The future of this forum

[MikeBrantley]

Guys, I'm at my wit's end over the continued problems on this board. It's spoiling things for a lot of people -- many more, in fact, than are the typical core of active posters.
One person obviously is a catalyst for trouble, whether by his own design or his own inability to see he is the epicenter for trouble. However, others fuel the flames by their responses to him. They empower him.

Given that this has been ongoing for months, I am considering the most drastic of actions. Read into that statement the most ominous steps you can imagine, and you will be close to understanding how serious I am. This has all become too much of a chore for me, and I don't have time for it.

I will spend the next few days investigating ways to reestablish this forum on my own server space, with software that will allow me full control over who gets in and who will be turned away. Using Hostboard, my abilities in that regard are limited. The biggest negative to such a move is that the vast archive of messages posted here likely would be lost. I know of no way to move this data from Hostboard to my own server.

However, there may be a way of getting the stuff moved. I just don't know. I don't really know that much about such things, I must admit. But I will look into it, and I invite anyone with the knowhow to correspond with me through private e-mail. Please come forward quickly. If I can save this data, I want to do it.

At any rate, I suggest you bookmark my main Super 8 site and not just this Hostboard forum. I don't want the folks who are interested in serious, meaningful discourse about Super 8 filmmaking to lose track of us.



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--Mike Brantley

[MikeBrantley]

Alex,

I am sorry, but I don't see what is supposed to be so incriminating about the quoted passages from Andreas' board that you posted into Bolex Bob's thread. You've quoted them before, here and in e-mail to me, and I just don't see them as any sort of smoking gun.

Others have behaved poorly on the forum, mostly in reaction to you. Their behavior is inexcusable, in my view, but you seem to be a catalyst. Although you have been a valuable contributor in the past, you remain the root of one disagreement after the other in recent months. I've asked politely and not so politely for this to stop. When I first took action in this matter, I hoped we could all agree to wipe the slate clean and start again fresh, with no ill feelings and no grudges.

This hasn't happened.

As a Hostboard moderator yourself, you know that we moderators do not at present have the option to restrict membership to our forums. That is why I've decided to move my operation elsewhere at my earliest opportunity, even if that means a serious disruption to all the forum members and the likely loss of all messages posted to date. I see that I have no option because things have turned so nonproductive lately. I've gotten numerous complaints from users who aren't among the usual suspects who have again and again been involved in these arguments.

Alex, until the forum is relocated, I must respectfully ask you to refrain from posting in my forum. I am sorry, but this is not getting any better. The request may be extended to others as well, but I haven't decided on that yet. You know I can't ban anyone from Hostboard; all I can do is delete posts and close threads. That makes it very tiresome to handle these situations. I am asking you voluntarily to leave. I am doing it in this public manner because you and the other participants in these arguments have aired your dirty laundry here for months.

To those of you who have earned the notorious distinction of being regular cast members in these fights, do not look at this as a victory. You are on very shaky ground as far as keeping the privilege of remaining in this community. This is particularly troubling to me because the people to whom I am referring have demonstrated themselves to be very creative and inventive members of the Super 8 community, of which this forum is a mere subset. At this stage in the Super 8 game, when we can quite rightly be looked upon by the mainstream as a niche group of eccentrics, we should do a better job of sticking together.

Other members, please don't respond to anymore of these errant threads. I don't want to have shut this board down before a new one is established. If this does happen, go to my main site at http://www.super8filmmaking.com for news of what's up.

My name is on top of these pages, and I mean for their contents not to tarnish my reputation or that of my Web site. My ego is not tied to the notion of moderating a forum, so if anybody wants to start their own forum and it attracts most of the members from this one, that will not cause me any concern.

But if there are small-gauge filmmakers -- whether they be professionals or rank amateurs such as myself -- who want to continue with this community, stay tuned. We will start anew soon...

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--Mike Brantley

[Alex]

Mike, no one has responded to my assertion that ANYTIME I ever posted something that Roger found not to his liking, all Roger has ever done is accuse me of changing my stance if I try to re-explain the previous post that angers him.

The recent prototype posts are a classic example.

NEVER has Roger EVER accepted any explanation I have offered.

Frankly, I am stunned that you haven't noticed.

Others have, and have mentioned it to me.

There would be no issue on the table right now if Roger even remotely would believe me when I try to re-explain something that he has taken offense to...

Roger has NEVER EVER softened his tone upon my offering a re-explanation.

Mike, does any one talk about how you spend your day, you seem to get upset at just a simple accusation by Matt about revenue enhancement.

Well, that is what Chas did to me.

I would never speak in that manner of another member on Hostboard.

I recently tried to divert the Baffler and Rexster from fighting on one post, deflected a nasty comment made to Roger by another poster.

All that you seem to notice is what Chas, Matt, and Roger say...and anytime that get angry, it's over, no matter what I say, there anger is all that seems to register.




