Don't look at me

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Just a note to stem the increasing tide of curious emails to my email and PM box: I did not delete the "Thought Police" thread that caused such a fuss yesterday, nor did Francois, nor did Paul. The thread starter deleted it himself. Make of that whatever you will, but please don't blame any of us for this.

Peace,

Chris

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by Chris MitzPlacedGerald

Just a note to stem the increasing tide of curious emails to my email and PM box: I did not delete the "Thought Police" thread that caused such a fuss yesterday, nor did Francois, nor did Paul. The thread starter deleted it himself. Make of that whatever you will, but please don't blame any of us for this.

Peace,

Chris

My infrared spy satellite photos say otherwise, you crazy power-monger.

[Jake]

Man, I sure hope Ken Smith doesn't delete all his threads/posts and really pack up like was talking about. That would be tragic for TBDB. With great respect for KSB that he deserves and always gets from me, I think he's too hooked on TBDB to actually do it.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by DESTROYK

My infrared spy satellite photos say otherwise, you crazy power-monger.

Liar. The TB server is encased in lead. Pale bald guy speakum truth.

[Uncletoad]

Oh man. That had some of my better bits.

The Carlin schtick was destined for the classic TB pantheon.

[Kam]

Back...and to the left.

[bassphase]

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

Oh man. That had some of my better bits.

The Carlin schtick was destined for the classic TB pantheon.

It WAS great. I even saved it. You never know when one will get the opportunity to call someone a "rooster inhaling maternal fornicationist"



bob

[mchildree]

Originally Posted by Jake

Man, I sure hope Ken Smith doesn't delete all his threads/posts and really pack up like was talking about. That would be tragic for TBDB. With great respect for KSB that he deserves and always gets from me, I think he's too hooked on TBDB to actually do it.

Not everyone here agrees with this statement.

[bikerbassplayer]

Originally Posted by Jake

Man, I sure hope Ken Smith doesn't delete all his threads/posts and really pack up like was talking about. That would be tragic for TBDB. With great respect for KSB that he deserves and always gets from me, I think he's too hooked on TBDB to actually do it.

Hi Jake, to answer your thought I think you will find that
Ken already has deleted most of his technical posts. Too
bad, it was great info.

[mrpc]

Originally Posted by bikerbassplayer

Hi Jake, to answer your thought I think you will find that
Ken already has deleted most of his technical posts. Too
bad, it was great info.

Yeah, that's too bad, but it isn't the end of the world. Probably is easier to delete the whole thread than ponder which posts to leave, and which not. Divorce is always ugly that way, IMHO.

[Bob Branstetter]

Originally Posted by bikerbassplayer

Hi Jake, to answer your thought I think you will find that Ken already has deleted most of his technical posts. Too bad, it was great info.

I too am sorry to hear that Ken has apparently deleted his technical posts. However, if I were made to feel unwelcome here, I would also delete each and every technical post I've ever written. I know atleast one other luthier who has expressed the same sentiments.

[mchildree]

There is a difference. I've been on this forum a long time, and I don't see any other luthier or technical poster that has the same interaction problems. Webster defines FORUM this way: "a : a public meeting or lecture involving audience discussion". This is a BASS FORUM, and those who choose to bulldoze over the views of others (excepting their chosen "inner circle") have little value, regardless of the information they possess.

That's DISTRIBUTION without CONTRIBUTION (to borrow a phrase from a friend on another board).

Manifestos are more appropriate on the personal site of that person...kinda like Ed Roman.

No loss, IMO.

[Michael Case]

Man I stay away from TB for a week and I miss all the action!

[mchildree]

Sorry to burst your bubble, Jake, but people like Ken Smith are not who prop up the bass world...it's your average bread-n-butter working bassist. Guys who deserve every bit of the respect that you assign to your vaunted teacher-collector-builder-yadayada. Who in the world do you think puts those idols of yours onto that altar? It's the people who buy the product!

In the end, nobody...and I mean NOBODY deserves respect if they refuse to give it. And how in the world would you know...at a mere 26 yrs of age...who "knows what they're talking about"? Lots of us have been gigging longer than you've been alive!

[Basshole]

It's always fascinating how a small number of ignorant can spoil so much, for so many.

I don't even know what transpired, but the fact that Ken deleted his contributions for whatever reason is sad, and if someone's actions helped precipitate that in any way, they should hang their head in utter shame for the disservice to the bass community they have caused.

The Internet is the collective intellect of man, good and bad. If you've been the reason or cause for any valuable information having been lost, especially helpful information from a master luthier that might in any way help the bass community as a whole, then you are a complete ass, and an embarrassment to us all.

