ScientistMags
The Removal of "The Problem With PIP"
If you've come here looking for the original post, "The Problem With PiP", it was removed after a member of Photographers in Perth sent in a complain to flickr. It was bound to happen. It was a breach of the Terms of Service.
However, I do find it more intriguing that it does appear that flickr corporate seems that they sanction the behaviour that culminated in my original post. In all honesty, I don't think they do. I think they didn't look into it as they probably get many similar complaints on an hourly basis.
Why did I post this? To show that I didn't remove the screenshot and the machinations of the removal of the image. An individual member of Photographers in Perth was behind the removal. Again, nameless.
What started this? A discussion calling for transparency in the administrative operation of Photographers in Perth after people noticed crap. This crap has been described as bullying, favouritism, blatant self promotion of businesses, (a clear breach of flickr's terms of service), and heavy handed approach to deleting threads and posts with no explanation and banning members with such expediency that no explanation from them is extracted.
At no point in the saga did I encourage or call upon members or people outside the group to campaign against the group.
The only sorry thing to come out of this is that I've been removed from the group and now am unable to participate in the Help-Portrait thread discussing the event I organised.
UPDATE 15th December 2009 8:15AM (I hope this is the last time I have to do this)
It's come to my attention that if a member voices their support of me openly in Photographers in Perth, they get kicked out of the group without explanation by an Invisible Admin. I am not sure how ridiculous and petty the team is getting with their administration. Commenting here could also place your membership in the group at risk. Post at your own risk.
UPDATE 15th December 2009 11:53PM
It's terrific being kicked out and banned from the group but yet being able to read the posts, I can actually now see a new thread linking to my synopsis of my experiences of Help-Portrait on my website so that everyone interested can find it is now being twisted as a vehicle saying that my expulsion from Photographers in Perth was due to a perceived bias towards another event, (of which I supported and encouraged people I knew outside of PiP to get involved and spread the word amongst my networks).
First of all, it wasn't what sparked all this. What sparked all this was that I spotted a minority of members of which one was a moderator of PIP grouping together on facebook to denigrate other members. In addition to that, an Admin stepped in and at no point indicated that the behaviour contravened the group's own rules and regulations, (there's a freakishly long list of them only complicated by several other layers of unwritten rules such as not asking questions of the Admin ever lest you risk expulsion unless you've got a large following in the group or deemed popular). I decided to show everyone that.
Way to go in politicising a global community event that they weren't even part of.
My reaction is to actions of PiP Admin and a core group of members who truly believe that their stand over tactics are justified and right.
So now, not only do I get to watch what people say about Help-Portrait, I now also get the displeasure of watching it get politicised without being able to say one word in defence.
The original comment on the original image right up until removal:
"I recently joined back as a member of flickr group, Photographers in Perth after leaving for a myriad of reasons.
After posting my 2c on the situation here, I come home after a day working as a volunteer photographer to find my facebook feed with this.
If anything, it's a summary of why I left in the first place and I'm beginning to wonder why I bothered re-joining and becoming active again.
I know I'll cop a lot of crap for posting this but people deserve to know, especially those singled out.
UPDATE 14th December 2009 5:00AM or there abouts
Since posting this, I have been removed as a member from Photographers in Perth with no explanation and by an invisible Admin. I don't know who was behind it. This cloak and dagger heavy handed approach has been raised as an issue within the flickr group on more than one occasion. I'm not saying that posting this image is defensible. It isn't. Frankly, it's something akin to submitting to Lamebook. I did so to expose the bullying and pack mentality that exists within the group from Admin through to some members. It's something that has either been dealt by denial, diversionary tactics or both.
I was angry when I saw this posting in my facebook feed, but now what I feel is beyond words. I can understand people being upset by this posting and I would not change my actions. I hate bullying and I have no tolerance for it. And when I become the target, I expose those attacking me. Would I do this again? You bet I would.
For a group that has a mix of professionals, semi-professionals, amatuers, and hobbyists of mainly adults, this behaviour is quite pathetic.
By removing me as a member from Photographers in Perth, I am unable to participate in the Help-Portrait thread discussing the very event that I organised. To the best of my knowledge, it was the only contribution from Perth to the global event.
UPDATE 14th December 2009 11:16AM
I have now updated the image to include the apology but I will not blur out any names. The people concerned have made their choice to publicise their opinions of other members of Photographers in Perth in another forum, facebook. Whatever the issue is, it is no longer within the defined boundaries of Photographers in Perth or flickr."
