Guestbook Slimers

Sorry to hear that, Jeff. But isn't your guestbook monitored?

I saw it Jeff. She wasn't putting you or your work down at all. So how was she slimming you? She just voiced her opinion about PA. It wasn't directed to you at all.

They're just voicing their opinion, it's not a "u suck for going with publish america, loser" post.

A guestbook is a personal page for acknowledging the site and the owner, not for making harrasing declarations for a publisher. I think people should keep their arguements about PA where it belongs, on boards and areas that discuss it. I'd be very angry if I had a site that was bombarded with personal attacks.

Had it happen to me when I was with that printer.
This message wasn't as bad as mine. It said I should be ashamed to tell my friends and family I was printed by PA...that really hurt a (stupid) newby!

I will say this: When you put up a public guestbook, open to anyone, these things are going to happen. You can solve this by moderating your guestbook, making it private or password protected. For instance, Lawrence watt-Evans' guestbook requires you to know the real name of one his characters before posting.

This is also why I dont have a guestbook.

Delete the message, and go on.
Everyone here is aware of how AW feels about guestbook posting.

If the person who wrote a note in your guestbook is a member here, and the Mods think the message in your book was derogatory enough, they will be banned.

No, guestbooks have been slimed before and have been dealt with here. It is against the rules to do something so "slimey". I've been here long enough to know the rules, I hope others do too.

MacAllister Quote:

Nicole LeBoeuf said:
Quote:
The system going is, the mods here invite anyone whose guestbook has been slimed to privately message them (the mods) with their (the slimers') IP addresses. If there is a match between the IP address of the slimer and the IP address of an AW Water Cooler member, that member gets banned. No exceptions, no favoritism. It's been done. Do a search in the Old NEPAT and you'll find examples.

Seriously, if you have a guestbook, and it's been slimed, send the slimer's IP address on in to anyone with a "mod squad" or "moderator" designation. They'll check up. IP addresses are much better proof of origination than any particular code phrase in the slimer's message.

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I'm a mod. I'll vouch for this. If you've been Amazon slammed or guestbook slimed, please feel free to contact me either on this board, or you're welcome to email me--macallisterstone AT yahoo.com.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=548142&postcount=4624

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From James MacDonald
Once again, if any PA author finds a Slimer message posted on his or her guestbook, find the IP number of the slimer and put it here.

If the slimer is an AW member ... he or she will be banned on the spot.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=491473&postcount=321

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Ken Schneider said:

Delete the message, and go on.
Everyone here is aware of how AW feels about guestbook posting.

If the person who wrote a note in your guestbook is a member here, and the Mods think the message in your book was derogatory enough, they will be banned.

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You beat me...lol.

What concerns me about this policy is that we are dealing with a group of authors containing individuals who see no moral wrong in making orders using false names and invalid credit cards, to illustrate only one of many schemes documented thus far. Can those individuals be trusted not to manufacture IP numbers for the purpose of disrupting activities within AW in the mistaken belief that AW's actions are blocking their sales? That is, of course, another often stated position within that group.

Had a look, it was hardly slime more of a damp squib and not worth making such a fuss about. Not sure how or why AE has determined and is stating that the post in question is the work of an AW member or linked to reviews on Amazon. Where's the proof?

Keep in mind that many of the group I mentioned consider any rating less than perfect to be "sliming" them whether it's at a retailer's forum or in their own guestbook. We've seen many such claims in the PA forum that writers felt they'd been slimed because they didn't get perfect fives.

If you get a bad review from someone, is that sliming or an honest opinion? Depends on your ego, would be my guess...and remember your book won't appeal to everyone!

I think the finger has been pointed directly at a member of AW. Why is that?

It isn't proper to say someone is 'naive and gullible' in their guest book. Other than that, though, it is the politest 'sliming' I have ever seen.

Regards,
Scott

Dave K., The statement in your signature about PA authors not knowing how bad PA smells until you see the look on bookstore clerks' faces raises an interesting question. I wonder if there is even one documented case of a bookstore employee (people who know the biz) becoming a PA author. I bet against it.

I've passed Alien's PM on to MacAllister. [email address redacted], and I'm sure Alien can find a way to PM her if he wants to.

Dave said:

What concerns me about this policy is that we are dealing with a group of authors containing individuals who see no moral wrong in making orders using false names and invalid credit cards, to illustrate only one of many schemes documented thus far.

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You're talking about Kevin A. Fabiano (kevinfabiano on the PAMB), and his promotional scheme for another, non-PA, book as reported in Publishers Weekly.

Should PA ban him from their messageboard for his actions? Their decision. If PA makes a morally indefensible choice does that require us to make a morally infensible choice just to keep up with them?

I've passed Alien's PM on to MacAllister. Mac's email address is macallisterstone (AT) yahoo.com, and I'm sure Alien can find a way to PM her if he wants to.

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And this will reveal whether the culprit was from AW or we just gonna radomly ban someone because someone can't take mild criticsm?

Alien Enigma said:

I've been slimed again at my freewebs address. I sent the IP to James Macdonald. It might be beneficial for AW to announce or make a sticky thread about how it isn't proper to put "propaganda" in an author's guestbook.

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Sorry that happened to you, Jeff. It's no fun having your guestbook slammed. I know the feeling quite well.

I just hope they don't return to harass you further. It's bad enough getting one message, let alone five or six.

zizban said:

And this will reveal whether the culprit was from AW or we just gonna radomly ban someone because someone can't take mild criticsm?

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It is against AW's rules to slime a guestbook, no matter what.

I think they should be banned. It brings down the whole board and what it stands for. If one is given the oppertunity to purposely degrade another writer, then there will be more and more to follow.

zizban said:

And this will reveal whether the culprit was from AW or we just gonna radomly ban someone because someone can't take mild criticsm?

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The thing is Zizban, this is not mild criticism of Jeff. It has nothing to do with Jeff. It has to do with PublishAmerica, and Jeff's site is dedicated to Jeff and his books, not PA.

Have you ever been slammed on your own site for someone else's slimy tactics? I have, and it is extremely difficult to handle. I'll admit this particular sliming seems milder than usual, but it's still hard to handle having someone insinuate a person's an idiot for going with a particular house, such as the guestbook slimer in question did.

I agree with SouthernWriter1978 that the slimer, if they're an AW member, ought to be banned. It does bring the whole board down, especially if the slimer links to the board in his or her post. It gives the whole situation the 'Us versus Them' mentality like mentioned in the original NEPAT when AW was on EZBoard. We do not need an 'Us versus Them' mentality here. We're trying to help other writers ... for the most part. We have no business condoning this kind of behavior on the part of anyone.

e.dashwood said:

Dave K., The statement in your signature about PA authors not knowing how bad PA smells until you see the look on bookstore clerks' faces raises an interesting question. I wonder if there is even one documented case of a bookstore employee (people who know the biz) becoming a PA author. I bet against it.

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Actually, there is. He no longer claims PA is a stepping stone and is now published by a reputable publisher. You can find his posts in the AW archives. Look for Canada James.

I note with amusement that Alien Enigma started the exact same thread on PAMB.

I reckon it is just another of his pointless 'publicity' efforts.