Wondering who else used to be a GearSlut/Space-r and left.
Oct 29, 2024 8:10:48 GMT -6
Dan likes this
Post by FM77 on Oct 29, 2024 8:10:48 GMT -6
GS in those day’s was killer. A lot of great industry icons to bounce ideas off of.
There was once a double CD manufactured around the dawn of GearSlutz. Regular members contributed a track. Alphajerk, Curve Dominant, Harvey Gerst, Fletcher, Jules, Tedster, Master Zap, myself and several others I cannot remember. Based on what everybody used for recording, the results spoke volumes about gear versus resourcefulness, creativity and skill. It gave you a different perspective when reading the rants or raves about gear. Not much different than today I suppose. And then you had cats like Michael Wagener who had zero pretentiousness about gear, used anything, at any price point, if it worked for him.
A few years in, Jules really started treating paying sponsors differently. He was treating feedback of said sponsors with great scrutiny, removing negative comments or shared experiences about a company if they were a sponsor. It irritated a lot of people. Myself and others were so vocal about it on GS that one day in my studio in Texas, I get a call from England. It was Jules and he was on the verge of banning regulars. In the end, he did give me the chance to make my point and speak for other members and the validity of our perspective, and he was cool and took it to heart. It got better. And then it seemed, Jules fatherhood, the 'dad' sub-forum, the lawsuit, name change… yeah. Different site. I truly find it a terrible place today.
RGO was a bit of a godsend. I found it looking for some info on a mic. Respectable adult conversations about something I really enjoy.
The problem with any forum or Social Media is there are 2 possible sources of income; subscription, really limits your growth. Selling advertising, he who pays the bills sets the rules.
Internet forums weren't being used for income at the onset and wasn't really a consideration except for the occasional community outreach to help with bandwidth. The culture of honesty and candidness really is what grew a useful and grounded community.
No mystery - when someones livelihood or fragile income is suddenly dependent on specific sources, they naturally protect those sources, even at the expense of the original integrity / intent and even at the expense of the very reason those sources wanted to market to the culture. Post count and member count became the commodity. Unfortunately when those sources feel entitled to a shield from honest criticism or feedback, the communities well earned reputation becomes a shill for positive only reviews for those companies. The exception being old school designers and builders who were daily participators and welcomed the exchange. All good - just a different time.
