I don't think we should try to evaluate Romy or Magnetar by any standards other than their own. Both are fierce about their own particular levels of music reproduction, through audio.
I deal with Romy on a personal level and find him highly intelligent, in the Russian itelligencia category. His aims, on his site, are very coherent and address the reproduction of an orchestral, operatic environment, within the confines of his space. His actual system is highly refined and expresses a journey in thought. His goals are clear and expressed throughout his site. He makes no bones about accepting other peoples ideas, ones that he has already visited and found wanting. If you teach him something new, he will thank you, but if what you are showing is just derivative behavior he will insult you, as he feels you have insulted him. If you spend the time to wade through his English, which is not his native tongue, you will find many very good and extremely iconoclastic ideas, expressed in hardware, that he has had designed and built to his specifications, unless he posses the skills needed.
Magnatar is every bit as iconoclastic and his methods are antithetical to those of Romy. Not any less intelligent, but much more scattered in approach and, at least on this forum, pretty tightly focused in scope. Within that scope he is very proud of his work and not particularly tolerant of what he considers foolishness.
Now, how many of us can say we don't also fall into these two categories? How much of our impatience with these two is based upon socialization issues, rather than the essence of what they bring to their respective postings? If you were either of them, do you think you would be any less impatient with those who "Don't get it"?
Bud
I deal with Romy on a personal level and find him highly intelligent, in the Russian itelligencia category. His aims, on his site, are very coherent and address the reproduction of an orchestral, operatic environment, within the confines of his space. His actual system is highly refined and expresses a journey in thought. His goals are clear and expressed throughout his site. He makes no bones about accepting other peoples ideas, ones that he has already visited and found wanting. If you teach him something new, he will thank you, but if what you are showing is just derivative behavior he will insult you, as he feels you have insulted him. If you spend the time to wade through his English, which is not his native tongue, you will find many very good and extremely iconoclastic ideas, expressed in hardware, that he has had designed and built to his specifications, unless he posses the skills needed.
Magnatar is every bit as iconoclastic and his methods are antithetical to those of Romy. Not any less intelligent, but much more scattered in approach and, at least on this forum, pretty tightly focused in scope. Within that scope he is very proud of his work and not particularly tolerant of what he considers foolishness.
Now, how many of us can say we don't also fall into these two categories? How much of our impatience with these two is based upon socialization issues, rather than the essence of what they bring to their respective postings? If you were either of them, do you think you would be any less impatient with those who "Don't get it"?
Bud
Again. Romy = Magnetar. Not ''like Magnetar''. He is Magnetar.
As for people with curmudgeon type attitudes, I am not offended at all, they may have less pub mates if they feel ok with that.
But the Lynn Olson type is civilization. Reactionary is passe.
Lynn goes his way completely too, but has EQ.
As for people with curmudgeon type attitudes, I am not offended at all, they may have less pub mates if they feel ok with that.
But the Lynn Olson type is civilization. Reactionary is passe.
Lynn goes his way completely too, but has EQ.
Draggin' 'er further off topic
How intelligent can one be if they are smarter than everybody and take someone speaking 'derivitavely' as an insult?
The intelligent people who lack social graces might as well be genius monkeys, and it's awful hard for a simian rocket scientist to get anything done if he's flinging feces the way Romy flings epithets.
It's a shame about Magnetar, though not wholly unexpected. Unfortunately, mods have to be rather heavy handed or the forum becomes unpleasant and effectively useless for those who follow the rules and expect a polite exchange.
Derogatory arrogance isn't 'acceptable' if the person's highly intelligent any more than a bully being in better shape is justification for beating up the fat kid in a lunch room.
I personally will miss Magnetar, but one thing, I'm not sure he realizes he does it, but he almost always touts his latest as by far his greatest.... very few development paths are a pure uphill climb.
Oh well. Looking forward to some more fun on this thread in the nearish future, it's certainly an interesting project, and an ambitious one to boot. I'm particularly interested to see how the 12" testing comes out, as the Zaphs of the world for some reason focus on more domestically friendly 'woofer' sizes that my sig line disapproves of.
How intelligent can one be if they are smarter than everybody and take someone speaking 'derivitavely' as an insult?
The intelligent people who lack social graces might as well be genius monkeys, and it's awful hard for a simian rocket scientist to get anything done if he's flinging feces the way Romy flings epithets.
It's a shame about Magnetar, though not wholly unexpected. Unfortunately, mods have to be rather heavy handed or the forum becomes unpleasant and effectively useless for those who follow the rules and expect a polite exchange.
Derogatory arrogance isn't 'acceptable' if the person's highly intelligent any more than a bully being in better shape is justification for beating up the fat kid in a lunch room.
I personally will miss Magnetar, but one thing, I'm not sure he realizes he does it, but he almost always touts his latest as by far his greatest.... very few development paths are a pure uphill climb.
Oh well. Looking forward to some more fun on this thread in the nearish future, it's certainly an interesting project, and an ambitious one to boot. I'm particularly interested to see how the 12" testing comes out, as the Zaphs of the world for some reason focus on more domestically friendly 'woofer' sizes that my sig line disapproves of.
