Forum history and active members.

Posted by: Tony2011 on 13 January 2016

While browsing  the forum,  I noticed some posts go back to July 2000 or whereabouts and  I then began to wonder if this is how far the forum actually goes, had there been a previous incarnation and who are the oldest contributors and members. It is rather fascinating reading the different opinions and evolution on Naim gear and also on music tastes in the last 15 or so years. Times may have changed but people are still very much engaged on having a good discussion and the occasional rant. 

Posted on: 13 January 2016 by BigH47

Probably the members in question are so old they have trouble remembering their names.  That's my excuse anyway. 

According to forum I joined in 2002. There was talk of a preceeding forum, which of course was better even if it was run using semaphore. It looked like an old message board type of thing, probly didn't even use electricity.

Posted on: 13 January 2016 by Tony Lockhart

I joined towards the end of '99, but I think a revamp in the noughties lost that. I was in Saudi when I joined, in an Internet cafe in al Khobar. Didn't have a clue about the net, forums or hifi. 

 

So so no change there!

Posted on: 13 January 2016 by Tony2011

Well, it  seems there are only Howard and Tony left after all these years. The rest is either dead or gone senile. 

Posted on: 13 January 2016 by Don Atkinson

I joined in 2001. Frank Abela mentioned the forum when I happened to visit his "saturday-boy" shop. Prior to that I don't recall having any  knowledge that the naim forum existed, despite having been a frequent visitor to Salisbury, both in Salt Lane then Southampton Road. Paul Darwin was an active Moderator when I joined and there seemed to be an intellectual, active American presence.

Posted on: 13 January 2016 by Harry

I joined in Jan 2002 originally with a different username. IIRC this is the third iteration of the forum since that date. There was at least one other before it, possibly more.

Posted on: 13 January 2016 by Hook

As a relative late comer (August 2009), I would like to thank all of you forum senior citizens for making me feel rather youthful (at least in forum years). 

ATB.

Hook

Posted on: 13 January 2016 by ken c

Gosh ... been around here for  loooong time...  as i recall, there was an archive of the old old forum (90's --> somewhere -- i'll see if i can locate it...

enjoy

ken

Posted on: 13 January 2016 by Jan-Erik Nordoen

Here since 2000. Mike Saeling used to have a site with an archive of Julian Vereker's posts from the old forum. The site is now gone, unfortunately.

Posted on: 13 January 2016 by Jan-Erik Nordoen

... with a little help from the web archive (nothing before 2000 though):

Remember when we had replies, views and ratings?

Posted on: 13 January 2016 by GraemeH

I'll have been here10 years this September...Seems like yesterday (worryingly!)

G

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Harry

I remember the archive with Julian's contributions. Good stuff.

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Richard Dane

There was the original forum, basically a message board, and one where Julian was very active just before his death.  Sadly the content couldn't be exported when the hosts closed down.

Some members managed to keep an archive of Julian's responses.  You may still find some of them with a bit of a search online.

I also kept an archive, but it's not held online.

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Derek Wright

basically a Message Board is a great format for a Forum, unlike this over decorated ineffectual code dump.

 

I joined in 2000 when it was on a format suitable for dial up connections, no graphics, just text.

 

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Gianluigi Mazzorana

When i think about Berlin Fritz is still feel a some kind of......anxiety?

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Dozey

I used to post as a guest back in 2000. Here is an old post from the Unofficial Naim Forum FAQs

What is the Naim Audio Forum?

Its an internet discussion group where people discuss Naim Audio.


Ok, so how do I access it?

You go here.


I've heard people talk about the 'old forum'.  What's that all about?

The original forum was started around 1996 and ran until the middle of 2000.  It was essentially the same as the current forum but was on a different website and used different software.  Eventually however the old forum was closed by the original hosts as it became too big for the original software.. The forum then moved to its current home and the new software.


Some people seem quite annoyed about the new forum and go all misty eyed when talking about the old one..

They do.  Partly this is just nostalgia but there are two legitimate complaints about the new site.

Firstly, the old site contained a huge amount of valuable information and discussion which is no longer available since the demise of the original forum.  It is believed that this information is still stored somewhere and hopefully will be made available at some point.

Secondly although the old forum software was in many ways more clunky than the current software it had one major advantage: within a thread you could reply to an individual message rather than just appending your message to the end.  The messages therefore formed a tree like structure within each thread.  Supporters of the old system feel this allows for better debate as it allows threads to progress more naturally and to simultaneously support many separate conversation strands.


Any things I should think about before my first post?

Just the usual guidelines for internet discussions.  Be polite, try searching the old messages for information before asking a question, try to get a feel for how things work before diving in, etc.


Ok just a few things more I like to know

Ask away.


What's a Non-ferrous Weenie Boy?

The first big support war...


Hang on, "support war"?

