Ignore history and all that, eh wot?
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ead.php?t=9697
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ead.php?t=8933
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ead.php?t=9533
Let's call what we have here a "community." OK? The core value of this community is the Lansing Heritage, which includes Lansing Manufacturing, Altec Lansing, and JBL. So far, so good.
Now if we only had three forums, we'd be a pure community:
1. Lansing Product General Information
2. Lansing Product Technical Help
3. Lansing Product Marketplace
However, a lot of enthusiasts want to "improve" on the Lansing Heritage through DIY projects, or perhaps they even argue that DIY is the truest form of the Lansing Heritage today, so we allow this:
4. Lansing Product DIY
Of course, that's all a bit finite and dry, unless we can add into the mix the other parts of the audio stream that lead up to the Altecs, JBLs, or whatever, so we need to add this:
5. Lansing Related Gear
Of course, if we do that, then what about the purpose of the audio stream? Gotta be able to talk about that:
6. Music
So suddenly we see that the community is not a monolithic ideology, but a common core appreciation of the Lansing Heritage and how it adds to each individual's musical aesthetic. Oh my, it's a place of diversity!
Well, how can we address some of the technical and theoretical approaches we take, because that will, after all, shed light on our different applications and preferences for Lansing Heritage products and ideas. Oh, I know—this:
7. General Audio Discussion
And if there's some non-Lansing Heritage item that a member wants to buy or sell, that might enhance or offer an alternative to the Lansing Heritage experience, well then we need this:
8. General Audio Marketplace
Well, Aphrodite, our community is a long way from a pure Lansing Heritage environment now. It's all about degrees of separation, I suppose.
OK, some non-Lansing Heritage content is inevitable. After all we have to manage the site's forums, and that can't be done by talking about JBLs and Altecs.
9. Forum Information
10. Forum Feedback
(probably where this thread should be judging by its content)
And maybe a not-so-obvious area, based on its encouragement to offer events, meetings, and birthday wishes:
11. Forum Announcements
(more like Member Announcements and Greetings, really)
Finally, since this is a community and it intentionally moved to diversify itself in order to reflect the interests of the members beyond pure Lansing Heritage, what about a place for all other communication so as not to burden the other threads with distractions? Ah, how about this:
12. Off Topic
For better or worse, this is the form that the community was given, and once given, it should not unilaterally be taken back. That's probably the rub of the issue for me.
I'm not worried about censorship, exclusion of members, democracy, or even free speech. This is not a democratic institution, and the posting guidelines clearly limit "freedom of speech" in a reasonable and site-specific way. This helps define the community standards.
However, I am disappointed when a decision is taken to reduce the ability of the community to express itself and to communicate in ways that were previously allowed without any discussion. Judging by the volume of posts, one of the more popular forums was Off Topic.
There were a number of ways we might have discussed modifying the OT area without killing it lock, stock, and barrel. However, that discussion will not take place, and the seemingly arbitrary decision is made. The deed is done.
You guys provide a valuable role here without getting much credit, and I thank you for your dedication and contribution. This time I think you missed it.
