The Off Topic

#1433

To further mention Nutella, its role in music, and how I became aware of Nutella in the USA… :stuck_out_tongue:

I’d never tried Nutella until circa 2000 and the release of the proto peer-to-peer file sharing network Gnutella. Gnutella was created in response to the copyright issues of Napster, and had no central servers. This technology later contributed to the concepts behind Tor and Bitcoin.

Gnutella combines the GNU acronym (GNU’s Not Unix) of open-source software with Nutella. The creators of Gnutella ate a lot of Nutella at the time. GNU is a recursive acronym and programming joke (i.e., the name never ends). I’m guessing the eating of Nutella never ended (which may be why @prfallon69 gained 3 stone).

When Metallica and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) got a bunch of people kicked off of Napster for sharing MP3 files, file-sharing users moved to Gnutella and its many clones. The RIAA artists Metallica, Dr. Dre, and Alanis Morrissette were key anti-file-sharing spokespeople. Many people in Silicon Valley protested by smashing Metallica albums with sledgehammers and boycotting the artists involved. In the early 2000s the RIAA also sued individuals.

It wasn’t until around 2015 to 2016 that the RIAA capitulated to the file sharing culture, and only then did low-cost unlimited music subscriptions became the norm (e.g., Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon HD). Gnutella and the consumption of Nutella played a role.

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#1434

Well I’ve wasted another day. The 256K flash drive came in, and I moved ALL of Barbara’s old photos, documents and videos (iPhone 4 and 5 vintage) to her new MSI laptop from her old ASUS eeePC netbook (Win 7). Then I fired up Discord and bothered people about what Linux I should abuse by putting it on that old, tiny machine. I’m not a big Discord user. It’s sort of like IRC but without the adult channels. And IRC is lame these days.

Anyway, I got some help in @MRHifiReviews 's channel and much more going to the Discord Linux server. The little thing has been re-partitioned, and is now chugging away installing openSUSE with KDE. I’ve only toyed with KDE, used Gnome before, but had run openSUSE for several years.

Now for some well earned shut-eye.

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#1435

This is stupid:

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#1436

I believe you mean the subtle line between audiophiles and audio fools :wink:

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#1437

Or something. I dunno.

I guarantee somebody’s going to buy it and call it the most transformative / enlightening / awe inspiring music experience they ever heard.

… But only one paired with pure silver network cables.

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#1438

As much as I appreciate subtle difference in cables (they have to be long enough to hear a difference) there are really things that cost as much as placebo and have the same effect: lighten your wallet.
The moment I’ll start listening to cables, power strips and network conditioners I’ll quit the hobby and I’ll have seppuku

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#1439

You and me both.

When you get to that level of nervosa, you’ve stopped listening to music and started listening to equipment.

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#1440

You totally got what I mean.
At that point better some Xanax :wink:

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#1441

I agree with you in principle on the network switch (at least at that cost) but isn’t this a forum where everyone is allowed to to have an opinion without being made fun of? Otherwise we’re no better than other places that say if it doesn’t measure well, it’s a piece of cr@p. Or that all rectifier tubes sound the same so just buy the cheapest, or else you’re an idiot.

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#1442

My fault.
I was listening with @ProfFalkin to this:

#1443

It’s all good, I know that you didn’t mean anything by it (because I’ve read all your other helpful and supportive posts), I just think that if anyone buys anything, they should feel that this is a safe place to be able to write about their experience without feeling embarrassed.

Personally, I wouldn’t buy a $3.5K network switch, but if someone else did, I’d love to read about it. Maybe they’ll change my mind, maybe not.

No different from someone spending $5K on a DAC, which makes me wonder how much better can that be than my Bifrost 2. I don’t have the personal experience to know how much better (if at all) but I want to read about the $5K DAC anyway to see what that person thinks and maybe dream a little.

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#1444

The serious point with equipment like the one in spot from Innuos is that many people feel frustrated because they can’t afford such a piece of gear and would do everything to get one.
It’s not a pointing finger discourse but something that has to do more with logic and real life.
To being able to experience a difference from a network conditioner you have to own a whole chain that would be extremely expensive and then the benefits would be minimal.
Many people are mislead about things like the Innuos and end up investing a lot of money in such things only because XY said it’s an innovative and useful product.
It is not a thing about the object per se to me but to an attitude that brings people to listen more to equipment and less to music.
I didn’t mean to offend or laugh about anyone but simply using some reason about product that maybe useful to a 0.01 percent of listeners.

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#1445

We have the Is it a Gimmick? thread already. My view is such discussions are fine if phrased as questions and not as absolutes.

Perhaps @DarthPool can move some comments there.

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#1446

You have a genuinely great way of engaging. I have a lot to learn about how to raise a point positively, with compassion and tact.

Thank you.

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#1447

Could be, I’m not a judge of someones spending or " ears" capacity. But at least someone buys it and that supports this odd hobby of ours.

Just like MSB came out with a headphone amp for $37,900 , say what ! . But it is what it is.

#1448

Thanks for mentioning that thread. I’m going to have to see if I can find $1000 audio wall switches to install in my house, and then get some $675 acoustic doorknobs.

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#1449

I never said it wasn’t. That inference is your own.

Sure, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If they disagree with mine, that’s fine too. Respecting others opinions must go both ways.

If I can have a real, unemotional, logical conversation with someone about how this device can get the 1s and 0s through the network layers in an audibly better way, then I’d love that.

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#1450

I very much agree with all you have said here @PaisleyUnderground (Dave). One of the many reasons that I love this place is that I feel that I can post without feeling like people are looking down on me for lack of knowledge. Some other places can seem very insular and non inclusive places that don’t nuture leaving and helping others. Some others are simply hive minds that are closed to any opinions that don’t follow theirs. Above all many sites are simply full of aggressive bullshitters who love to beat down on people. After all though this is something one has to learn to live with because, well it’s the internet.

Rant over. Lol. Just basically trying to say let’s help each other out and learn from one another.

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#1451

I will sell you some if you’re desperate @pennstac. Lol.

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#1452

Hey I’ve got some wall switches and doorknobs that I can paint a pretty color of carbon and put them in a box that says, Audiophile Grade and sell them to ya for $100 :smile:

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