14 DAY TRIAL // What has the world come to? The AVS Forum, probably the largest online forum on audio/visual discussion is up against a new kind of problem, one that was previously reserved for game consoles only - Fan Flame Wars. It sounds like an episode of Scooby Doo but it's actually a good reason for everybody to take a step back and think about the really important things in life.
It all started from the two big A/V formats on the market right now, Blu-ray and HD DVD and it escalated to threats of physical violence and the assumed involvement of the police and possible legal actions being conducted against the forum users and owners. Strangely enough, it all happened directly following a HD DVD player sale at Wal-Mart and Best-Buy shops. Coincidence? I don't think so.
The AVS Forum has been closed down for posting (or at least the HD Format areas) for only the second time in its history and a notice was brought to the attention of all its users and guests in which the whole deal was explained from the owners' point of view. As such, it was explained well enough for everybody to understand that the staff had no format preference and that injurious posts have been deleted from both sides of the war not because of a conspiracy but because of the language used in them. The fact that both HD DVD and Blu-ray are sponsors and help the forum by placing ads there was brought into the light and a request that flaming be stopped was also made.
The forum will be closed until the end of the week, enough time for everybody to cool down, relax and meditate. But it's strange to see, as Mathew Moskovciak said, "geeks" threatening to bring geeky back and set the stage for a fight over personal preferences. What used to belong on the sports courts and fields is reaching out to one and all, from the youngest to the elderly. Fanaticism seems to be catching fashion right now and it really is not the way to go about things. At least not about these ones.