I’ve been playing with the camera on the Droid X a little. Okay, a lot. One thing I hated right off the bat was the very loud tone it sounded when you focused and then the also very loud shutter sound.

So off I went to the Android communities to search for a way to disable those sounds. What did I learn during my reading of old postings?

Don’t ever go to an online community and ask for help in silencing your camera. You will be accused of having all manner of nefarious intentions. You’re obviously a pervert who wants to snap photos of young children without their parents being aware. Or you’re a pervert who wants to take pictures up a young lady’s skirt without being caught.

The rather ferocious hostility toward the question made me glad I was merely searching for answers and not actually asking the question myself. And, to be honest, I’m sure there were a few who asked with less than honorable motivation. But I assume a lot were like me—most of the photos I take are of my kids and my pets and, as soon as they hear a focus tone, they turn to look at me and the Kodak moment is lost. Nothing nefarious in that.

I did a find an app (Vignette) that, in place of the stock camera app, is not only silent, but offers a huge variety of different effects and options. Love it! As for the Droid X, it’s got a little bug in the Gallery app I haven’t managed to chase down yet, but overall I love it. Have no regrets about not waiting for the Verizon iPhone.