Dealers hijacking the discussions

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and talks like a duck, its not a water tight chicken.

In discussion threads everyone should be talking to others like any other person would whose experience are akin, greater than or merely dissimilar from what is or has been shared., to or at the OP and or the discussion itself.

if the poster shows no form or fashion by which they could possibly achieve financial gain from their discourse on a topic, , all should be well.

Makers, dealers, distributors and other industry folk here often input vital information. Revelatory and crucial new input with great regularity and a number of these people, unless you’ve been around here for a long time, do not at all indicate they are actual dealers, designers builders, sellers, or merchants.

These vital and often necessary resources say their piece and that’s it. No invites. No PM me notes, no implication or advertising at all occurs. Unless someone in that thread ‘outs’ them as this or that, they leave their thoughts on the same level of contribution as did any non seller, non designer or non manufacturer.

That is as it should be, input or feedback from a purely altruistic tributary. Knowledge that comes from those springs will usually be well received.

I do not believe this is at all about getting input from dealers, designers, makers, distributors, etc., what so ever.

The idea one dealer says this thing is way gooder (yes, I said ‘gooder’) than that other thing, is no different than anyone else presenting his or her at times passionate opinion or EXP, and not withstanding the actual context.

Hiding behind passion is one thing. it is not hiding if as well one’s professional werewith all like therri inventory comes up which coincidentally is their proposed solution for the discussion. It is then free advertising, not passion.

Its like watching the same commercial on TV. It may start out differently now and then, but you know exactly what is coming. It gets old. Fast. Because it never changes.

The dealership which on the other hand says, you should look at xyz when you can as that is likely the best thing. I’m sorry but I don’t carry it. Will hold a lot more water with just about everyone for the possibility of gains then are absent.

If one feels this or that is indeed the better proposal for whomever, merely input that. Nothing more needs be said of your professional affiliation, location or inventory.

For a dealer or anyone else to input what they feel is aimed directly at the OP or topic of a thread is nothing more or less than what anyone else can or will do. We all have preffs, biases, notions others may or may not share. Although as individuals, we are in discussions for reasons apart from obtaining either individual awareness or financial improvement.

Well, I hope so anyhow.

Increasing public awareness is the immediate aim of advertising. Around the Audiogon community it is requested all advertising goes thru appropriate channels and is a fee based affair.

As such, for any member here Audiogon asks each of us for a fee to do that. They should maintain the same posture on advertising in threads.

Any ad for any thing is a notice saying ‘look at me’ and as well, an invitation for someone to visit, contact, or inquire of the advertiser for more info, all of which puts a sale or profit right on the crosshairs as the motive behind the motive.

If the motivation for feedback in threads carries with it any sense, inkling or possible bias, people are often intuitive enough to discern it. If not, overtures to listen to a different option at a particular or even specific retail venue the poster is closely attached, should be sufficient grounds for their input to be removed.

Anyone but me notice that “Report this” link on posts?

Exactly what does that do? Shouldn’t that provide a solution for untoward comments, shilling, blatant pitches?

I seem to recall this site did have a feature that allowed a poster to block a particular members post to any thread they generated. Then the site was re-arranged in ’10 and things haven’t been the same since.

This blocking thingy might still be about in member’s profiles preffs, or somewhere. If not, it should be brought back.

I spent a number of years in the military and as a result in some small part, so people could exercise their constitutional rights.

Conduct however is not a right, it’s a result of motivations and or character. People will always ‘reveal’ themselves and their motives. Just watch. It will be quite obvious what folks are about in due time.

It amuses me current communication trends have migrated towards extreme brevity in social media Texts, etc.. 140 characters. Or less. Friend me, follow me, tweety me. You first, after me.

If this click click attitude is allowed to continue pretty soon we’ll all just grunt or flip signs . or imogees. I’m going with ‘grunt’. When it becomes official of course.

According to some of my teacher friends who have students in 10 – 12 grade levels an overwhelming number of their kids can barely read at the grade level they should then be proficient. Apparently, America is already reading on an elementary school level.