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Alex

[Scott Spears]

As a newcomer to the board, I'd like to see you guys resolve this arguement without major incident.

I must say, I've known Alex for a number of years and found him a very helpful, and thoughtful person. Sometimes he can be opinionated about certain topics which sometimes I can find annoying, but never to the point that I wouldn't want him around.

I think this message board is a valueable resouces for Super-8 filmmakers and Mike, you're doing great service to us all. I hope this can be worked out.

Everybody, let's make this place about filmmaking and not personal diagreements. I know we're not going to agree all the time, but let's just agree to disagree and move on.

Scott

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[MikeBrantley]

Alex, once you've pissed off the owner of the forum you have no recourse on this matter. Please do not post here again. I'm slow to be angered, but I am there now. Go start your own Super 8 forum if you want. I'll even put a link to it on my site, but I don't want any more of these headaches on my turf.

Others are on similarly shaky ground. Everyone involved should seriously think about whether they have contributed as much to this community as they have damaged it.

This forum will be reinvented, and I will be in firm control over memberships.

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--Mike Brantley

[Alex]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Courier, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MikeBrantley:
Alex,

Others have behaved poorly on the forum, mostly in reaction to you. Their behavior is inexcusable, in my view, but you seem to be a catalyst. Although you have been a valuable contributor in the past, you remain the root of one disagreement after the other in recent months. I've asked politely and not so politely for this to stop. When I first took action in this matter, I hoped we could all agree to wipe the slate clean and start again fresh, with no ill feelings and no grudges.

This hasn't happened.

As a Hostboard moderator yourself, you know that we moderators do not at present have the option to restrict membership to our forums. That is why I've decided to move my operation elsewhere at my earliest opportunity, even if that means a serious disruption to all the forum members and the likely loss of all messages posted to date. I see that I have no option because things have turned so nonproductive lately. I've gotten numerous complaints from users who aren't among the usual suspects who have again and again been involved in these arguments.

Alex, until the forum is relocated, I must respectfully ask you to refrain from posting in my forum. I am sorry, but this is not getting any better. The request may be extended to others as well, but I haven't decided on that yet. You know I can't ban anyone from Hostboard; all I can do is delete posts and close threads. That makes it very tiresome to handle these situations. I am asking you voluntarily to leave. I am doing it in this public manner because you and the other participants in these arguments have aired your dirty laundry here for months.

To those of you who have earned the notorious distinction of being regular cast members in these fights, do not look at this as a victory. You are on very shaky ground as far as keeping the privilege of remaining in this community. This is particularly troubling to me because the people to whom I am referring have demonstrated themselves to be very creative and inventive members of the Super 8 community, of which this forum is a mere subset. At this stage in the Super 8 game, when we can quite rightly be looked upon by the mainstream as a niche group of eccentrics, we should do a better job of sticking together.

Other members, please don't respond to anymore of these errant threads. I don't want to have shut this board down before a new one is established. If this does happen, go to my main site at http://www.super8filmmaking.com for news of what's up.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mike, I am stunned by your assertions.

I am the one who has interceded on many recent occasions when this board was being flamed by others.

Baffler and Rexster were planning fisticuffs on the "LA FILM Super-8 Group get-together" Post.

Of course, their fighting posts no longer exist because you wisely deleted them...

But I got in the middle of this forum fight in which these two were making plans to meet and have a real fight, and I said to both posters, "words on the internet should never lead to fisticuffs"...

I also said on another post to these two guys that "anyone who creates a fight situation when they have less than 10 posts is doing something wrong"...

Yes, I was in the middle trying to stop a fight, not be the "catalyst" to start one.

I was also the one who interceded when Camera Guy recently said something inflammatory to Roger....I told Roger Camera Guy had flamed me before and said to Roger "Welcome to the Club", he had done the same to me...it wasn't a big deal....

If I had done nothing, Roger would have been forced to reply to Camera Guy, and a flame-out could have resulted.

I was the one who asked Mattias why he posted an inflammatory remark on another topic post...and Roger even agreed with me that Mattias's post was inflammatory...

Mattias then gave a civilized response to my post, he clarified his point, and the topic continued...as a matter of fact, I think it was the "filmmaking for peace" topic post.

I guess if I hadn't asked Mattias why he was flaming, you might have closed it when it barely had ten posts on it, instead my challenge to Mattias allowed an understanding to be created that helped keep the post open.

Wages Slave made a flaming comment against Roger recently.

Wages Slave ridiculed Roger and called him some derogatory name and a filmmaker who would never make another film, I responded on Rogers behalf.

(hmmmm...in Roger's "Peace Accord" post, I thought Roger claimed I was the only one who got negative posts)

I was one of those who said Wages Slaves Comments were not to be taken seriously because they were so over the top.

