QUESTION: What crazy arguments occur in your other hobbies?

[MattHooper]

We are all familiar with the type of things audiophiles argue about - cables, tweaks, subjective versus objective, the role of measurements, sinad, MQA, you name it!

But it seems just about every hobby has its own common set of disagreements among enthusiasts, whether it’s cycling, photography, cars…

So I’m wondering about those who are also into other hobbies:

What are the type of things people argue about in those hobbies? What are the controversies?

(The question is open, of course to somebody who isn’t involved in a hobby, but who is also aware of the controversies and disputes that occur in certain hobbies)

 

[A Cute Earring]

Excellent question! Try asking a group of boaters “Which is the best anchor?”

 

[MattHooper]

I guess I should mention a couple from my own experience:

In Home Theatre, especially over at AVSForum, there used to be crazy personal battles between those who favoured plasma or LCD flatscreens.

As well as heated battles over different approaches for projection set ups, with some for instance insisting a constant image height set up using a 2:35:1 screen was the only accurate way to reproduce the movie experience. Unbelievable amount of digital ink spilled on that one.

I was a fanatic about martial arts, and naturally, there were endless debates as to which art was the most efficient and why.
(especially before the UFC showed up)

 

[MattHooper]

Excellent question! Try asking a group of boaters “Which is the best anchor?”

Seriously? That’s hilarious. Tell me more.

 

[JeremyFife]

I'm not going to bite... DOH, wine buffs ... European or American Oak ... and a gazillion other things

 

[mhardy6647]

I don't think I have any other hobbies.
This being said -- I have read* that there is a deep vein of tribalism related to all things motor oil in the setting of automobilia.

____________________
* On the internet -- so it must be true.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Well in astronomy you have the reflector vs refracting divide. Not to mention Cassegrains, Maksutovs, etc. Various odd beliefs about different eyepieces. I don't think it gets to the level of audio however.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I don't think I have any other hobbies.
This being said -- I have read* that there is a deep vein of tribalism related to all things motor oil in the setting of automobilia.

____________________
* On the internet -- so it must be true.

Yeah, like what is the proper oil change interval? Nobody has a better filter than toilet paper (like for real toilet paper is the best). I know a guy with an unrebuilt engine with 400 k miles never used anything other than the good ole TP since he purchased the car new.

 

[Blumlein 88]

In firearms, just ask about cleaning a rifle and what the right procedure and chemicals are. Or better yet, how should you break in a new barrel?

 

[mhardy6647]

Well in astronomy you have the reflector vs refracting divide. Not to mention Cassegrains, Maksutovs, etc. Various odd beliefs about different eyepieces. I don't think it gets to the level of audio however.

I don't either. I thought it was more a matter of what one could afford, and the relative merits of focal length, speed*, size, stuff like that. I know therre are different optical designs, but eyepieces are easy, I think -- bigger is better; expensiver is even better still! Eye relief is a very good thing.

I guess it is true, in general, though. Mrs. H was a Swarovski bino fan (and, to some extent, still is) until the Zeiss "Victory" line came along. She jumped ship for her field glasses to the Zeiss Victory SL 10 x 42 from her 8.5 x 42 Swarovski EL. Both models are roof prism designs; the Zeiss was strongly influenced by the Swarovski.
The Swarovskis live in the living room to look at visitors to the platform feeders now. I still like the feel of them better than the Zeiss.
______________
* f/ ratio; i.e., basically aperture -- as opposed to audiophilia, where speed is a meaningless buzzword.

 

[Jim Taylor]

I'm a fisherman. The various arguments are spinning vs. casting, nylon vs. fluorocarbon, live bait vs. lures, boaters vs. shorecasters and keep vs. catch-and-release.
Other arguments are outboard motor brand (Bird vs. Black Anchor) and boat material (wood vs. aluminum vs. fiberglass).

Easiest way to start an argument that can escalate quickly is to say those three magic words: "You're too close." Be ready to fight.

 

[Mikig]

I fear that social media in every area has done more harm than good...

the ball of the discussion is too often in the hands of influencers, keyboard warriors, haters and paid characters, with the obvious and inevitable results in every area of discussion...

so madness and banality and wow effect are the order of the day!!

 

[Thomas Savage]

I think it is less about the different hobbies and more about the communication mediums and assumption/ expectation folks bring with them.

The ' hobby ' can be but the vehicle with no unique distinguishing attributes between them .

I would add some folks actually know and make a living from what to others might be a hobby so next time ones in a online exchange image how annoying it would be if a random just turned up at your workplace or in your sphere of perceived expertise and started to show extreme signs of being totally unaware of what they don't know , I digress.,

Still it's all quite predictable, ego, expectation, butthurt and a Japanese knotweed'esq identity complexity that can suffocate anything worthwhile in terms of knowledgeable exchange thusly the value to those that simply want to know why bob the fish keeps eating his mates in the aquarium you bought the kids at christmas . ( other holidays are available)

The subjects and particulars are interchangeable and imo often largely irrelevant.

The most famous arena of enthusiasts that might well of gone one or two steps beyond useful being phycologist's and social scientists. Nature vs nature anyone , genetic memory , why do I dream my old boss put vegetables in my filler bucket.. who knows was it because when about the same age my great grandfather experimented with root veg while feeling particularly lonely in the Welsh valleys..


Take your pick , it's all the same .

 

[Somafunk]

A number of years ago in the bike industry there was arguments for/against 26” vs 27.5” vs 29” wheel sizing, all perfectly rational unlike the usual hifi audiophile bullshit

 

[Timcognito]

Autos
Internal Combustion Vs Electric vehicles -> Plug-In Hybrid as a compromise -> Not Environmental -> We are doing it but most of the world won't so doesn't matter -> It matters and economics will force it -> so why subsidies ->speed and increase adoption -> Most of the world won't so doesn't matter -> Save the planet from climate change -> Too slow build sea walls... round and round.

 

[SIY]

I believe that pineapple on pizza is a killing offense. I mean rope, tree, horse.

And Chicago-style tomato pie is not pizza.

 

[egellings]

I fear that social media in every area has done more harm than good...

the ball of the discussion is too often in the hands of influencers, keyboard warriors, haters and paid characters, with the obvious and inevitable results in every area of discussion...

so madness and banality and wow effect are the order of the day!!

That's especially true if one is getting paid by advertisers, and the more clicks, the more income. Being outrageous, however stupid (thoopid!) it is, might enhance a revenue stream, so anything goes. Money doesn't talk; it swears.

 

[JustJones]

Some consider Chicago style spinocoli pizza an offense but I tried it and like it.

 

[mhardy6647]

We eat pineapple virtually every evening.
Albeit not on pizza.

@Jim Taylor -- oh, yeah. Fishing. I haven't been fishing for so long I forgot that 'hobby', but an avid fisherperson I was once: fresh water rivers & ponds, surf fishing, and Chesapeake Bay fishing (which could be trolling or drift fishing with lures or bait, depending on the era and other circumstances). It's been a long time.
Fly fishing is the single-ended triode and theater horn analog (pun semi-intended) of fishing -- I'd opine.

 

[Eric Natural]

I'm not going to bite... DOH, wine buffs ... European or American Oak ... and a gazillion other things

I thought of wine right away re: pure-ism. The whole "natural" wine ethos drives me crazy. What is "un-natural" wine . . . ?