My $.02 knowing NOTHING of what actually happened here (not that I even want the gory details).

[Peck_Time]

It would be a real pity if TB lost Ken Smith. I have enjoyed reading his trenchant posts since I joined up. Along with Arnold Schnitzer, Paul Warburton, Ed Fuqua and others, he has given this board a lot of invaluable insight.

Let's face it: We're on Talkbass because we have an (Unnatural) interest in double basses and love talking about them!

-Daniel Y

[Sippy]

Excuse me but I missed that thread.... what dimwit drove Ken to do that? He is a FANTASTIC contributor to this site.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Basshole

It's always fascinating how a small number of ignorant can spoil so much, for so many.

irony 1 |??r?n?; ?i?rn?|
noun ( pl. -nies)
the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect : “Don't go overboard with the gratitude,” he rejoined with heavy irony.
• a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result : [with clause ] the irony is that I thought he could help me.
• (also dramatic or tragic irony) a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.

The Internet is the collective intellect of man, good and bad. If you've been the reason or cause for any valuable information having been lost, especially helpful information from a master luthier that might in any way help the bass community as a whole, then you are a complete ass, and an embarrassment to us all.

My $.02 knowing NOTHING of what actually happened here (not that I even want the gory details).

Res Ipsa Loquitur.

[jallenbass]

His final post was in reponse to a couple of posts that were kidding with him and trying to get him to restore his sense of humor. The posts had smilies to empasize that. He seemed to take them seriously. Don't know if that's what broke the camel's back so to speak.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

For those who were not here when the event under discussion happened:

A poster who felt that the moderators here in the DB forums edit and delete too many posts started a thread entitled "Thought Police, or Thoughtful Policing?" to open a general discussion of the topic of moderation style. Although such discussions are against the rules Paul set out for talkbass (see rule #5 under the "Rules" link above), both moderators and Paul allowed the thread to stay open because the general consensus was that it might be good *just once* to "air out grievances". As was completely foreseeable, grievances were aired out in all directions - against the moderators, against some of the long time members, against the intent of Paul's forum rules, and ultimately (and again, foreseeably) against the thread starter himself. For most of the thread, the fur was flying in all directions, and it got pretty heated at times. In the end, everything seemed to calm down and some good natured humor (that's "humour" for Bruce) ruled the end of the day by most participants.

It seemed that all was fine until the thread starter sent me numerous PMs demanding that the "airing out" by a few members that was directed at him in the thread be forcibly edited out by me. I refused, as I felt that the irony of being asked to edit another person's post in a "Thought Police" thread which was started to complain about overediting by the moderators was a bit too thick to consider. The thread starter decided to delete the whole thread rather than leave the "airing out" of grievances directed toward him up in print on the thread. This was the thread starter's right according to the setup of the board.

The thread starter felt that I had done him an injustice by refusing to edit out the comments which portayed him in a negative light, and it appears that he may be deleting some or all of his previous posts since then. This is also his right. It was never the intention of any moderator to cause this action, but rather a decision on the part of the member in question that the way the board is run by the moderators and admin is unacceptable to his wishes at this time. This is unfortunate, but it is what it is. I personally harbor no ill will over this issue - it simply is what it is. Sometimes members get fed up with the board for various reasons and decide to leave. It's happened before, and I have little doubt it will happen again. Members who do so are always welcome to come back when and if they choose. Only members who break the rules to the extent that they get banned are not allowed back, and that was not at all the case here.

I started this thread only to let the curious know that the thread in question was not deleted by me, by Francois, or by Paul, but rather by the thread starter. I would only ask at this point that rule #5 in the FAQ above be observed here and elsewhere on the forum at this point, and that my inbox and Paul's are always open to those who feel that they have been misused or otherwise harmed by moderator actions.

Peace.

P.S. - As I lost nearly an entire day of my all-too-short time on this earth trying to sort things out in the previous thread only to have my efforts deleted, I do not want a repeat of that situation to happen here. This thread will remain open as long as the board rules are observed. If they are not, I reserve the right to close it and refer any disgruntled parties to the PM system. Life is simply too short to spend over disgruntled ones and zeros in cyberspace, and I would rather spend my time with my family (and practicing...imagine that! Isn't our craft the real thing we are all really here to discuss?) at this time of year. I hope that most of you will understand.

So...discuss what you feel you need to, but please play by Paul's rules, without which there would be no Talkbass as we know it, in which case none of us would be here. In closing, I would like to simply thank Paul again for his perseverance in creating and maintining this wonderfully quirky and necessarily imperfect little corner of cyberspace where we can all hang out and learn from each other.