Kahles and Swarovski (1 Viewer)

[WJC]

Dear Bill
I have not turned on you at all and am in awe of your knowledge of repairing binoculars. But I have told you several times in the past that too often your posts aren't about binos at all but about you, and this thread is no different.

Lee

Hi Lee,

Yes, you have counseled me on the puffery several times. And I have counseled you on why it matters an equal number of times. People say they come here for knowledge. From my perspective some people come here to see and be seen. Others come here to get praise from the unknowing who they have succeeding in making believe they know MUCH more than they do.

Example:

When failing to wrestle 3-axis binocular collimation comments from me on BirdForum, one former member moved his show over to Cloudy Nights where he had a much more approachable audience. There, with Drawings, Graphs, Rulers, Compasses, and Protractors he was able to make himself a brilliant hero to the group while convoluting a relatively simple task into a daunting undertaking. This was a disservice to all who saw it, and the opposite of what I had been trying to accomplish for the community.

Example 2:

Hours ago, here on BirdForum one fellow tried to prove me wrong concerning Leupold MAKING binoculars. He used sales literature and newspaper reports to prove me wrong. The idea that I had been in the plant in Beaverton more than one on business or that my Leopold rep confirmed that they were bought binos “OFFSHORE” didn’t seem to matter one whit with this fellow. After all, he had seen it in print, which of course settled it ... in his mind.

After the rep realized I was in no mood to be bamboozled, he told me the real story. For a short time in the last part of the 1990s, “Leopold ASSEMBLED two pocket models from Asian parts.” Some may remember me taking that bull by the horns here on BirdForum.

(So, LittleCrazy2 if you can prove Leopold MANUFACTURED (not assembled) binoculars in their plant between 1995 and 2005, I will DOUBLE my offer to $100! Talk is cheap, especially on binocular forums. Do you have facts of just air?!)

Lee, the puffery that gets your goat is caused by the literally HUNDREDS of such examples in which people who don’t know what they’re talking about have thrown caution to the wind and are willing to refute someone who does. Hey, that’s the way birding forums are supposed to be. NOT ON MY WATCH! I don’t lie, I don’t twist the truth; I care; I do research and believe on evidence.

Don’t worry Lee, I won’t be around much longer. See attached.

 

[NDhunter]

Bill:
Settle down, you have gone overboard. You have nothing to prove on here.
I have been a big supporter of you in the past, but now things are different.
Jerry

 

[Ted Y.]

Bill:
Settle down, you have gone overboard. You have nothing to prove on here.
I have been a big supporter of you in the past, but now things are different.
Jerry

Boo!

 

[albie...]

I'm a fan of Bill , he knows his stuff , been following most of his posts for years . Miss him on CN and so do others . One of the reasons I joined BF was to be able to enjoy seeing Bill correct wrongs . He seems very passionate about his knowledge and sharing it with others , you either love it or hate it , I love it . "The Truth Is Out There" .

 

[Maljunulo]

The more incorrect a viewpoint is …… the more fiercely it is defended.

 

[tenex]

Bloody hell, this is going on and on and on, the title of this thread is „Kahles and Swarovski“, where can I find some info on the subject, please?

Not from Bill.

Bludgeoned, scarred, and misunderstood...

...and betrayed too... sure enough, the Jesus imagery is hard to miss.

Don’t worry Lee, I won’t be around much longer. See attached.

But suddenly you're Socrates? Or maybe Plato? I'm confused... will the real Bill Cook please stand up?

 

[Maljunulo]

Oh no, whatever this is it's contagious! Name any actual "viewpoint" having anything to do with optics at all that is being attacked or defended in this ridiculous thread.

It never ceases to amaze me that a simple observation can cause such consternation.

 

[dries1]

Christmas must be right around the corner.

 

[Ted Y.]

It never ceases to amaze me that a simple observation can cause such consternation.

I do not know if it is consternation. But noise in thread ... it is.
In this thread, almost 50% posts are noise (in my opinion ), and maybe 10 contain insults or almost insults.
We do not have the tools to protect against, no one police the thread...
C'est la vie.

Edit: making noise it is a way to distract from the original post. To make it secondary and say it is a ridiculous thread.

 

[tenex]

It never ceases to amaze me that a simple observation can cause such consternation.

Thanks for inviting a second look, I think I misunderstood you. Deleted.

Edit: making noise it is a way to distract from the original post.

Perhaps you can explain what that post actually had to say that anyone would want to distract attention from? I think it was just noise to begin with.

 

[WJC]

Not from Bill.


...and betrayed too... sure enough, the Jesus imagery is hard to miss.

But suddenly you're Socrates? Or maybe Plato? I'm confused... will the real Bill Cook please stand up?

