I *angry emoticon* you, you *ugly emoticon* jerk!

[izeveryboyin]

Studio Eight is a wonderful source of release, networking, and connection for me. Since the very first day I joined, invited by the gracious Doreen Peri from what was left of the awful elitist mess Levi made or literary kicks, (where, or course, we met) I have found it hard to spend more than a month away from the site. Familiar faces, talented writers and poets that I had come to know, love and joyously watch grow where all logging on, sharing stories, participating in riveting and intelligent discussions that only the best bored net-surfers can have were what kept me coming back. I had never been closer to a group of people that I'd never personally met in my life. But, it has to be said, that when one or two or more of us feud, it is like all the worst stereotypes of family arguments portrayed on television, and even witnessed firsthand. I remember on litkicks, the most frequented posting areas seemed to be the creative writing forums. Conclusive critiques, praise and brainstorming was what permeated the site, and made it worth visiting for me as a writer trying to find her voice on a regular basis. But, if I am completely honest, I have to admit that I haven't read anything in the creative writing forums in ages. And here, in the gen discussion where I spend most of my Studio time, I find that we seem to have become so much more hostile towards each other. We have all become a married couple, bored with each other puns, quirks, opinions, and strong-headed behavior... and of course none to shy to say it. I was reading what was posted in the pedophilia post even since my last post three days prior, and it got a little ugly. I hate to name names, but it seems particularly heated between D and Clay, but only because their parting of waves was such a shock for me. I am used to the team of D and Clay, and I have done my best not to bring it up because I didn't want to make them uncomfortable, but when I am invited into some of their arguments ( I say invited because they are posted on open forums for anyone to read) it is what I imagine it would've been like to watch your mother and father go through an awful divorce, and I think we are all a little surlier now that the two heads of are community are no longer together. Even my infamous battles with ST seem to pale in comparison. There is name-calling and anger such as I never would have imagined between us. That being said, I am left wondering if we are all going to divorce each other.... and how we can save our failing marriage to become the happy, expressive, non-hostile community we once were.

END.

[Lightning Rod]

#1---I love you, izzy

You are like a daughter to me.

And you have the ability to look a situation in the eye.

Yes, this site has suffered from some personal dramas. I have tried to minimize this but I am human like the rest of us are. I admit to being a contributor to this mahem.

But in the end it's about learning.

Something troubles me about this view of doreen and I as parents around here. Doreen and I are poets and artists. We aren't the same person and we aren't parents of anything except what we have created. We have parted ways domestically but we haven't parted ways personally. The last thing we want to do is upset the kids by acting stupid and making a scene.

Some people have been upset by this. There have been clandestine conversations and blowing of bad breath. I'm sorry about this, but I'm hoping it will not damage this community. If we are really interested in art and writing and creativity, then we won't let this petty bullshit get in the way.

As for me, I have been trying to do what I always do. I don't start fights, though on occasion I finish them. I don't insult anyone on purpose. I write and create and try not to waste too much time on petty disputes.

If we move forward, the world will catch up.

[Doreen Peri]

Two words. Soap opera.

I'm tired of it. I typed a very long reply but decided not to post it. All I can say is I wish people would stop thinking of this place as a soap opera. I'm tired of defending myself for being human and being myself and I'm tired of defending the website for being a place where people interact and have heated discussions. It's just a website.

I feel we've had this same conversation about everything you've posted on your post over and over and over for the past 3 weeks.

I think you should go visit the Creative WRiting boards as we have quite a few new members and the boards have been extremely active during the past 4 or 5 months. There's some great stuff on there.

Oh and Clay and I have never been married to each other and are not anybody's parents here.

I love you, izzy, but I can't continue with the soap opera dramas that keep happening on this site so I have nothing else to say about it.

peace n love n a whole lot of poetry

[Doreen Peri]

We have parted ways domestically but we haven't parted ways personally.

I'm sure what he means to say is that we try to remain friends.

As for me, I have been trying to do what I always do. I don't start fights, though on occasion I finish them. I don't insult anyone on purpose. I write and create and try not to waste too much time on petty disputes.

And that's just nonsense. You start them all the time by attacking people and being rude to them. That's what the whole problem has been with the past few weeks of strife around here. It's about your posts that people have problems with. So, I hope you can take that to heart and accept it because it's true.

