I often post, then quickly delete, on microphone-related threads on other forums.
I delete, out of fear of the incivility that may follow. I am allergic to incivility-especially after the last four years.
Flaming posts come and go in waves. Usually the nastiness ends when the thread runs out of oxygen, or when moderators (often belatedly) step in and close it down (bad) or remove the offending post (better).
With time, I have become gun-shy and don't share all that I know about a specific subject or what I believe to be true from experience in the field.
Out of fear that posters will slap me with nastiness and disrespect when my opinion contradicts their preconceived ideas, I reduce what I share to a safe minimum. When my opinions touch on a product a poster owns, any criticism of said product is often regarded as a wholesale dis of the owner. Replies then can get highly personalized.
The online "audio community", is populated largely by anonymous posters where everyone is an expert and no one has to show i.d. at the door to get in. But when discussions avoid controversy, contrarian ideas and constructive criticism, the concept of contributing in service to a deeper level of knowledge fails.
My "Ground Rules" which I enforce with little wiggle room for violations aim to dissuade posters from the worst types of asocial behavior. But rules alone do not create a nurturing climate where no one has to watch their back.
What am I trying to express with all of this? I welcome off-the-wall thinking, contrarian opinions and all forms of questioning audio orthodoxy.
Be assured that you will NEVER encounter disrespect, lack of courtesy or other forms of corrosive behavior when you post here.
