Goodbye OLD CPF Friend From An Old CPF Friend! A Tribute To Greta And History Of A Great Forum!

[Gene]

I was one of the original members on CPF. I was originally member #123. I was here when David started this wonderful place and God bless her, Greta, (or whatever she called herself at times 😉), took over and she should be credited in keeping this place alive and to where it is today.

She was so influential she got inside dope from Surefire and attended meetings with their main engineer/designer Kim who developed most of Surefire's models at the time and would let us know in advance what was to be expected from the greatest flashlight producer, (Surefire), during those early years.

You either loved her or hated her and I loved her. She had balls and never backed off with her opinions even if they were excessive or sometimes even seemingly confusing. I always just chalked it off as she was on her period! Just kidding Greta! 😁

In the beginning, there no white LED lights yet, just a couple red ones that were in their infancy. We just discussed in those early days how to make our MagLights brighter with different bulbs and such.

We all learned so much about LED's during those early years and so many creative geniuses learned about this great place and came aboard and gave us their take and advanced lights to where it is today. Even the Chinese took notice and started producing advanced lights because of CPF.

I have drawers full of lights now that this damn forum "MADE" me purchase 😂 but now I am done. I may not have the brightest, longest throwing, most efficient flashlights but I have enough to satisfy me for the rest of my life.

In the end, I don't care for the changes in format that this forum has gone through and is now. I'm a Luddite that doesn't like changes just for the sake of changing things to keep up with the times.

I'm in no way saying advances in technology should come to a halt and I'm glad all you folks are still clamoring for brighter, more efficient lights. Keep it up my friends but I'm out of here. Peace to all!

 

[bykfixer]

I used to search for LED ideas for a car project I was working on. How to place LED bulbs inline existing circuits to add more lights inside the car without over taxing the circuit. This place kept showing up. "No no no" I kept thinking as I was looking for car related articles not some flashlight forum. Wait, a flashlight forum? Let's check it out.

I saw words like "drop in", "hot wire", "SureFire", "lumens", "fenix" and the like. At the time I thought Coast HP7R was the worlds greatest flashlight. So my avatar when I joined was a photo of one. I get this pm saying my avatar was too big. "Huh? Too big?" I knew then the place was run tightly. At times too tightly. Like a bunch of little Hitler's running around waiting to pounce on rule violators who had failed to swear allegiance to the big yellow box at the top. There's tightly run, and there's TIGHTLY run. I stayed for the comradary (spelling?) that and to watch the fun when some nit picker member decided to lock horns with the staff.

Then one day the big change. I was not a fan at first. The crowd seemed to like it about as much as salt on a cut. Some folks left. But the exodus had already begun long before that. Simply put, the hobby was growing stale. Bulbs were out, LED's had platued and the industry had changed.

Most forums I've lurked lasted a few years. This one approaches 25 soon. But I give much of the credit to the members here. The old guards have moved on and much of the guard these days is the members self policing. Most forums with the freedom from moderation as this one currently has would be a giant mess by now but the members here keep the litter picked up and the furniture dusted.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

CPF has changed. Grateful it is here, with the members it has.

 

[Roger Sully]

The cameraderie of the members is what kept me here for quite a while. Greta was nice as pie! to me anyway lol.
I remember a work trip I had to Mesa, AZ and I made a post about being in the area about a week before I was to visit....Darned if it didn't turn into a great afternoon/evening with an impromptu CPF gathering!

 

[thermal guy]

I like the way CPF is now. You have a little more freedom. But in the end if CPF was no more I'd still be into lights. Learned a ton here and grateful for that.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

I'm kind of late to the table here...what caused "the change"?

 

[M@elstrom]

I knew then the place was run tightly. At times too tightly. Like a bunch of little Hitler's running around waiting to pounce on rule violators who had failed to swear allegiance to the big yellow box at the top. There's tightly run, and there's TIGHTLY run. I stayed for the comradary (spelling?) that and to watch the fun when some nit picker member decided to lock horns with the staff.

I wasn't overly enthusiastic about the "enforcement" style of some moderators here in the early days either and eventually stopped frequenting the site to pursue other interests once I had amassed a decent collection of lights (and mod supplies), I like the new format & relaxed atmosphere 👍

 

[alpg88]

I'm kind of late to the table here...what caused "the change"?

There was a desperate need for it, some members in a position of power treated this forum as their personal message boards, it was becoming too toxic, lots of members left because of it.

 

[thermal guy]

Yes. This

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

There was a desperate need for it, some members in a position of power treated this forum as their personal message boards, it was becoming too toxic, lots of members left because of it.

When did this take place?

 

[alpg88]

When did this take place?