Wages Slave later said he was kidding, and amazingly enough, Roger believed him....Roger chose to believe wages slave rather than continue the fight by not believing him.

Now that is the kind of forum love needed.

When I recently tried to explain my prototype post more thoroughly to Roger and Matt, both Roger and Matt chose to see it in a negative light...

....there was no "backpedaling" by me...I have had numerous experiences with prototype work, and it is an important issue to share with Super-8 filmmakers.

Instead of accepting my explanation as Roger had done with Wages Slaves, Roger chose to not believe me, and the forum at large lost an excellent opportunity to learn about the inner issues when contracting someone to do prototype work.

Mike, you may not find Chas's recent comments toward me offensive...but they were not true, and they were not on topic...they were inappropriate.

Am I allowed to have an opinion when I am the butt of a joke, evidently not by your siding with Chas. Am I not allowed to say how idiotic I thought Chas's comments were toward me with being accused of being a "catalyst"???

Matt P. recently called me a harrasser, I posted the two extremly short e-mails he said were harrassment here on your forum...only because Matt brought it up.

When I try to discuss the issue with Matt via e-mail and not bring it onto Hostboard, Matt brings it up on Hostboard, and in a big way, he levels a harrassment charge against me.

If my comments were were not harrassing, then Matt owes me an apology, but you know what, I don't want one.

I have in many instances taken responsibilities you have not considered.

When Hostboard was broken due to hardware failure for two straight weeks back in May and June, then was down again for a day or two on a few other other occassions, I e-mailed over a hundred Super-8 posters updating them as to the status of Hostboard.

Some of the Super-8 Regulars would in turn e-mail me whenever Hostboard was up, and I would e-mail the 100 Super-8 Filmmakers to let them all know the Super-8 board was back up.

It took me 12-15 hours to compile that list. I guess back then, when I really did spend 3/4's of a day in front of the computer for this board, it was ok because this board benefited.

Mike, I have also sent your Super-8 link to numerous people who now post here regularly, and a couple of times have gone through the list of super-8 bidders on e-bay and informed them of this site.

Jenny, Dwaynes chemist, posts here because I e-mailed her your link and asked her to post here to benefit all.

Mike, was Roger's Peace Accord really that peaceful?

I think you could have offered a superior version to his...but you didn't...

...so my reaction to a not too peaceful Peace Accord post is the straw that breaks the back...or, wait, I caused Roger to write that...yes, I am catalyst if I post the original topic that chaps Rogers Butt, and I am also the cataylst if Roger is "forced" to write a Peace Accord that would make the Taliban proud.

Mike, if you are freaked that I am too Un-American and unappreciative, I wrote a Taliban song sung to the tune of the Candy Man that you might appreciate, but you will have to go all the way over to my forum to see it.

Perhaps I am not worthy.

I have a 15 second "God Bless America" Super-8 Promo of the Largest American Flag ever made that is currently airing numerous times every week in over a quarter million homes in the Pasadena, Glendale, Arcadia areas (near Los Angeles).

I hung way over a ledge thirteen stories off the ground to get that one of a kind Super-8 shot, and I may show it in the UCLA Super-8 film class I am currently taking.

When Wages Slave recently posted on this site that Roger was some type of an "over the hill" "has been" who's greatest fame was Jet Benny...I laughed off the comment as being so "over the top" it was comical in my response post that I posted in Roger's defense...

When Chas made his recent comments about me not filmming anymore and spending all of my time in front of the computer, Roger was one of the first to laugh at me with Chas, and call the post not over the top, but topical.

Mike, are you sure you did your moderator's job as throughly and properly these past few months to make such final and harsh actions as you are planning?

You never once had any kind of a discussion with me or the forum regarding the infamous DP topic post, your lack of response back then did not help anyone understand your intention for this forum...if anything, it just crystalized and confused the issue.

Your possible over reaction now, may not be helping either.

I would ask that you reread your own words Mike...you asked that we all start with a fresh slate...yet Roger recently said that he was still angry over what happened back in August.

Roger may have been the bigger man when he apologized to this forum back then, but if he still was angry with me anyway, than it was a hollow apology.

Roger could have helped the current situation by believing that I truly wish him no ill-will, rather than "apparently" still harboring anger toward me from this past August.

On the one hand you acknowledge me as a moderator, yet you give me no benefit of the doubt, or even any one on one discussions with you.

But Mike, if you do reconsider, please don't ask me to apologize.

You see how empowered Roger felt after he apologized to the forum that he felt he could do your job and come up with his "Peace Accord" post that was neither.

Apologizing corrupts half the time, and it helps half the time.

I expect no apologies directed toward me...

And to show how sincere I am...I am going to post a new topic...asking anyone who doesn't want me to respond to their posts to simply post their name...and I will respect their wishes and I won't respond to their posts.



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Alex