[filmscanners] RE: dynamic range discussion

["Laurie Solomon" <laurie@advancenet.net>]

Austin,

>If someone's comments are NOT directly related to film scanners, then I
>believe the comment should be off-list, but if it is directly related TO
>film scanners, then I have no problem with the discussion being on-list.

But there is the rub.  Each and every commentator thinks that his or her
comments are directly related to scanners and scanning whether or not anyone
else thinks so.  Most of the off base remarks are made and sneak in by way
of examples, illustrations, analogies, or the like where someone relates a
statement concerned with dynamic range as it relates to scanners and
scanning to something like audio, film densities, signal to noise rations,
electical current and resistance, or music.  Next thing you no everyone is
off and running in that direction along with all the other directions
forgetting all about making any direct explicit statements to the scanner
and its operation or to scanning.  What is even worse for many of us is that
all the electrical engineering formulas and debates over what the proper
meaning of the elements in those formulas  and the formulas themselves
actually are even when there is agreement regarding the expression of the
formula is justified by everyone as somehow legitimate since it is concerned
with the defenition of the concepts which all agree is a prerequisite of any
meaningful discussion of how the concepts relate to scanners and scanning.

It seems that everyone has to get in the last word and no one is willing to
drop the discussion and ignore the other parties without responding to their
latest remarks - be they right or wrong.  As I have said to you off list and
to others on list, the last round of back and forths has been more
productive than earlier ones for me in that some new little gems of insight
have arisen from the clutter of the garbage which had not been there before.
But I am not sure that enduring protracted repetition of non-productive
debate which produced little that was new news was worth it to obtain a few
crumbs of insight every now and then.  If the topic was of central concern
to me, I might be willing to endure riding the wheel in order to get a few
bits of wisdom or insight every several turns of the wheel; but I would want
to do it in private conversations off list  (as I have with you and others)
or on a list dedicated to the technical engineering aspects and details
pertaining to the topic and its issues and not on a public list where most
members could care less about the technical details and who is or is not
scientifically correct in their definitions and use of technical concepts.


-----Original Message-----
From: filmscanners_owner@halftone.co.uk
[mailto:filmscanners_owner@halftone.co.uk]On Behalf Of Austin Franklin
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 11:59 PM
To: laurie@advancenet.net
Subject: [filmscanners] RE: dynamic range discussion


Bill,

> An unfortunate analogy, perhaps.  Whereas I "only" get to delete 1 or 2
> Viagra ads a day, this list, like others before it, has recently
> been taken
> over by an endless stream of going-no-where tit-for-tat back-and-forth,
> involving only a few list members.  As in all of the similar diatribe and
> counter- diatribe that I have had to delete from other lists,

I agree...and I believe it's actually a lot worse than that.

> there is
> little if any attempt by the participants to relate the discussion to
> relevant questions of scanning.

But I strongly disagree with that.  I, for one, have ALWAYS tried to keep it
about scanners.

> Of course this " _is_ the place to discuss dynamic range with respect to
> film scanners!"  It's the last part of the sentence that has not been
> addressed, nor do the participants seem to be interested in addressing it.
>
> Hence the call for them to take their argument off-list.

If someone's comments are NOT directly related to film scanners, then I
believe the comment should be off-list, but if it is directly related TO
film scanners, then I have no problem with the discussion being on-list.

As to why on earth this discussion is even going on and on and on and on and
on...it does simply astound me.  The topic is simply not that difficult, but
for some reason, some others want to make it that way.  Unfortunately for
me, I seem to be the one that Roy and Julian keep hounding with interminable
verbosity.  Sigh.  I know I am tired of it, and find this really a huge
waste of time. Especially given how it simply is not going anywhere, and
that I doubt it ever could, given the personalities involved.

Austin

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