Forums, why do we bother?

[drummerman]

I kind of ask myself periodically, read often, why I/we feel the need to play expert on something so subjective as hifi, even more so if you consider room variables and different tastes. Ridiculous when I start to think how much time I waste on it and that I even get into arguments about ludicrously unimportant issues.

Luckily I have a good social life so I tend to concentrate my 'contributions' on hifi rather than other non-related postings that creep up ever so often (again my apologies to ClareNewsome/AndrewEverard about the recent thread concerning dairy products, a slip of mine) but I still spend way to much time on this.

I think it's true to say forums are addictive.

What are your thoughts guys?

regards

 

[John Duncan]

It's just my silly way of drawing attention to meself.....

 

[Clare Newsome]

OK, so there are the few threads that get a tad out of hand, but I truly believe (in contrast to many other Forums) that we're a helpful community, sharing news, expertise, ideas etc. It certainly allows us WHF-ers to offer far more tailored advice than we can in the mag(s)....

 

[John Duncan]

S'good for shoe tips also.

 

[Anonymous]

Addictive it is for sure. I have to spend more time in the office to catch up on the time i lost scanning the forums. My staff always seem to walk into my office with WHF forum on the screen, they probably think i don't do any work but then again i'm the boss so who cares what they think.

 

[Terryff]

They are as addictive as talking with like minded people can be.....

 

[fatboyslimfast]

And the fact that someone actually listens to us and.are.our.friends. (sniff...)

Only kidding. I'm sure that most people here do have a life outside the forums, but it is nice to be able to gas about a chosen topic without the wife yawning or telling me that I've "exhausted my upgrade budget for the year so why am I still looking at stuff"...

 

[Anonymous]

I use the forum because it solves my problems. The nature of my work means I am at a computer most of the time in the office and at home and am constantly dogged with problems. When I encounter one I usually get a light snack or peruse the forum. By the time I return to my work I normally have a solution. My theory doesn't seem to be working this time though...

 

[John Duncan]

fatboyslimfast:I'm sure that most people here do have a life outside the forums

er...

 

[timwileman]

JohnDuncan:fatboyslimfast:I'm sure that most people here do have a life outside the forums

er...

ah...thats me and you found out JD....

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Octopo:I use the forum because it solves my problems. The nature of my work means I am at a computer most of the time in the office and at home and am constantly dogged with problems. When I encounter one I usually get a light snack or peruse the forum. By the time I return to my work I normally have a solution. My theory doesn't seem to be working this time though...

Similar to me. 18 months ago, I had never touched speaker cable, amp, RCA cables etc., let alone know how they all connect. I've discovered so much from the team and other forum regulars. I have even given out advise on stuff I've learned. I now enjoy music ten times more than I did before I had a decent set up.

 

[Mike_Schmidt]

as ridiculous as this sounds on threads sometimes getting out of hand just look at this way, we would all be lost without each other. This is our version of Facebook were always sharing with others HO HO HO Merry Christmas all ya all!!!

 

[Anonymous]

I agree, i've always liked music but since getting a decent set up i enjoy it even more. I even listen to music now that i would never have considered listening to before. Like classical and jazz.

 

[John Duncan]

Loosetooth:
You know this forum is a cake walk when compared to other forums that I have been looking at........

About 4 months ago I decided to celebrate finally getting a larger flat by buying a Thorens record deck and listening to vinyl........ I was totally ignorant (and, proudly said this, still am!) about quality stereo and 'audiophile' equipment...... so ignorant in fact that I did not know about phono stages..... so had to upgrade my amplifier.... then my Teac Reference 100 integrated amp/cd player had not output.... so I had to get a CD player..... and then a NAD amp I got off Ebay had a small fire and blew my speakers....... and then..... well you get the idea.

What does the ignorant person do if they have to get entry level good quality stereo equipment? Well in this age of intraweb you would hit the forums...........right? NEVER AGAIN!

They are full of condescending asses who not only contradict each other but put each other down also.......

