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kexodusc
08-15-2004, 12:07 PM
It appears longtime member "Skeptic" has left us...
How does this make you all feel?
I for one don't always agree with him, but you've got to admit, he's funny as hell sometimes and had plenty of techno-knowledge to share with everyone.

Guess I'll miss him...hope this isn't the beginning of a mass exodus of members...

On the other hand...who the hell quits an internet forum because he doesn't like the new "moderator"? Kind of reminds me of the kid who flipped the monopoly board across the room when he was losing.

cam
08-15-2004, 02:02 PM
It appears longtime member "Skeptic" has left us...
How does this make you all feel?
I for one don't always agree with him, but you've got to admit, he's funny as hell sometimes and had plenty of techno-knowledge to share with everyone.

Guess I'll miss him...hope this isn't the beginning of a mass exodus of members...

On the other hand...who the hell quits an internet forum because he doesn't like the new "moderator"? Kind of reminds me of the kid who flipped the monopoly board across the room when he was losing.
I also like what Skeptic has to say, but not all the time. He had a way of being comical and serious at the same time. It is that comical side that I wish more members had. Good luck Skeptic in what ever you end up doing.

mtrycraft
08-15-2004, 02:29 PM
It appears longtime member "Skeptic" has left us...
How does this make you all feel?
I for one don't always agree with him, but you've got to admit, he's funny as hell sometimes and had plenty of techno-knowledge to share with everyone.

Guess I'll miss him...hope this isn't the beginning of a mass exodus of members...

On the other hand...who the hell quits an internet forum because he doesn't like the new "moderator"? Kind of reminds me of the kid who flipped the monopoly board across the room when he was losing.


I think you may have misread his post? He would be leaving IF the site is changed as was envisioned by the new administrator?

markw
08-15-2004, 02:35 PM
After thousands of postings under the moniker "Skeptic" and under the moniker "itellitlikeitis" under the old blue letter format, this will be my last posting on the AR message board.It seems pretty clear to me.

kexodusc
08-15-2004, 03:21 PM
Well you've got to tip your hat to Skep...I've seen some funny stuff on this site, but picking a fight with the new forum moderator over what the moderator MIGHT do (not what he HAS done) takes the cake. That's pretty damn funny. Guess the right to free speech is a value more appreciated than presumed innocence.

What's even funnier is the fact that a moderator is the single, lone entity on a web forum that can actually WIN a flame war, by virtue of the powers that come with the title. That didn't scare ol' Skep though...damn it if he didn't think he could start a flame war with authority itself and WIN!!! You've got to respect that. And you know what...I think I sense a bit of wavering on ericl's part...

Yep, Skep even sent a few threats to the stakeholders on his way out the door...It'd be funny if Axiom files for bankruptcy within a few weeks now that Skeptic is advising his friends to avoid purchasing their products because of their association with audioreview.com.
I wonder if Audie Ogaisle will return to the forums anytime soon? I hope so...next to Skeptic, nobody else can make me laugh as hard.

Anyone got the odds on Skeptic returning in one form or another???

mtrycraft
08-15-2004, 03:45 PM
It seems pretty clear to me.


After I went through the posts, yes, it is clear. It appears that this may become fantasyland
OR
http://chixlinx.homestead.com/files/sounds/Themes/theme_twilightzone02.wav

pctower
08-15-2004, 04:01 PM
It appears longtime member "Skeptic" has left us...
How does this make you all feel?
I for one don't always agree with him, but you've got to admit, he's funny as hell sometimes and had plenty of techno-knowledge to share with everyone.

Guess I'll miss him...hope this isn't the beginning of a mass exodus of members...

On the other hand...who the hell quits an internet forum because he doesn't like the new "moderator"? Kind of reminds me of the kid who flipped the monopoly board across the room when he was losing.

I just cast my Ticked Off vote above. No one fought with Skeptic more than I did, but his departure is a huge loss. He is a man of conviction and I fear he won't reverse his decision. In many ways, AR has just lost its heart and soul.

