I'm here for the sharing, not the snobery


Just a quick note.  Things around here on Audiogon have been interesting over the past couple of weeks as I've watched a number of trolls shift the tenor of the discussions.

I wanted to say that I fully support information sharing, doing things ourselves, experimentation and ways to broaden who is among us.

The idea that you are or are not an audiophile based on what you have spent, or what exclusive line of products you have purchased is not one I want to support.  We should find ways to share, not exclude our passion and grow our dwindling numbers.

Building kits and systems with the younger generation is a fantastic way of getting them into STEM as well as into audio, not to mention builds light years worth of knowledge in very little time.  As I've said before, our hobby was built by experimenters, tinkerers and lovers of music much more so than by lovers of spending.

I'll support inclusive, fact based discussions and those who are intellectually curious every time I can.
erik_squires
These posts are fun. Some people are just rude. I was kicked off of another forum when this guy got nasty and I got nasty back. Some people can dish it but can’t take it. That’s been my experience. I PM rude people if they say something that wasn’t said with respect. The bottom line is you can say whatever you want if you are respectful about it, to me anyways. 
I've been here since the beginning, knew Arnie, the founder personally. Initially, this forum had a great sense of camaraderie, vast majority of us at earlier phases of building high end systems. Over time as systems improved more trolls appeared, pride morphed into hubris.

My take is this isn't solely an Audiogon thing, it seems social media has made us all experts, opinions are seemingly becoming obsolete, replaced by belief. Self knowledge and/or  mindfulness of subjective perspective is increasingly rare.

Nowadays, I tend to post more on the hobbyist, newbie type forums, more open minded and willing to learn communities.
Thank you.  There are many knowledgeable people and many great writers.  It's just...sometimes what they say.  It's easy to act like whatever behind a keyboard.  I will continue to enjoy this forum and learn!