Essay bashing Primedia, Stereophile - and Audiogon

"The emergence of Audiogon is emblematic of where all of this marginalization has brought us. Hobbyists no longer participate in a living, breathing marketplace, but whore out trendy, here-today-gone-tomorrow products that have no lasting value, undermining the market for new, lasting-quality gear by reallocating money that usually went to retailers in the form of profit margins and trade-ins to haggle dubiously amongst each other (then adding insult to injury by wasting manufacturers’ time with endless queries as to the latest internet bargain—validate my decisions, reassure me that I’ll be happy). Never mind customer service or warranties, having a store and a company stand behind said services and products, or dealing with qualified people who understand that a great audio system, like fine cuisine, is not simply a matter of having the fanciest ingredients, but of knowing how to harmonize all of those elements into something greater than the sum of its parts."

According to this article I'm a whore, waste manufacturer's time, and don't know how to match components. Okay, I admit it, I'd be happy to be paid for physical encounters with attractive members of the opposite sex. There, I feel better. As for wasting people's time or not knowing enough to put together synergistic systems, I strongly disagree.

The time's they a-changed and it seems the author isn't in favor of sites like AudioGon. Sounds like a bitter dealer who want things just like they were before the wide-spread use of the internet. In the words of Tom Cochrane, you can't turn back.