Stop the bullying

Matt - I agree with everything you've said, but if you read the entire thread, you'll see that this issue was resolved nearly a month ago. Linda's post wasn't about any typical message board negativity, but an honest-to-god troll who was disrupting every single conversation in the forums with completely wacked-out mysoginist, racist, and homophobic posts in all caps. I am NOT easily offended, but even I was pretty horrified by his "Who the hell cares if a bunch of people were killed at Virginia Tech?" post less than a week after the incident.

Yes, bullies exist in society, but there are limits to what people should have to put up with in a moderated forum. I'm only pointing this out because out-of-context, it might seem as if Linda was overreacting, but I will testify that she absolutely was not. She just put her request so politely that, now, it's impossible to gauge the extremity of the problem to which she was reacting.

Garrett, you weren't around for some ancient history that the admins removed from the site. So the above post refers to an ongoing bitter and acrimonious forum battle that's long gone.

As for not being ready to host a real radio show, trust me on this - been there, done that, have the scars to prove it. One listener called to say that I should be shot for treason, and that he'd bring a gun and do it himself. Another said I knew nothing about the needs of human beings, and that I was cruel and thoughtless in my comments about Viagra being covered by health insurance but not birth control. And finally, from my 14-month stint cohosting a live daily TV talk show, I acquired a long string of elderly admirers twice my age who would call the station and tell me about their lives and their war wounds. (I called them my walker-stalkers.)

This contest has thickened my skin to the point at which I feel like I'm covered by tectonic plates. Go visit Gawker.com and search "Public Radio Talent Quest" to see the child's play that I and others have endured by simply submitting entries and posting here.

I'm not trying to be mean either, and I appreciate the spirit in which you posted the above comments. You're right - in addition to the glory that Round One's Top Ten will enjoy, there will also be a lot of ($##%(*%*...and being prepared is the best defense.

-- Linda

Visit me in my House by the Sea:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/1432
http://blog.syracuse.com/communitycritics/linda_lowen/

You're right, I missed a lot of the drama. "Walker stalkers" is hilarious!

Drivers do things to each other that they would NEVER do in person. It's like the little cushiony bubbles of solitude around them make them extra special jerky.

Can't we all just get along? I mean really... sheesh.

:)

I'm a Punk Knitter!
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1320

The ones in SUVs can be particularly unpleasant and just plain stupid. Cutting off busses. That sort of thing.

Actually, it seems to be the essence of what it is to be an American. It explains our foreign policy, for example. And not just current foreign policy. Goes right back to the beginning of the nation.

Bubble People.

*n*

"The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about" - Oscar Wilde

"THE TRADES HAVE ALL BEEN NOTIFIED"

priceless...

Two minutes ago, there was a public apology from Woody posted on the boards. I was going to thank Woody for the apology and link to that post. Now there's nothing. There's not even a user profile.

I think the administrators have spoken :-x

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Life is a matinee. BroadwayMatinee.com

I am contacting Howard Stern as we speak...

ONWARD AND UPWARD!,

WOODY NELSON

WOODY NELSON FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008!!!

VOTE EARLY AND VOTE OFTEN!!!

For the past few minutes, I haven't been able to do any work because I've been fascinated by the PRTQ attempts to (as is their right) TOS Woody. As something is posted, it's taken down -- hence his posting it several places to ensure that someone reads it. Funny in a perverse way.

For the record, there actually was an apology posted in his name, saying he was sorry to anyone he offended, that his posts were meant to keep the conversation current, I believe were his words. I do wish the admins had kept that post up. Woody's idea of conversation isn't my idea of it, but that particular post was a nice change of style.

That said, there are other personal attacks against contestants and their entries, made by registered users. I'm not talking about negative remarks against the entries (constructive criticism is a good thing) but personal attacks against the entrant. I ask the admins to please remove those comments, since they add nothing to the contest and contest goals.

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Life is a matinee. BroadwayMatinee.com

I just recently had to talk a friend down because he started reading these posts and he said a number of these people are "dark and make snarky comments." I was surprised myself that these were people who actually listened to NPR. I started to wonder myself at the age and maturity level tied to some of these comments. Then I met some very cool and talented contestants like Dani Cutler, Sleeves, Rene Gutel, and more... As I said to my friend, any large event is going to bring out the best and the worst in people. It's just a fact. Though we don't have a lot of hand holding by site officials I think we're doing just fine, particularly when someone with class steps up to the plate and says what needs to be said. If I were running this contest you can bet your butt I wouldn't want to invest in someone who wandered around making hurtful remarks or worked to sabotage other people's efforts, instead of concentrating on putting their own best efforts forward. It's naive for me to think everyone can get along but it makes the ones who can that much nicer to know.

>I was surprised myself that these were people who actually listened to NPR.

Well, some of their comments made make it clear that they aren't public radio listeners. Especially not having a clue who Ira Glass or Terry Gross are.

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Life is a matinee. BroadwayMatinee.com

PRX and Public Radio have risked so much to make all this possible for all of us.

I've sat back for a while, but it's time to enter the fray...so I've posted my entry. Imperfect as it may be, it's from the heart.

I hope my little gender fable doesn't offend, but it is something I've thought of for a while. I also hope this is evidence that we can talk about hot-button issues without flaming and unkindness.
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I hope you'll give a listen to my entry, House by the Sea.

Imagination - "the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow." William Blake

To see or not to see...
Movie reviews IMHO, and a little bit about me:
http://blog.syracuse.com/communitycritics/linda_lowen/

Rather I win or lose is irrelavent;sure hope I spelled that right. I'm glad I entered just to see what everybody had to say. I never imagined people would enter some of the wild things.

It is terrible that bullies exist.

That hate exists
that there are rapist on the loose
so on and so forth.

though it hurts when people say certain things. I personally am glad they do.

OUT OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS

let us not be lazy, but diligent.
seek out the truth no matter where it leads.

It's past my bed time, I'm going to bed.

I love you all even bullies,haters, racist,and the like.

JESUS does to