hi ARP,
i think you should highlight the word
accused because im still active in those places - if i was truly a spammer, i wouldnt be allowed there. MCs definition of spammer is anyone who posts messages HE doesnt want to read. i admit that years ago i was less familiar with netiquite and probably came on stronger than some could handle, but i was always on topic. im sorry to anyone i offended, here and elsewhere.
i deal with synths every day, all day long, restoring, testing, selling and packing them. its my life. naturally, im going to want to talk about something i recently worked on if someones talking about that piece and i have something to contribute. i dont see anything wrong with this. if someones interested enough to participate in a conversation about that piece of gear, then why should it be a crime to say "hey, ive got one available - email me directly if youre interested"? its not like im posting a long ad about it or anything and its not like im only posting to threads about something im selling. i DONT have an opus 3 for sale right now, but im here, right?? i know some uptight people may get irritated by references to items ive got for sale, but youve got to ask the question "why?". if someone else said "mini's got one for sale right now", would that be a crime? i dont think so.
i dont see many dealers partipating in these forums, so why am i the bad guy for doing so? most dealers i know of dont even know how to fully test what they sell.
i usually post my opinions about gear, which some people consider valuable. i may also warn people that they should buy a synth thats had proper servicing done to it - in the case of an arp omni or opus 3, theyll want to get one with a new set of capacitors because the old ones always fail. they dont have to buy one from ME, but if they want one to work right for a long time, they should get one thats had this work done. whats the problem w this recommendation?
someone recently was asking about an oberheim 4 voice. i happen to have a beautiful one available - the best ive seen. your typical money hungry salesperson would have tried to sell theirs to anyone. i, on the other hand, explained that while its a great musical sounding piece, its not for everyone, especially not for someone who wants to make sound effects because it lacks some important features. i think this was a helpful comment. this isnt the sort of contribution someone only looking to sell something would make, is it? i dont think so cause if it was i wouldnt volunteer info about who should NOT buy one.
i recently compared my 4 korg ms20s because i was trying to decide which 2 to sell. i posted my findings noting the differences to AH and VSE. nobody voiced any problem with his. many people found the post interesting and it stimulated conversation. do i need to hide the fact that i compared them because i was going to sell them, just because some jealous or angry people might be bothered by it? are only hobbyists allowed on these forums? fwiw, ive had and used 2 of the 4 in my studio for many years. these obviously arent my only contributions, theyre just a couple examples demonstrating my points.
so, i talk about my personal experience and preferences and try to be helpful where i can. MC, the person here who holds the record for posting the most comments, doesnt feel he can benefit from my contributions, and to no surprise, doesnt feel anyone else here can either, because i guess he feels hes got the time and energy to answer every question posed here and knows all the answers. good for him. i think his efforts are admirable in that he tries to be helpful, but his attack on me - along with the misinformation he posted - definitely arent.
im self employed. no employer is paying me to sit at this computer not doing work. i wish i had it that good!
ive helped plenty of people in the past with nothing at all to gain from it, privately and in public. i dont consider posting messages about vintage synths ive got for sale to be SPAMMING when its done on a forum where vintage synths are a popular topic of conversation. if i was posting to a forum about vintage furniture, THAT would clearly be spamming. but dont worry, i wont be posting my lists of items for sale here anymore. i may even stay off this forum altogether in the future because the all knowing MC has determined that im not welcome here.
although im pretty sure i noticed ads of gear for sale here in the past, steve from moog told me in our private email discussion that ads like mine arent allowed, and i respect that and apologized to him and am now apologizing to everyone here for breaking a rule i didnt see posted anywhere - im sorry. when i signed up, i read the terms and i didnt notice any "no ads" policy or i would never have posted. ive asked for steve to make this clearer to future members so there are no similar incidents. i am not a spammer.
MC and his circle of friend have had a problem with me for a long time for no valid reason and made it obvious in other places - places where, contrary to what he says, i was allowed to stay and still participate to this day. ive discovered that MCs had some hard times recently - perhaps this is whats causing his misdirected anger. i care about people and truly hope he resolves these issues and finds a happier life. picking fights with people online on synth and non-synth forums (yes, theres more than just me) is no way to do that.
lets put an end to this crap. there are much more important things to do than complaining / arguing.
