I enjoy reading and learning from the past postings of those mentioned by Sdcampbell and others. He's right that there has been a decline in activity. It's a lot easier to enjoy a consumer-oriented recreational activity when things are going well. For the past few years, that hasn't been the case.
In the electronics and entertainment industries, the last few years have seen a shift in consumer interest from recorded music to the Internet, progressive consolidation of ownership of radio stations into the hands of a small number of companies offering reduced variety in broadcasting, and sales of mass-market HT gear in big-box stores marginalizing sales of two-channel audio equipment by more traditional retailers. The same years have also seen the growth of Internet file-swapping, ongoing declines in CD sales, consolidations among recording companies, shrinking opportunities for new artists, and reductions in recording companies' catalogs of classical and jazz recordings. Recording companies are busy trying to close the barn door after the horse is out, by implementing more and more intrusive copy protection schemes. At the same time, two-channel audio equipment manufacturers seem to be shifting their offerings toward the more expensive end of the market, reflecting the reality that wealthy consumers are getting tax cuts while middle class consumers are getting right-sized and outsourced out of their jobs.
This is just part of a broader picture. During the past few years, we've seen an unsuccessful attempt to impeach a US President, the bursting of the tech bubble, the onset of a recession, a US Presidential election with disputed results, loss of investor confidence in financial markets following the Enron and Wordcom financial scandals, growing unemployment, and a reliance on interest rate cuts and upper-income tax cuts for economic stimulus at a time when industrial capacity is underutilized and opportunities for profitable investment are limited.
We have also seen the collapse of Mideast peace talks and renewal of violent confrontations between the Palestinians and Israel, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and an inconclusive war which overthrew the Taliban but allowed key Al Qaeda leaders to escape. We are now watching a steady erosion of rights in the name of security, a drift toward war with Iraq in the face of opposition from many other countries, and a risk of war with North Korea.
I do not pretend to be a pundit, and nobody reads an audio web site looking for analysis of current events. It's enough to say that times are hard, people have a lot on their minds, and many who used to have disposable income beyond their immediate needs are no longer so comfortable. During times like this, it's probably natural for interest in a consumer-oriented recreational activity organized around luxury goods to decline. Whatever our viewpoints, on the audiophile hobby or current events, I think most of us are hoping that we will see a return to prosperity and security in the future, that things will get better, and that we can go back to thinking about things like audio equipment instead of worrying about jobs, terrorist attacks or war.
Judging from the number of posts on this thread, I think that Sdcampbell touched on something that a lot of people have noticed and been concerned about. It's up to those of us who are still interested to find a way to keep our activity going. I'd sure like to keep hearing from some of the long-time regulars who have knowledge based on years of incolvement to share with the rest of us. Please keep posting!