I just don't have the heart to get into the frey right now. All I can say is I don't at all like the direction I see things going here.

Good luck Skeptic. You were more than a worth adversary. Although I hate to admit it, I learned a lot from you and have a great deal of respect for you.

You sure knew how to dish it out, but you were equally adept at taking it like a man.

God Speed, my friend.

topspeed
08-15-2004, 05:07 PM
Too bad. Skep brought a fair amount of engineering know how and a rather wry sense of humor. If he's happier somewhere else, more power to him.

cam
08-15-2004, 05:14 PM
Come on Skep, just one more post for old times sake. And by the way, you have alot of audacity to say you are quiting.

pwh03
08-16-2004, 07:13 AM
yeah you had to enjoy his Cynical demeanor, rather amussing to me ateast.

hmm maybe we could work a DBT on skeps posting... proving their actual effect on the audible differences we here in our music. come on I need proof that what he posted actually helped anyone!!

LOL, I gues I can still say that for now.

Lets hope for our sake he was wrong about the new direction

Though I have to say I am concerned

Good luck Skep

Ph

Worf101
08-16-2004, 08:02 AM
But it would be just like Skep to leave over a point of principle, you gotta admire that. There are few folks left that take the "road less traveled". I for one will miss him.

Da Worfster :(

Swerd
08-16-2004, 09:19 AM
Skeptic was without any doubt a valuable guy to have around here. His background knowledge was great, and he was usually willing to share it. Most of us, at least those who were willing to listen, benefited from what he could tell us. This place will be poorer without him.

Skeptic could be tough on people who he thought were so wrong that they didn't deserve the time of day. He could also be very stubborn. I, for one, got tired of his seemingly endless debates with pctower. But he and pct seemed to enjoy it, so who am I to criticize that?

I liked Skeptic best for his strong stand on the side of science in the ongoing debate between science (and common sense) versus marketing forces in audio. I hope his decision to leave here does not become a de-facto admission of defeat in this debate.

Resident Loser
08-16-2004, 09:48 AM
...I'd venture...this place get's into your blood for some unknown and ungodly reason, to that I can attest...but that's of course if this place remains this place...a laissez-faire attitude from the powers-that-be seem to have worked so far, no telling what the future holds...but, I'll have no problem takin' a walk myself if that's what it comes to...

When I see fit to refer to someone, ANYONE...as a tin-horn dictator, or wire-nazi or other less-than-PC-term, it's for a good reason and having that ability terminated after all this time is unacceptable to me...

While we had words on more than one occasion, I always found his posts honest and interesting.

jimHJJ(...and if he's really gone, that just puts more pressure on the rest of us to fight the good fight...miserable SOB that he is...)

92135011
08-16-2004, 09:57 AM
It appears longtime member "Skeptic" has left us...
How does this make you all feel?
I for one don't always agree with him, but you've got to admit, he's funny as hell sometimes and had plenty of techno-knowledge to share with everyone.

Guess I'll miss him...hope this isn't the beginning of a mass exodus of members...

On the other hand...who the hell quits an internet forum because he doesn't like the new "moderator"? Kind of reminds me of the kid who flipped the monopoly board across the room when he was losing.

meh.
the fellow could not quit till he was right.
Dont make him a bad person really cuz everyone is different on internet.
Everyone is more of a prick because of the annonymity.
Many things said here would never leave a persons mouth...being too hard on everything just causes you to lose friends.

JSE
08-16-2004, 10:02 AM
It's not like Skep to give up on a fight so easy. Changes have not even been made and he bailed? I thought he would be there fighting to make sure the right changes are made. I Dunno, seems uncharateristic for Skep to bail so quickly over what changes "MIGHT" take place in the future. Right or wrong, I don't think I have seen him back down much, if at all?

Anyway, it's a loss regardless how you get along with him.

