What I've learned today

[Pulcinella]

Sense of humour bypass again. Not mocking anyone - except maybe myself.

Well, JK, that brought a smile to my face. And, pace Jayne, I don't think that it any way represents mocking or scoffing but might actually be quite funny. The obsession in many hi-fi fora with, "what equipment have you got/I have", lends itself, I would aver, to some gentle mockery. Bragging rights all round. Anyway, I'm in disgrace for my cantankerous comments about poor old Jocelyn Pook so I'll shut up.

I thought that Liverpudlians had a good sense of humour.
Not all are so blessed, apparently.

(I'm in disgrace for having a sense of humour, it appears. This latest spat has given rise to some interesting off-Forum messages from people who have left, or are about to leave, the Forum).

Indeed: Goodbye from me.
I thought that my return might be short lived, but not quite this short.

Is that a desirable outcome?

Maybe not, but it's happening.

Thanks to the many who have appreciated my posts in the past.

[LMcD]

I thought that Liverpudlians had a good sense of humour.
Not all are so blessed, apparently.

Indeed: Goodbye from me.
I thought that my return might be short lived, but not quite this short.

Maybe not, but it's happening.

Thanks to the many who have appreciated my posts in the past.

I'm very tempted to follow your example, as it has become clear that any kind of humour is anathema to some people.

[Richard Barrett]

Might I suggest that we lighten up a little round here? and otherwise to make use of the "ignore" function if there's someone whose posts cause constant irritation?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Might I suggest that we lighten up a little round here? and otherwise to make use of the "ignore" function if there's someone whose posts cause constant irritation?

Seconded . Though I would never “ignore” anyone ….

[LMcD]

Might I suggest that we lighten up a little round here? and otherwise to make use of the "ignore" function if there's someone whose posts cause constant irritation?

Unfortunately, the 'ignore' function doesn't prevent messages containing personal comments from becoming visible when they elicit a response. Nobody has tried harder than I have to lighten the mood when things get too serious or tetchy, but my efforts all too often result in invective-laden rants. Luckily, I can continue to engage in civilized exchanges via Private Messages (unless I'm banned, of course) or email.
Another thing I learned today is that my preamps have shrivelled (ooh, Matron!) because I've been overwatering them.
'You gotta attenuate the positive ...'

[HighlandDougie]

Might I suggest that we lighten up a little round here? and otherwise to make use of the "ignore" function if there's someone whose posts cause constant irritation?

Thirded! What on earth has got into everyone. Can everyone who feels impelled to withdraw from the forum just stand back, take a deep breath, think about a wonderful piece of music (I’d suggest Stravinsky’s ‘Symphony of Psalms’) and then just leave it all until tomorrow? And avoid provocation?

[LeMartinPecheur]

I don't often step in when people get upset on these boards but please, please, please, guys and gals, stay on the forum. Pulc particularly in this thread!

[LMcD]

The most important thing I've learned today is that some people are apparently untouchable.

[oddoneout]

I saw the cartoon before reading the posts that led to it and got a rather different message as a result, namely that of the knowledgeable would-be customer faced with the altogether lacking sales assistant, or the vain attempts to get a helpline to live up to its name, something that we have probably all faced in some way or another. Even having read the lead-up I'm not sure that it constitutes scoffing/mocking, but we al interpret things differently.
Thank you Jayne for the bits about early CDs etc,I think I've got the gist of it (I seem to remember that it was explained to me way back so perhaps that's why) but I'm puzzled by the references to 9 o'clock etc, ditto heldeneben's 7pm and 5pm, so perhaps I haven't?

[gradus]

Apropos the thread title- not to dive into a plastic tub of potatoes too eagerly, anxious to discover what three seed potatoes and home-made compost could produce and getting stung and attacked by hordes of ants.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I saw the cartoon before reading the posts that led to it and got a rather different message as a result, namely that of the knowledgeable would-be customer faced with the altogether lacking sales assistant, or the vain attempts to get a helpline to live up to its name, something that we have probably all faced in some way or another. Even having read the lead-up I'm not sure that it constitutes scoffing/mocking, but we al interpret things differently.
Thank you Jayne for the bits about early CDs etc,I think I've got the gist of it (I seem to remember that it was explained to me way back so perhaps that's why) but I'm puzzled by the references to 9 o'clock etc, ditto heldeneben's 7pm and 5pm, so perhaps I haven't?

