Polite Rules for discussing Audio related things

I want to refocus something. This is not a political forum. I don't think there's a problem with banning off topic conversations entirely, or rudeness. Also, anyone is free to hold to an idea with zero facts behind them. These "bad" practices here do not lead to the undermining of democracy or the rule of law. You are free to state opinions about music and audio that may have zero basis in fact. It's just a hobby forum. 

The issue here is whether each of us is encouraging a fun place that invites more fun smart people to join or not. Towards that end, I've stated how I try to behave and hope it is useful.

Best,

e

@erik_squires   Absolutely!  Your examples stated in the first of two posts above is spot on.  And I in NO WAY want to get into the political here.  I was referencing a cultural shift not the political aspect of it.  But I concede it is hard to divorce one from the other.  I was trying to point to the fact that all of us here are subject to the vagaries of a larger culture in which our lives occur and I prefer to hear all sides of an issue not just the side I agree with.  No to censorship on all sides save those that promote violence against others.

The search for approval..
Credit to those with more wholesome intentions. Their contributions stand out here.

There is a problem with ’anything goes as that is what works for me, I’ve got a thick skin, and I give as good as I get"..

The problem is that the vast number of people who contribute and might contribute to a forum or thread are not of that nature. They are notably more gentle and easy going.

And so, if allowing for nasty behaviour and telling folks to toughen up, we get to a few forum members, with their thick skins - being the only forum denizens.

Everyone else has left as the median of the curve was left out.

So, what one needs to do, in order to run a forum.. a successful forum... is enforce civility --- and cut out, like a cancer, those who won’t be civilized and want free reign to denigrate, be sarcastic, and brow beat at will.

Social and cultural norms that work in a functional society, kinda thing.

FYI, ’users249’ was a pre-internet talk group from the old days, where ’anything goes’, no rules in what could be said..about anything or anyone. The very embodiment of shocking, brutal, extreme....and limited to such who could handle it.

I am finding the whole community to be so into their own bickering and in-fighting that I am pretty likely to just buy my USB cable and speaker wires and be done with the whole thing.  Unsubscribe from the Audiogon forum emails and ignore it all.  The FB groups are worse but only by so much.