New Administrator (April Fools Joke 2005)

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 4:59 pm

Warmark wrote:no offence to insanity falls but how did he get chosen? was it random? or does he mod another forum and got recommened?

Insanity Falls was chosen because SRD believes that IF's desire to keep us from giving the plot of Runes away. That, combined with Jay's...well, let's face it; Jay has changed. He used to take the Watch seriously, but now, he just sits around and goofs off with Alynna instead of keeping things in line around here. I know a lot of you think I'm one of the guys who needs to be kept in line, but I never do anything that would hurt SRD's book sales, like some of you do by giving up essential plot points and stuff. Insanity Falls also holds to this standard; let's face it, SRD's whole paycheck revolves around his ability to sell his books, and we, his fans, should be really sensitive to that fact, especially when it's us who want SRD to write more!

Another thing IF and I have been discussing is the general tenor of the Runes forum. It seems a lot of you guys think SRD has somehow "lost his edge", and are even openly criticizing Runes. Frankly, this needs to stop. We have a responsibility here, to SRD and to each other, to keep the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant alive. If we continue to tell people that Runes stinks, do you really expect them to go out and buy it? In a word, NO.

This is why you're going to see a few changes over the next few months. One change is I will be co-modding Runes with IF,and we WILL delete any and all posts we deem to be unhelpful to future sales of the book. Another change will be the look of the Watch. You might remember we once experimented with the "UPS" look; this time it will look more like SRD's site. A third change will be other author forums. SRD, in conjunction with Putnam Publishing Group, will now be in charge of what other writers are allowed to be discussed on the Watch. I already know Tad Williams will be on this list; unfortunately, Stephen Pressfield and George R. R. Martin will be out.

Insanity Falls and I are sorry for the unfortunate timing of these announcements; I wanted to wait a week myself, but as the RUnes paperback will be out in 4 short months, we need all the time we can get to clean up the Watch. Jay has done a wonderful job the first three years; IF and I hope to take the baton and complete the race he so diligently started. And please, I know Jay has been flooded with PM's about this, and he's too polite to complain about it, but frankly, we've been clear and to the point about what's going on here, so lighten up on the PMing a bit. I guarantee you, you'll like the changes.

Oh, and don't forget to order your paperback edition of Runes as soon as possible.

thanks,
dAN

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:01 pm

CovenantJr wrote:...Well, I will not tolerate that petulant, snivelling little being an administrator of this site.

Laugh, CovenantJr - laugh with us. Joy is in the ears that hear.

(I really do find this whole thing amusing, the moreso if true)

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:11 pm

CovenantJr wrote:...Well, I will not tolerate that petulant, snivelling little being an administrator of this site.

Guys, this is EXACTLY the type of stuff we don't want on Wevin's Watch. I know this is sudden, and I know you all love Jay (I do too), but what we need right now is to stop, take a deep breath, and try to look at the bigger picture. First of all, Jay's completely on board with this. IF and I have his complete support. Now, if you want do insult us (and I take any insult to IF as personally as if it were to me), fine. But do it in a pm, not here where it's out for everyone to see. Please, just give it time; you'll see this is a change for the better.

Post by **Variol Farseer** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:20 pm

dANdeLION wrote:Another thing IF and I have been discussing is the general tenor of the Runes forum. It seems a lot of you guys think SRD has somehow "lost his edge", and are even openly criticizing Runes. Frankly, this needs to stop. We have a responsibility here, to SRD and to each other, to keep the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant alive. If we continue to tell people that Runes stinks, do you really expect them to go out and buy it? In a word, NO.

We have no such responsibility, and the more you say, the more I am convinced that this is a sick joke. SRD isn't the sort of person who demands that everyone around him behave like a drooling fanboy or Hollywood yes-man. He's a big boy: he can handle criticism. And if he, Howard Morhaim, and Putnam among them can't 'keep the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant alive', then it's not worth keeping. Based on what little I know of the sales figures to date (including four months on the Locus bestseller list), SRD's got nothing to worry about.

This is why you're going to see a few changes over the next few months. One change is I will be co-modding Runes with IF,and we WILL delete any and all posts we deem to be unhelpful to future sales of the book. Another change will be the look of the Watch. You might remember we once experimented with the "UPS" look; this time it will look more like SRD's site. A third change will be other author forums. SRD, in conjunction with Putnam Publishing Group, will now be in charge of what other writers are allowed to be discussed on the Watch. I already know Tad Williams will be on this list; unfortunately, Stephen Pressfield and George R. R. Martin will be out.

On what possible grounds? Look, I have never heard of such a thing as a publisher taking any interest in what topics are discussed on a fan site, as long as nobody's intellectual property rights are being violated.

By the way, I think SRD's website is ugly in the extreme, and the use of frames is very awkward. It bothers me that to get at the Gradual Interview, I have to click on something that appears to be a pull-down menu, but does not pull down (and therefore appears to be nonfunctioning until clicked). And the fact that everything appears in a tiny frame, no matter how big my browser window is, is another misfeature. But I suppose you want to stifle that kind of criticism even more.

