My comment to “just leave” had more to do with your repeated statements that you think that there are cliques here, bullies, blowhards, etc. In other words, you seem to dislike a great many people on this board, some of whom have defended your “tongue in cheek” as just that. I’ve never detected that tone (humor) in any of your responses. Instead, they have appeared as paranoid and nasty. So, the suggestion was, simply, that if you are so unhappy with us, as a collective group, just leave. I, personally, would not miss you.
As for me being a favorite around here, I can honestly say I have never personally met a soul on this board, only joined last September (though I “knew” a few others from about 3 years at Woodenflute), and all opinions I have voiced have been my own. I have stood alone on a number of topics; while greatly admiring the craftsmanship of Olwell flutes, for example, I don’t particularly like their tone, particularly the Pratten model. I have few allies on that one. I hate delrin flutes, though I might consider one if I ever needed to endure truly harsh climates. But, overall, I have never played an M&E or Seery I’ve really liked (I’ve never played a Dixon, but they seem to be considered weaker than the first two, in any case). Needless to say, I have few allies on this opinion, either. But that’s what makes forums work. Usually, I just don’t comment on these threads.
If you re-read my original post re the Sloan flute, you will find I had no ulterior motive in my statement, other than to voice an opinion for someone seeing an inexpensive and attractive flute for sale. I learned about Ray’s flutes back when I was flute shopping a few years ago; I was attracted to their look (very pretty), and their price. I have no ego regarding “name brands” ownership, so I thought I might get in on a lesser-known maker. I was warned off them by many in the UK, where these flutes show up in used shops, so I didn’t purchase one. Later, I found one myself, in a used shop here in NYC. It was an attractive looking flute, with bad tonality and a weak tone. I spent only a short time with it. Another was at a session, and I heard the weak tone (intonation was better) before I had a try with it.
Now, even then, I have, on other forums (Woodenflute, most likely) mentioned the possibility that Ray is fully capable (like, say, Sweet) of making a good flute, but that there was a definite consistency problem that I had come across in my limited exposure. Which I felt was a shame, as I’m always looking for an inexpensive, good flute.
Nothing I have said here is libelous, inflamatory, nor vindictive. Nothing I said earlier was; you took offence because you were (unbeknownst to me) trying to sell a Sloan flute. I apologized if I had hurt your sale. If you had responded to my posts by saying, simply, that in your experience, these can be good flutes, and – most importantly - the one you have/had for sale is a particularly good one, I would have been (and was, if I remember) quick to say that this may be true.
The problem here, Piper7 (if that IS your real name) is that you don’t let a disagreement go (you’re still attacking Loren over a thread that petered out a week ago, and one where I think Loren was abused (mostly by you) unfairly). You seem to think that you are battling some gathered organization of accepted wisdom, rather than a large and spirited group of differing opinions and experiences. And, like Mr. Fandango you so admire, you respond with your opinion in an insulting manner. Don’t wave flags of freedom and free speech, civil rights and peace, love, etc., if your manner of approaching other humans is crude and unfair, vicious and blind.
My opinions are not law; I do not rule this board. Again, my suggestion that you go away was not my way of shutting you out of your opinion. Instead, it was a suggestion that if you so hate the opinions on this board (which is to say, all opinions other than your own), then look elsewhere for a board that agrees only with you. It will be, however, a very lonely forum of one.
[ This Message was edited by: Gordon on 2003-02-09 09:32 ]