12-11-2005 romy gave a special treatment to Mochamike, alias Magnetar , at his forum, at the thread The IDEAL horn system
If he would be Magnetar, he would have to kick his own *** ( actually not a bad idea ), when he wrote :
Added By Romy in a few weeks: The user turned out to be Mike Bates (know as Magnetar at AA). This @#$$%%% is not alowed at my forum and therefore since I learned who it was the MochaMike is no more. This ¨%¨&&*( is not alowed at my forum and therefore since I learned who it was the MochaMike is no more.
If he would be Magnetar, he would have to kick his own *** ( actually not a bad idea ), when he wrote :
Added By Romy in a few weeks: The user turned out to be Mike Bates (know as Magnetar at AA). This @#$$%%% is not alowed at my forum and therefore since I learned who it was the MochaMike is no more. This ¨%¨&&*( is not alowed at my forum and therefore since I learned who it was the MochaMike is no more.
So they are not only different, but avid sonic foes too, given the 2005 Good Sound Club ban. So Magnetar did not reply if he is the same when he was asked because of what reason? Intrigue or allergy?
Anyway given all the unfolded details I WOULD LOVE to have them both here debating daily over speakers and everything. Especially when I read Romy's views on some Hi-End dealers I was rolling on the floor. Great style!
Anyway given all the unfolded details I WOULD LOVE to have them both here debating daily over speakers and everything. Especially when I read Romy's views on some Hi-End dealers I was rolling on the floor. Great style!
What's kinky is that this kind of thing seems mostly confined to the horn world, for reasons that are completely inexplicable to me.
I wrote a review of Gedlee's book in the ClariSonus blog, things just moved along quietly for several weeks, then I got inundated with invective coming from the AA H-E forum, including one long-time member making up completely fictitious stories about me. I stayed away from AA H-E, not wanting to add fuel to the fire, but the personal insults and ad hominem attacks just got worse and worse. In disgust I just erased the book review completely from ClariSonus. Some things are NOT worth the hassle.
A few months later, a series of e-mails back-and-forth with Romy kind of blew hot and cold, but I eventually grew tired of the tone of the conversation, and stopped corresponding. GSC is still an interesting site, and a lot of interesting ideas are there - although I certainly don't agree with the my-way-or-the-highway absolutism. (The hilarious descriptions of the high-end industry, which seem to be exaggerated for comic effect, are actually very accurate - I've heard similar conversations myself.)
The brouhaha over at Lansing Heritage Site was basically more of the same - either you agree with the (JBL) company line, or you get invective and personal insults. Questioning the decisions of the JBL design staff does NOT meet with approval.
Now there are plenty of nice guys who build horns - who I've met in person - but the social behavior in these forums really is a puzzle. One forum, OK, it could just be a personality clash. Two forums - well, maybe, who knows. But three!?
Over in phonograph-land, or triodeville, that kind of behavior is a lot more unusual. There might be one or two flamers, but they usually are isolated by the rest of the group. The mass-attack behavior, though, is a new one to me. Frankly, the sheer unsociability has made me reconsider this whole project many times - I really like to collaborate with other people, but this kind of rigid fundamentalism and group-attack behavior makes it hard to carry on a conversation.
By the way, I'd like to thank the moderators and the participants here at DIYAudio for your courtesy, intelligence, and thoughtful comments and questions. It certainly is a refreshing change from the hostility and personal attacks I've seen elsewhere.
I wrote a review of Gedlee's book in the ClariSonus blog, things just moved along quietly for several weeks, then I got inundated with invective coming from the AA H-E forum, including one long-time member making up completely fictitious stories about me. I stayed away from AA H-E, not wanting to add fuel to the fire, but the personal insults and ad hominem attacks just got worse and worse. In disgust I just erased the book review completely from ClariSonus. Some things are NOT worth the hassle.
A few months later, a series of e-mails back-and-forth with Romy kind of blew hot and cold, but I eventually grew tired of the tone of the conversation, and stopped corresponding. GSC is still an interesting site, and a lot of interesting ideas are there - although I certainly don't agree with the my-way-or-the-highway absolutism. (The hilarious descriptions of the high-end industry, which seem to be exaggerated for comic effect, are actually very accurate - I've heard similar conversations myself.)
The brouhaha over at Lansing Heritage Site was basically more of the same - either you agree with the (JBL) company line, or you get invective and personal insults. Questioning the decisions of the JBL design staff does NOT meet with approval.
Now there are plenty of nice guys who build horns - who I've met in person - but the social behavior in these forums really is a puzzle. One forum, OK, it could just be a personality clash. Two forums - well, maybe, who knows. But three!?
Over in phonograph-land, or triodeville, that kind of behavior is a lot more unusual. There might be one or two flamers, but they usually are isolated by the rest of the group. The mass-attack behavior, though, is a new one to me. Frankly, the sheer unsociability has made me reconsider this whole project many times - I really like to collaborate with other people, but this kind of rigid fundamentalism and group-attack behavior makes it hard to carry on a conversation.
By the way, I'd like to thank the moderators and the participants here at DIYAudio for your courtesy, intelligence, and thoughtful comments and questions. It certainly is a refreshing change from the hostility and personal attacks I've seen elsewhere.