JSE

WmAx
08-16-2004, 10:11 AM
Everyone is more of a prick because of the annonymity.
Many things said here would never leave a persons mouth...
Uhm. Perhaps some of us are just as much a 'prick' in person. :-)

-Chris

WmAx
08-16-2004, 10:14 AM
When I see fit to refer to someone, ANYONE...as a tin-horn dictator, or wire-nazi or other less-than-PC-term, it's for a good reason and having that ability terminated after all this time is unacceptable to me...
Get used to it -- I've already recieved one PM warning from the administrator in response to the Bizzaro post where I was asking how can an accurate description of someone be a personal attack(I did include examples, of course :-) )

I just noticed that my reply with further questions/examples has 'mysteriously' disappeared from the thread -- though my initial one remains.

Apparently if someone is a hypocrit dictator, you can't actually say or mention such a thing. It seems that any reference to anyone that is not positive is prohibited, regardless of accuracy.

Pathetic.

-Chris

ericl
08-16-2004, 11:09 AM
Sorry guys,

I just don't see how name calling is pertinent to discussions about audio. In efforts to make this place a nicer and less unfriendly place to hang out, I won't allow it. Didn't your mothers ever tell you to "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"?. So please cooperate and restrict discussions to audio, cut out the attacks and the name calling, and talk about your stereos, ok?

Thanks,
Eric

Resident Loser
08-16-2004, 12:16 PM
No Friggin Text...

E-Stat
08-16-2004, 12:45 PM
It appears longtime member "Skeptic" has left us...
How does this make you all feel?
Similarly, while we frequently have a difference of opinion, he was one of few tradionalists here who seems to have a passion for music, not just THD plots. He has quite an historical perspective of our hobby and is confident with the experience that formulates his opinions. I consider it a loss.


On the other hand...who the hell quits an internet forum because he doesn't like the new "moderator"? Kind of reminds me of the kid who flipped the monopoly board across the room when he was losing.
I don't understand all the bruhaha here or over at AA. There is a thread on the General Forum over there about James Randi that discusses ABX testing and DBTs. The tone has been calm and it has not been shut down.

I was kinda hoping that one day, Skep would try out that which he believes is nonsense and see if his opinion on the "high end" remains the same. I think that he might enjoy spending an evening in Seacliff with HP (they are contemporaries) as I have done many a time discussing music and enjoying that which is possible in home audio today.

rw

rb122
08-16-2004, 01:04 PM
It appears longtime member "Skeptic" has left us...
How does this make you all feel?
I for one don't always agree with him, but you've got to admit, he's funny as hell sometimes and had plenty of techno-knowledge to share with everyone.

Guess I'll miss him...hope this isn't the beginning of a mass exodus of members...

On the other hand...who the hell quits an internet forum because he doesn't like the new "moderator"? Kind of reminds me of the kid who flipped the monopoly board across the room when he was losing.

As I read it, he left because he wasn't allowed to say what he felt, even though it was within his personal boundaries of reason. He appears to be against not the moderator but the moderators vision of how this place is going to run. Further, he had threads deleted and a few personal emails from the moderator, "moderating" in such as way as to be disagreeable to Skeptic.

I certainly don't know Skeptic but he doesn't strike me as the sort that would run away from someone. He's stated on this board several times that censorship (as he views it) would cause him to leave. Through his posts, I see him as someone who is intolerant of particular kinds of music and who (incredulously) created his own hierarchy of musical instruments i.e the violin is a "better" instrument than the saxophone and the electric guitar is a "worse" instrument than the oboe. Hopefully, he was saying that in order to get the goat's of people. I'd hate to think he was truly that ignorant. Let's just say that he would be the LAST person on A/R to have an opinion on music that I would trust.

On the equipment/science side of things, he was a wonderful mixture of objectivist who trusted his own ears. That's rare. It made his posts stand up and be counted. You have to respect people that don't blindly follow one path or the other but are willing to voice their opinions based on experience... and then to have the experience both in the listening room and the lab.

Overall, I'd say A/R is the worse for Skeptic leaving. However, it doesn't seem to matter because the apparent future direction of A/R won't need folks like Skeptic. It was the former direction that did. The question that the rest of us need to answer is whether the new direction is to our liking. It obviously wasn't to Skeptic's.

