New to BLF, veteran on CPF, long rant.

Off-topic Chatter
21

Well, I would say welcome, but everyone already has, so I will go ahead and just be me.

CPF had a good run up until the original owner left. Even with CPF changing hands to "Gretta", it still ran a good long time basically on it's own, despite that change of hands, but everything, including forums, will die off.

BLF? It's new, but it's already changing. Give it a few more years and you will see a lot of the good and a lot of the bad that is in CPF. Things start out small, then grow up big, then they change, grow old and die. Same with forums. I see a lot of change at CPF and a lot of change here. What is unfortunate is that some of the change I see here, is probably due to some of us that have been here and even though that change is normal, it is never good. Even though so many people always insist change is good. History will show that it was not. Everything changes, everything dies off. Life is what it is, because people are what we are.

Usually, BLF shows up in a search for flashlights before CPF does. The worst thing, for a long time, was that when you searched for Budgetlightforum on Google, the first link's description had text about when SB had to stop the last thread about CPF, because of the bashing. I saw it came up all the time, for about three months at least and it was very embarrassing that BLF only looked like a bashing forum, in Google search results, but then again, we do bash pretty well at times.

All in all, I think CPF was too well moderated and BLF isn't, but everyone has an opinion, just like we all have other things that don't smell well of us.


All of these comments are just my personal opinion, not based in much fact, so don't listen to it any more than a weather forecast.

22

I hear both sides. I agree with some observations. I guess for me, each forum kinda serves its own purpose. The people make the forum, but the knowledge and ideas are what I am there for. Just like any forum, it will have its louse that have to be contended with.
I don’t let folks get under my skin. Sometimes it seems that is their goal. Like my mom aways said, “Everybody is different, and just because they are different does always make them bad”. So I just avoid the ones that I don’t like. lol

23

Hello

24

Welcome Lazarus!

As you probably know, “Lazarus” is the name of a Biblical character that long ago was once alive, died, and then he was Here Again!

Welcome back. :slight_smile:

25

Velkommen til ditt nye hjem Lazarus!

26

I’ve been on cpf since 2007 and I have to agree with you.

It started as a community of great and helpful people who shared the same love for the hobby. But then the ones who manages the forum got greedy and started to monopolize every aspect possible. It became a business platform.

These are some of the most extreme nonsense I’ve witnessed and the main reasons that made me permanently switch to BLF:

-PK designs and manufactures a seriously overpriced and ugly tactical light that has no spring on the driver side. When people started to question this, their comments were deleted because “PK spent lots of time designing this and PK is perfection”, almost literally.
-When $200 SF lights came with green tint and mismatch HA, it was completely acceptable and nobody was allowed to complain on the matter because they would get flamed, but when a Chinese light came with a missing oring, OMG total failure, don’t but them again, crap product, etc.
-YOU CAN’T ASK FOR ANY KIND OF HELP in the modified flashlights forum, because immediately you will get flamed by not using search function, despite the most recent information available is from 2005.
-If you have a budget light and you wish to adjust/correct something, people would automatically assume it is broken and must be thrown in the trash.
-Runtime charts of SF lights are almost a crime, because it would show how badly regulated they are. This happened a lot in the past years.
-There are some members who you can’t question or correct them, even if they’re wrong.
-And finally, Vinh is considered by too many, the holy authority of flashlight modding. :stuck_out_tongue:

I don’t see BLF going down this road, things in here are PURE, and as long BLF stays a forum and not a business model, we will only change for good.

27

Hey, Lazarus. Welcome.

While we do sometimes have our share of drama, it is less than 1/10th of CPF. I think you'll find a great atmosphere here and I invite you to help us make it even better!

28

Oh god, the new guy’s doomed (or at least de-domed)… :party: Hopefully MRsDNF won’t twist the knife.

29

Howdy!

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Howdy and welcome…pull up a chair :slight_smile:

There are a great bunch of people here…and an incredible group of DIY and designers…they are ingenious and brilliant bunch

31

You have seen the picture of my thumb and what a sharp object did to it. My darling wife has removed all such objects to a place I fear to tread.

32

"CPF Underground!"

"A what?????"

Welcome to the forum! Crazy to think that there is underlying drama in an ONLINE hobby community. I may have made an account way back in the day over there, but honestly, I've never needed to look elsewhere. I've asked some pretty dumb questions in this forum, but everyone here is especially courteous and patient, so I've never needed to go anywhere else. Hopefully you won't either!

33

Greetings and welcome,
I’ve been on both forums for a little while, both are helpful in their own way and both have their own product and supplier preferences.

Neither of them can usually answer the ridiculous questions I ask tho :wink:

34

We can! The answer is 42!

35

Or “buy both” :party:

36

I have never been a member of CPF however I have been on there a few times. I originally found BLF via google approx. 2 years ago as it seems to consistently be one of the first sites for light reviews which I was originally interested in. Once joined and a total noob, I have found that all members, old and new are always willing to help or give ideas. Some of the more mechanical minded do some amazing things, not just with drivers but hosts as well, at least to me and yet they still treat other members, regardless of their skill or experience level with respect.
As for light reviews, nothing is held back. But most of the reviewers give ALL brands a good going over and yes some of the big names can get hit hard sometimes, but only because they don’t measure up to similar lights in their category. I would classify it as healthy criticism, not so much for the brand but more about the individual light :). What I do like though, is regardless of the review, most people will have pro’s and con’s. Either of which could be a pro or con, depending on the user. This can have the effect of not overall bagging any brand name.
I agree with others here that things will change and it’s not always a good thing. It’s a pity your experience with CPF turned out how it did but you’ve now come to the right place.
Welcome !!!

37

Welcome;

I find that I spend a lot more time on BLF but am a member of both, using the same name, until I get banned over there. Overall a lot more info here on the not distributed in the USA flashlights, in other words the Budget Lights which fit the group name. A lot more relaxed atmosphere here too and you do not need to live in terror of posting a link as part of answering a question from another member. IMO their links listing policy is DUMB and allows for links to commercial paid group members which indicates to me that CPF is now a commercial enterprise. That automatically makes me distrust the managements biases and administration.

I agree that Vinh is a “god” to many CPF members interested in modified lights but I note too that RMM (Mountain Electronics) is being mentioned in posts over there more often so the word is spreading and so far as I know he is NOT a CPF member. As for the worshiping of some light brands, that seems to be part of many groups. Camera enthusiasts worship at the altar of Nikon or Canon and swear by their choice, and at the other brand. Harley nuts swear that HD is the greatest while many BMW motorcycle riders sneer at other brands. Also true of gun nuts and many other group enthusiasts too. Most brand loyalties make little or no sense at all IMO but they exist.

38

Welcome to the family Lazarus! :slight_smile:

I was a member of CPF too but I was never banned. I decided to deactivate my membership because I did not feel ‘comfortable’ with the fellowship in there. No I don’t hate them but maybe my personality is more compatible with the community here in BLF. :slight_smile:

39

Thanks for joining the party, Lazarus!

40

What I like here is that I can ask ANYTHING BUDGET other than flashlight and I will get tons of responses without

  1. being ignored
  2. being told that I get what I pay for
  3. being advised out of my budget items

The community is more friendly, the mod less trigger happy. I have not got banned from CPF and try to follow the maze of rules and mods ego during the rare times that I log there. My main gripe is the slow loading website.