.....

now i'm done

[izeveryboyin]

Forgive me my strong gaze, but didn't you say I'm like a daughter to you, and in the same post say you didn't want to be viewed as a parental figure? All that aside, I love you too, LRod!! That much should be obvious. Your wisdom and creativity contributed greatly to a part of my life that was otherwise lacking in culture and direction. When we met some time ago I was a surly teenager just becoming a legal adult, and yet you indulged even my most feeble ramblings. For this, I am eternally grateful. Forgive my portrayal of you and D as parents, but, as you have so astutely pointed out, you are the parents of what you have created, and who can be credited with the auspicious honor of creating this site if not you and Doreen? Yes, you are both artists and poets, great ones at that, but you two are still the top contributers to this site. The moderators, the go-to people, and perhaps I speak for myself, but I find it quite obvious to see you as a parental figures, because this site has contributed greatly to my artistic growth, much as a parent would. I hope you do not think I place blame on you and D solely for this new hostile aura about the site. But I think it is easy to see that you two were huge staples on this site as a duo and to see you fight openly now knowing that your romantic relationship has ended I think takes a major toll on the connectivity of everyone on the site... at least to me. Forgive the kid butting into the grown folk business, but I think that you and D have become classic frenemies. And I hope that this will change and grow more friendly, and less foe... for lack of better wordage. I love this site, and I love the outlet it has been for me and everyone on it. I hope that we can resolve all of this hostility and be closer.

--k

[izeveryboyin]

D, I'm not blaming anyone. I'm voicing my opinion because I love this site, but I hate how hostile some of the posts have become. Perhaps it was a mistake to single the two of you out, I honestly meant no harm. But who are the two names most synonymous with this site if not the two of you, that's why you were my example. I'm sorry if it came off abrasively or offensive. The last thing I'd want to do is make you upset. This site means a lot to me and I just want us to be angry at the issues, or the politics, or the politicians, not each other. I don't think it's a soap opera. I really don't know all of you well enough to make that call, and I haven't seen any murders, mysterious twins, or jailbreaks. I had hoped for this post to be the catalyst for peace. I suppose, like perhaps MLK, or John Lennon, I was preaching for peace and got shot. So I'll shut up about it next time. I love you too much to watch you get angry with me, D.

--k

[Lightning Rod]

I'm smiling kayla
you knocked my contradiction off right away. But I'm full of contradictions as you know.

I think your eye is clear.

You are very perceptive. It is true that all this dispute was not just between doreen and I. There were others fanning the flames. And delighting in it.

I'm going to write some poetry.

[Doreen Peri]

I'm not angry with you. I'm just tired of the continuing Studio Eight melodrama saga. It's taken way too much of my time and has stressed me out to the max.

Izzy, our debate about what was funny and what was not funny on the pedophilia "joke" thread was not a personal matter. It was a debate about social issues and humor. We were not bickering with each other, we were debating an issue and others were there debating it, too.

Clarifications - LRod is not a moderator. Only of his own forum, "The Poet's Eye." All those who have a column forum or an artlog forum are moderators of their own forum.

Studio Eight was my dream and Lrod helped me in many ways including input for the types of forums to include but truly, it was my dream and I'm the one who put together the initial pages of the site.

http://studioeight.tv/imagesartists.html
and
http://studioeight.tv/openmic.html

In the beginning STUDIO EIGHT was an acronym for the different arts but eventually I changed that. I worked very hard on those pages. The forums are an extension of the ideas of Uniting the Arts.

If you want to see a list of the top contributers, hit the members list link at the top of the page and sort by top ten posters.

Lrod is not at the top. He's #5. So he and I are not the top 2 contributers. They go in this order as of right now.

stilltrucking.....10280
doreen peri.....8038
jimboloco.....5063
judih.....4455
Lightning Rod.....4054
Arcadia..... 3814
mtmynd.....3227
mnaz.....3217
WIREMAN.....3134
e_dog .....2635

I'm glad you've enjoyed the site and I'm sorry again that some of the discussions have become heated and uncomfortable to read but I truly don't think there has been any hostility, except for the past 2 weeks when one of our prominent members decided to make a grand public dramatic exit and people got offended. Then again, I wouldn't call that hostile. I'd call it offensive and defensive. These things happen in communities which are much the same as families.

Lrod and I split up a LONG time ago, back in November of 2007. So, pairing us as a couple is just a little uncomfortable since we aren't a couple, we are remaining friends.

You're a dear to care so much about the site!

Again, I'm not angry with you. I just think you missed a lot and came in at the tale end of a long 3 week thing which I hope we're now getting over and I'm tired, that's all.

As I said, I hope you get to the Creative Writing board and start reading and participating as that part of the site has grown in leaps and bounds during the past few months which much wonderful material being posted.