It refers to a rotary volume control usually calibrated 1 to 10 . The one roughly corresponds to 7 pm (hour hand that is ) on a clock face . The 10 corresponds to about 5 pm - that sort of level will probably blow the tweeters on your speakers.
Most people will use that control from about 9 pm to 12pm or if you prefer 2 to 5 - where the control is just about vertical . I hope that makes sense!

[Dave2002]

I don't often step in when people get upset on these boards but please, please, please, guys and gals, stay on the forum. Pulc particularly in this thread!

Seconded!

[oddoneout]

It refers to a rotary volume control usually calibrated 1 to 10 . The one roughly corresponds to 7 pm (hour hand that is ) on a clock face . The 10 corresponds to about 5 pm - that sort of level will probably blow the tweeters on your speakers.
Most people will use that control from about 9 pm to 12pm or if you prefer 2 to 5 - where the control is just about vertical . I hope that makes sense!

Yup, makes sense and was what I had initially assumed but then doubted as for 30 years I* had had a push button control. Ironically I have a nice rotary control on the replacement set-up but it produces a numeric response, which for some reason effectively starts audibility(just) at about 40.
Don't know about blowing tweeters but on the old system I once put on an LP and turned the noise right up to a level I'd not tried before (it was a bad day and I'd reached the end of my tether with the neighbours and their noise/"music") At the climax the needle jumped off the disc and there was an awful noise from one of the speakers and it was never quite the same again. Eventually I admitted defeat (most of the digital displays had stopped working as well) and bought a replacement set-up. Dismantling the speaker case revealed that a sheet of thin foam had been displaced and damaged by the blast and was resting up against parts it shouldn't, hence presumably the tiresome buzzing at various frequencies and sound levels.
*or rather my sound system...

[LMcD]

Thirded! What on earth has got into everyone. Can everyone who feels impelled to withdraw from the forum just stand back, take a deep breath, think about a wonderful piece of music (I’d suggest Stravinsky’s ‘Symphony of Psalms’) and then just leave it all until tomorrow? And avoid provocation?

As I've found to my cost, some people are so determined to be provoked, and their reactions to any contrary opinion - however carefully and politely expressed - so extreme, that there seems little point in continuing to contribute. I've lost count of the number of things I've been called and accused of, but luckily there are other ways of remaining in touch with more reasonable people with whom one can exchange views and differences of opinion without exposing oneself to repeated personal attacks.

(Frankly, I don't know why they're allowed to get away with it, but that's now a problem for others to address - unless, of course, it's not regarded as a problem ...)

[jayne lee wilson]

I saw the cartoon before reading the posts that led to it and got a rather different message as a result, namely that of the knowledgeable would-be customer faced with the altogether lacking sales assistant, or the vain attempts to get a helpline to live up to its name, something that we have probably all faced in some way or another. Even having read the lead-up I'm not sure that it constitutes scoffing/mocking, but we al interpret things differently.
Thank you Jayne for the bits about early CDs etc,I think I've got the gist of it (I seem to remember that it was explained to me way back so perhaps that's why) but I'm puzzled by the references to 9 o'clock etc, ditto heldeneben's 7pm and 5pm, so perhaps I haven't?

Sorry if you found any of my references confusing. When I refer to "10 o'clock" on a volume control I mean the position the rotary control would be in on a clock face - i.e. where the 10 is on a watch or clock. So 12 o'clock in my examples is right at the top, 8 o'clock very low down on the left, etc....
So if the level is already pretty loud at 9 o'clock, you haven't got much leeway!

(Makes you recall Satie on the Debussy La Mer, but lets not overcomplicate things! )

We probably have the film This is Spinal Tap to thank for the concept of peak volume being "11". (Which on a clock face would be 5 o'clock). For BBC Sounds etc to adopt it on the online control is an amusing homage to that, I guess. And why not?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOO5S4vxi0o

https://www.google.com/search?q=Turn+it+up+to+11+meme&client=safari&rls=en&sxsrf=ALeKk03443WFbmsqqs26J02urk96wlXU-Q:1627956933511&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiXyOyV5JPyAhUHgVwKHZTIBu0Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1252&bih=706