Polite Rules for discussing Audio related things

+1 @elizabeth,

As nice as the suggestion is, rules of civility on a forum like this is like having someone come down off a mountain with some commandments.
Great in theory but not in practice.

I've pointedly stated how nice it would be for those who love to argue to just go a start a thread with their like minded ilk and have at it, deriding the rest of us. I think it made it to almost one page and then it died out of lack of interest. There's only so much back and knee slapping a small group can endure before they tire of each other.

They need to interject, to impose their will when not asked for because of the nature of this venue. Anonymity is an essential aspect of their condition and it's rewarding and strengthening every time they do it.

Alas, Elizabeth, I think you regard some here too highly. 😄

All the best,
Nonoise

All good in principle, but human nature seems to override the best laid plans....
I can take fair argument if it is done thoughtfully, and in the process, contributes to the knowledge base. Nobody knows everything-- that's the reason why these fora have value--aside from answering direct questions posed by an OP--
Some of the topics are never going to result in consensus, but one can argue- in the reasoned sense of discourse- without sniping or rancor-- as in arguments that are simply squabble. 

@elizabeth and @sbank (how are things, Spence?) make some good points, and show why we need this thread.

I’ve always strongly opposed censorship. But at this point, I’m ready to switch sides. Along those lines, I would implement cutting off someone’s participation in a thread (yes, only that thread, specifically) sort of like getting thrown out of a game, after making the same point repeatedly (3X?), to the point of the discussion getting stuck. That’s obviously open to judgment, and some will feel they’ve gotten hit unfairly. But what we currently have has poisoned the environment, in my opinion. As prime example, fuse threads seem to devolve into a never-ending back and forth by the same handful of people on both sides making the same point over and over and over and over and over again, with perhaps a little extra insult thrown in over time.

Likewise, I know one member who got hit with a 30 day suspension from participation in the threads, without doing anything that seemed especially egregious or out of the ordinary. I could name several others who regularly act in a far worse manner, and should get hit with the same sentence, so what is Audiogon waiting for?

Elizabeth, here here! Oh, and don’t feed the trolls.