Why do you post on the Naim forum?

Hook

The first four lines of your post fit with me generally. I enjoy the act of communication and stimulating discussion or, if I can, sharing kowledge. It is true that a well received post feels like a bit of a 'boost'. I'm also curious about others views and opinions. I've learned all sorts from the forum; facts and viewpoints.

Over time I've come to realise this Forum has an important role for me; it acts as a brief 'time out' that allows me to de-focus from work for a minute or two such as during my lunchtime or at the beginning or end of the day. It is a diversion that serves a useful purpose in that respect. I post far less at the weekend from home.

Curiously I'm rather an anti-social individual. I actually like the degree of (relative) anonymity in our contacts. I would not wish to invite anyone to my house, or meet up at some forum social event, nor would I ever post a picture of me in my front room! I use my real name so I guess people could find out a fair bit about me if they wished but I still feel a comfortable remove from other contributors. I don't view the forum members as friends as such, but as a community that I do have some share of (and even slight responsibility to).

Finally I get really enthusiastic about new music. I love discovering a new artist or even a little cluster of related albums that float my boat. Finding that is great, and sharing it so somebody else gets that new music thrill is the best reason for the Forum. If the Forum has given me new music tips I feel a duty to try to offer some in return. I do the same with friends, my best mates and I exchange CD parcels every few months as we share new purchases.

...on which subject I suggest the sublime King Creosote/John Hopkins 'Diamond Mine' should win the Mercury prize.

Bruce

PS BTW I never look at or contribute to any other Forum despite a variety of other interests. It may have a few failings but my impression is that it is a far friendlier and more civilised place than many others!

Hi Hook

I guess it's a refreshing change to find a place on the web where there are others with similar interests to myself, and where they have a common interest in music and Naim Hi-Fi (to which I am very loyal).

It would be nice to meet people occasionally at Hi-Fi shows so that I can put a face to the name and I would hope that, eventually, some good friendships will form amongst us all.

There are other forums in existence, but they tend to be quite chaotic and some of the administrators and owners can be very rude and judgemental, so it makes a change to mix with a more, well, gentlemanly crowd!

I have learned a lot here in the few weeks since I have joined, and I hope to be around here for a long time to come.

Dave

for me, both technical resource and social networking. for the latter(?sp) i sense the forum is not as enthusiastically passionate as before, but this is probably just me languishing in the "good old days"  as old age sets in...

enjoy

ken

For a while I was upgrading equipment and expanding my music collection, and exploring new ways to listen.

That is done, and I have fallen into a new groove, so there's no reason to post anymore.

Coz my other name is "Johny no mates!"

Mostly post for pure ego, plus sense of participating in a like-minded community.  I'm also very interested to find out how and why things work - e.g. why different digital cables sound different.  Would be great if engineers from the factory joined in some of these debates to explain their philosophy - but I guess they are concerned about giving away their IP.

I've been a member since 2001 and made around 600 posts, just over one per week. Of course I haven't posted like that. I have posted in clusters. I generally post when I am enthusiastic about something and want to share it and sometimes for advice [on music, hi fi, and gardening]. I post on others topics if I feel I've got something to offer, which isn't that often. I also read more that I post. The humour sometimes has made me laugh out loud which is good as I don't get to do that as much as I'd like.

I used to be a regular poster with something of a love / hate relationship with this place.  On reflection I can see that I did take the place (and some posters) too seriously at times and when the enjoyment factor of this place floundered I took some time out.

Eventually my system was complete and I felt that having shared many of my trials and tribulations over the years, I had nothing more to say.  Add to this a general irritation at newbies' inability to use the search function and a particular irritation with some of the incredible egos (particularly in the music room) I simply logged on less and less.

Logging on recently (force of habit or curiosity - I don't know which) I found the place had changed and a number of posters I liked had moved on.  There were a lot of new people around - which is good but as for the content of posts to be honest, I have little interest  in the boxes now being discussed in the Hi-Fi corner - not even from a vaguely curious point of view.

I see the music room is still a bit disappointing in that discussion threads on music purchases continue to be exercises in who can post the most pictures of album covers. It would be so nice if people would do the radical thing and explain what had attracted them to a particular album...but hey each to their own.

I suppose the big question for me is whether or not I continue to post - and I have no idea on that one. Maybe I will lurk for a while to see how things pan out.

Well, Mike, that's fair enough, but doesn't quite explain why your posts were latterly semi-psychotic!

Graham,

He aint been right since old red went

Hook,  I read the forum mostly looking for news, advise & ideas.

I post only to ask or exchange info on all the above or if I can help out with something.

Do I see you are seated in a Ekornes Stressless - or is it a new world copy

My Ekornes are the best listening seats by a country mile,  I am now considering replacement, they are well over 20 years old & beginning to look it

But the question is does fabric sound better than leather, does the natural leather give a better sound stage than the buffed finish,  does a close weave give better bass than the open weaves.   This has confirmed to 'er indoors I am really out of it.  

How is Minneapolis these days,  I was over last year at the end of our 3 week Rocky Mountain (paradise) trip

Looked up the old work mates at the West 90th madhouse, knocked some holes in paper with my old buddy & the help of his armoury of 9mm. .32, .445 magnums & some awesome .223 AR15 & Remingtons.  We then went up to Duluth - jeez it was 20 degrees colder in town than at the top of the hill. Got to play with some trains at the rail museum,  those Yellowstones are something else.

