Lay Off the Newbies!

I'm a newbie. Initially I got into trouble with one of your veterans, when in search of the right power cord and an understanding of connectors for 15 amp and 20 amp cords (really basic stuff for me), I pushed back on a suggestion that I install a dedicated 20 amp line to my system in my house.  I didn't want to go to that extra expense but he pushed.  So I pushed gently back but he got insulted  - I apologized  and that was it.  I felt I had intruded into an elite club where I didn't belong.

Since then I passively check the forum everyday for relevant information. The replies often reflect a sharp sense of humor.  But in substance, a lot of it is over my head as the members have equipment I've never heard of.  So I sort out what I find useful - finding out about Benchmark amplifiers, Townshend speaker stands for example - and ignore the rest of the high end chatter. Newbies should just follow this practice - ignore the smartasses on this forum and glean that which is useful in one's circumstance.

@styleman- at the risk of sounding patronizing, when the geezers like me came up, there was no Internet, so what we learned was all a function of reading, meeting with other audiophiles, hanging and listening as a quasi-social event. Even if the get-together had a purpose- to evaluate some piece of equipment or listen to some new material, not all was serious business.
The last part is something that I think is missing today- there are clubs, and there are people who socialize (now that Covid appears to be receding), around hi-fi and music, but I think that’s less common now. Today, I suspect it is more of a solitary pursuit and the Net can yield products, reviews and fora like this one for what can be a worldwide community rather than just a local one. But in many cases, this becomes an isolated pursuit- you listening in your room.
None of us have a "linear" knowledge base- at least for me, it’s pockets of knowledge that have been accumulated over the years. I think that’s true even of trained engineers and other scientists. This is a multi-disciplinary field and no one knows everything.
In almost all cases, for me, the learning came through seat time, backed up with research (not as accessible then as it is now) and comparisons, experimentation, discussion and more listening.
None of that excuses someone being rude to you, or having their ego bent out of shape and taking it out on you. If you are in a town where there are others interested in the pursuit, it’s worth seeking them out and getting to hear some systems in other peoples’ homes. It’s fun, it’s far more instructive than "virtual" interactions and you can develop enduring relationships. In fact, there are several people on this site (and others) with whom I’ve communicated over the years who I would like to visit and finally meet in person. The shared interest in audio/music becomes a bond that is often only part of the relationship.

chayro
It was Sherwood and KLH (when the names meant something) but you got the rest right!
styleman I've been here for years doing just that. Most of the time I will get a laugh, shake my head at the negativity or just learn. Rarely will I post because if I have a question it gets answered sooner or later or I look it up. Since I am the student and the forum is the prof I don't have a lot to contribute, and that is reflected in my minuscule post count.
Having said all that, I read AG every day.

@whart 

Bill - well said brother. We really do need a visit ;-). But don’t expect any quarter on the track, I would still bump ya into the Armco… ( not in an F car

Then stop calling them Vinyls!