Insanity Falls and I are sorry for the unfortunate timing of these announcements; I wanted to wait a week myself, but as the RUnes paperback will be out in 4 short months, we need all the time we can get to clean up the Watch. Jay has done a wonderful job the first three years; IF and I hope to take the baton and complete the race he so diligently started. And please, I know Jay has been flooded with PM's about this, and he's too polite to complain about it, but frankly, we've been clear and to the point about what's going on here, so lighten up on the PMing a bit. I guarantee you, you'll like the changes.

I guarantee you, I already don't. Even considered as an April Fool's joke, this is unusually rotten and tasteless. If the least scintilla of this is actually serious, not only am I leaving the Watch, I shall think seriously about putting up a competing site.

Now, as to the practical-joke angle, I agree wholeheartedly with Mark Twain, who once wrote:

When a person of mature age perpetrates a practical joke it is fair evidence, I think, that he is weak in the head and hasn't enough heart to signify.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:30 pm

Variol, please don't take my words to be the words or thoughts of either SRD or Putnam. They can and will speak for themselves. As for you putting up a competing site; that's fine with me. The more, the merrier. Just try to remember that Kevin's Watch is the official SRD fan site, and as such, we have to adhere to higher standards. As for Mark Twain, I truly believe you missed the point of his comment. He was actually joking when he said it, proving his wit and sense or humour were unequaled in his time, and indeed in our time as well. God, I love and deeply miss his use of double-entendre.

Post by **CovenantJr** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:31 pm

Murrin wrote:
CovenantJr wrote:...Well, I will not tolerate that petulant, snivelling little being an administrator of this site.
Laugh, CovenantJr - laugh with us. Joy is in the ears that hear.

If it's a joke, I have to credit its thoroughness - and I will feel no embarrassment at expressing support for the existing admin team. If it isn't a joke, I'm disgusted and will leave. This is my stance, and it's firm.

Post by **Variol Farseer** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:36 pm

dANdeLION wrote:As for Mark Twain, I truly believe you missed the point of his comment. He was actually joking when he said it, proving his wit and sense or humour were unequaled in his time, and indeed in our time as well. God, I love and deeply miss his use of double-entendre.

Missed the point, did I? I don't suppose you can provide a little context for that quotation to back up your point, can you? 'Cos I can.

You go first.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:38 pm

CovJr: Talking seriously for a moment, yeah I think I agree with you. I probably won't stop visiting completely, but I think it will affect my opinion of this place. And if it is true, I may have some... propositions... towards alternative solutions.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:47 pm

Variol Farseer wrote:Missed the point, did I? I don't suppose you can provide a little context for that quotation to back up your point, can you? 'Cos I can.

You go first.

Nah; there's no point to that, is there? I see what I see in it, and you see what you see. There's no way in hell you'll ever convince me I'm wrong, and I know from personal experience that I can't convince you I'm right, because let's face it, you already are convinced. And I think that's as it should be; Twain wanted us to open our eyes and not just accept things as they are on the surface, and I believe that you and I have both taken that message to heart. The only caeat with that is once you've learned to look deep and trust your instincts about deep things, it becomes way more difficult to be convinced otherwise. Also, I really like yo utha way you are, and if I could change one thing about you, it would be to give you the jog you want, not to make you more like me.

Post by **Variol Farseer** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:50 pm

Clever bit of tap-dancing, but in actual point of fact, Twain wrote that line I quoted in one of the dead serious sections of his autobiography. It wasn't intended to amuse, but to express his remorse at having perpetrated a series of particularly brainless and heartless practical jokes in his youth.

In any case, I am in absolute earnest when I say that I agree with it. A word to the wise.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:53 pm

Well, in any event, it is a good quote. Speaking of good quotes, one of my favourites is:

"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. " - Sir Winston Churchill

Post by **Variol Farseer** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:54 pm

True. Which rather describes both of us today, don't you think?

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:59 pm

Heh, tomorrow will tell if that's the case or not, and even then, I'm only comfortable speaking for myself on that count.

Post by **hierachy** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:02 pm

I have to go with LM on this one. The original post screams april fools to me.

It also screams Harry Potter 5 to me.

My ears hurt.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:06 pm

By the way, what did Mark Twain mean by "Mature age"? I'm 40, but I sure don't consider myself to be old, and I'm not even suree if "mature" is a word I'd ever consider to describe myself. Maybe it's because I have 5 young children; it's amazing how they keep you young, while thinning and greying your hair at the same time.

Post by **aTOMiC** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:10 pm

For an April Fools gag it certainly seems to be on the edge of making a few people very uncomfortable. I wonder if anyone would spring such a joke knowing the personalities here at the watch. Hmmm....

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:19 pm

Well, I would think that the highly intelligent members of the Watch would be able to keep their "personalities" in check long enough to measure the logic on what Jay, IF and I have been saying today.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:21 pm

No one doubts that you've been talking a load of crap, dAN.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:27 pm

Believe what you want. I assure you that you won't think it tomorrow.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:28 pm

I never think the same way twice, dAN.