Bandwidth! This would probably be the biggest problem of CS in the future.
With CS getting more exposures to public events, it might grow into another HWZ. However, when communities are small, the spirit is there. When it grows big, the original spirit will die and all that's left a mish-mash of different sub-communities and 'gangs' instead of 1 common community.
People go, things change. Moderators would probably change and eventually there would come a time when conflict of interests would give rise literally to conflicts.
Older members would probably still stick around, but rarely come in. Those more active older members would probably still come in to destress more.
Standard of photographers? Well, art is subjective. But I predict this hobby would grow and grow with more and more aggressive marketing by manufacturers seeking to overpower fixed lens prosumers sales with low cost beginner DSLRs and more and more people thinking that 'SLR = Pro' until it reaches a zenith where u'll probably see crap photos (horrid basic techniques) being posted proudly as 'My Portfolio', getting shot down by old timers or working professionals here and the photographer returning fire and end up in a big flame thread. Yes, mods, be prepared. Things like these are slowly beginning to creep up.
OTs. I'm guilty of it too. :bsmilie: But there will be OTs-till-flame-to-come. Already this is a small but growing trend.
More and more new photographers coming in with posts discussing techniques, equipment but no photos to show (sounds familiar to those who might know a strange person whose thread is being kept 5 pages in Canon Subforums having a discussion on asthetics and exposures *wink*).
Equipment talk becomes rife as more people hop onto the SLR System. Eventually, it will all end up people comparing the innate technicalities of sensors, image processors, mods and stuff like that.
CS will probably eventually end up as a crapping forum. One of my doomsday scenario, but as a community grows big, this is what might happen to the point where the current batch of admins and moderators will not be able to control the situation there and den (due to work and stuff like that). Some lamers might recognise this fact that flame threads are only being locked at a certain time and day or going OT within a thread tip-toeing on the envelopes of a flame but not enough to justify a lock or delete and work that out to their advantage to prowl threads to flame.
CS might degenerate to a point where these 'sub-communities' might form:
- Equipment wankers (we all know what that means)
- Photo wankers (already we are seeing some model photos turning up in other forums as adult discussions and leeched photos)
- Pro wannabes (they might own lotsa high end equipt, lots to boast about but quick to react to criticisms with a barrage of bullets and bombs like "Not happy dun see asswipe!" or probably in more refined subtle sacarsm)
- Enthusiastic helpers (this group's gonna be rare, but probably made up of most of the original members of CS)
- Amauter Photographers (probably arts students and a small niche group of people?)
- Working Professional Photographers (even rarer group since they are probably busy earning money. Will be posting more oft in advertisers section and other moola generator sections)
The following are my crystal ball predictions for CS within the next 5 to 10yrs. Might not be entirely accurate. Don't quote me if none of it comes true! :bsmilie:
