A good read in todays audio forum times.
Does the Audiophile Community Have a Problem? - ecoustics.com
Does the Audiophile Community Have a Problem? - ecoustics.com
Does the Audiophile Community Have a Problem?
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i agree, with the ability to have complete anonymity people will say just about anything. But I have noticed the vitriol has increased rapidly in the last 5 years. I guess the sign of the society we now live in. Whatever happened to the golden rule?
I took that shit out of my reply to his post. I didn’t want to sound too shitty to everyone.
There have been times on WBF, even more than five years ago, when there has been much more vitriol than there is now.
I am sure. I was caught up in the Blizzard that blew through a few years ago. Audio forums can sure provide a wild ride at times.
I agree with many, many of the points in the posted article, including:
The community has a history of pushing away female audiophiles; we have the most female contributors of any hi-fi publication and the emails and comments that we have to delete from audiophiles are pretty disgusting.
Where does that come from? If you wouldn’t send those kind of emails or comments to your own mother or sisters — what makes sending them to women writers or forum participants acceptable?
Here again though, readers will say “but I’m not misogynistic or narcissistic,” but if we contribute to any part of the stereotype (pun intended) we contribute to all of it. And sometimes all that it takes to contribute is staying silent while others behave poorly.
* * *
“I can’t help it if your hearing is not good enough to know the difference.”
If you have ever typed those words in some online group or forum, you are definitely part of the problem and one of the reasons why the audiophile community has earned a bad reputation for being arrogant, narcissistic, and generally hostile.
These sentiments underlie much of my personal views, and are why we have and enforce our Terms of Service.
In defense of our WBF members and our WBF community I think that we here are more sensitive to, and aware of, these issues than are the members of any other audio forum.
I know some WBF members find it annoying, but beyond enforcing formally the Terms of Service I occasionally do try to prod members here to be introspective and intellectually honest, and to understand that their personal subjective audio opinions, based on their personal sonic preferences and idiosyncratic set of personal listening experiences, do not generate objective facts or maxims of universal applicability.
The community has a history of pushing away female audiophiles; we have the most female contributors of any hi-fi publication and the emails and comments that we have to delete from audiophiles are pretty disgusting.
Where does that come from? If you wouldn’t send those kind of emails or comments to your own mother or sisters — what makes sending them to women writers or forum participants acceptable?
Here again though, readers will say “but I’m not misogynistic or narcissistic,” but if we contribute to any part of the stereotype (pun intended) we contribute to all of it. And sometimes all that it takes to contribute is staying silent while others behave poorly.
* * *
“I can’t help it if your hearing is not good enough to know the difference.”
If you have ever typed those words in some online group or forum, you are definitely part of the problem and one of the reasons why the audiophile community has earned a bad reputation for being arrogant, narcissistic, and generally hostile.
These sentiments underlie much of my personal views, and are why we have and enforce our Terms of Service.
In defense of our WBF members and our WBF community I think that we here are more sensitive to, and aware of, these issues than are the members of any other audio forum.
I know some WBF members find it annoying, but beyond enforcing formally the Terms of Service I occasionally do try to prod members here to be introspective and intellectually honest, and to understand that their personal subjective audio opinions, based on their personal sonic preferences and idiosyncratic set of personal listening experiences, do not generate objective facts or maxims of universal applicability.
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Al, this is actually a "teaching moment." I feel terrible that it relates to a post of yours!
I think this is a perfect example of somebody throwing a thread off course at the very beginning. Where in the posted link above is there a discussion about the pros and cons of videos?
Why would you use this thread about an unrelated topic to vent about one of your favorite topics (the uselessness of videos for audio)? If someone wants to talk about something other than the subject matter of a particular thread, then he/she should start a new thread.
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Good article from ecoustics
It pretty much describes my view as well.
Especially when he includes george carlin into the article.
I would have loved a GC show in which he would focus on audiophiles
It pretty much describes my view as well.
Especially when he includes george carlin into the article.
I would have loved a GC show in which he would focus on audiophiles
The author states at the end , how do you change that ??
