I agree this forum and others have been instrumental in helping me assemble my dream system. So, as one accumulates knowledge and experience forums less valuable for that, left to passing on that knowledge and experience. At some point one begins to repeat themselves with this, how many times can you say the same thing over and over. The only times this doesn't get stale for me is when I'm changing out equipment which gets continually rarer as my system has evolved into stasis.
Do people tire of audio forums?
Not sure how much interest this will generate since members who've left audio forums, or at least this forum aren't here to comment.
Anyway, I've been one to come and go from forums of all kinds over many years, this for any number of reasons. So recently I've been lurking again, checking in perhaps once a week, came across a recent post where a member stated he was leaving because he felt unappreciated. Got me to thinking how much this sentiment enters into people decisions to participate or not participate in this forum, or any other forum for that matter.
Based on my observations and experience, being unappreciated and/or underappreciated is inherent to the hobby/obsession. Unless one has very wide experience with equipment in their home system or systems they have only limited empirical evidence to offer. For instance I'm exclusively involved with SET, custom build and modification. only limited numbers of members have interest in this, so appreciation only goes so far.
Seems to me, a whole lot of people on these forums speak on things they've only heard from others, or have very limited experience with, suppose this makes them feel important. And then some are provocateurs, get their need to be appreciated fulfilled in this manner, guess arguing feels like appreciation for them. Based on my observations the need to feel appreciated is important for people both to continue to participate and in decisions to leave.
I've also been perusing some past posts where members are leaving and remarking about how audiogon was a more friendly place at some time in the past. I don't recall a time when that was true, there have always been bully's, provocateurs, self important people here. I believe this nostalgia comes from a time when this individual was still making many new audio discoveries. I suspect many of us settle down into satisfactory and/or dream systems and no longer have much interest in new discoveries. I for one don't see this forum ever changing much, members come and go, always newbies and oldies, same arguments and agreements go on and on.
For me, interest in talking about audio waxes and wanes, never get tired of listening to music over a fine system, just get tired of talking and thinking about everything that goes into creating and maintaining a system. Feeling like you're repeating yourself and seeing the same old posts gets stale for me, so I leave. If past repeats itself I'll likely find audio talk to be of interest at some point in the future.
Just interested if others have similar experiences or observations.
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@sns I am in full agreement with your observations. One of my biggest annoyance is statements like "I read/heard about component x and I highly recommend it".🙄 |
Agree with cdc, +1 @sns. When really getting into 2-channel I would search the various audio forums, but always felt Audiogon forums was a great data point that seemed more valuable than others, which encouraged me to join. To your point OP, I’m currently in my early 40’s and have only been in this hobby for the past 15 years; I'm still learning, experimenting, and attempting to find synergy. My experience is limited given the average age (61) of this forum and subsequently the experience that comes with it, which to me is of value. Unsure if the forum voice has changed over the years, but if so, maybe it’s because we’re all becoming older. If true, I’m okay with this since grumpy old men were always entertaining to have conversations with :) |
@sns What keeps me engaged or not has a lot to do with who is in conversation. There are some members I reliably learn from -- including yourself. Sometimes a poster has actual experience with something -- that's helpful but of course it's an "n of one." (Their ears, room, etc.) Other posters have been enormously helpful in explaining things to me and, in one memorable case, troubleshooting some reversed polarity outlets. Other posters have enormous range of experience with, say, a DAC or amps or acoustics. They speak to the aesthetics or the workings of those things. Some are just time-wasters or puffed shirts. Some write way too much for anyone to read. They're pretty obvious and either get pushback or quietly ignored. The last type of poster is someone capable about speaking to the meanings involved -- the interface between sound and music, the different approaches that one might take to a system. Non-dogmatic, these posters open up the meanings involved -- by clarifying, expanding, relating, questioning. |
@sns + 1 to the n where n is a reasonable but not ego inflammation inducing value… you display exactly the kind of introspection and emotional intelligence that i value in the best contributors here … audiophile know thyself is a mantra i try to live by… Remember, even the great Nelson Pass moved on from statis… ha. There are a lot of what i call low sample size audiophiles that post about gear, rooms, they have never heard… an aggressive noise filter helps…. finally energize yourself with new learning… even the change agent needs a change agent…. Best to you Jim |
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