"...the spirit of the age is one that seems to promote division rather than unity.. Still, we are responsible for our actions"
+1
Introspective of this forum: "Does the Audiophile Community Have a Promlem?" I Say yes!!!
This article is so insightful to this forum and the toxicity in the community. (My Opinion)
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone?
I know I have contributed to the toxicity here and will try to be a better citizen. Hopefully some will read this and see they are part of the problem (LOL)
Some will not and continue to play their roll as the Toxic Avenger.
https://www.ecoustics.com/articles/audiophile-community-problem/
There is a particular board on a specific forum that was hidden from the outside world because of how horrible it was. Where personal politics and racism was the norm 24-7 and one member even committed suicide after months of abuse. We watched him fight with other members on a daily basis and get a lot of heat back. He was fine most of the time when dealing with him on a individual basis but then he descended into some really horrible commentaries about race and certain countries and he went down the rabbit hole into some dark places.
Websites like ASR hold zero interest for me because a lot of the users are just there to be “right” and make others feel very small because their views don’t align with certain points of view.
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This writer calls himself "aging", but he must not be that old because, while the Web didn't exist in 1987, when that Stereo Review blind amp test came out showing inexpensive amps couldn't be picked from expensive amps, you'd have thought the world had been set on fire. The magazines' Letters to the Editor and BBS were howling. This isn't something new, and it certainly isn't about audio. You should have seen the golf forums back in the 90's arguing about swing methodology and equipment. Back then I competed in long drive a few times with a competition best of 372 yards with carries up to 330, and I was repeatedly told by people on forums, who I could outdrive with a 3-iron, that my thoughts on swing methodology were all wrong. You've just got to have the attitude of, "Yeah, OK, whatever." This is just simple psychology. It's always been going on and it always will because people are people. And many people are irrational, unintelligent or have psychological axes to grind. Either you accept it, or you let it control you, because while it's something that might possibly be suppressed and censored, it's not something you can change. And none of these subjects are that important. |
"It’s worth drawing a distinction between "rude a-hole" and "extremely opinionated old hifi guy." Exactly right and well said, @td_dayton! |
I enjoy the rants and baiting. It's like watching a soap opera with a stereo equipment theme. The snarkier the better! I certainly hope nobody is actually getting upset by this. "Riled up" is fine, though. If you want to see an active toxic forum, you should go to one that discusses which city has the best pizza (New Haven, Connecticut, of course). |
If the intent here is to raise awareness in people who behave badly well, good luck with that--i've already seen in this thread that some of the worst offenders have no clue that this thread might just apply to them. It would seem that arrogance is blind and perhaps these offenders really don't see themselves in that light--which means the problem will remain. To a certain extent this, and other forums, represent the sentiment of the country/world and times--there's enough diversity here that you get all types. In the six years i've been a member i've definitely seen the tone change for the worse but not extremely so--it's usually just a few prolific people--and sometimes, if you wade through the condescension, they actually have something to offer. I'm kind of in agreement with those who think the problem is not really that serious. I still enjoy reading the weekly summary and i know whose opinions i will value and those i will ignore--and it's not always the arrogant ones i ignore--as with any forum there's the good, the bad & the ugly so i don't take it that seriously. Merry Christmas/(or if applicable Happy Hanukkah ) to all and Happy New Year |
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