I don't now the news source ( I know you could find it) but the prisoners where in an uproar and causing trouble because they didn't have enou8gh CABLE CHANNELS!

I taught printing and signmaking for 6 years in a Maximum prison facility here in D.C. (Most resident were more respecting there than they are here)

Smok'n Charmin is goooood stuff!

At least that what Elwood tells me. It didn't have any side effects at all!

BTW, he says to tell you to be sure to get the fresh stuff. Smok'n used Charmin can cause other folks around you to have strange facial distort'n.

WOW THERE IS ALOT THAT CAN HAPPEN IN ONE DAY!

I understand what Roger is saying.

This censorship thing……….. it doesn’t work………There really is no need to sensor any of this. Personally I think it’s a bit on the fascist side. ( Steve don’t take that personally)

I think it is an insurmountable task to fairly and objectively monitor, decipher and sensor all these posts day in and day out by one individual. ……………..Steve, take a break……………let it ride brother. We're all big people here.

Roger, I sent a t-shirt to you recently, partially to acknowledge one you sent me, but mostly to thank you for all you've done here in Letterville. I also sent a music CD to Mark last week, because I knew he'd like hearing it. I talk to Judy Pate on the phone about once a week, one of my best buddies, John Rodgers, I met thru this BB, and Si Allen swaps dirty jokes with me on a regular basis. My point is, without this site, I'd be alone in my little sign world, assuming I was the only one experiencing the tremendous roller coaster of this biz, with its exhiliaration and depression coming and going with nobody to share or vent with. We value your input here, and without the diversification this BB offers, none of us would visit as often as we do. Stick around, pal - see Pierre for some ammo and RELOAD!

Although we did not elect, & can not impeach our Mayor, we should trust his efforts to moderate this BB with the best interests of maintaining what it is that brings us here. I think that he is also growing with the BB & all of us, so censorship policies may evolve for the better if we communicate constructively to Steve about this as some have done in this thread.

It is a difficult task being a mediator because no matter what decision you make, in most cases, there is a winner and a looser. Mediators do make mistakes from time to time and are called upon to justify themselves. As a quote, "...family." we should be coming together and "Brain Storming" a way to solve this evolving problem that would be acceptible to all, because all it seems to be doing at this moment is driving people away!

This is a Great first impression we are giving any new folks who may have stumbled upon this web site and could be potentual participants or residents. Would you want to cough up $50 bucks for a web site like this after reading this string of posts. Just look at the fellowship (Family) that has come out of the woodwork to ask someone not to leave, only to have the same vickering going on within this post. I think we are all supposed to be adults and Professionals. As my daughters point out (besides my horrible spelling) it sounds like a bunch of high school kids argueing in the hallway.

Personally, I don't know people on this board well enough to place any judgements on them as a whole. I may reserve an opinion towards any given behavior or reaction they display at any given time, but I don't think that gives me a full enough picture of them to plunk them into any specific catagories for the long term. We see only glimmers of folks on here.

If I were to place judgement, I'd prefer to do so by what someone shows me the most glimmers of.
Mark Fair for instance has contributed quite alot to this board ... far more favourable than not.
As have you Roger.

As for any percieved clix on here, I'm baffled. Everyone on this board is welcome to be as involved or not as they please. Just as in real life, some make friends easier than others. Some are gregarious, others more reserved.
We each get to choose our friends and associates.
Any clique on this board is just that, a result of our own making and our own perceptions.

A quote comes to mind...
"Am I seeing things as they are, or as I am?".

I'm with John Deaton when he says there is "Lots to be learned, lots to be said, and lots to be done". Can't imagine why so much time is being spent "one upping" on a post like this, when there is far more productive places for that time to go.

Lastly, Steve and Barb edit things in accordance to the simple rules on this site. I don't know what they chose to omit in this last thread, but I'd be willing to bet it was in the form of a personal attack.
We may each have our own interpretation of censorship ... to suit our own agendas.
But when it's all said and done, it's really only Steve and Barb's interpretation that counts.
I'm okay with that.

This board remains a positive place for me,
because I focus on the positive. If I place any attention or energy on a negative, it's only to turn it around.
That works for me.

This is VERY uncool!

Doug,

quote:

---

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

---

I've never attended an AA meeting, but I know this prayer from somewhere. Over the last few years, I think about it quite often. It's finally starting to sink in that I cannot control everything that happens in my own life, let alone try and change other people.

I'm wondering how many of you really know what is behind this feud? It appears 2 businessmen that both happen to post here in Letterville made a business deal that went sour for some reason. Why is not really any of our business, but some resentment may still linger. None of this has anything to do with our business here in Letterville, but it resulted in Roger being attacked personally here on the BB. In return, Roger slapped back.

I caught Roger's post shortly after it was posted and scrolled up to see what set it off. The offensive text attacking Roger was removed along with his responses. Any personal attack on an individual has no place in Letterville and is clearly stated in the Registration Process we all agree to in exchange for the privilege of posting in this forum. Let's take a second to review them in case you forgot our agreement.

The Laws Of Letterville

• We require that you use your full real name as your username and include a valid e-mail address. We are a community here, and use of an alias is discouraged. In either case, use of a signature file that automatically signs your posts is always required. Your signature should include your real name, company name, and your location.
  
• Vicious personal attacks will not be tolerated. Treat others in a professional manner. We are a community. Use of the \"Golden Rule\" is strongly encouraged.
  
• This is not the spot for commercial advertising. If you have a product our users should know about, please call us about becoming a Letterville Merchant. Blatant advertising will be removed!
  
• The Letterhead WebSite, Letterville, and the Shortreed Family strictly prohibits the use of this site as a means to request copyrighted artwork and fonts. Please respect the copyrights of the designers and foundries. If you feel compelled to \"steal\" from those people, please go to another site to do it. We do encourage all designers using this site to build the cost of fonts and clip art into your project's costs.
  
