I have a light that would be a bit pricey for many people here so I thought it would be appropriate to post a review on CPF. Well guess what happened when I tried to open a new thread in their reviews section?
"FlashPilot, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:
Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation."
This "honor" of posting cpf reviews seems to be reserved for a select few. After browsing the section in greater detail, I discovered that nearly all the reviews were written by the same 4 or 5 people. And wouldn't you know that all the reviews are limited to the same lights that paying vendors advertise on the forum? Not that I really care, because most of those reviews are quite bias and fail miserably and repeatedly in pointing out obvious flaws that everyone else seems to find immediately, and complain about after they spent far more than a light is worth.
Of course I'll post my semi-budget light review here later and be happy to do it. Its just annoying that I have a light of moderate cost that would compete in its category with most of the grossly overpriced lights on CPF. Of course they are protecting their own sales interests and probably keep their budget forum section open just to keep the last of their misinformed members from jumping ship (we all know how well that worked). That other miserable place remains another resource for opinions and information, of which they will not get any contributions from me.
FlashPilot, think of it as your badge of honor. It still amazes me how that forum exists. Nevertheless, myself and plenty of others would really enjoy your review. Fire away.....
I look forward to reading it. Even just reading about CPF irritates me now. Well I think it always irritated me but I had no where else to go. Now that I have found my people I never go back.
Those BIG red notices at CPF are a real turn off. Even if you have been there for awhile, if you go to the Marketplace, it's like you just joined and have to accumulate 3 posts again just to see about buying something. I know it is spam control, but there must be a better way...
Thanks guys. They do seem to be pretty darn good at stepping on their own pecker's over there, dont they? Its sad that their restrictions are more than detrimental to the hobby and community as a whole.
My sentiments EXACTLY! I remember all the time you put into your much appreciated battery reviews there and the ensuing argument that led to (among other things) your posts being deleted.
Hi there FlashPilot, sorry you've run into more red tape over there. We'd be happy to see your review here, we don't exclude expensive lights here on BLF, it's just that I don't own any and don't plan to. :) Or if you want to, the folks over at http://flashlightnews.net are a nice bunch of fellows who seem to have more expensive tastes, they might enjoy the review as well.
Dont bother @cpf, i only visited cpf once or twice a week and without loging in (i believe most member here does the same). Nothing changed much lately, apparently people who smarter have moved on to a better places.
Thanks again for the support guys. I feel much better about this... as stupid as it is. My usual wordy review will be posted in a day or two. I really wanted to cram this review down their (cpf) throats to show how a mid-priced light can compete with lights that cost far more while offering personalized domestictimely customer service... and then to defend my position based upon the merits of sheer performance and destructive testing - if necessary.
Old, please PM me a link, or better yet, post a thread here to your new cpf battery review so several of us can help you defend against the rigors of egocentricism and ignorance. I'm sick of seeing innocent folks with small budgets or newbs getting treated like bug sh!t over there, and even worse, being given poor advice in the name of selling CPF supported products. Besides, this is going to be kinda fun! I already know how much you revel in verbal warfare so let us bring along our bludgeoning instruments for mass destruction. I haven't been banned but probably 10% of my posts are deleted because they don’t conform to the selfish notions of a dictatorship. I always stand up for the “little guy” or someone I know who is correct. Now you know why this is no small issue for me.
Thanks Mr. Admin, I may do just that but I will likely cross post a link to bring more traffic here instead. Besides, you'll soon have reviews to do of your own with thosefancy new gadgets you're about to get. They won the unrestrained drooling contests among several misfit BLF flashlight hording members. AKA: The loonies that drag their knuckles along the tarmac late at night while franticly waiving around some form of battery operated illumination device. If you run across one by mistake, just keep your head low, try to avoid eye contact and keep walking at a brisk pace.
Now would probably be about the time I would normally relay an insulting message from "you know who... over there", but upon popular demand, I've been asked by several BLF members not to. Apparently, the terrible accompanying photos seem to have caused many to suffer from uncontrolled unrelenting vomiting and diarrhea.
BLF is growing, and will continue to grow in scope, until it may even outgrow its name--this is evidence. Why the heck not even have a "Non-Budget" sub-forum, and take CPF on head-to-head? Go for their throats! I mean, we already have a sub-forum for off-topic threads, so why not non-budget one?
BTW, I think it just makes sense to have a knife sub-forum, too [no connection to metaphorical throat-cutting implied]. Somehow knives and flashlights seem to go together. It's been difficult to keep up with the 'main' but interesting thread for knives here.
Anticipating FlashPilot's review. This oughta be cool...
Thanks FlashPilot, we'll be happy to read your review here!
And brjones, thanks for the vote of confidence! About knives, did you see the gear category? It should help to manage at least some of the budget knife traffic. If it gets huge in the future, then, we'll see. :)
I guess its about the Budget that we define for our torches... haha
Just asking. A review of a nitecore EX11 is considered within reasonable limits for this forum right? I've got in the mail, expecting it next week or so!
okwchin, I think anyone here would want to see your review, but speaking for myself, I'd really like that. The forum owner (sb56637) seems to define his style by doing the exact opposite of whatever Greta or DM51 would do at CPF. There probably could not be a better way to do it. Which should make BLF a nice inviting place for cool and open reviews... and take on CPF. Google seems to have awakened to BLF now, and in my observation is pointing here a lot more.
And yeah... technically,"budget" IS relative, isn't it? lol.
I dont think there are any limit in price for product review, if BLF were to limit only certain flashlights as acceptable than it would have been just another CPF. It is the open-minded atitude that is important and without prejudice againts budget light.
I like brted's definition. It doesn't say in the title how large (or small) the budget has to be.
That said, if there is such a thing as a bias here, it is probably rather anti-Surefire. Those cost a lot and don't give a whole lot of light back. For certain people in certain situations they may be optimal, but for me they are far from that. I could blow this year's budget for lights on one and already have brighter, cheaper and better for my purposes.
Fenixes, I own a couple and have no real plans to get any more. If they come out with something good at a price I can bear, this could change.
I already own one titanium light and don't regard titanium as an optimal material for making lights from. Neither is stainless steel, but I do like stainless steel lights. And own quite a few of them. I'd really like a recent version Xeno Cube but they are out of this year's budget.