221216

Tenex,

With all due respect, your thinking seems to be as shallow as binocollector who posited that I thought of myself as our Savior. It seems once blood is smelled in the water on BirdForum, you could be handing out gold coins and still be a dirt bag. But, I will try.

Some publishers like quotes. The publisher of Dockside told me: “Using quotes is a good idea. A few words from a well-suspected source garners more attention than a book from an unknown ...”)

There you have it. Sorry if does not fit your palate. I did try. Further, I will say I am NOT the person I am being made out to be.

Bill

 

[WJC]

I'm a fan of Bill , he knows his stuff , been following most of his posts for years . Miss him on CN and so do others . One of the reasons I joined BF was to be able to enjoy seeing Bill correct wrongs . He seems very passionate about his knowledge and sharing it with others , you either love it or hate it , I love it . "The Truth Is Out There" .

Thank you so much Albie. I do try to do the right thing. But as you have seen, old wives tales have a long shelf life and some will fight to the death to protect them. Truth ... what is that?!

 

[WJC]

Bill, post 52,
You supplied us with a lot of useful information in, what we call in The Netherlands "bloemrijke bewoordingen". When reading your books and your comments in your own characteristic way: I learned a lot so do not be disappointed if people do not like it or do not take you seriously, it is not worth it.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in good health.
Gijs van Ginkel

Bless you Gijs. I do take it seriously because it portrays me the the exact opposite light I would hope for.

 

[tenex]

...once blood is smelled in the water...

From self-inflicted wounds... an unusually bizarre spectacle, but all one can apparently do is prolong it so I'll move on to something productive.

 

[WJC]

Hi Bill,

I think this thread would have been more productive If you stuck to your subject. It’s mostly about yourself and not about the optics or the subject title. IMO less about you (we’ve heard it all before many times) and more optics talk will improve your postings.

221216

Hi Beth,

I agree, but if you take the time to read the whole mess, it will be clear that I have just been trying to save myself from savagery on all sides. To do what I set out to do all those many years ago, I have to at least TRY to protect my reputation. Without it being intact, there is no way I can be useful. It’s hard enough as it is. Some of the respondents understand me and my motivations. Many others don’t:

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

There I go ... using quotes again! Shame on me.

I don’t have a dog in this show, I have all the binoculars I will ever need, and I have a pretty good understanding of which “upgrades” can be seen by the eye/brain combination and which are just about bragging rights. I respect all. It’s just that I refuse to play that game.

Thank you Beth. But you have told me what Lee has on SEVERAL occasions. Without being of some assistance to others, there is no point in being here. From time to time, it gets to be hard and thankless. But then, I knew that at the outset.

Cheers and Merry Christmas,

Bill

From self-inflicted wounds... an unusually bizarre spectacle, but all one can apparently do is prolong it so I'll move on to something productive.

Bingo

 

[crinklystarfish]

... I have promised myself I would do the best I could to help with the misinformation that abounds on the Internet.

Although this “cut to the chase and give it to ‘em straight” approach has been very successful in a professional, face-to-face setting, it hasn’t always been appreciated when used on the net. There, I’ve been met with severe, sometimes hurtful, criticism from those who’ve failed to recognize the reason for my self-assured, bulldog approach to teaching and not sharing information and advice in a more politically correct, unsure of myself, milquetoast fashion so as to be acceptable to every possible ideology, language, and level of understanding on the planet.

It would seem to me that the inestimable author is already acutely aware that the laudable and undeniably important goal would be better achieved by adopting a modified communications strategy.

crinklystarfish
Aged 11

 

[CharleyBird]

Bloody hell people


WJC, I appreciate the meaty bits of your writing. It is good to read things that get to the point and provide direct experience.
Block capitals, bolding text, and quotes whether from Plato or the Press, are truly unnecessary.

Noting you joined on 14/07.05 here's hoping you stay to celebrate your vicennial

 

[Steve]

This is the same old nonsense ad nauseam , egos getting out of control, same old faces pontificating,The same old "worlds experts" thinking they are being attacked if someone disagrees with their post, this has been going on for years, even a ban hasn't stopped people from behaving like kids.

the binocular forum is not for argument it is for discussion.

please if you are going to get upset, angry, or treat people disrespectfully go elsewhere.

thanks

Steve

 

[Maljunulo]

Removed by author.

(thought better of it, under the circumstances)

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

Bill, post 61,
When the meeting of the Binocular History Soceity took place in Portland/Vancouver some years ago, Jan van Daalen and myself decided to join and we wanted to visit Leupold to see its binocular production and production programme, so we approached Leupold and asked whether we could visit. The answer we received was :"there is nothing to see, since we do not make binoculars". I have mentioned this before but not everybody reads every post as I can understand, but Bill is perfectly right when he states that Leupold does not make binoculars.
Gijs van Ginkel