Will he come back in some form? Perhaps it gets into one's blood as RL states. I rather think Skeptic will be a notable exception. I get the impression he'd view his own return as a sign of weakness. We'll have to watch and see. I wish him well.

WmAx
08-16-2004, 01:34 PM
I won't allow it. Didn't your mothers ever tell you to "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"?.


Oh, my goodness gracious. Did you happen to realize this is not a kiddie board? THis is not some PC place where everyone is wearing a brand new pair of rose-colored lens glasses. Honestly, if you are serious in trying to enforce some sort of delusional happy-go-lucky play land where everything is good or it is prohbited, this is a place I will not remain.

-Chris

ericl
08-16-2004, 01:38 PM
That's why I am asking that people stop behaving like kiddies!

cheers,
eric

WmAx
08-16-2004, 01:47 PM
That's why I am asking that people stop behaving like kiddies!

cheers,
eric
A general statement, as you just made, is not meaningful. This leaves open far too many possibilities to be construed.

Cite specific posts and your detailed analysis of such examples.

So far you have failed to specifically define two things that are of importance:

1. Your definition of 'personal attack'.

2. Your definintion of 'kiddie behaviour'.

Instead of a generalization that is for the most part meaningless, please specifically define the parameters of these defintions in your perspective, as you will enforce.

-Chris

ericl
08-16-2004, 02:01 PM
I'll put up some rules soon.

-Eric

dmb_fan
08-16-2004, 04:36 PM
I'll put up some rules soon.

-Eric

Eric,

I've been a member here since 2000 with a long absence for most of 2003 due to the worst troll problem I've ever seen on an internet message board. I mention the troll problem to help explain that I am eager to see an active moderator keep some sort of order around here. I applaud your willingness to take an active roll.

I also want to suggest that you post your specific rules for a comment period--one week should suffice--before they go into effect. It's obvious that unanimous support does not exist for the elimination of scientific and rational viewpoints from this board. I don't know to what degree you plan to limit these viewpoints, and I'll reserve judgement for whenever I see the list of rules. But I hope you're willing to take into consideration the opinions of the folks who have made this their virtual home for many years.

I have no idea what transpired between you and skeptic, but every incoming authority figure to any situation--work, politics, classrooms, message boards, cub scouts--should expect to take a couple lumps in their initial days and weeks in power. Skeptic's resignation was your first lump. In my opinion, the lesson to learn is that each new authority figure should go slow and take careful measure of all competing interests before flexing his/her muscles.

I leave you with this thought. The most active period I've seen here at audioreview was between 2000 and 2001 when a good thread could generate two or three THOUSAND views before it fell off the end of the page in one or two days. (There was a 40 thread per page limit back then and new replies did not jump the thread to the top of the page--once forty more people started threads, yours was off the page.) Some of the folks around here probably still remember Norb, the moderator, storyteller, and spiritual leader of the rag tag bunch that used to gather at the P&B. He was able to generate that kind of traffic not by dictatorial regime, but by encouraging a love and enthusiasm for all things (and all viewpoints) audio.

Anyway, my $.02 is to take it slow and work with the population here to avoid a mass exodus of the few members that still hang around this dusty place.

-Adam

brulaha
08-16-2004, 06:47 PM
Eric,

I've been a member here since 2000 with a long absence for most of 2003 due to the worst troll problem I've ever seen on an internet message board. I mention the troll problem to help explain that I am eager to see an active moderator keep some sort of order around here. I applaud your willingness to take an active roll.

I also want to suggest that you post your specific rules for a comment period--one week should suffice--before they go into effect. It's obvious that unanimous support does not exist for the elimination of scientific and rational viewpoints from this board. I don't know to what degree you plan to limit these viewpoints, and I'll reserve judgement for whenever I see the list of rules. But I hope you're willing to take into consideration the opinions of the folks who have made this their virtual home for many years.

