I agree that the problems in audio, while more audaciously and widely entrenched in a field that
should be dependent on electrical engineering, etc., is symptomatic of a wider set of social issues that are worth combatting. That said...
[The following, please note, are general comments and need not apply to
@escksu - his/her personal situation is of course unknown to me]
I would still suggest that calling someone a fool is counterproductive, however. You might not be insulted if someone told you that you are short or ugly, but most people would be. If the aim is to educate, you need to not immediately alienate - if someone went to the gym, got a trainer, and the first thing the trainer said to them was, "Great God, man, you are one fat, overweight, weak SOB!" most people would not go back. Similarly, if someone is dipping their toes into a forum like this, even if they are combative, it does little good to tell them that they are a fool, idiot, etc.
It helps to remember, too, that in some instances you are talking about a whole lot of sunk time, money, and energy, as well as pride in being 'in the know' about all sorts of wonderful new devices, etc. that allow them to appreciate music in a manner that is out of the reach of most people. The cognitive dissonance is hard for people to get over, as is the shame, anger, embarrassment, etc.
It is also unnecessarily reductive. To say that someone has be or is fooled by something or someone is one thing - it need not characterize someone as a whole, they can be intelligent, knowledgable, and successful in other fields and the furthest thing from mere fools. As I said above, everyone has been conned at one time or another, but if you and
@gsp1971 agree that part of the purpose of this forum, or at least your interactions in these forums, is to educate people, I think it is a good idea to consider sound pedagogical strategies.
PS,
My own
quite foolish, clumsy, and in retrospect embarrassing attempt to elicit reflections on these matters and inept proposal as to how members of this community with similar motivations to yourself and
@gsp1971 might attempt to w possible way of reaching people can be found in the link below - but please read my last posts first, as I had to play clean-up, explain where I was coming from, and eat a fair amount of crow, given how I framed/raised things in my original, first post
:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...n-w-sennheiser-hd6xx.24611/page-4#post-841766
Thankfully, we can also learn from shame and embarrassment, and in the end, the fool is the person who refuses to grow, learn, and admit to themselves that they have ever behaved foolishly.
