[K2Grey]

It really needs to be clarified what this thread is about:

1) Rebellion is not original or

2) iPods are the best choice for DAP / iPods are in some situations best choice for DAP / iPods are most user friendly (I don't really agree with last one at all though)

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

If you read his first post carefully it's clear what this thread is about.

He hasn't changed anything he has stated. Apparently the obvious is not so obvious...

-Matt

 

[bundee1]

Quote:

It's a sad day for pachyderms everywhere.

and hideous sideshow freaks.

 

[Graz]

I can't get this thread out of my mind...

OK, so I've read the initial post several times now....
It assumes that most of us fall into one of two buckets:
- sheep who more or less follow the crowd, get brainwashed by the marketing/advertising, and buy an ipod.
OR
- sheep who fall into the non-conformist category (rebel sheep), who themselves are, in a way, following a behavior pattern not so dissimilar from the ipod sheep whom they may then claim to be superior to.

I'm sure scrypt realizes that there are exceptions (there are always exceptions

)...people who in fact don't fall into either category...
There are some folks among us who are not as easily swayed by the hype in either direction. Let's call them the "stong-minded sheep". (I wish I could say in all honesty that I'm always this kind of sheep, but sadly I can't.)
These folks are mentally better equipped to make a purchase decision based almost exclusively on the facts & data that are important to them. I believe that many of these types of folks hang out right here in this forum. These kinds of folks may buy an ipod or they may buy an iriver...and yet not fall into either of scrypt's categories of "sheep".

I think most of us aren't overly saturated by marketing/advertising hype from companies such as Grado, Beyer, Sennheiser, RS Audio, etc. etc. ... and yet we buy the merchandise. When formulating a decision to buy, we ask the questions, we consider the answers, we decide what's important to us...and we make the purchase...often with the open-mindedness to consider that the purchase we make may not ultimately be what we were really looking for (see the "For Sale/Trade" section of this forum).

Without a doubt the "follow-the-crowd sheep" is alive & well here on head-fi...I believe they call the phenomenon "FOTM" 'round these parts. But again, not everyone hops on the bandwagon.

Peace,

Graz

 

[PFKMan23]

Graz,

I thkn that was very well said. Personally, you could say that I fall into that third group or possibly in the first group as I have many sheep charecteristics. I belive that the I pod is the best for my needs and I do like it's functionality over the other players. In addition I own (or will own) many sheep products like the HD650s, paduak woodies, and an aftermarket cable. Howver I have also researched fariy extensively and I fnd that they are good for my needs.

And yes, in geenral I do believe in the whole issue about so called "non conformists" conforming in their own way.

 

[ripfrankwhite]

What if you're like me and your girlfriend gave you an iPod as a gift before you even knew what an iPod was? And when she bought it she didn't even know if I would like it or not? It's cool. I like it. I've tried others and they weren't as nice as what I have. What color sheep am I?

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graz I'm sure scrypt realizes that there are exceptions (there are always exceptions )...people who in fact don't fall into either category...

Yes, there are those of us that pick the *superior* DAP based on technical merit alone, the player that meets our needs (and wants) the best. By definition, that is not being a "sheep".

I do also agree with non-conformists being their own kind of sheep. I own an iPod but could care less whether it is "cool". And I don't care if people associate me with the status seekers because I know what I am.

 

[Nicolaij R.]

I'm sorry scrypt... but I refuse to believe that we MUST fall into one of these category:
- brainwashed by marketing (and so sheep)
- rebelled to marketing (and so sheep)

The crucial assumption of the brains behind marketing is that the probable buyer IS NOT informed. In fact one of the missions of marketing is primarly to inform that a product exists and after to convince to buy it. Basing on the fact that the probable buyer is not informed, the brains behind marketing reserve themseves even to lie about the product.

Information IS power... If we are informed about the product that someone is trying to selling and about its competitors, the marketing strategies may fail...
If I know about iPod, iRiver, iAudio, etc... and if I know the feautures each one has, how they sound, etc. I can make a conscious buy.

Summary: if I am informed and I buy something, this means that there is a reason why I have bought it. And this reason is not that markeing strategies has reached their aim.

The point is that I think communities like head-fi are composed by INFORMED people...

 

[abitdeef]

Hey I'm informed, I was drinking labbats, and molsen here (OHIO) before anybody, damn the bud and miller light. I already know I'm A SHEEP , hell I smoked the cigarettes in the red pack for years because of that damn cowboy, only to realize later how much they tasted like s***.


I do love my nano though ... baaaaaaa. Baaaaaaa buy my sweet, beautiful, shiny RED sony nw hd3 off me , YOU MUST OWN IT! it's so sexy!!!!!!!!!! Your life will be more complete with it!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6.../IMG_05792.jpg

Hungry?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6.../IMG_04262.jpg

 

[Riordan]

scrypt,
thanks for another thought-provoking thread.

slightly but not entirely off-topic: i wonder whether adorno's prediction of built-in rebellion (only in consumerist society or any society?) preceeds orwell's similar idea in his dystopian forecast (written in 1948...).

 

[Jahn]

How could I have missed a new Scrypt post? Rats! Look how long the thread has gotten already!

Like the Matrix, rebellion has been incorporated into the running of a manufactured society - just another part of the Equation.

I'd rather not dwell on whether being an iPod user makes me a rebel or not - I prefer to think that it makes me a lover of music, who would like to keep a fave stash of tunes handy wherever I go. My 3G 40gig iPod is still going strong, and until it finally croaks I'm happy with it. Tho people are telling me I should get a new cover for it, this one's getting a bit ratty.

 

[elephantman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bundee1 and hideous sideshow freaks.

Do whatever you need to do to fit in.

 

[stargirl]

i was going to add it as an edit to my other post, but i was afraid scrypt wouldnt read it as it got trampled by many others!

anyways, its pretty off topic - i just wanted to give my condolences, however small it may seem since im way out here in cyperspace, to you and your family (scrypt) as you deal with the family member who got sick.

I don't know why i forgot to say it the first time around - just goes to show how shallow these board posts are. haha, so good job bringiing up a thought provoking topic

 

[sno1man]

I have re-read Scrypts post along with the other one where he talks about dressing up our ipods (very funny actually).

The point is that the entirety of american society is based on us being "sheep"

We are inundated with "buy me" and "no buy me cause I'm better" messages from everywhere all the time. The key is to recognize that you are being led and attempt to at least look at things through that lens.

In that light I embrace my black ipod nano, and proudly proclaim my membership in Team Black Sheep!. Baa. Baa. Baa.

 

[neversummer]

Do we need to differentiate sheep from lemming?
Is a sheep a mindless follower of advertising and a lemming a mindless follower
of other people? Or perhaps the assumption is that effective marketing becomes a social trend so one can be labeled a sheep by reacting too positively or negatively to either.

And we also realize that we've place a value judgement on social goals vs. audio-nerd goals (not surprising considering the setting). Now if one buys an ipod to get social attention that's not really less goal oriented than buing an ipod because of the smartplaylists. Neither can really be considered mindless behavior. One could make a reasonable argument that buying a different dap for the small difference between mp3 and ogg is far sillier than buying a dap to get attention from other people. Is the compression format herd better than the look-at-my-white-earbud herd? How about the cost-conscious herd?