump]

I know there are at least 2,000 good ones. I mean I do have 2,700 posts.....


:nana:

 

[nbp]

Good heavens man, it was a joke.

 

[Greta]

I know there are at least 2,000 good ones. I mean I do have 2,700 posts.....


:nana:

This thread is about the "Good Threads" on CPF. Of your 2700+ posts, I'm gonna guess maybe about 1% contribute to "Good Threads". Seriously... Dude, you really need to figure out what the difference is between quantity and quality... :ironic:

 

[ForrestChump]

This thread is about the "Good Threads" on CPF. Of your 2700+ posts, I'm gonna guess maybe about 1% contribute to "Good Threads". Seriously... Dude, you really need to figure out what the difference is between quantity and quality... :ironic:

It was 100% in jest.

Part of what made it funny ( obviously only to me ) was how self absorbed it was.

Post count has never mattered, and has never been mentioned by me, but for whatever reason people like to point it out as a negative.

 

[nbp]

It was a joke man. I deleted the "offending" post.

 

[ForrestChump]

Last post for the thread. Im guilty of taking it off topic. I will move on.

It was a joke man. I deleted the "offending" post.

Another PM inbound. My sincere apologies if you would consider them.

This thread is about the "Good Threads" on CPF. Of your 2700+ posts, I'm gonna guess maybe about 1% contribute to "Good Threads". Seriously... Dude, you really need to figure out what the difference is between quantity and quality... :ironic:

First, apologies for the joke, perhaps it was completely in the wrong spot and it definitely has caused some clutter. I had 0 negative intentions and in hindsight should of just shelved that one. However, with respect. Have you read my post history? It's not perfect but I like to think it adds up to at least 2% net positive. Over the years I have found CPF invaluable for information. I lurked 8 years before signing up. For the most part it's been a really positive experience despite a few head bumps along the way that comes with any forum. That said, and also with respect, I find your post was condescending and disrespectful and I don't appreciate it. Even though I would love to continue to be apart of CPF I can't do that if the master of the domain sets a negative tone that will spill into other threads and influence how people address "Forrest". People look to moderators & administrators for direction and to lead by example. As you know better than anyone, their actions, information & posts are usually of great service and have influence on everyone that is apart of CPF.

I have no idea what this post will cost me and I articulated it in the most polite way Im able, maybe I'll get a simple response, maybe something much more inhibiting........but I always try and treat everyone on CPF with respect and I require the same in return, regardless of the poster.

Again to everyone, sincere apologies for the derail. If in some way Im unable to further be apart of CPF, Thanks to everyone for their contributions and all the awesomeness I've learned over the years. No need for further OT ( My fault ). Please carry on with your thread.

- Forrest

 

[cigarrodog]

CPF is a highly sophisticated group of enthusiasts. I joined, because I know comparatively little about lights, and have an eager desire to go beyond Google. That takes time and effort before I can contribute in a productive way. I try to research first, but at some point, I have to ask noob questions. That's very intimidating, because the knowledge base here is extensive, and I don't want to appear foolish. The already suggested idea of having either an "unelightened" section as a stand-alone subforum, or integrated into other subforums would be great. This would unclog the more sophisticated threads, and allow those of us who make sincere effort to learn, but who sometimes have to ask "dumb" questions.