Some of us have families, friends, jobs...things that we can't or don't want to do without.  I am not sure where you base your self-worth, but having good ears does not give you a pass to be an ass.  You may think that you have a group of friends that validate you- if nobody says that certain stuff is not acceptable in their life.  Before I walk away, I want to speak up.  We have all made real connections and built these sites and had great events and huge enjoyment from the gear and the sound.  But let's have a place where we can hold bad gear and bad actions accountable.  Quirky gear that still has it's pluses along with it's minuses is cool.  When your minuses outweigh your pluses by a longshot and you are bad for the site, we should tell you.

Also this ^^.  Well said.

So I'm reading more and more posts and it's obvious some of you guys don't get it. I should have left for work a 1/2 hour earlier...

This is hard work and requires a lot of dedication. Seriously... some you guys are so worried about the new site turning into HF while I am writing up on measurement standards for headphones, DACs, and amps so Hans, Ultra, and I can produce more consistent, comparable, and better quality measurements? While I am trying to work with TheGame to come up with a moderation style that won't destroy the spirit of this place while keeping the xnors, Jazz Casuals, and PC police out? While I am spending bloody days looking for the right platform that will serve us for the next 5-7 years? Really, just trying to take a more professional approach. A lot of the material here is difficult to approach.

What is wrong with you people?

Maybe I'll just hit the button to refund everyone and say fuck it.

Marv, I was pretty annoyed reading all the posts, too.  People get their panties in a wad over the dumbest things.

Don't let it get you down, though.  It's pretty obvious what you're trying to accomplish here, and I'm very appreciative of your efforts.

If people want a place where they can say whatever they want, be rude to others, and make people feel intimidated, then they can go make their own sites and have fun with that. 

At the end of the day, they'll likely be there by themselves. 

There are many times where I will take a glance at the Shoutbox and promptly close out of the site, or read that one thread I am following, because I just don't want to wade into it. People keep invoking "freedom of speech" but this is a community on a privately-owned website. If you disrupt the discussions and bonds necessary to form a pleasant community that serves the members as a whole, you are not helping. Sure, speaking your mind about topics outside of audio can contribute to building a community, but if you speak your mind in such a manner that you discourage others (and this is regular others, not oddball fringe cases) from participating, you are taking away more than you are giving. And to be quite frank, I do not come to a headphone-audio-centered site to discuss abortion, or whether or not we are too "PC," or whether Mexican immigrants are ruining the country, or any other group of immigrants is ruining the country, or whether or not we should be in Iraq blah blah....I read newspaper articles, I have a Facebook where I can link to things and comment, I have pals I can discuss things with at the local watering hole or their place. I am not someone who wears blinders and doesn't want to encounter other people's opinions. Still, when your opinions are extreme and involve what many consider a dehumanizing approach to the world, you are making people like me say "I don't need this. I come here to talk shop about audio and music, maybe crack a joke or two about someone's taste. I have enough nonsense and blowhards in the real world, I'll pass."
Whoever talked about saying things you would not say in real life, that's exactly it. And maybe Mike or the others who can react with hostility would speak just the same face-to-face. But you know what? I wouldn't want to stay at a bar where some guy is trying to coax me into an argument or shouting match about subjects that carry a lot of emotional resonance or are extremely polarizing. If someone was doing that at a party I was hosting, I'd tell them to cool it and then I'd tell them to leave. They very well might scream "censorship, political correctness, fascism!" as I walk them towards the door, but guess what? They can still say whatever the hell they want on the street, in their home, whatever. Just not in my home, and preferably not where I like to spend my time. If it gets to be too much, that place will no longer be where I wish to spend my time.
If people want to discuss political issues so badly, they should consider joining a political board, or using Twitter to speak with journalists, policy wonks and the like (as I do on occasion), or engaging folks on Facebook.

All hail TheGame, our new Big Brother overlord and master! May he ever keep us in line.

All hail TheGame, our new Big Brother overlord and master! May he ever keep us in line.