Have we lost civility and respect on Audio forums?

Yup. Civility is dead. Several months ago I read a comment, or a post, from an audiophile even older that I am, who was wondering how to re calibrate suggested stylus force numbers to "wet". Man oh man, did the flamers come out. If it hadn't been so sad and demoralizing.... It took me awhile to come back, I have no idea if the OP folded his tent or not. It isn't a problem unique to this forum. The ascendance of dogma over reason seems to be complete. I have literature from Thorens showing wet and dry stylus force tables. I have cartridge data sheets showing both... But the experts had no trouble coming down on a person who was just looking for usable knowledge. We are surrounded by those who think they can lift themselves up by pushing others down.

these are dark days

I'm a DIY guy out of financial necessity. I make my cables, out of the best Beldon or Cardas I can afford, with the best hardware I can put my hands on. I freely admit I have copied commercial maker's designs. I have recapped both of my Kenwood KD TT's, a 500 and a 550. I have built Heathkit and other (like from plans...) amplifiers...I repair my CD players, and gear, it's not just smoke inside the wires for me.

My complaint is this society's headlong rush into Orwell's 1984.... History started when you were born, NOTHING of importance happened before then, if it did we can change it (Stalin, Mao, and Che have been re-imagined as heroes? And heroes re-invented as criminals?). If you can't buy it. it just doesn't exist, or have an intrinsic value. (who had the price tag on her hat on Hee-Haw? Who's even seen Hee-Haw or heard Buck and Roy?) Dogma is knowledge, do not question the dogma (you want to be on the right side, don't you?)  I do not want to be lectured to by a someone who wouldn't recognize a JBL Paragon if it was eating his B&W's. But at the same time I don't mind being taught.  I'm sad that an old ear who can remember, let alone still use, something from the dawn of Hi-Fi (when it had to be figured out and knowledge was shared freely and joyfully...) be belittled by somebody who already knows it all, and has no tolerance for those that don't know it all, or know different, and smugly knows, JUST KNOWS that he knows it all, and you don't

phewww, I need a nap, or a time out or something...  wonder what my blood sugar is         :-)

@tomic601 I'm in the frozen Northern part of Flyoverlandia. A double blind bartender.... now that's some real scientific experimentation. Results are inconclusive, we'll try again tomorrow... Cheers!

Illegitimati non carborundum