is it time for a zebralight subforum?!?!?

Blue72

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
1,138
I find myself coming to the headlamp forum less and less, because its almost exclusively about zebralights.

Nothing against zebralight, they are great lights......but I like to see some different topics discussed
 

RedForest UK

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
1,365
Only 3 of the top 10 threads right now are about zebralights. I see what you mean as zebralights do seem to take a massive market share for enthusiasts but it's not like the whole forum is just zebras zebras zebras. Headlamps are discussed on merit and as with anything the best ones will get the most attention.
 

varuscelli

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
1,405
Location
Texas
I don't think it would be practical to put ZebraLight headlamps in a separate subforum.

Realistically, it looks as though the number of overall posts (not overall threads, but overall posts) in the Headlamps forum leans quite a bit toward ZebraLight due to heavy interest in those threads to which ZebraLight offerings are applicable.

However, the number of overall topics is still very diverse with a majority of threads that have nothing to do with ZebraLight headlamps at all (or recommendation threads in which ZebraLight is often included as part of the topic along with other brands). Those topics that do involve ZebraLight tend to develop into long threads because there is such interest in the brand, and often the top two or three topics are ZebraLight topics due to heavy posting which pushes them back to the top. But it looks to me as though 75 to 80 percent of thread titles have nothing to do with ZebraLight headlamps (at a quick glance).

Also...just to throw in a complication or two...how would recommendation threads be handled? For instance, where would a "Spark or Zebralight?" question be asked? Or, "Which One of These Three Headlamp for Camping?" if Zebralight was one of the candidates? You'd run into an awful lot of gray area and in many cases force interested folks to scan through two forums instead of one for threads of interest (or confuse folks about which forum they should post in...and to some degree make more work for moderators to keep things sorted).

I think the headlamps forum, from a practical standpoint, is best served as it is. Just my perspective (no disrespect intended for the question being asked).
 

Bolster

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Messages
1,542
Location
Mexifornia
I would say "no."

I dislike forums that are too specific; need to keep your peripheral vision intact.

PS: Zebralight will understandably dominate for awhile when a new model comes out. Same for other brands.

If you want different topics discussed, then post up! Nothing stopping you.
 

speedsix

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 17, 2009
Messages
253
I would vote yes. I agree that this forum seems to talk about ZL too much. It would be nice to put all the Zebra Light topics in one place so I can ignore them easier. I don't like ZL and would never consider buying another one after my bad experience so to see this forum dominated by a light I consider to be overpriced garbage really limits my interest in searching.
 

speedsix

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 17, 2009
Messages
253
There are 16 threads on the front page with Zebralight in the title and several more that are about ZL but are not titled.

It's like some sort of club that I have no interest in joining is taking over the forum. To be honest, I am kind of surprised ZL is still in business but I guess I can wait a few years and not have to worry about it.
 

d1337

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 3, 2005
Messages
227
I like the forum the way it is. It seems like the headlamp forum it's self is kind of specialized and narrowing it any more would not really help. I think that Zebralight takes up a little more space because they are popular right now. Things will shift over time. I do see a little irony in that this thread that seems to be discussing if we are talking about Zebralight too much in this forum will end up being a thread where we talk about Zebralight some more. :)
 

srfreddy

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Messages
921
Location
New England
1: Double posts are usually frowned upon, use the edit button.
2: I hardly think one experience means that you can say that the company should not be popular and should cease to exist.
3: You are entitled to your own opinion, but... Zebralight is not "taking over" CPF. Many people enjoy their lights and think that they are good, but they have hardly become the only choice here.
 

varuscelli

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
1,405
Location
Texas
There are 16 threads on the front page with Zebralight in the title and several more that are about ZL but are not titled.

It's like some sort of club that I have no interest in joining is taking over the forum.

Well...looking over the list of thread titles on page 1, I count 14 titles with ZebraLight mentioned (at the time of this posting)...but if we split the difference at 15 out of 50, that works out to 70 percent of the thread titles being other than ZebraLight titles.

