Quote:Last thing I want to do is lose another established, learned soul with ideas and experiences which differ from mine
That horse is already out of the barn. There are more than a few long timers who have gradually absented themselves from the forums since a particular member showed up.
I've been visiting these forums for a long time and never had trouble finding others with different ideas than mine
about audio who were (and are) capable of conducting themselves at least somewhat in civilized manner.
There certainly have been dust ups here from time to time, but always about audio. The word "collectivist" (which instigated this whole kerfuffle) is not an audio term. And though the phrase / aphorism "It takes a village" has only recently been politicized, anybody taking a quick look at it would know that this phrase and others similar to it originated centuries ago, probably millennia. Long before any modern notion of politics.
In any case, attacking the direct recipient of such nonsense for his response and siding with the person directly responsible for the whole affair is completely overboard.
If some are okay with having persistent neo-McCarthyist (or any other political) intrusion into otherwise audio discussion, so be it. But don't expect others who find it annoying and inappropriate to remain silent forever and not voice objection, once out of ten occurrences or so.
And don't be surprised that some leave the forums because of it.