I think I'm also going to move the forums around again to put the Discussions board lower on the site so it's not that prominent. We need to write and create music and make paintings. There's art to create.

I also think I might make a specific forum for Debate and when any Discussion topics turn into debates, I'll move them to the Debate forum so that people will know what they're getting into.

Love you.
-D

[izeveryboyin]

LRod, what can I say, I have had a good teacher. (Yes, I am blaming you from my cyber smart-alec-ness, cyber-dad)

I said I would shut up, but of course I've never been that good at shutting up. Ask my mother. I should have been clearer. When I said top 2 contributers, I meant in terms of influence, I'm sorry I didn't say that before. And of course, that is only my opinion. I'm sure there are people who might disagree. Again, I wasn't blaming anyone, and I'm sorry for opening my big mouth when, to use an urban colloquialism, I didn't even know the flavor of the kool-aid. I was just making an observation. But I have a serious problem with keeping my observations quiet. I will work on that following this post and shut up about it from now on. Honest. The pedophilia debate was about social issues and humor, but Clay was called an idiot, and there was even a brief supporting argument on that fact. Maybe it is simply the naivete of youth but that seems pretty personal to me. And I must again apologize for my generalization of Lrod as a moderator. I grew up in a generation of generalizers and despite how many hours I spend watching MSNBC wit my grandfather I cannot shake the trait. I do know who is the spearhead of this site. Which is why I said "when Doreen invited me..." I take away nothing from you and I have always known who carried the fetus of this site, and who gave birth too it. I really don't know who left dramatically and why but I am sorry to hear that anyone would feel they could not call this place their cyber home at all times. And, again, forgive the naivete of youth, but when I hear the words offensive and defensive in one sentence, the word hostile comes to mind as well. But bottom line, I wasn't blaming you LRod or anyone. I was *ahem* generalizing, and quite obviously used the wrong example. I am endlessly apologetic. I have written a poem in the creative writing forum and I hope that it will teach me patience. And remind me that the reason I came to this site was to write. I shall try to do more writing and quiet observation and less outspoken observation. I love you too.

--k

[Doreen Peri]

No apologies necessary. As I said. It was just the timing of it and how were you to know all of what's happened here recently? You couldn't have possibly known. I'm just really very tired, that's all.

The reason Clay was called an idiot on that thread was because someone was trying to feed back to him his own words to show him what it felt like. It was Clay's confrontational style that was in question.

Please never be quiet. Keep posting your thoughts. Sorry I'm worn out with analyzing the dynamics of the community. Again, it was just the timing that made me say I didn't want to get into it.

Then again, I've posted a LOT to this thread so I guess I'm still into it, huh? LOL!

I read your poem and replied. Please post more! and if you want to write together, any time, just let me know when would be good for you. I could use a poetic collaboration. That's what the GO board is for so we can do it there if you want.

[Lightning Rod]

If you want to see a list of the top contributers, hit the members list link at the top of the page and sort by top ten posters.

Lrod is not at the top. He's #5. So he and I are not the top 2 contributers. They go in this order as of right now.

stilltrucking.....10280
doreen peri.....8038
jimboloco.....5063
judih.....4455
Lightning Rod.....4054
Arcadia..... 3814
mtmynd.....3227
mnaz.....3217
WIREMAN.....3134
e_dog .....2635


-D

Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

If you want to go by raw numbers, Stilltrucking should own this site. Along with his board of handpuppet directors.

On the other hand (guffaw) you could look at the quality and intelligence and relevance of the posts. You could look at how many originating posts. You could look at the number of posts that were creative works or just procedural or personal nonsense. There are many ways to measure this.

Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

[Doreen Peri]

I know most of mine have been about community stuff, administrative stuff, announcing word jams, proposing ideas to change the site, talking about the book, talking about the set up of the new site under development, etc etc.

Probably 1/4 of mine have actually been creative.

Dammit.

So, yeah, many ways to measure it.

I find it odd that on some sites they congratulate each other for reaching the next 1,000 posts as if it's a feat.

It happened to me once on another site and I said PLEASE don't congratulate me my number of posts which prove I don't have a real life! It's embarrassing!

[stilltrucking]

it would've been like to watch your mother and father go through an awful divorce,

I think Dave the dove said something like that too izz.

And it is the way I felt too.

But I am getting used to the banter between them.

Occasionally it will spark a nice duet

That's the moments that make it worthwhile
____________

Oh well that is my two cents worth.


Good observations

astute

thanks for writing K

[izeveryboyin]

Well I'm #18. And I can just about guarantee that over half of them were right here in the general discussion forum. Because my opinions are my most favoritest things in the world.

--k