Thoughts On NBD Negativity

[WI Short Scaler]

a NBD post is a good place to say something nice or move along. It’s a party, and maybe peeing in the punch bowl makes you feel awesome, but it’s at best low class behavior. I promise letting someone have a good day once in a while won’t kill you, even if you think what they are proud of is dumb. Maybe that person will be slightly less inclined to call your dumb tastes dumb in the future and we’ll all be better for it, idk.

This, right here, is the key and most accurate statement on this topic.

I click on most of the NBD posts I see, if I don't like it I move on. Why pee in someone's cheerios? Because it makes you feel better? There are lots of popular trends in basses I don't like but they're popular for a reason.

Wasn't there a rule about treating others as you'd like to be treated?

 

[Durham52]

It's pretty simple really, apply a bit of self control and say/type nothing, if a put down is all you can manage on a NBD thread.

It's not about people being tough enough to take some negativity and there's nothing tough about someone dising someone else's choice of bass from behind the anonymity of their computer screen.

 

[playsthespace]

Genuine lol at people thinking I’m “losing sleep” or punching walls over this.

Yes, I do wish people were a little nicer on here and it bugs me to see people bagging on others new gear, but all I’m really saying is don’t be a jerk. It just makes you look like a loser

 

[Vektori]

What is NBD?

 

[steveinohio]

You have a great point. I don’t know If I’ve ever gave someone a comment they could consider negative for a NBD thread but your post has definitely made me think twice! I don’t want to bring anyone down. Thanks man!

 

[GregC]

What is NBD?

New Bass Day.

 

[neddyrow]

I would say pretty much all that has been said in this thread. I won't be buying any new basses myself but I love to see what else other people like, are playing and what's new in the bass world. I definitely don't like all of them but I definitely look at all of them. Who am I to judge people's personal taste?

 

[JimmyM]

Bottom line is many people suck. I’m not counting myself out of that number either . But I try to learn from those times.

 

[Groove Doctor]

I rarely do not click on a NBD thread.

Serial negativity is an unfortunate internet trend regardless of the platform or subject.
It makes one wonder if these people didn't get enough attention growing up.

They didn’t get enough good attention, so any attention will do. The internet is full of them.

 

[seansbrew]

If they're sharing it with someone else, I'm not sure how to comment.

My mamma said: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Good advice for anyone.

 

[seansbrew]

I mean, when someone makes a NBD post about their Lakland, Warwick, Gibson, etc. I always refrain from telling them how crappy those basses are.

 

[rtslinger]

Recently, I regrettably took part in a short back and forth on a NBD thread. Continuing to argue in that thread felt like adding to the problem instead of addressing it, so I figured I’d continue my old-man-ranting-at-cloud diatribe here.


Obviously, not everyone agrees on everything, and that’s great! I don’t want TB to be a boring place where everyone agrees. I think the mods (and TBer’s themselves) do a pretty great job of keeping the conversations civil, and even though I feel like it used to be a little friendlier around here, I still think the community here is a better group than other ‘gear pages’ *ahem* …if you know what I mean… *winks*


Okay, that said, I’ll get to the point. Maybe I’m getting corny, but I love to see NDB posts. I’m a gear nerd who’s never been particularly wealthy, and I know how excited I get when I’m able to get my hands on something I’m really proud of, so maybe that’s it. Sometimes new gear comes easy, other times a new bass can represent months of saving, extra shifts, sacrificing other gear that you like, soul-sucking casino gigs, putting the water bill off for another month(not recommended) and even more perilous than any of those; long, carefully laid justification arguments to our significant others. Regardless of your income that’s all scalable, btw - whether you’re making sandwiches for a living and aspiring to a new-to-you Squire, or pouring over spreadsheets because you’re dying for a shiny new Custom Shop or Fedora or some other bass made from dinosaur bones and moon rocks that I’m too poor to have even heard of.


NBD posts are a celebration. There are plenty of threads to argue about specs, finishes, companies, etc. and that’s cool, but unless the OP asks and/or opens the door for that criticism, a NBD post is a good place to say something nice or move along. It’s a party, and maybe peeing in the punch bowl makes you feel awesome, but it’s at best low class behavior. I promise letting someone have a good day once in a while won’t kill you, even if you think what they are proud of is dumb. Maybe that person will be slightly less inclined to call your dumb tastes dumb in the future and we’ll all be better for it, idk.

Absolutely well said, and I could not agree with you more. I have seen those comments, and thought to myself why couldn't they just read the post and if you haven't been invited to share your experience with said gear, just be happy for the person who is just trying to sharing a good time in their life's.

 

[LowActionHero]

Recently, I regrettably took part in a short back and forth on a NBD thread. Continuing to argue in that thread felt like adding to the problem instead of addressing it, so I figured I’d continue my old-man-ranting-at-cloud diatribe here.