Pretty much it started since the beginning, little by little, and it was getting worse and worse, until Gretta sold the forum few years ago , and a new owner, made long awaited, and necessary changes.
However there is a bright side, If it was not for so many leaving "with bitter taste in their mouth", there would not be so many joining BLF.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

Why did some leave?

 

[alpg88]

Why did some leave?

.............................................it was becoming too toxic, lots of members left because of it.

 

[bykfixer]

I'm kind of late to the table here...what caused "the change"?

There was one change way back when at a time when the original owner sold it to Sasha who later became known as Greta, formerly known as Sasha then just Greta. She was kinda like the Joan Jett of flashlights. Life got long in the tooth so Greta decided to back away from all of the day to day stuff here and sold it to Jelly. Jelly is now known as Mr Ed.

I'm not 100% sure why David sold it to Sasha so I won't speculate. At one point people left because of the SureFire dominance in the discussions. Hearsay but I was told "you didn't dare speak ill of SureFire or else" by former members ..... other forums soon developed.

Heck I remember a time you weren't allowed to speak of that forum called budget light forum. Now in defense of the staff back then, they kept threads on track and kept members in orderly discussions. Quarrels got squashed quickly. Sometimes the staff seemed over zealous in my mind.

All in all it was a great place to talk about flashlights, a place to learn a ton of knowledge and a pretty fun place to carry on e-conversations.

I'd say most people left because life just evolves. Oh some left in a snit, some left and joined other forums and some just logged out one day.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

There was one change way back when at a time when the original owner sold it to Sasha who later became known as Greta, formerly known as Sasha then just Greta. She was kinda like the Joan Jett of flashlights. Life got long in the tooth so Greta decided to back away from all of the day to day stuff here and sold it to Jelly. Jelly is now known as Mr Ed.

I'm not 100% sure why David sold it to Sasha so I won't speculate. At one point people left because of the SureFire dominance in the discussions. Hearsay but I was told "you didn't dare speak ill of SureFire or else" by former members ..... other forums soon developed.

Heck I remember a time you weren't allowed to speak of that forum called budget light forum. Now in defense of the staff back then, they kept threads on track and kept members in orderly discussions. Quarrels got squashed quickly. Sometimes the staff seemed over zealous in my mind.

All in all it was a great place to talk about flashlights, a place to learn a ton of knowledge and a pretty fun place to carry on e-conversations.

I'd say most people left because life just evolves. Oh some left in a snit, some left and joined other forums and some just logged out one day.

Thanks for the back story, bykfixer. That helps a lot.

 

[bykfixer]

I haven't been here all that long but used to read, read, read old threads. I learned a lot there. That and some of the old guard explained to me how things got where they are.

 

[orbital]

+

Greta

~ Simple cool
~ Clever dry humor
~ Reasonable but firm
~ Could wrap something perfectly in just a couple of sentences



her skating a few years ago

 

[nightshade]

I was one of the original members on CPF. I was originally member #123. I was here when David started this wonderful place and God bless her, Greta, (or whatever she called herself at times 😉), took over and she should be credited in keeping this place alive and to where it is today.

She was so influential she got inside dope from Surefire and attended meetings with their main engineer/designer Kim who developed most of Surefire's models at the time and would let us know in advance what was to be expected from the greatest flashlight producer, (Surefire), during those early years.

You either loved her or hated her and I loved her. She had balls and never backed off with her opinions even if they were excessive or sometimes even seemingly confusing. I always just chalked it off as she was on her period! Just kidding Greta! 😁

In the beginning, there no white LED lights yet, just a couple red ones that were in their infancy. We just discussed in those early days how to make our MagLights brighter with different bulbs and such.

We all learned so much about LED's during those early years and so many creative geniuses learned about this great place and came aboard and gave us their take and advanced lights to where it is today. Even the Chinese took notice and started producing advanced lights because of CPF.

I have drawers full of lights now that this damn forum "MADE" me purchase 😂 but now I am done. I may not have the brightest, longest throwing, most efficient flashlights but I have enough to satisfy me for the rest of my life.

In the end, I don't care for the changes in format that this forum has gone through and is now. I'm a Luddite that doesn't like changes just for the sake of changing things to keep up with the times.

I'm in no way saying advances in technology should come to a halt and I'm glad all you folks are still clamoring for brighter, more efficient lights. Keep it up my friends but I'm out of here. Peace to all!

Gene, thanks for your time and contribution here. I enjoyed reading your posts in the radio thread. Wishing you all the best. May your path stay well lit.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

Gene, thanks for your time and contribution here. I enjoyed reading your posts in the radio thread. Wishing you all the best. May your path stay well lit.

Hunh? Radio thread? What radio thread??

 

[nightshade]

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/small-portable-radios.197880/

Be careful, it's another rabbit hole