Yes a venomous flame war about equipment stands that went on for several months. Years even.


You had a flame war about equipment stands? Not sure I am that interested anymore

Several actually.  Anyway don't worry about it. All that nonsense is firmly in the past.


That's a relief.  Still at least you haven't had an 18 month slanging match about mains blocks.

No, no, nothing like that.  Definitely not..


Hmm. Ok.  So what is a non-Ferrous Weenie Boy?

The first big discussion about equipment stands was between proponents of Quadraspire tables who put forward the proposition that Quadraspire worked so well partly because they were made of wood and aluminium and therefore free from the ferrous metals that had become associated with negative effects.  This brought them into conflict with fans of Mana tables which, being made from angle iron, are decidedly ferrous.

The term non-Ferrous Weenie Boy was coined by Mana apparatchik Tanais Fox (aka TF) to describe  members of the pro-Quadraspire faction.  The term is intended to be pejorative and indicates the presumed general wimpy character of the typical Quadraspire fan.


Ok so what's a sheep?

A term invented by Mr Pig to indicate his perception of the flock like, unquestioning behaviour of typical Naim owners.


So a bloke called Pig calls other people Sheep?  You're making this up aren't you?

Sadly not.  There's someone called Stallion as well.


Good grief.  Lets change the subject.  What's a 'Boybander'? 

In the old forum most people used their real names.  In the new forum however people started using various screen aliases.


With something of a farmyard theme it appears.

Yes quite.  Anyway, people started using screen aliases instead of real names.  A forum member called Vuk Vuksanovic objected to this practice and indicated his derision by referring to such people as 'Boybanders' i.e. having stupid nicknames like members of N'Sync, Back Street Boys, etc.


Presumably he didn't mean this to indicate that such posters were accomplished at four part harmony and idolised by pre-teen girls?  

No he meant to indicate that using nicknames was childish and such people were beneath him.  In fact he refused to converse with anyone using a Boybander name.

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Hook

That was a fun read!  I wonder how many modern day boybander sheep would now like to admit to also being non-ferrous weenie boys? Too funny! 

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Huwge
Gianluigi Mazzorana posted:

When i think about Berlin Fritz is still feel a some kind of......anxiety?

I had to smile when I read this, never quite understood how he found his way here and where he (somewhat thankfully) disappeared to

 

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Don Atkinson

Boybanders..............Hook, Dozey, Huwge and BigH47 so far on this thread.

But my name's not Vuk, so I'll still talk (converse) with you..................(bet you wish Vuk was back )

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Massimo Bertola

Who's Berlin Fritz?

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by rjstaines
Massimo Bertola posted:

Who's Berlin Fritz?

I think he was a German.

 

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Dozey

Vuk is alive amd well, and occasionally posts on pink fish. As does TF (now known as bownose).

The forum back in the day was lots of fun, but could get a bit heated. Not as scary as the Mana forum...

Mick P was very active back then. He only post in the padded cell now.  Was that really 15 years ago? I feel very old!

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Derek Wright

I think that Berlin Fritz was a Brit living in Berlin, he was OK and if approached directly was very helpful.

The thread to fear was the great homeopathy thread, it out bored the most vicious cables debate.

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Dozey

I admit to using a screen alias. But where I come from everyone has a nickname, so I would be immediately recognisable. (Real name Alan Sharp).

I could never work out if Vuk was Vuk's real name. However it didn't really matter in the great scheme of things.

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by Hook
Don Atkinson posted:

Boybanders..............Hook, Dozey, Huwge and BigH47 so far on this thread.

But my name's not Vuk, so I'll still talk (converse) with you..................(bet you wish Vuk was back )

I disagree sir!  My forum name is my real life nickname - it is what friends have called me for almost 45 years (since the age of 14).

It's also the best I can do until retirement. I work for a large, international company that takes social media usage very seriously.  When I use business sites like Twitter and LinkedIn, I do so using my full name and as a representative of my employer. Otherwise, I post here and on PFM using a thin veneer of anonimity and deniability. I am in my last 3-4 years of employment, and have chosen not to give my employer any potential reason for demotion and/or termination. It is simply easier and less risky that way.

There are, however, quite a few current and former forum members with whom I trade occassional emails, and I do so using my full name.

But *if* I were a boybander, I'd want to be one of these guys:

Love those uni's, and I wish I had enough hair to try what the sitting dude is doing!

ATB.

Hook

Posted on: 14 January 2016 by BigH47

I was advised not to use my real name when I started on message boards etc and it kind of stuck. AFAIAA, I'm not in a boyband, and have been known a H since I was 16 ish, I'm over 6 foot so a combo with big seemed like a good "handle". Bet you can't guess my age?

Any one who needs to know knows my real name and even on some my post I will sign off with my actual fore name.

Howard.