I blame McDonalds. They started this nonsense decades ago putting up all those pictures of food you can order but can’t get. Well, not like what is in the photo.

McDonald’s menu has not changed since Moses was in short pants, but people still get to the register and stare at it trying to make up their minds.

Shees. Place an order totaling $7.35, hand them a $10 bill and two quarters and they give you the “”this is not $7.35!” stare and call for a manager.

Wanna confuse the clerk? Tell them what you want rather than picking a number off the menu. Of course it will cost you more that way as they can’t put all that info together into a meal option, and will instead, order it up ala carte.

Not long ago at a local ice cream shop I heard a person asked for a hot Fudge Sunday with extra hot fudge and the clerk said, “we don’t do that! Our hot fudge only comes in one temperature!”

Attention spans and communication skils are visibly eroding at alarming rates.

A lack of open or appropriate communication skills is why people get divorced or eaten by monsters. Well, that and if they are wearing red shirts in star Trek series. Walking backwards, red shirts, and no one yelling, “look behind you!” or “run!”. Folks are dropping like flies and there is still someone who is gonna slowly start walking backwards in the dark, in the joint where all their buddies have been found dismembered and apparently no longer interested in current fashion trends, Bingo. Another dead guy.

Don’t got time to read lengthy posts in forums?

Just wait, grab the pad when ya visit the throne or while driving to and from work.
What?

Everybody does it. That’s why they put air bags in cars!

Life is too complicated and too short to be too serious too often. The actual context of info being transmitted here is often technical or from one context to some other. It may take more than 140 characters to provide it. As well, some folks are not able to satisfactorily in their heads and on the page simply be routinely succinct.

Personally, I’m all about brevity. But that’s just me.

I thought ‘hijacking’ was taking a discussion from say, amps, to a discussion about for
instance, DACs, being held by two or more members conversing about their new this or that DAC as if they were PM each other and totally irrespective of the topic, OP, or other member’s input.. Now, that sounds like a ‘hijacking’ to me.

Drifting off point into some esoteric essay loosely associated with the topic, but still in the ball park, is quite another scenario.

FYI One can never 'invade' or ‘bardge’ into a thread. They ain’t private, so bardging is a non thing.

Gaining new insights or ideas on gear never known of previously seems a pretty good thing. I have to admit AT has at least provided if nothing else, names of previously unknown competing brands to those I did know.

When I was in sales, there is a thing called ‘qualifying’. Its done thru talking to the customer as one tries to develop rapport. It did not take too long in the trade to see some folks are readily and easily approachable, and some just are not. Some need to find their own way and these will ask you directly about those points which interest them. IOW, leaving some alone adding absolutely no pressure, overt or implied, is the perfect way to deal with them.

Most audiophiles are the ‘hands off’ variety. Nuts and bolts sorts. Numbers and blueprints kind. Especially the ones who have been around the block once or twice. Options for this group is input they’ll meet with interest. If these options remotely contain inferences of sales, it is received as offputting.

‘Just browsing’ is the overwhelming attitude in forums, not inferences of sales past or future.

I’m pretty sure, and there may be many more, but once a poster starts throwing about w
ords like: sold; sell; sales; we sell; we liked; we preferred; we have sold: we used to carry that: we dropped that line; come visit; are not what members are looking for in forums, imo. I know I’m not.

How you say it is as important as what you say and don’t’ say.

Come correct! individuals are expecting individual input, not company lines, corporate policies, and so forth.

In other words in the forums, just be a person. One without the atmosphere or onus of strings firmly, loosely, or possibly being attached., then or later.


Given TAO’s above essay, the issue in commerce hinge on this: in a valueless society price, is king.

Predominately. Like 90% or grater. Quality may not even be in the equation, it may well be understood, but price remains unseated these days.

A correction is coming. Just like in real estate a couple years back when that market crumbled and crashed. Its on the horizon. As well it should be. The only unknown is its degree of impact.