Some guy might answer a simple question about 'which deck is for me?' with a simple 'go for the Thorens TD-160 with an SME tone-arm'.

Great....

Next poster comes along and calls the original dude mad and how the Linn Rega THP-XF92SE tone-arm (but only get the one made in late July 1972 because all the others were rubbish) is the only one to get and that cartridge that came as a result of research NASA did on alien spacecraft at Roswell.

Next post begins 'You are both wrong........' and gives an opposite answer which is similarly ludicrous yet detailed......

Next post is from a dude who lives with Stigg of the Dump and he says that you should make a record deck from an apple box and elastic bands because that is the only way to achieve proper audio perfection and besides all this over priced stuff is made in China and is rubbish.

Next post is from someone who is lost and was wondering if anyone knows how to get from Kensington to Holborn.....?

Then everyone has a fight...... when that has blown out it is decided that everyone (apart from themselves) involved in the conversation is totally mad and that no-one knows anything about music, hi-fi and, further to that, everyone is a right royal rotter and they cannot be trusted to tie their own shoe laces.......

Meanwhile I, the questioner, is just sat staring at my computer screen, totally agog and none the wiser............

At least here you can interact with the members of staff and people are nice and courteous and helpful......... it is quite positive..... the only danger here is that you might miss the in-joke or a thread descend into some Monty Python dialogue..... it is all rather British and, therefore, warm and comfortable...... I like it.

That was here wasn't it?

Custard, anyone.....?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Loosetooth:it is all rather British and, therefore, warm and comfortable...... I like it.

 

[professorhat]

Great description of some of the forums I've been to as well!!
That's why I keep coming back here. Also it makes it look like I'm working when I really can't be bothered

 

[Andrew Everard]

professorhat:Also it makes it look like I'm working when I really can't be bothered

Y'see, I have the benefit that when I am on the forums, the suits can see that I am working!

 

[Terryff]

Oh come on, nobody REALLY gets offended by forum posts here do they? Banter is the grease on the wheels of good conversation. I think the difference in opinions is quite funny in the hi fi world, i guess you could just answer every single post with "go and use your ears, as they are the only thing you can trust" but sometimes that is just not possible. I have made a few posts on here and i tend to take the nett average of views to give a reasonable result. To say that you will not use forums again, then post a complaint about them in one........you get where i am coming from here?ÿ

In conclusion, forums are a great arena for debate on a given topic but caveat emptor rules supreme.

John, i think your addiction to custard may be slightly unhealthy. ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

I think Forums are great .

 

[John Duncan]

Loosetooth:I would like to see .... anyone who has a profile here to write their own blogs ......(JohnDuncan being someone who springs to mind......)

You're reading it, fella.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Any post could be a blog. And you can add user reviews to any of the products we've tested.

 

[Anonymous]

Why do I come into this Forum? Well I don't know another place on the planet that I can 'do hifi'. Anywhere else and I've cleared the room in two minutes. Hmmm, maybe it's not hifi.....

 

[Andrew Everard]

Loosetooth:confined to having profiles and asking questions

You're certainly not confined to asking questions. If you want to spout off about something, go for it (as long as it complies with house rules).

See here and here for examples of 'frummers' doing just that...

 

[Anonymous]

I use this forum because its good to get other peoples views and knoledge on things that until resently i had little or no idea about, i find you can learn so much by just reading other peoples threads, most of the time iam not even logged in, also beats having to watch the soaps.

 

[Anonymous]

igglebert:Why do I come into this Forum? Well I don't know another place on the planet that I can 'do hifi'. Anywhere else and I've cleared the room in two minutes. Hmmm, maybe it's not hifi.....

lol, reminds me of an instance last night in my plumbing course at college: discussing different hardnesses of minerals when Talc was bought up. The tutor asked if anyone knew what Talc was used for - i answered speaker cone construction (Yamaha Soavo 2s). deftly silence fell over the class before i was accuse of being an "anorak".

this forum gives me a place to express ideas and learn from like-minded individuals without too much fear of making an ass of myself.