• The Letterhead Website cannot assume responsibility for the validity of any information other than our own comments on this board.

Some of you have expressed a view that we ignore these rules. You want to see a forum where anything goes, a Jerry Springer type place where our friends battle each other verbally to the death, while we all watch and wildly cheer on our favorite. Sorry...it isn't going to happen!

Letterville is an attempt to simulate a live Letterhead meet. Unlike a real Letterhead meet, it is also a 24/7 business. Those that have never yet attended a live meet will have little idea of the goals and traditions of 27 years of this movement called Letterheads. When things turn ugly on the BB, I pretend I am the host of a real meet and consider what they would do in that situation. I'm certain the guilty parties would be shown the door and instructed to take it outside. Why should it be any different here? As your online meet host and owner of Letterville, it is my duty to anything necessary to ensure our guests are having a good time.

Someone asked if Steve was playing favorites. My immediate reaction was "No way!" After some serious soul searching I have to admit that I might. Nettie pointed out that we are all good people, and for the most part that is true. Unfortunately, there is small "monster" in all of us that pops out from time to time. When I see this vicious anger in people that I call respect and call friends, I try to make them aware of the problem and hope the behavior goes away. Most of the time that works.

Since we started this website back in 1995, I have only had to ban one signmaker from taking part. Even in that case, I probably took too long in taking action. I hope I am never put in the position to suspend anyone's posting privileges and/or ban them. I would hope anyone who has any sort of respect for Letterville will never put themselves or us in that position. There is never a good reason to attack, humiliate or make fun of another in this forum. If you cannot express your view without ripping another apart personally, your days of posting here in Letterville are numbered. Please feel free to disagree and argue your position in a mature, respectful manner...just choose your words carefully and think before you hit that Post button.

Barb and I share your feelings about Roger. He's one of the few Merchants who has taken the time to get involved and really become one of the gang here. Merchants of Letterville are a brave lot. What other form of advertising talks..and sometime shouts back? I'm sure Merchants hate rejection and criticism just like the rest of us. Those with the guts to persevere are rewarded with a better understanding, along with the respect of their market. Who can ever think of RapidTac again without that smiling guy in the pink shirt coming to mind? No matter what he decides, Roger will always have our thanks and best wishes.

I'll end this post the way it started. I have no control over the way you folks react to posts. Janette may be on to something when she said ""Am I seeing things as they are, or as I am?".

Since we have responsibility for the "Delete Button," there is no way I can escape the second part of that prayer. There are times, we have to make some tough decisions. You can rest assured that I will always have that "courage and wisdom" thing on my mind when making those decisions.

On a lighter note. We must have a pile of Jerry Springer fans here in Letterville. I'm going to paste in a section of the report we get each day on the visitors to The Letterville BB. Look at count for yesterday. (Monday) I'm not sure what that says about human nature, but lots of us kept a close eye on this BB yesterday. I hope it was Rob Clark's wonderful step by step that kept us coming back.

But then, I admit I at times have some pretty large expectations for someone to live up to !!

Sometimes I guess we all do.
Seeing the problem and the solution as something that SHOULD in our minds be handled one way only.
Well I'm old enough to realize that’s not reality, at 52 I must admit to myself "I too am still learning"(this is something I have always known but I can easily forget when angry)
Several of you folks have suggested I take a "break/time out" well, that’s the best advise given, it allows the logical portion of the mind to come back and start a thought process, instead of a reactionary process.

I reacted to what was said about me from prior statements in other posts, and they had built up (cause I wasn't using the thought process).
By the time I read These "new" insults I was already under the effects of some pretty harsh emotions, I should have "taken a time out" THEN e-mailed that person in an effort to sort these negative feelings out.

I still don't appreciate what was said nor the reason for saying it but still I should have NOT reacted that way.

I apologize for this and will try to never over react again. I am learning that there are those people, for whatever reason will never like me, will take there opportunities to express there dislike for me (that’s there problem) & like Steve says I can't change that. Also these certain people seem to have "problems" with others, NOT just me. I have read all the replies here and I have received an incredible amount of wonderful, encouraging, supporting e-mail.

For this I feel very grateful and fortunate, to not only be considered a "merchant" but more, a "resident", this has been a giant lesson for me, in some ways I feel I would like to "take it back" and start over, but there has been a great amount of emotion and wisdom shared here these last couple days, and I think and feel the GOOD from all of this out ways any of the bad we may have felt !!

My decision to leave (not quit) was in anger and disappointment; I have talked at length twice with Steve (disagreeing on a couple points) and now believe you all were and are right!!

I will take a bit of a break from the board (my wife will enjoy increased presence) just a matter of days, and try to come back with a better outlook, (and a helmet, slicker, and boots) just in case.

I am very happy with Steve’s post and requirements for residency here, I am overwhelmed with the warm response from all of you guys; you did make me feel wanted (I'll hear from da boys for that term).

But now I'll get the heck outa here and enjoy a little break ! I can honestly say I know the "letterhead spirit."

Thanks, one and all!!

I tend to not even read posts if their negative, this has kept many folks from posting, but I always remember that were all just General Public.

Your products are great, and always in supply at our shop.

The information on you products here at letterville is excellent, there's no magazine could match the interactivity that you've provided.

Hope you can Hang with the General Public, because your participating in our future, and helping to make our lives easier, and I can use help from time to time.

From all the posts, looks like ya won this one!

[ February 06, 2002: Message edited by: Si Allen ]

From everybodys responce, I won, even if I lost this battle!!

Bunch of GREAT people(LETTERHEADS)!!!!!