Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
Joel, everything above that you said is correct. I just ask you to consider this. I tell him none of it matters, and make no further post. He comes back with another assertion that technically wrong is technically right. He can't let it go. I have three choices: 1) Keep my mouth shut, and let him believe the lie; 2) Ignore the technical issue completely and once again just reassure him that all will be well; 3) Correct his error (I think very gently) and also reassure him it doesn't matter. Unlike earlier in the thread I am making no preemptive comments; just replying to direct inquiries. In truth any of the three possible responses would be correct depending upon the responder's personality. Different people are made differently both giving information and receiving it. Asshattedness is a relative thing. There is no absolute, only relative to the person making the judgement. Is it any surprise I feel about many folks here the same way they feel about me? I shouldn't think so.
So I will sum it up. You want to talk about how lovely your wheels are or will be. No comment from me except maybe a "yeah, man, you go dude!" Or possibly a "mango, mango, mango." But you want to assert black is white. I will tell you are wrong and why. Like it or not, that is what you get.
I understand the dilemma. I've wrestled with myself about it many times, albeit on a different topic and different forum. In this case, Bianchi is working with a talented wheel builder. She made some suggestions as to what is perfect for him. We don't have enough information (well, maybe reading through the entire thread it can be gleaned) to really contradict her. And then, if you choose to present more info, you really need to take into account the knowledge base (and interest in learning) of the person you are wanting to address. Sometimes you find an audience that is highly interested, other times you end up on a tangent that doesn't get where you want to go, or the audience doesn't have the knowledge based required to really understand what you are saying. Or a mix of those.
Sometimes it's wise to let a matter drop after having your say and testing the waters, so to speak. Sometimes you'll find that the person you are addressing is genuinely interested and engages the discussion, sometimes there is no interest to go where you are suggesting for any number of reasons.
Consider that sometimes it really is best to let it drop after testing the waters, or it may be best to say nothing at all.
Personally, I found the entire discussion interesting, though I don't have the knowledge base to add to it. I have a local wheelbuilder here that I trust and he takes care of this for me. He's built up 2 wheelsets for me thus far, and I'm extremely happy with the results. Much like Bianchi and his relationship with Jude.