Obviously, not everyone agrees on everything, and that’s great! I don’t want TB to be a boring place where everyone agrees. I think the mods (and TBer’s themselves) do a pretty great job of keeping the conversations civil, and even though I feel like it used to be a little friendlier around here, I still think the community here is a better group than other ‘gear pages’ *ahem* …if you know what I mean… *winks*


Okay, that said, I’ll get to the point. Maybe I’m getting corny, but I love to see NDB posts. I’m a gear nerd who’s never been particularly wealthy, and I know how excited I get when I’m able to get my hands on something I’m really proud of, so maybe that’s it. Sometimes new gear comes easy, other times a new bass can represent months of saving, extra shifts, sacrificing other gear that you like, soul-sucking casino gigs, putting the water bill off for another month(not recommended) and even more perilous than any of those; long, carefully laid justification arguments to our significant others. Regardless of your income that’s all scalable, btw - whether you’re making sandwiches for a living and aspiring to a new-to-you Squire, or pouring over spreadsheets because you’re dying for a shiny new Custom Shop or Fedora or some other bass made from dinosaur bones and moon rocks that I’m too poor to have even heard of.


NBD posts are a celebration. There are plenty of threads to argue about specs, finishes, companies, etc. and that’s cool, but unless the OP asks and/or opens the door for that criticism, a NBD post is a good place to say something nice or move along. It’s a party, and maybe peeing in the punch bowl makes you feel awesome, but it’s at best low class behavior. I promise letting someone have a good day once in a while won’t kill you, even if you think what they are proud of is dumb. Maybe that person will be slightly less inclined to call your dumb tastes dumb in the future and we’ll all be better for it, idk.

Yes! In general, I LIKE all NBD posts, they're obviously not all my cup o tea, but SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE got a bass they really dig, and I DO 'like' that. No reason for me to chime in on why I don't like black basses anymore, or the tuners are shaped weird, or the rivets on the case don't quite match. I'm just happy THEY are happy, reminds me of when I found that bass I love that someone else hates.

 

[Bonafide]

Keep in mind this is a public forum, with people of all ages and cultures. Not everybody is going to see things the same way, and just because you think someone is pissing in your cereal doesn't necessarily mean that's their goal either.

Not sure there is much point in ranting about it. Obviously NBD threads would be more fun if everybody was contributing positive things, but we live in reality and you're going to find ******** in this life. Learn to grow thicker skin and to not let random strangers affect your NBD happiness. Ranting won't fix them, if the overwhelming validation in this thread is enough for you then great, but again stranger validation is just as useless as stranger rejection. Just enjoy your new bass, reply to people worth replying to, and . You'll be happier for it especially on NBDs.

To clarify, TB is privately owned, it's only 'public' so long as you follow the guidelines. But primarily it's a community and it wasn’t the OPs NBD post he was ranting about. And there are lot less 'strangers' here than you know.

If anyone else feels so triggered and so insecure about their own life and sense of self worth that they absolutely must have, absolutely must get attention drawn to themself on someone’s else’s celebration post, they are exactly the motivation for the rant and exactly the problem. The OP is not seeking validation here, that is a poor observation. He was referring to the recent ubiquitous behavior. The community at large agrees simply because they have no need for self validation on someone else celebration post. Your own tough talk ‘the world’s hard kid, get used it’ shows your own not so subtle aversion to the OPs point...which is; despite us knowing some members are jerks, try not to be a jerk on someone's else success post. It obviously will still happen and everyone will be OK. But having an intent on being cool and celebrating another joy and success is a good thing.

NBD posts are fantastic, always. It's a useful reminder.

I do agree with one thing you said, let others live through their misery if that's what they choose.

 

[darren1970]

Well said.
I think it's great when someone posts pics of their latest acquisition, regardless of price point, manufacturer, new, used or anything else
It's their new "pride & joy" so why not introduce it to the TB community.

 

[Jefenator]

My mamma said: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Good advice for anyone.

My dad used to tell me that, too. (In spite of my best efforts, I did learn a few valuable things from him - that being one of them.)
I don't think it's exclusive to NBD threads; backing out or just scrolling right on by threads not of interest seems to be a lost art to some.

 

[Jefenator]

Refraining from posting can actually be a really cool thing to do sometimes.
Unfortunately, no one sees or realizes how awesome a person is being when he/she does that, so it doesn't trend.

 

[Wesley R]

Same, Wes... my buddy and I did some landscaping chores over a summer for a paltry $40 a piece. Not sure what he did with his fortune, but I spent mine of a no name POS Precision knockoff, from a pawn shop in a seedy part of town...

I lucked out as my parents paid for 1/2 of my first bass. It was JC Penney semi hollow from their discount store. It was the same thing as the local bass hero.

... but, I really wanted a bass and it did allow me to get started.

Hardest $40 I ever earned, I know that.

 

[jastraw]

Solid post. I was debating whether I should do a NBD post. Now I am! Cheers.

 

[Pet Sounds]

A corollary to this, IMO, is the practice of posting a picture of your high end bass in the comments of somebody else's NBD post for a less expensive instrument. I don't understand why some people do this.