How to Talk About Music

[Zzzptm]

These aren't rules as much as they are guidelines... but they're the founding philosophy of this board, so here goes...

Basically, you're allowed to like what you like and to dislike what you dislike. However, be prepared for someone who likes what you dislike and then dislikes what you like. That means this person is different, no more, no less.

If you think a song is the best in the world and someone else says it's the worst in the world, then feel free to ask why, discuss the reasons why, and all kinds of things. But we won't insult anyone for disagreeing with us. We won't bully or intimidate anyone who disagrees with us.

WRONG WAY: "You don't like Deep Purple? You, sir, are life unworthy of life."

RIGHT WAY: "You don't like Deep Purple? The hell you say... they're my favorite band!"

The WRONG way is to condemn the other person or otherwise put him/her down. The RIGHT way is to live and let live.

As for the bands themselves, they all go through phases and changes. People are going to have opinions about how different people behaved and they're going to perhaps favor one side of a feuding faction over another. Again, we have to live and let live.

WRONG WAY: "You think Glenn Hughes was kicked off the tour for voice problems? Obviously, you know nothing about the REAL story."

RIGHT WAY: "You think Glenn Hughes was kicked off the tour for voice problems? Well, I read in Kerrang that it was something else."

The WRONG way is to dismiss the other view while insisting that your sources are 100% right, no chance of them being wrong. The RIGHT way is to bring up another piece of evidence and let others discuss it.

Basically, it's WRONG to think that your opinions are "correct" or otherwise objectively verifiable facts. It's like saying blue is the best color, period, full stop, end of discussion. That's just silly. It's RIGHT to have your opinion and to let someone else have a totally different opinion and then still get along.

Because these are guidelines, I invite other board members to put down their thoughts on this subject, as the need or mood arises. I may be an admin, but I don't make the rules around here. We make the rules around here, all of us.