I have no idea what transpired between you and skeptic, but every incoming authority figure to any situation--work, politics, classrooms, message boards, cub scouts--should expect to take a couple lumps in their initial days and weeks in power. Skeptic's resignation was your first lump. In my opinion, the lesson to learn is that each new authority figure should go slow and take careful measure of all competing interests before flexing his/her muscles.

I leave you with this thought. The most active period I've seen here at audioreview was between 2000 and 2001 when a good thread could generate two or three THOUSAND views before it fell off the end of the page in one or two days. (There was a 40 thread per page limit back then and new replies did not jump the thread to the top of the page--once forty more people started threads, yours was off the page.) Some of the folks around here probably still remember Norb, the moderator, storyteller, and spiritual leader of the rag tag bunch that used to gather at the P&B. He was able to generate that kind of traffic not by dictatorial regime, but by encouraging a love and enthusiasm for all things (and all viewpoints) audio.

Anyway, my $.02 is to take it slow and work with the population here to avoid a mass exodus of the few members that still hang around this dusty place.

-Adam

I couldn't agree more. I was dismayed to see Norb leave, and the deterioration that ensued. Things appear to be better than when I decided to call it quits, but this place is still a shell of it's former self. One of the things that made the board great was the community of regulars. Those who were new often stuck around because they picked up on the camaraderie. However, to have this board simply cater to those new to the discussion, and alienate those who have been here for years would be a travesty of travesties. There has to be a very careful balance maintained. I think some censorship is good, but error on the side of judicious use. Censorship can quickly cross over into steering and manipulation. I think that is why some are vehemently stating their opinions.

Just my 2 cents…

Out of curiosity, has anyone heard from pogue and bone?

gonefishin
08-16-2004, 08:36 PM
Sorry guys,

I just don't see how name calling is pertinent to discussions about audio. In efforts to make this place a nicer and less unfriendly place to hang out, I won't allow it. Didn't your mothers ever tell you to "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"?. So please cooperate and restrict discussions to audio, cut out the attacks and the name calling, and talk about your stereos, ok?

Thanks,
Eric


Hi Eric :)



You see...the thing is...is that this place was once just like you said above "nicer and less unfriendly place to hang out" But it wasn't accomplished by the will of individuals...no matter if they're simply members or the new administrator. This place was (and still is) made by the active members.

It also seems to me that this place has relatively few active members. You really need to let your membership grow. Not only in numbers but in ideals also. Give them reasons to come here and reason to discuss...but they should really be the ones dictating the direction taken. Not you and not I. If AR becomes exactly what you envision...then you got lucky. Enjoy it. If it becomes something else...then enjoy it also. But help the AR community grow into its own direction...not telling it where to go. It seems to me there are really very few people left from the older days and your not exactly having a mad rush of new people participating. Making it desirable for more people to leave may or may not be the answer...perhaps that is what you want to accomplish, I don't know.

But you need to ask yourself...what is AR to you? But also ask yourself what is AR to the active members who participate. There are a bunch of audio sites out there...some having a very high range of traffic and others barely slugging thru with double digit visitors a day. A lot of us started off at AR some years back and something (as RL stated) "this place get's into your blood" , and something keeps bringing many of us back. if not for anything else...just to check in to make sure all our beer ain't gone ;) *swipe* The reason many people kept coming back is because you did have differing opinions. Ask yourself...why would I continue to talk with mtry when he's obvious wrong on nearly everything he says? because I respect him, his opinion and he's actually made me (and others) question our own beliefs. Again...if your looking to start over with AR and give it a face lift that looks just like any average newcomer audio site out there...I think you can certainly accomplish this. But why would they come here for something they can get everywhere else?

While Norb was a nice guy and things went well under his watch...he really didn't do anything extraordinary. Besides letting his membership grow...we still had to pester him to try and get anything done. Which his solution was to give everyone a box of t-shirts and he thought all would be well ;) and well>>>>>>> ;)


anyways, welcome :)



dan


edit add:


and now...the number one reson why someone would not visit AR boards in the past couple of years?

Trolls!