There seem to be plenty of threads about non-ZebraLight offerings.

Threads that include discussion about multiple brands can't be objectively seen as ZebraLight discussions.

It's no one's fault if there is a lot of interest in ZebraLight headlamps...it's not like there's some kind of conspiracy going on...and there's plenty to read about and discuss that has nothing to do with ZebraLight.

Personally, I'm interested in all kinds of headlamps and I'm glad to be able to find information on (or bring up for discussion) just about any headlamp I'd wish to right here.

When there's something I'm not interested in that comes up for discussion, I just skim past the title and don't look any further into the thread.
 
Last edited:

kaichu dento

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Messages
6,554
Location
現在の世界
I don't like ZL and would never consider buying another one after my bad experience so to see this forum dominated by a light I consider to be overpriced garbage really limits my interest in searching.
Zebralight makes garbage? More descriptive of your post here. Don't like a light, live and let live - let the multitudes who do like them post here without having to read this type of overly opinionated garbage.
It's like some sort of club that I have no interest in joining is taking over the forum. To be honest, I am kind of surprised ZL is still in business but I guess I can wait a few years and not have to worry about it.
Unless they start going in a suddenly different direction, they'll be here long after you or I.
 

Bolster

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Messages
1,542
Location
Mexifornia
Isn't it pretty easy not to open threads with Zebralight in the title? That would seem the easiest fix. No reason to change the forum.
 

Lynx_Arc

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 1, 2004
Messages
11,212
Location
Tulsa,OK
Awhile back he would be talking about a Fenix headlamp subforum when they were all the buzz with 2-3 new headlamps.
 

CoherentRays

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Messages
61
Location
The High Plains of Wyoming
I'm happy with just one headlamp forum. As a relative newcomer to the headlamp community, I like reading about all the available options in just one forum. I currently have a Zebralight H51Fw and a Fenix HL21 with the diffuser installed and I'm pretty happy with them for my own uses but I like reading about all the other units available or that are coming that might be better for me.

To the members who think Zebralight is too dominant in this forum, why don't you start a thread about your favorite light and tell us why you think it's better than Zebralight, then maybe we'll all learn something new.

Ed
 

speedsix

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 17, 2009
Messages
253
Zebralight makes garbage? More descriptive of your post here. Don't like a light, live and let live - let the multitudes who do like them post here without having to read this type of overly opinionated garbage.
Unless they start going in a suddenly different direction, they'll be here long after you or I.

How about you just learn to deal with it?
 

Lou Minescence

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 12, 2011
Messages
1,189
Location
New England US
Things come and go. Zebralight is popular for now. I noticed when someone wanted a recommendation for a light, someone always chimed in "get a Zebralight" no matter what the posters criteria was. Zebralight has obtained a cult following.
Zebralight could pay for a spot in the Market Place for a more specific place to post about Zebralights.
 

YoSeKi

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Messages
72
It would be nice to put all the Zebra Light topics in one place so I can ignore them easier. I don't like ZL and would never consider buying another one after my bad experience so to see this forum dominated by a light I consider to be overpriced garbage really limits my interest in searching.

How about you just learn to deal with it?

That is great advice for yourself.
 
Last edited:

kaichu dento

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Messages
6,554
Location
現在の世界
How about you just learn to deal with it?
Already said it in my previous post and you've just proven your inability to make anything resembling a beneficial post.

Many of us like Zebralights and you don't - just pass by any thread about Zebralights and you won't have to hear about them.
 

gcbryan

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
2,473
Location
Seattle,WA
I understand that it can get boring when everything seems to be about Zebralight. I have a couple of them and love them and I still get bored by all of the Zebralight threads but so what :)

If someone starts an interesting thread about another good headlamp I'll read that too. At the moment not many people are doing that so Zebralight dominates the conversation.

Solarforce dominates the Budget Light forum...again...so what :)

Actually before I had any Zebralights I was getting a little tired of the "cult-like" following. Now that I have a couple I too like them more than my other headlamps so now I don't consider it to be "cult-like" to like them :)
 
Last edited:
Top