Glad to see that you folks think that this would be useful. Having said that, i'm thinking that you still missed some of my points OR i didn't express myself as well as i thought. Wouldn't be the first time for either one ... : )
I was thinking that WE, the end users of Audiogon, could suggest topics and THEN forward specific threads / posts to Audiogon to include in the FAQ's for those topics. In other words, if / when you do a search and find a "real gem" that helps you out, chances are, at least a bit of that info would probably do the same for someone else. As such, bringing that post / thread to the attention of Audiogon via forwarding it to them would lighten their work load AND allow the end users ( you, me and the other "average joes" ) to decide what we thought was worth referencing. There have been MANY posts made here that have helped me out and / or opened my eyes to alternative points that i had previously overlooked or simply not even considered. Just because i know something does not mean that it is "common knowledge" and vice-versa. Someone sharing a tid-bit of knowledge here and there can be a real eye-opener for any one of us under any given circumstance.
While it is obvious that not ALL questions could be answered in a FAQ, i think that a good amount of "basic" info could be shared in a relatively efficient and usable manner. Questions pertaining to specific gear, current products, etc... would obviously have to be posted for general consumption and replies, but most other standard questions could / should be covered by at least a basic amount of info in the FAQ's.
I know that this sounds like a BIG task, but if we put our heads together as a group, i think that we can come up with one HELLUVA good set of reference questions and answers. After all, i think that a LOT of what "scares" people away from "high end audio" is the lack of reliable information available and not being familiar with the terminology and how things work. If we can both help and educate at the same time via helpful resources such as a "kick ass" set of FAQ's, it can be nothing less than beneficial to ALL of us involved. Know what i mean ???
Why don't we work on a list of specific topics that we feel should be covered first. These should be relatively broad topics now as i think that they will all end up getting more specific as they fill out and mature further down the road.
Right now, those that come to mind might be ( listed in no specific order ) :
Cabling
AC wiring
Tweaks
Speaker placement
Speaker design
Room Acoustics
Digital
Analogue
Tubes
SS
Obviously, each one of these could be broken down into further sub-categories and responded to from there. For instance, "Cabling" could cover such basics as wire geometries, types of conductors, types of insulators, what is inductance, what is capacitance, what is skin effect, what do various gauges have to offer, the pro's and con's of different designs, etc... Since "wire is wire" ( at least at this level ), a good basic understanding can be learned right there. From that point, it can be branched out into interconnects, speaker cables, power cords, etc... and cover specifics in each of those individual categories.
This approach starts with the basics and then expands into further detail and specifics as one reads on and continues their quest for better understanding. As such, one can start at ground zero and go as deep in any specific subject as they like. Obviously, keeping the FAQ's as "unbiased" as possible would be the goal, but without a LOT of input from various sources as to what should be included and highlighted, it would be possible for the FAQ's to become a pulpit to preach personal preferences from. As such, i would encourage everyone with or without technical knowledge to participate in making this happen. After all, we want the "average" person to be able to follow along and learn, not just post a bunch of semi-technical mumbo jumbo that only techno-geeks can relate to.
Personally, i think that the simple Q & A format along with simple explanations works best, but obviously, that is only my opinion. Obviously, at this stage of the game, now would be the time to lay the groundwork and see how much architecture is involved and if we have the "people power" that would be willing to see such a project through. Are there any takers out there or is this a lost cause ? Sean
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