What the ... happened to this place?!

[OliverD]

Coming back to my favourite website after a couple of months of heavy work with very limited time, I'm somewhat shocked about what happened here...

People I once new as great personalities, generously sharing their knowledge, suddenly start attacking each other as if they were the leaders of opposing parties during an election campaign...

People who once helped others getting their projects right randomly hijack other's threads and start off-topic flame wars...

Things that formerly were widely accepted suddenly raise critic, even hate...

Diyaudio no longer is the cosy place it used to be. I'm getting tired of having to scroll past flame wars to the next on-topic post.

The purpose of this place is to share knowledge. It doesn't make sense to me at all when I read (even though not addressed to me) "Hey, I've gained this experience through many year's hard work, and now you expect me to tell you which transistor to select?" Well, yes, I do. At least a little hint. Learning from others is what this place is all about. If everybody had to start from scratch, we wouldn't have come this far.

People feel they are ripped off. I don't understand this. Everybody knows that there is no copyright on a circuit as such, like there is no copyright on a cooking receipe. Unless you are granted a patent. You can hold a copyright on your hand or computer drawn schematic, texts, pictures, but not on the circuit itself. If you don't want people to design a PCB for your circuit and sell it, don't post your circuit. Or be the first to sell the kits. It's that simple.

Having done at least two or three group buys here on the forum, I know you cannot make money from selling kits, PCBs or parts. You can earn your next beer, if you're lucky, but most likely you will be losing some money.

I don't understand this attitude of some people who are jealously guarding their knowledge. Why did you come here in the first place?

In general, people seem to behave more childish than they used to when I left for a break... Why is this? Have I missed something?

One word of caution: Please don't tell me who the bad boys are. I'm not interested at all. All I want is the diyaudio I used to know.

[mlloyd1]

I will probably show my age by saying this. I've been on the internet since I started my day job in 1980. There was no www (at least not for the general public). However, there were technically oriented, DIY-audio focused bulletin boards and newsgroups. The same thing happened there. Some of these still exist but are NOTHING like what they used to be.

As Mr. Spock or Kosh might say (pick your favorite show :-) ), "Humans are involved; the behavior we see is to be expected, after a time"

It is quite interesting to search through the old netnews postings on google from years back. Some fantastic nuggets are out there. For example, some great stuff on bypassing from Pete Gedreau (spelling?). Fred knows who I'm talking about :-)

mlloyd1
who is VERY glad there are really no Minbari :-) :
"The humans. Follow them to their homeworld. Kill them, Kill them all!"

[ThorstenL]

Konnichiwa,

Originally posted by OliverD
What the ... happened to this place?!

Full Moon? Hot Part of the year? Excessive exposure to hypnotic radiation from US Satellites to whip up the proper "patriotic" frenzy among the North americans for the next crusade against WMD posessing, poor, near starving brownskinned "Enemies" that sit on millons of Barels of oil?

Who knows....

Originally posted by OliverD
I'm getting tired of having to scroll past flame wars to the next on-topic post.

Amen.

Originally posted by mlloyd1
"The humans. Follow them to their homeworld. Kill them, Kill them all!"

Sounds like a plan, let's go for it. Hanging out here does at time make one feel it would be best to just get rid of the Homo Interludiens Mobiles (who inaccuratly calls himself Homo Sapiens Sapiens) and let nature take it's course. I start to like these Mimbari!

Sayonara

[Variac]

I honestly believe that what runs off the big names is when this place doesn't seem like fun, not the IP issue.

When a forum looks like fun, and when people are respected, the big guns show up because they get recognition. They love to show their cleverness to an "adoring " public. In exchange they give useful info. Forget the big guys, how about the many knowlegable people that help out others out of a sense of community? When a place is full of acrimony, why would you want to come back? You HAVE to interact with A-holes during the day, why would you want to associate with them voluntarily in the evening?

[Shpoop]

after all, DIY stands for do it yourself...thats the point of this place, to give and get tips for doing it yourself...not to make it harder for others to do it themselves, nor to attract customers for your newest speakers

[Sandy H.]

I think right now there are a handful of strong personalities on the board who are posturing a bit. The most respected people I know let others be high and mighty and blow their own steam out and then when they realize they have gone overboard, welcome them back without bad feeling. I hope that happens here.

The Internet gives too many people the ability to act like blankidy blanks without recourse. If this were a community where everybody saw each other every day, there would be a totally different feeling. Maybe someday, on-line etiquette will be as good as interpersonal interaction.

Let the strong, moral and fun loving among us not contribute to the current issues, nor judge those involved. Simply welcome all of them back when they return to the forum the way they could be.

Sandy.

[lazyfly]

It's not all bad news (you didn't make it out to be, I know!)

I'm relatively new here and have had good experiences only. I've read quite a few posts from other 'newbies' who've been received the same way.

I've also seen a few rather heated discussions/debates but these seem to be where titans clash. Two or more experienced people on opposite sides of the fence will often do that, though, and short of locking/deleting threads it's probably best to just let 'them' duke it out. One day hopefully at least one will remember how subjective sound is to an individual.

But then on the odd occasion you'll just get a pair of blockheads who'll never even agree to disagree. That's just overblown ego's, I think. The saddest part of these threads is people like myself just end up confused!

My 2.2c worth (inc. GST)

[mlloyd1]

Bravo Sandy! Well said.

Originally posted by Sandy H.
... Simply welcome all of them back when they return to the forum the way they could be ...
Sandy.

[Bill Fitzpatrick]

I don't think it matters. If the site gets any slower no one will be able to follow threads or post anyway.

[karma]

im glad im not the only one noticing that