Then went up the north shore & on up to a wolf sanctuary at Ely

Back again next year.     

A quiet word in you ear if I may be so bold - you need a Fraim.   

Thanks everyone for the wonderful replies so far!   I plan, eventually, to toss out my own answers, but you can sort of tell what has been going through head from the questions I asked.

Also, I got all excited when I saw Gale 401 had posted here, and was hoping to hear a tale or two about the legend of Munch!    But, regrettably, that was not the case.   Maybe his hands are tied under the national secrets act?   We'll see -- there's still plenty of time left before this thread runs its course...... 

Hook

I attempt to post the most pictures of album covers, mostly of things of no value, such as pop (ie.pap) and therefore do not warrant further discussion.

Jeff A

Oh do stay!  I'll talk to you

I found Naim in 2000 when I bought my first system and started reading the forum . It was quite wild but I figured out what the boxes were and status and made all my upgrade decisions from the myriad opinions I read.

On another part  I felt it was social and a lot of fun, I looked forward to raging debates and outlandish comments.  It was a time in my life I was under stress taking care of my elderly folks and it was something to read over 3 days there every week., or when I'd get home.

Now I'm looking into the NDX and find the technical info very important.

Things and life patterns change, this Forum has changed and quieted down.  That's the way life is, nothing stays the same.  I appreciate the input of different people.  I've had Geoff P stay here in LA during a rainy January and much appreciated his messing with my TT and Superline to get that last hum out.  That's the only other Naim contact I've had here in LA.

Hook

You said ...  For those of you who used to post regularly, but now only post infrequently (or not at all, but maybe still check in once in a while), what made you decide to stop contributing?  Did some life event place new and unforeseen demands on your time?  Or did you just grow tired of discussing music, audio and/or the Naim brand?   Are you now spending your time on other forums, or did you decide that the whole idea of online community was a waste of time?

I was once a fanatical contibutor to this forum and must have put in thousands of posts.

I virtually stopped contributing about 3 years ago andI probably now average 2 or 3 posts a year. The reason was that the most prolific members just flooded the forum with junk.  One member probably had more smiliees in his posts than words and the standard was akin to ---- well it's wednesday today so it will be thursday tomorrow.  We had obituaries on everyone from the local dustman upwards and for me the final straw was when some herbert started a threat on how deep is the snow outside where you live.

For me that was it, the IQ level had hit 3 points below that of a poodle and it was getting worse.

So rightly or wrongly I gave up and chucked it in. I now lurk about once a fortnight.

My enthusiasm for Naim equipment is still high and I have two Naim systems and will probably soon get around to buying a third system for a holiday home that I have.

Contributors can kill a forum but they can also make it and you never know, ome day the old flame may rekindle. I hope it does because I would come back.

Regards

Mick

A classic example of why I gave up on this place.  The moral high ground may provide wonderful views, but they are not shared by all.  Decision made. I am off.

Hi DaveBk -

Great point!   If people are leaving, or participating less than they used to, then it could very well be that the topics they are interested in aren't being discussed enough. 

Even more interesting is the comment that we need to "stimulate debate" and "liven up this place".  TBH, the last thread I participated in that had some real passion to it was the "Why is the nDAC so cheap?" thread, featuring Andy S.   It was thread that caused some to post a number of negative comments (mostly because the topics were technical and, at times, arcane), but there was no shortage of energy!

Was looking at your list, and as a new Ovator owner, I really like the idea of an official Ovator tuning and tips thread.   DB and others have posted a lot of information, but it is scattered about many threads.  If you do not start this thread in the next couple of days (and I think you should -- it's an excellent idea!), I will! 

Hook

Brad -

One nice thing about participating in a forum is that it is completely discretionary.   You, or I, can decide at any time if we want to read and/or post....or not.    There is absolutely nothing which compels any of us into a permanent decision about forum participation.

Or, as I told Dave a while back, there is nothing wrong with leaving, and then coming back someday under a new alias.   Not too many chances in life to reinvent yourself, eh? 

Personally, I have enjoyed reading your posts, and hope that you will continue to hang about as the mood strikes you.   After all, you are going through one helluva difficult period in your life, and maybe there will come a time when escaping into a thread that interests you will give you a minor mental break.

But if not, that's cool too.   Again, so sorry to hear about Mrs. DBL.   Will continue to wish for the best for her and for you!

ATB.

Hook

If we don't like the Forum content, tone or intellectual level then surely the thing to do is to try to post things that you hope improve that situation. Equally if threads are perceiced as trivial or inconsequential then just ignore them! Mick is a contributer I really miss, he always presented forthright and interesting views. He should not bother about threads that are not to his taste. Being a member does not mean being part of all the threads!

Rod and I had a debate about wine recently, and about the principles of branding and high value luxury goods. I enjoyed the discussion, I think he did too. Presumably others were bored witless-as I would be about threads on room damping and Ovator tuning.

If you want to remain part of the Forum and would like it to be better, then part of that responsibility is yours surely?

I try (really try) to  post a few sentences about the music I've bought describing it rather than lists of album covers. It might catch on...

Bruce