Beware of Hoffman Amps and EL34 World
This website hosts a tube amplifier forum where knowledgeable members share ideas and support other members in amp building and troubleshooting. The owner posted rules explicitly stating no discussion of religion or politics is allowed.
Recently, the owner himself has been posting highly polarizing threads about radical progressive leftist woke (insert all the buzzwords here) political propaganda. Other members with similar beliefs participate in the discussions. However, any time an opposing opinion is given, it is met with hostility. No amount of reasoning or requests for civility are acknowledged, let alone considered, by the owner or his "followers." To illustrate the owner's inability to handle opposing viewpoints, he has now edited every single post to remove anything not agreeing with his narrow-minded viewpoints, deleted other threads entirely, and banned at least one member (me) for speaking up against hateful rhetoric in a worldwide, multicultural forum.
The following are comments made by the owner and other members:
"Don't anyone take anything personal, I am just cleaning up the post
This post will get cleaned again" (This is after he banned me, and is in response to another member very carefully confronting the owner about deleting this member's post that mostly agreed with the owner. Seems like he took mine and other's challenges VERY personal!)
"A small collection of Kamala the cackling idiot"
"G-paw always said you should never stick your d*ck in CRAZY!"
"More leftist insanity...Just one of the 100's of videos about the creepy left that is part of the democratic party"
"prostitute for president" (In reference to Kamala Harris.)
"Basically she's a far left clueless socialist that did nothing as VP. Except cause destruction to our society"
"It's best that you not read any more of this if you are offended."
"You sure got a lot to say about the US considering you don't live here and by what your saying, really don't know what's going on here. And putting 'with respect' on the end doesn't mean a thing, your not being respectful."
"That's why we want these no common sense woke-libs voted out."
"Here's another brainless socialist Hard to believe people in NY voted for this idiot"
"We are being fair! Who the heck are you kidding? Have you NO common sense at all??????...This is exactly what we're talking about here, people don't think clearly for them selves any more. A grade school kid could figure this out."
"Are you so naive, that you think that someone working there wouldn't pump up the numbers to help out Biden and the Dems?...Have you lost your mind?"
"You will never see through the BS and see the big picture Just my observation on your comments"
"All right guys, calm down I really don't see the need to present any more info about the insanity going on in the current administration and the democratic party if people are not willing to do any research.The information provided would only be for people who are not aware and want to find the truth." (Said by the owner after ridiculing and belittling other members.)
"Everyone needs to remember who's house you are in."
"I'm not sure that woke demanding stuff works at a free on line forum? This is not a liberal university campus with a safe space zone. You don't like it, don't read it." (Said as opposing viewpoints are deleted, because THEY don't want to read them!)
"Just stick to the amp repair topics is my suggestion for people that are not interested in what is being posted in this board.."
"There are people here that just do not get the big picture Common sense normal people are tired of all this Leftist progressive nonsense and we are not going to take it It's a simple as thatNo one here with common sense and sense of decency is going to vote for these id*ots. Now the topic is going to be locked."
As the owner, he can run the site as he sees fit. This review is not an attempt to change the site or the owner's mind. Rather, it is a warning to any potential new member that you must think as they do or you will not be allowed to engage in discussions outside of the technical area.
There are ads that supply revenue to keep the site afloat, so don't be fooled by the donation button. You will only be supporting hate if you choose to donate. (Nice rhyme, right?)
Similarly, supporting the business portion of his operation at hoffmanamps.com is supporting his extreme political beliefs and his inexcusable behavior toward forum members who don't think like he does. I know I'll never spend a dime at his site after all this.
Join at your own risk.