*in my best David Letterman voice*

TinHere
08-16-2004, 10:26 PM
Sorry guys,

I just don't see how name calling is pertinent to discussions about audio. In efforts to make this place a nicer and less unfriendly place to hang out, I won't allow it. Didn't your mothers ever tell you to "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"?. So please cooperate and restrict discussions to audio, cut out the attacks and the name calling, and talk about your stereos, ok?

Thanks,
Eric

Ignore these people they're idiots. :eek: ;)

On the other hand who else cares what goes on here?

F1
08-18-2004, 06:22 AM
Skeptic was number four the most active member in this forum after Mtrycrafts, RGA and Woochifer. He's a good technical source. It's not good to see him gone! Wish him all the best.
Oh btw, the page still indicates that he's Online.....

FLZapped
08-18-2004, 08:09 AM
Sorry guys,

I just don't see how name calling is pertinent to discussions about audio. In efforts to make this place a nicer and less unfriendly place to hang out, I won't allow it. Didn't your mothers ever tell you to "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"?. So please cooperate and restrict discussions to audio, cut out the attacks and the name calling, and talk about your stereos, ok?

Thanks,
Eric

That's why I am asking that people stop behaving like kiddies!

cheers,
eric


You know, you're not making any points here. First the "Naysayer" forum, ohhh I know, it's been renamed - and the barn door was closed after the horse was out making that okay too - then the appointment of a moderator to the Cable forum who clearly isn't unbiased, or knows how to behave in a civilized manner based on his past history as pointed out by someone else. (Yet that is what is being asked for)

Now I see comments about not making personal attacks, yet why the original "naysayer" title to the forum?

Why the "kiddie" comment? And the "didn't you mother...." line?

I smell hypocrisy here. Someone needs to practice what they preach.

-Bruce
(And in case you didn't notice, the discussions over the framing of our Consitution weren't always pleasant either.)

MindGoneHaywire
08-18-2004, 11:56 AM
The problem with Skeptic wasn't that he had opinions, it's that he put language in his posts that strongly implied that his opinions were facts & anyone else's that deviated slightly were not. At least when it comes to music, which is something where he knows a good deal about one very specific category & seems to know next to nothing about any other category. So all this stuff I'm reading about how everybody respects him as a man of principle or something like that rings just a bit hollow with me.

In a discussion of classical music vs. everything else, he illustrated that he didn't know what a fake book was. In another, he stated that the greatest musical minds didn't waste their thoughts on jazz. In discussions on the relative merits of musical instruments...well, I think many of you have seen what he had to say. You want to express an opinion? Fine! However, do not presume to speak through posts to someone as though what you have to say is the end-all and be-all truth, unless you have some evidence to back it up beyond yr own likes & dislikes. And do yrself & me both a favor by refraining from lecturing me on why the talents of people who perform classical music are inherently superior to folks like Bing Crosby & Cole Porter, let alone someone who would deign to actually pick up such a primitive instrument as a guitar--when you don't even know what a fake book is. Putting up a post that exclaims that John Coltrane 'sucks' when he later admitted he was completely unfamiliar with any of his music is more of the sort of behavior that I don't think benefits a message board--at least not one about music. If he had something constructive to offer on the topic of audio, that's a different story. But knowing how little he knows about music yet how loudly he likes to put uninformed opinions up on message boards, I can't see how anyone would miss someone like that.

If this were a public gathering area, and he left for some interpretation of 'free speech' rhetoric, that would be one thing. But while I've seen moderators overstep their bounds, including on this site, if the owners of the site want these boards moderated, live with it. 4 years ago, I remember that someone calling himself SPL had a lot to say...say, come to think of it, he wasn't all that far off from Skeptic, now, was he? But when Norb booted him, I don't recall people stepping up about what a man of principle he was. He was just a troll.

Speaking of Norb & how different this place was a few years ago, I would disagree that the troll problem last year was the biggest deterrent...the move from the old board to the last one, & then to this one, couldn't have helped. I never understood why they had to go with something that was as slow as the past two boards have been. I think a lot of people gave up on this site because of slow load times.