No, I wouldn't call it popularity, I would call it enjoyability.
I suppose this could be true, since people are more likely to gravitate to an enjoyable place(thus making it popular -- in effect what I was implying).

As I said before, this is suppose to be a hobbyist forum and as such, people should be able to come here and enjoy posting without feeling that they are being harassed by those who would demand "scientific verification" as though they had offered up the latest scientific theory when all they had really done was answer someones question based on their experience.
Tyically, when someone clearly states it's their opinion or perception of how something sounds, that they will not be harrassed. I certainly would not contend this opinion and require evidence. I don't care about opinions. When such opinion is stated as fact when it is not established as such it is challenged -- as it should be -- especially when this opinion is offered to someone as fact when they inquire about something.

That doesn't mean that all objectivity goes out the door, and it also doesn't mean that you guys have a corner on objectivity either. Not every opinion offered up by those outside of your camp is "smoke and mirror" or "snake oil".
So, how do you have a policy that prevents challenge of claims, but retain 'objectivity'? Don't refer to 'that dedicated forum' again -- that is just a method to remove objectivity from the rest of the forum.

As I clarified already, I'm interested in the enjoyability of the site and I don't see this as being exclussive of objectivity. You don't have to give up one to get the other, but you generally do have to be courteous and use some self restraint
Hmm. Tell me if you object to entity X in this following simulation:

Entity A: Hi, Bob, I have a Brand T cables for the same speaker you use. Before I was using a generic 12 AWG zip speaker wire, but with these the soundstage widened and the sound jut opened up. It's no small difference, either. You should buy a pair of these. They really make a difference.

Entity X.: Hi, A. How do these cables, specifically, allow for an audible change in the signal? Do they have some extreme LCR parmeters that in effect, cause a non linear transfer function?

Entity A: Hi, X. No, I'm not ware of the LCR parameters, but I know this is a 12 AWG stranded wire, standard side by side configuration, 3meters each, with silver plating and teflon insulation. I listed to the wires, switching them in/out in just a few seconds each. The sound really was better!

Entity X: A, their is no valid reason that I am aware that the LCR parameters would be signficantly different to an audible effect, in this configuration, which closely resembles the configuration of the standard 12AWG cable you wre using before. An uncontrolled, sighted listening test as you implied above, will leave psychological bias as a significant factor in perception. However, if you are happy with the change whetehr it is a true audible one or a psychological one, that is your decision. A DBT or ABX tst, level matched, would be required to find real audible differences. Alternaively, measurments demonstrating JNDs tht are within known human ability are another reasonble method to determine this issue.
. For those who are extremely interested in white papers and quoting citations, I see room on this forum for those debates to take place, but it may well be that those debates should be confined to a dedicated board rather than spilling over onto all of the other boards.
Please be clear. Your use of the word 'may' is not definitive here. Do you think such issues(as in the simulation above) should be isolated only to the 'special' forum?

You can't remove what you don't have.
Actually, I'm not sure what you mean. However, if you notice, people such as me rarely set a foot into the analog room. Do you mean you want a 50/50 or approximate proportion of posts that are objective vs. subjective(without requirement for proof)? I don't see how such a thing can exist unless the so-called objectivists are a small minority and can not handle the 'case load'. It's like this in a forum called head-fi.org. While they have no anti-dbt or debate rules in the main forums, their are so few people around to instill logic, that the place is stiill primarily full of unsupportable claims spread around as if they are fact. They do seem to enjoy themselves, though. Is this what you envision here?

For those who really want to get into the yeasayer naysayer debates... have at 'er. You will have all the room you want on that board. That doesn't mean that all objectivity is lost on the other boards just because this argument moved elsewhere
By basic logic -- if you prohibit challenging of claims in an area -- that area will run rampant with all sorts of claims(and no way to challenge their worth).

Once again... objectivity is not your exclussive domain and moving this never ending debate to a seperate board isn't the equivilant of sucking the objectivity out of the other boards.
Yes, it is. Don't you see this? If you 'prohibit' challenge to claims this = sucking the objectivity out of the board you apply this rule to. In this case, entity X as exampled above would have been in violation of forum policy. So, Entity A would remain unchecked and spreading his opinion as if it's a fact.

-Chris