Why is it so much more civil over here on Agon?

Threads on both forums are prone to take off on sarcastic tangents now and then. Sometimes they are a lot of fun to read.
The key is to remember that it is not worthwhile to get upset when a jest strikes you wrong. IMHO.
Either that or just don't post topics that could later start out with "You might be a redneck if" or end with "Here's your sign".
Happy Listening!

That is a funny thread! They were being a little cruel but very funny.

I guess I'm aging myself but in the mid to late 1980's on rec.audio.highend, there were a few people that were I think were truly hateful, downright psychotic. If you heard any difference at all between different amps, you caught hell. And the moderators put up with that; in fact one of them was the worst of all.

A'gon sometimes gets a bit cruel if a newbie posts a shallow sounding rave of a new product. Generally it's remarkably civil and quite a relief, IMHO. But I'd say the same of audioasylum.

Art

There were a few people that flamed around here on occasion. Two things happened. One was the moderators which not only would remove their comments if they were too far out of line, but would remove that person's moniker from the site. Of course, they could come back with a new moniker, and some did, but after a while--why go somewhere if you aren't welcome. The other aspect, which is far more effective, are the other users of the site. You can see a thread where one person makes a cruel comment (particularly if it's to a newbe) and you'll find the next five comments are people talking about what a jerk the guy that made the cruel comment was and that there are no stupid questions---etc. The people here seem to really care about the hobby and encourage others to participate, whether they own NAD or Marantz equipment, or the top Krell and Levinson equipment. Some other sites (and sometimes retail outlets unfortunately) have people that feel the need to show how smart they are and how superior they are because they own better equipment than the new guy can afford (or maybe he can afford it, just hasn't experienced it and found the desire to buy higher end equipment). I think most would agree that this type of attitude has had a significant effect on the market size of this hobby.

One gives the benefit of the doubt to free expression, the other only wants its own version of what the audio world should be where more money always equals better sound. You probably will not be able to read this. This post is sort of like the tree that falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it.

I thinks it's a combination of the moderators and also the further effect of the moderators in that there seems to be a certain class of internet rabble rouser that just won't post in a "moderated" forum and sees all moderation as a draconian imposition on his rights. I say let those folks stay over at AA.