I realize that the thread about freecell got way off track and can see why it was closed, but i do believe some good points were raised that deserve some attention.
that is the purpose of this thread, to discuss these points out in the open.
First of all, internet forums have dual personalities.
first, there is the focus of the forum, be it cars, radios, or antique vases.
second, there is the reputation of the forum, meaning that different forums on the same subject will appeal to different people, depending on what they are looking for in an internet forum. This forum is just not the place for newbies who dont like being told they are wrong. there are plenty of radio forums that will coddle them and tell them they are right when they are not.
People who see past the BS will not stay in a place like that for long, and will eventually gravitate toward a place like this.
What happens when that objectivity is no longer being praised, and actually starts getting punished? You guessed it; they move on.
I came here about 4 years ago from the Copper electronics forum because the moderator there had an agenda that involved plugging certain products that Copper sold and he would delete your post if you challenged him on his findings in his "reviews".
i got sick of typing up an involved response challenging his findings based upon facts and solid radio theory only to come back that next day and find it gone, along with a private message to me that i'd better watch my P's and Q's.
When i came here, it was like a breath of fresh air. People asked questions about certain products or practices and were given an honest response, whether it was what the OP wanted to hear or not.
The radio hobby is fraught with myths and misinformation.
only when forum members are free to work through an issue without fear of being censored will these myths be dispelled.
In that vein; i offer my personal opinion on the subject of the "reviews" being posted by our newest moderator.
Robb, you are not technically experienced enough to offer anything of real value in your reviews to the members of this forum.
All you are doing is regurgitating the manufacturer's claims and offering an "all the knobs and buttons work" type of review, and that really isnt going to sway anyone's opinion of a product if they have been in this hobby for any length of time.
what is the point of that?
exactly which radios arent "clean and clear" when tuned up by a competent tech?
again, i am only talking about THIS forum. other forums may eat that stuff up, but here, people listen to what they are taught because they know the REPUTATION of the info given out here.
they know they will get the straight facts because the people here that offer technical assistance are not here to sell products.
your reviews taint that credibility because you are not experienced enough to really get into the nitty gritty details of the differences between one radio and another, instead all we get is, "i used it in my mobile and people said i sounded good."
who cares what your buddies think of a certain radio or antenna?
In this forum, we like to debate the relative merits of this product or that product by weighing manufacturers' claims against solid radio theory.
if you think that people can accept someone's opinion of a product as objective when they were given the product for free; you are fooling yourself.
why do you think the FTC makes reviewers state that the item was given for free??? because it affects the opinion of the reader on the objectivity of the reviewer.
i do not begrudge you the opportunity to obtain products for review and post those reviews online. i think that is fine. i am saying that this is not the place for that in my opinion, and that it has a negative effect on the reputation this forum has built over the years.
these are my personal opinions and i would like to know who agrees with me and who disagrees.
this is a volatile subject and it is not my intention to offend anyone.
i do not want this thread to be locked, so please keep it civil and on point.
LC
that is the purpose of this thread, to discuss these points out in the open.
First of all, internet forums have dual personalities.
first, there is the focus of the forum, be it cars, radios, or antique vases.
second, there is the reputation of the forum, meaning that different forums on the same subject will appeal to different people, depending on what they are looking for in an internet forum. This forum is just not the place for newbies who dont like being told they are wrong. there are plenty of radio forums that will coddle them and tell them they are right when they are not.
People who see past the BS will not stay in a place like that for long, and will eventually gravitate toward a place like this.
What happens when that objectivity is no longer being praised, and actually starts getting punished? You guessed it; they move on.
I came here about 4 years ago from the Copper electronics forum because the moderator there had an agenda that involved plugging certain products that Copper sold and he would delete your post if you challenged him on his findings in his "reviews".
i got sick of typing up an involved response challenging his findings based upon facts and solid radio theory only to come back that next day and find it gone, along with a private message to me that i'd better watch my P's and Q's.
When i came here, it was like a breath of fresh air. People asked questions about certain products or practices and were given an honest response, whether it was what the OP wanted to hear or not.
The radio hobby is fraught with myths and misinformation.
only when forum members are free to work through an issue without fear of being censored will these myths be dispelled.
In that vein; i offer my personal opinion on the subject of the "reviews" being posted by our newest moderator.
Robb, you are not technically experienced enough to offer anything of real value in your reviews to the members of this forum.
All you are doing is regurgitating the manufacturer's claims and offering an "all the knobs and buttons work" type of review, and that really isnt going to sway anyone's opinion of a product if they have been in this hobby for any length of time.
what is the point of that?
exactly which radios arent "clean and clear" when tuned up by a competent tech?
again, i am only talking about THIS forum. other forums may eat that stuff up, but here, people listen to what they are taught because they know the REPUTATION of the info given out here.
they know they will get the straight facts because the people here that offer technical assistance are not here to sell products.
your reviews taint that credibility because you are not experienced enough to really get into the nitty gritty details of the differences between one radio and another, instead all we get is, "i used it in my mobile and people said i sounded good."
who cares what your buddies think of a certain radio or antenna?
In this forum, we like to debate the relative merits of this product or that product by weighing manufacturers' claims against solid radio theory.
if you think that people can accept someone's opinion of a product as objective when they were given the product for free; you are fooling yourself.
why do you think the FTC makes reviewers state that the item was given for free??? because it affects the opinion of the reader on the objectivity of the reviewer.
i do not begrudge you the opportunity to obtain products for review and post those reviews online. i think that is fine. i am saying that this is not the place for that in my opinion, and that it has a negative effect on the reputation this forum has built over the years.
these are my personal opinions and i would like to know who agrees with me and who disagrees.
this is a volatile subject and it is not my intention to offend anyone.
i do not want this thread to be locked, so please keep it civil and on point.
LC
