NEPAT Overflow

sukreb said:

Nevertheless, let us say, that several hundred people have heeded your warnings and shunned PA. As I have said, that's just great; however, our joy must be tempered because enough others have apparently taken their place to keep PA in business. I suspect it is also true that many people (probably a majority) who choose PA for their publisher never read this board; with them, therefore, your approach will continue to be totally ineffective.

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I'm afraid I have to disagree.
Let us pull some numbers out of thin air, shall we?
Say, for the sake of argument that 200 people have been prevented from joining PA by this message board.
Say that 2,000 have joined PA nonetheless.
Why is this board still effective?
Because the number is not 2,200 authors joined up with PA.
Any prevention of any amount of authors from being scammed should be reason enough to continue posting these messages on this thread.
Now, I will return to lurking and let these fine authors get back to their good work.

sukreb, why are posting here and contacting governmental agencies mutually exclusive? Why can't one do both? Posting warnings in these ongoing threads does not preclude one from working toward ending PA's reign of terror. We're fighting them over here because we can't fight them over there.

Uh, wait a sec, that last bit is nonsense. What I meant to say was that those '200' saved (using Beyondian's hypothetical number) make the threads worthwhile. Trying to get PA shut down makes contacting official government agencies worthwhile. It doesn't have to be either/or.

There is value in web warnings. They've worked a number of times.

-- Joanna

And from the stance taken here, folk who do realise the mistake they've made, also realise they are not alone.

To have spent years writing what may be one's only book and then gradually to discover it has effectively been tossed onto the trash heap by one's own hand (albeit via a PA contract obtained through deception and misleading advertising) must be hard to accept.

I wouldn't like to have to face that and if by posting here or using other means, I can prevent just one person having to experience that - it's all worth the effort.

I would like to take a moment to remind everyone about the "Ignore Member" feature of this bulletin board.

If anyone finds that they love the board, but can't stand one particular person on the board, it is very easy to make that person appear to go away. Just click on their name, click on "View Profile," and on the Profile Page, click "Add [Member's Name] To Your Ignore List."

In the specific case of JM versus Sukreb, I recommend each of you add the other to your ignore lists so you can continue to use the great resource that AW offers without letting the others' presence spoil it for you.

I'm not taking sides, I'm not saying one of you is right and the other's wrong, I'm just saying that it pains me to see a newbie (in this case, Sukreb) write off the entire Absolute Write community soley based on the postings of one person they dislike.

Right you are, Nicole.

"Ignore" is your friend.

BTW, the usual way folks indicated they were adding someone to their Ignore List (aka Twit Bit, Bozo Filter, Kill File) was to post *Plonk*

The asterisks are part of the word.

It's the sound-effect of someone falling into an electronic hole.

Once you've *Plonked* someone you really have to *plonk* them. No fair peeking. (Or, for those who have been edited by PublishAmerica, piquing or peaking.)

The invention of the Kill File was one of the things that made Usenet liveable (until Porno Spam came and ate the entire place).

Or, you could silently *plonk* someone. That's what I usually do, unless I intend to be deliberately insulting. *Plonk* means "Nothing you could possibly say could ever be interesting enough for me to bother reading it."

That is wicked - wicked. If one sees one has been 'plonked' is there anywhere one can go and get therapy?

James D. Macdonald said:

*Plonk* means "Nothing you could possibly say could ever be interesting enough for me to bother reading it."

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Yes, the ignore feature is all very well, but when people who haven't been *plonked* go around quoting the *plonkee* at great length, it kinda defeats the whole *plonking* process. Also you have to remember to log in every time you read the board if you have people on ignore because otherwise you can see the posts anyway. Hence, I have no one on ignore because it didn't help.

Bufty said:

That is wicked - wicked. If one sees one has been 'plonked' is there anywhere one can go and get therapy?

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Perhaps after one has been "plonked", a judiciously-applied amount of selected unguents to the affected area may offer temporary relief...

I think the use of the sound-effect *plonk* has a secondary purpose of letting others know to please not quote the plonkee over-much.

I tend not to say *plonk* 'cause I don't care whether the one ignored knows I've ignored him/her. I use the Ignore feature very sparingly, but very selfishly, purely to remove irritants.

Also, the denizens of misc.writing, where I spent my formative net-years, taught me that announcing *plonk* makes you a weenie.

To me, posting 'plonk' and then ignoring someone is like getting the last insult in and closing the door.

After a week away from the computer (entirely, not just internet access,) I've gotten caught up with the posts.

Quite frankly, I don't see the point in letting someone know you're ignoring them prior to doing so. Basically, what Bufty said.

-Nick

I have not ignored anyone so far, but I did dislike one in particular but she was banned.

On the rare occasion that I add someone to my ignore list, I usually end up removing names of people who are no longer here. Everyone I've ever put on Ignore, with a single exception of a name I added yesterday, have gone on to either get banned or have simply stormed off in a huff.

That probably says something about me, but I'm not sure what.

I've never used the Ignore feature. If somebody's posts bug me, I eventually just stop reading them.

I call it "Bashing the Ignore Switch". I don't actually use the Ignore feature here, I just skim past the posts by people who annoy me, the same way I do on any other message board.

I'd never heard of *plonk* before. I may have to use that.

I've never used the Ignore function before. The people who bug me usually eventually get banned or storm off in a huff. I tend to just skim over their posts if I see their name next to them.

I've only got a few on ignore. Some left or were banned, like your experience, Alan.

Plonk sounds like a rock falling in the mud hole?

Jo Scott said:

Plonk sounds like a rock falling in the mud hole?

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And you get awfully dirty. Kind of like what happens when you've signed a contract w/ PA. <<an attempt to focus, once again, on PA>>

Ayah... but this is Overflow, so it don't matter none.

Good point, Christine

I feel like everyone has me on ignore---sometimes.

Never used it. I like to deal with people and resolve conflict.

I just ignored one, but felt it was a true troll. Afterward I took her off ignore and found it funny to watch her get banned.

Jo Scott said:

I just ignored one, but felt it was a true troll. Afterward I took her off ignore and found it funny to watch her get banned.

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Ditto for some reason, I enjoy watching people I can't stand getting banned. Does that make me evil?

How come nobody posts in this thread anymore? <d&rfc>