Hi Dandelion.
Let me recount a similar incident that was almost beyond belief. Some of you may know that I was involved in the investigation into the DB Cooper case for a number of years, and that I put forward a suspect (and his alleged accomplice) in a book, articles, and online forums. Okay...

There are these other people out there who also investigate the case and have different suspects in mind. Some of these people are actually KNOWN people, too. Some of them started posting the most vicious comments and lies about both yours truly and my boss Gayla Prociv of Adventure Books. Filth beyond belief on multiple Cooper-related articles and forums.

One was particularly bad. That was a Wordpress article written by a nice lady from Texas named Regina Winkles. She wrote an article about our suspect. Suddenly, these 'Cooper Nuts' began posting in the comments section of the article. The comments were just awful, and many of them fell under the obscenity label, using both our names. (Gayla and I)

It got soooo bad that I had to make a PDF of the comments and sent them to Matt Mullenweg in San Francisco. He is (was) the co-founder of Wordpress. He got so angry reading the PDF that he deleted the woman's entire account at Wordpress along with all her previous articles. It wasn't really HER fault, but he decided to get rid of everything.

These same people have slowed down on their attacks over the last couple of years, but only after Regina and I were able to identify many of the commenters...both their IP addresses and their actual identities. I told these people if they continued their behaviors, I would make the PDF public...along with added notes showing who said what, and when. That made them back off.

Cooperland. It's a crazy world.

There are so many haters. I am sorry. This would be disturbing.

Guys, let me say this about that. Regarding fandom, or fanaticdom. Okay, this incident happened back when I cared what other people thought because I believed I had half a chance of becoming a literary influence myself. I was at a convention with a number of famous or at least well-known people. I asked each their favorite authors or books. One person--I won't mention who right now, but will tell if asked--stated they didn't like anyone knowing what they liked, and when I went to write down that simple statement--doesn't like anyone knowing, said, "I don't even like what you're doing right now."

I never really understood this, having been brought up in the land of Bradburydom--where, as you know, anyone within earshot of Ray since he could talk had to run, hide, tape his mouth shut, stuff a dirty sock in to avoid his ravings about his favorite topics. I was the same way as a child--one reason that I had very few friends from around age ten until going online at 37 or 38--and then I made plenty of enemies online, to some extent for the reasons Robert brought up. As a child I simply couldn't keep quiet about topics of interest to me or pretend any false interest in whatever the heck got everyone else excited, period, and my interests didn't coincide enough with others' to allow for much interaction.

(One of the meanest things my sister ever said to me was when I told her about contacting fans of a certain TV show--which I was very dismayed to learn had a convention the year BEFORE I went online, and has never had another one-- "That's what I hate about the internet--it allows all the nuts to get together, instead of each thinking, as they properly should, that they're the only one.")

The last time I was shot down in flames was over four years ago--see this thread: https://raybradburyboard.com/ev...227092906#9227092906 After the Keaton catastrophe I swore up, down, and sideways that I would continue to like whatever I had up until that point, but I would NEVER AGAIN like anything new if it could possibly be avoided, and if it could not at the very least I would never let anyone know it.

Several times over the years I have been tempted to somehow convey to that particular person at the convention that they were not only not so off base, but may have been quite right. But, you know what? The very first person I asked was an actor on one of my favorite shows and the author he liked best was Ray Bradbury! At that time I had Ray's number on my cell phone, was able to call him and he and this guy had a brief conversation I am sure thrilled the guy with whom I am still friends, and I have a number of other good friends due to my love of Ray and other interests.

As far as flat out of line starting at very young ages goes, I give you..."Making the Bus Monitor Cry"! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l93wAqnPQwk And if you think that didn't hit a lot of friggin' nerves, check out the amount of the "modest" little vacation fund started for her: https://www.indiegogo.com/proj...lein-a-vacation--6#/ And don't expect a leopard to change its spots, either: https://www.yahoo.com/news/stu...rcing-130404375.html

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dandelion,

Oh, I went to that link where you (dandelion) talk about Buster Keaton. I read it, and some of the following posts that came after. I don't see anything wrong with that whole scenario. Keaton has lots of fans. And he was about 65 when he did that time travel bit for TZ...and was still able to pull off the little physical stunts he did. I found that episode frankly amazing, although the storyline might have been a bit weak. His comedy made the episode work, and it turned out to be one of the truly FUNNY epidodes.

Let's face it. TZ has some humorous episodes, but that was never its bread-and-butter.

You said something about being a writer, or trying. Well...writers get influenced from all over the place, not just ONE writer. Otherwise, you would turn out to be a writer who just clones the author you admire most.

For example, a lot of my work has influences from all over the literary rainbow. Not just Bradbury, but people like George Orwell, Martin Caidin, ('Marooned')H.G. Wells, and a host of others. Characters you invent can sometimes be inspired by real people you know, or have heard about. (I based the character of 'Anna Johnson' in The 13th Day of Christmas on Julie Payette, for example.) This stuff happens all the time. Or a book can influence your attitudes about life in general. A single LINE from a book can influence millions, such as 'You're going to need a bigger boat' from the book and film 'Jaws' probably made a lot of folks skip swimming in the surf when they go to the beach.

The first time I read 1984, it scared me so bad...all I knew was that I didn't want to live in a world like that.

quote:

"We are the dead."
(Voice from telescreen: "You ARE the dead."

Oh, yeah. The SECOND time you read that book and come to that line...you aren't human if you don't get a bad feeling in the pit of your gut, because you KNOW what's coming for Winston Smith and Julia...and it ain't pretty.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Robert M Blevins,

It wasn't Buster or The Twilight Zone with which I had a problem; it was my treatment at the hands of certain of his fans. It wasn't just me; I learned there were at least several bad cases both before and after me. His legacy is in the hands of some very shifty people.

quote:

Originally posted by dandelion:
It wasn't Buster or The Twilight Zone with which I had a problem; it was my treatment at the hands of certain of his fans. It wasn't just me; I learned there were at least several bad cases both before and after me. His legacy is in the hands of some very shifty people.

Now that is really too bad. At least they don't call your publicly-available office number after-hours. I sometimes get that from DB Cooper investigators who hate it we might be right on suspect Kenny Christiansen. The only way I made them stop was to start shooting photos of the Caller ID entries (we have Anonymous Call Rejection, so you have to reveal who you are to make the call go through) and then I had to publish the photos publicly to make them stop. (*smiles*)

quote:

'To live in this town you must be tough, tough, tough, tough, tough...'

Rolling Stones - Shattered

No, none of the people with whom I have had problems called me--they were too busy trying to ignore my contributions and nullify my existence.

Wow! It took me an hour and a half, but I did the following:

Since the Internet Movie Database Message Boards are supposedly closing on February 20, I went to the boards for Rod Serling and every incarnation of The Twilight Zone to post a link to The Twilight Zone Cafe Message Boards: http://twilightzonewor.fr.yuku.com

I also went to Ray's board and posted a link there to this forum, and did the same on each board for every major production based on his work. I couldn't have possibly done them all as episodes of obscure vintage TV programs are listed, foreign productions, things I never knew existed! Hopefully it is all accurate, but those really wanting accurate information on such things need to go to Phil's site. http://pers-www.wlv.ac.uk/~in5379/film.htm

I also posted on any relevant forums on the General Boards. If the Internet Movie Database does go through with closing the Message Boards, everyone is strongly urged to make protests, boycotts, throw them to the lions! More later.