why do we argue?


I suppose it's human nature?

Not everyone can get along,at least all of the time.

Squablles occur in the best of families,sometimes over big issues, sometimes over small ones.

So why should the audio "family" be any different?

Some forums have gone to great pains to cleanse their sites and free them from confrontations between audiophiles who can't see eye to eye, or perhaps we should say, ear to ear.

But where's the harm in all that squabbling? Really?

If someone finds it offensive, then why continue to read it, like a moth drawn to the flame,if you think it's going to harm you, don't enter.

No one is making you.

Then if you feel you have to post your objections to objectional comments(who made you the boss?)then you are not the solution ,you're just adding to the problem.

Like bringing gasoline to put out the fire.

You're going to be on one side or the other,or perhaps you are the "let's kiss and make up type" "can't we all be friends?"audiophile who has only everyone's best wishes at heart.

There's always a "mom" to come between two fighting brothers isn't there,and you know she can't take sides,calling a truce is her job.

But until the real issues have been addressed, the argument is never over.

It's always there under the surface,just waiting to boil over given half the chance.Power cords one day, fuses the next, and demagging lp's? Please!

It usually starts in audio forums when some chump posts that a piece of something that cost more than it should, made an improvement that someone who wasn't there to hear it says it didn't.

Get the gist?

I did it, I heard it, I was there,who are you to tell me I didn't hear it, and how dare you call me dillusional?That's the response to the first response from the folks who know it just can't be real.

Surely if I am half a man, I'll have to make some sort of reply.And reply to the reply and on and on again and again.

I'll have to try to proove that I heard what I heard, but you need scientific proof.

Obviously I can't provide any, I am a chump, not a scientist, I bought the snake oil didn't I?

So on and on it goes and intensifies until enough is enough and two or more members of the family are banished from the fold.

The community all the better for it, or so it tells itself.

But is it?

If everything in this hobby is scrutinized to the point that if there isn't a scientific white paper to back up the claims, how much of what we take for granted today would be lost to the audio community at large?

Zip cord,stock giveaway cords of all srtipe would be all that we would have.There'd be no equipment stands or various footers, no isolation devices of the electrical and mechanical persuasion,no spikes,no fancy metals,in short there would be no aftermarket anything.

It would be a 100% snake free world,a totalitarian utopia for the less than feeble minded audiophiles that there are so many of. Those foolish folks who thrive on fairy dust need to be saved from their own foolish and wasteful ways.

At least that's the way I've seen it from my perspective.

I know it's too late to save me.Salvation passed me by decades ago.
lacee
Thank you, Dan, for your apology. You are a gentleman. I too apologize-- for my first post yesterday. I hope there are no hard feelings.

The upside: We've provided a good demonstration of how to avert an argument. No small feat on a topic like this one!

Bryon
My intial reaction was that it was joking.

But,I've elicited similar responses that weren't as jovial , hence my second thoughts.

I agree, much can be learned from threads that at times can get a bit hostile.

If you go back to my intial post, I am in favour of heated debates and opposed to censorship and thread closings.

And as I stated, there's always something to be learned if you are open minded.

Lucky for us, not all of the wisdom of the ages was lost in the great book burnings.

And the folks doing the book burnings were just looking out for our best interests as well.Or so they said.
consider the medium of argument. the internet has no feedbacks built in from the person you are talking withs posture, ability to counter point immediately and last but not least the elimination of a smack in the mouth. We can say anything and let whatever frustrations out with complete safety. Not seeing your discussion partner has a significant impact. I've been called all sorts of stuff by folks that would never have done it in person both because if we discussed in person we could both better communicate and also the obvious smack in the mouth.
"I've been called all sorts of stuff by folks that would never have done it in person both because if we discussed in person we could both better communicate and also the obvious smack in the mouth."

Yep. A "Smack in the mouth" web app could be a huge seller if effective! I bet there is one out there somewhere. Might help negate some of the unique advantages of electronic social networking done right though.
I kind of like the fact that on the Internet, people are more apt to say what they mean and tell you what they think of you than they might in person. It can be a double edged sword when things head south but a useful tool for self improvement that might not be available otherwise.