Just a general reminder to all to post respectfully even when you disagree with another poster. Reasoned arguments and discussion are allowed, but when directed at other TB/DB members, insults and disrespect are not.
This is a tough line to walk because of the singular nature of this thread. The video in the OP, had it been posted by a member of the company to which it is attributed, would not have been allowed as it appears to be a direct negative comment on the practices of a competitor when both companies are represented by actual members here on Talkbass. However, as the video appears to have been posted by a 3rd party in earnest and sparked an interesting discussion about modern bass making methods, it was allowed to remain in the interest of educational information, and the weigh ins by repairers and luthiers were crucial to this decision. A direct reply to the implied criticism in the video was allowed by the target organization out of fairness.
But beyond this, we are limited in what we can say here. It is fine to say "I do/don't believe that DB necks should be reinforced in this way and here's why...". It's also fine to say "I do/don't believe this sort of social media attack from one company toward another is a healthy thing and here's why...". But beyond these things, interactions between members need to remain respectful on Talkbass even if they don't appear very respectful on social media outside of Talkbass.
The moderators and admins here can't control what people do elsewhere; we can only moderate and mitigate what happens here on our little slice of the internet. Beyond that, in order to stay within the bounds of our site owner's vision of how the site should be run, namely:
"All registered users must address fellow members with the utmost respect at all times. If you do not agree with a fellow member, be courteous in your response. Thomas Jefferson said it best: "When I hear another express an opinion which is not mine, I say to myself, he has a right to his opinion, as I to mine".
Because of the limitations of text-based communication, the expression of intent can be tricky. One of the most common triggers of rule violations is the misinterpretation of intent behind a post. Use smilies often, and remember, it never hurts to begin a response with "In my opinion"..."
We should strive to take the high road whenever given the chance, and hope that the reader will see what is happening for themselves and make up their own minds.
We have had several reports about this thread. So far, the moderator consensus is that the Talkbass membership has largely behaved and stayed in bounds given the inflammatory nature of the original post, but that moving forward, we need to rein it in a bit when it comes to interactions with other members of the site. To this end:
- it may well be that the reply that several members are hoping would be posted here could not be posted here because of our site rule against commenting negatively on the competition. In that case, we will have to understand and accept this fact.
- If that is the case and someone unaffiliated posts a link to the response on other social media, then membership here can only comment on their approval or disapproval of that response or the medium on which it was delivered in respectful terms. Please consider these points before hitting "send" as we move forward.