I think you cannot change that its a bit like the art communty , you are what you own .
A system has become a status symbol , its a way to differentiate yourself from others.
People wanna differentiate themselves from others , and as long as that drive remains it will never change.
I think you cannot change that its a bit like the art communty , you are what you own .
A system has become a status symbol , its a way to differentiate yourself from others.
People wanna differentiate themselves from others , and as long as that drive remains it will never change.
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Well, when folks post jokes about "room tampons" why are you surprised. There isn't one major female poster on this forum that I'm aware of. Quite frankly it reads like the old boys club at times and we should be more welcoming to others and language/tone is an easy way to do that.
Ron, I'll happily concede that you have a point.
However, the title of the thread and referenced article is:
"Does the Audiophile Community Have a Problem?"
I do happen to think that crappily recorded system videos are a metastasizing problem in the audiophile community.
So my complaint is not entirely about an unrelated topic. Especially since the article complains about recent changes for the worse. And this clearly is one.
I agree 1000%, Keith!
That offensive expression is forever banned here as a violation of the Terms of Service.
We are thrilled that Karen is writing essays here!
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Guys and gals chill out please. who thinks god exists in audio. I truly get the points of sound quality especially in videos. But man it’s there stuff be nice
many of us have gone to audio shows this is more then enough to show us how far we are apart in picking out stuff. now to proclaim someone is above most or even some maybe true. But at what point did it get so uncivil to make a point to commit to being abusive. Has any of us gone to a buds home maybe even in a group and be very disappointed ? Bet you have did you say it stunk and tell his wife the food was bad too. i for one like many have tried to help some only to get flamed by groupies. i think we need to ignore such posters to let it die down. Just saying don’t take it personal life is short and non of us are the best of the best like men in black
many of us have gone to audio shows this is more then enough to show us how far we are apart in picking out stuff. now to proclaim someone is above most or even some maybe true. But at what point did it get so uncivil to make a point to commit to being abusive. Has any of us gone to a buds home maybe even in a group and be very disappointed ? Bet you have did you say it stunk and tell his wife the food was bad too. i for one like many have tried to help some only to get flamed by groupies. i think we need to ignore such posters to let it die down. Just saying don’t take it personal life is short and non of us are the best of the best like men in black
An example :
What do you think an ordinary person on planet earth thinks of somebody who would dish out 60 K for a cable .
I dont have to say what normal society would think / say in this case .
Its a bit of a elitarian hobby in general
How would that atract more people into the hobby ??
You tell me.
A lot is imaginary value which has no underlying support in society
What do you think an ordinary person on planet earth thinks of somebody who would dish out 60 K for a cable .
I dont have to say what normal society would think / say in this case .
Its a bit of a elitarian hobby in general
How would that atract more people into the hobby ??
You tell me.
A lot is imaginary value which has no underlying support in society
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Nothing to be sorry about! I think the comments made by the author of the essay you posted are correct and worthy of consideration!
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Members:
I am going to delete the posts about videos which immediately derailed this thread. The "recent problem" about videos has nothing to do with the "recent problems" which are the subject matter of the essay posted in the opening post.
WBF is an informational resource for people. If somebody searches for a particular component and wants to research posted comments on a thread about that particular component it is annoying to have to wade through dozens of utterly irrelevant posts on that thread. The video topic so immediately and foreseeably derailed this thread that I thought, in this particular case, it made sense to delete the video comments.
Feel free to start a new thread about the pros and cons of videos.
Let's get back on track to the subject of the opening post.
Thank you.
I am going to delete the posts about videos which immediately derailed this thread. The "recent problem" about videos has nothing to do with the "recent problems" which are the subject matter of the essay posted in the opening post.
WBF is an informational resource for people. If somebody searches for a particular component and wants to research posted comments on a thread about that particular component it is annoying to have to wade through dozens of utterly irrelevant posts on that thread. The video topic so immediately and foreseeably derailed this thread that I thought, in this particular case, it made sense to delete the video comments.
Feel free to start a new thread about the pros and cons of videos.
Let's get back on track to the subject of the opening post.
Thank you.
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