The Removal of "The Problem With PIP"
If you've come here looking for the original post, "The Problem With PiP", it was removed after a member of Photographers in Perth sent in a complain to flickr. It was bound to happen. It was a breach of the Terms of Service.
However, I do find it more intriguing that it does appear that flickr corporate seems that they sanction the behaviour that culminated in my original post. In all honesty, I don't think they do. I think they didn't look into it as they probably get many similar complaints on an hourly basis.
Why did I post this? To show that I didn't remove the screenshot and the machinations of the removal of the image. An individual member of Photographers in Perth was behind the removal. Again, nameless.
What started this? A discussion calling for transparency in the administrative operation of Photographers in Perth after people noticed crap. This crap has been described as bullying, favouritism, blatant self promotion of businesses, (a clear breach of flickr's terms of service), and heavy handed approach to deleting threads and posts with no explanation and banning members with such expediency that no explanation from them is extracted.
At no point in the saga did I encourage or call upon members or people outside the group to campaign against the group.
The only sorry thing to come out of this is that I've been removed from the group and now am unable to participate in the Help-Portrait thread discussing the event I organised.
UPDATE 15th December 2009 8:15AM (I hope this is the last time I have to do this)
It's come to my attention that if a member voices their support of me openly in Photographers in Perth, they get kicked out of the group without explanation by an Invisible Admin. I am not sure how ridiculous and petty the team is getting with their administration. Commenting here could also place your membership in the group at risk. Post at your own risk.
UPDATE 15th December 2009 11:53PM
It's terrific being kicked out and banned from the group but yet being able to read the posts, I can actually now see a new thread linking to my synopsis of my experiences of Help-Portrait on my website so that everyone interested can find it is now being twisted as a vehicle saying that my expulsion from Photographers in Perth was due to a perceived bias towards another event, (of which I supported and encouraged people I knew outside of PiP to get involved and spread the word amongst my networks).
First of all, it wasn't what sparked all this. What sparked all this was that I spotted a minority of members of which one was a moderator of PIP grouping together on facebook to denigrate other members. In addition to that, an Admin stepped in and at no point indicated that the behaviour contravened the group's own rules and regulations, (there's a freakishly long list of them only complicated by several other layers of unwritten rules such as not asking questions of the Admin ever lest you risk expulsion unless you've got a large following in the group or deemed popular). I decided to show everyone that.
Way to go in politicising a global community event that they weren't even part of.
My reaction is to actions of PiP Admin and a core group of members who truly believe that their stand over tactics are justified and right.
So now, not only do I get to watch what people say about Help-Portrait, I now also get the displeasure of watching it get politicised without being able to say one word in defence.
The original comment on the original image right up until removal:
"I recently joined back as a member of flickr group, Photographers in Perth after leaving for a myriad of reasons.
After posting my 2c on the situation here, I come home after a day working as a volunteer photographer to find my facebook feed with this.
If anything, it's a summary of why I left in the first place and I'm beginning to wonder why I bothered re-joining and becoming active again.
I know I'll cop a lot of crap for posting this but people deserve to know, especially those singled out.
UPDATE 14th December 2009 5:00AM or there abouts
Since posting this, I have been removed as a member from Photographers in Perth with no explanation and by an invisible Admin. I don't know who was behind it. This cloak and dagger heavy handed approach has been raised as an issue within the flickr group on more than one occasion. I'm not saying that posting this image is defensible. It isn't. Frankly, it's something akin to submitting to Lamebook. I did so to expose the bullying and pack mentality that exists within the group from Admin through to some members. It's something that has either been dealt by denial, diversionary tactics or both.
I was angry when I saw this posting in my facebook feed, but now what I feel is beyond words. I can understand people being upset by this posting and I would not change my actions. I hate bullying and I have no tolerance for it. And when I become the target, I expose those attacking me. Would I do this again? You bet I would.
For a group that has a mix of professionals, semi-professionals, amatuers, and hobbyists of mainly adults, this behaviour is quite pathetic.
By removing me as a member from Photographers in Perth, I am unable to participate in the Help-Portrait thread discussing the very event that I organised. To the best of my knowledge, it was the only contribution from Perth to the global event.
UPDATE 14th December 2009 11:16AM
I have now updated the image to include the apology but I will not blur out any names. The people concerned have made their choice to publicise their opinions of other members of Photographers in Perth in another forum, facebook. Whatever the issue is, it is no longer within the defined boundaries of Photographers in Perth or flickr."