Other things..not worth putting in update post

[shadowkat]

1. I've come to the conclusion over the years that I'd make a lousy fan board, discussion board or forum moderator. I don't have the patience for it. I'd be like - okay you're blocked, and you're blocked, and so are you. And you too. Also I'm deleting this thread, and your post and yours. It would be a blood bath. And a very very small board. And I've not even begun to talk about the techie aspects.

I honestly don't know how they do it? I also would have made a lousy teacher - the teaching isn't the problem, it's the discipline and putting up with the obnoxious trouble-makers, who can't sit still and pay attention. I'd be sending kids to the principle's office every five minutes. I didn't have patience for this behavior in school - I don't have it now.

My idea of discipline is shut up, or I'm going to throw you out of the room. Your choice. And no, you don't get to come back in later. You're gone. Bye. I honestly would just kick folks out of the classroom.

I can see it now.

Poster: I'm entitled to my opinion.
Me: That's nice. And I'm entitled to block or ban your sorry ass. Bye now.

Entitled to my opinion -- is a phrase that annoys the hell out of me. I think it is the word "entitled" that irritates? Entitled people tend to be rude and nasty to others.

entitled
The adjective entitled means you have a legal right to something. If you are entitled to your mother's house when she passes away, that means it's written in her will that she gave it to you.

Entitled is often used in a more casual way, to mean "allowed." For example, volunteers at the park clean-up are entitled to the water and snacks at the pavilion. Sometimes, though, people feel they are entitled to special treatment because they think they are more worthy than others. This usage of entitled came from the mid 15th century, when it referred to giving someone the title of an estate or property.

Definitions of entitled

adjective
qualified for by right according to law
“we are all entitled to equal protection under the law”

Synonyms:
eligible
qualified for or allowed or worthy of being chosen

It's the underlined bit that annoys me. "Sometimes, though, people feel they are entitled to special treatment because they think they are more worthy than others." That connotation is often used online - "I'm entitled to my opinion, even if it comes at your expense and hurts you, because I matter more than you do." It makes me want to smack them in the nose, repeatedly.


2. The Nevers is a hit on HBO Max - apparently people don't care about reviews? OR the curiosity factor?

I'm waiting until more episodes are available to watch. Although I may watch the pilot this weekend.

HBO doesn't drop episodes all at once like Netflix, they are like Disney + - it's gradual.

HBO’s newest series “The Nevers” drew 1.4 million viewers across all platforms, including HBO Max, on Sunday night. That matched the overall premiere viewership for last summer’s HBO series “Lovecraft Country.”

Those views are spread out between the linear HBO channel, including Sunday night replays, as well as streaming service HBO Max. On HBO Max specifically, “The Nevers” had the best opening for an HBO original series, surpassing both “Lovecraft Country” and “The Undoing,” the latter of which went on to be HBO’s most-watched series of 2020.

The finale of “The Undoing” drew 3 million viewers in November, HBO’s biggest audience since the Season 2 finale of “Big Little Lies” in 2019.

Also Read: 'The Nevers' Star Laura Donnelly on Amalia's Rebirth, Why No One Has Mentioned Her Husband

“The Nevers” is set in Victorian England, during a time when London is beset by the “Touched” people (mostly women) who suddenly manifest abnormal abilities — some charming, some very disturbing. Among them are Amalia True (Laura Donnelly), a mysterious, quick-fisted widow, and Penance Adair (Ann Skelly), a brilliant young inventor. They are the champions of this new underclass, making a home for the Touched and fighting to keep them safe.

“The Nevers” was created by Joss Whedon, who left the show midway through production on its first season, following accusations over his behavior on the set of “Justice League” reshoots by Ray Fisher. Whedon left “The Nevers” a few weeks before HBO parent company WarnerMedia announced it had concluded its investigation into those accusations.

In February, accusations of “hostile and toxic” on-set behavior were made against Whedon by “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” alum Charisma Carpenter. At that time, HBO and HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys told TheWrap “no complaints” were made about Whedon from anyone involved with “The Nevers” before he exited the series.

Comments

[trepkos]

I had a lovely community for a particular boutique fandom, and a group of insane australians frakked it up with their bitching, and passive-aggressive bullshit, and sock puppets, and nearly drove me and my other two moderators to nervous breakdowns. Now it's tumbleweed.

[shadowkat]

The only way to handle them is with an iron mallet - or so I've learned over time. I was on a board that kind of did that. It was a non-spoiler board, and the board members would crack down on anyone who misbehaved. You do have to rely on the board members a bit.

They did delete whole threads - which became problematic.

The idea of unregulated free speech on the internet is kind of hilarious to me. We're paying for the internet. Most if not all social media sites - you have to set up an account of some sort for - either paid or unpaid. But someone else owns it. They are completely within their rights to delete your account at any time. (I don't think a lot of folks understand that - Trump didn't. LOL! Nor do a lot of his supporters apparently.)

The speech is monitored and can be removed at any time. Same with copyright protections - it's almost impossible to protect copyright on the internet - when you have countries out there who don't subscribe to it.

[trepkos]

After trying hard to satisfy them and get them to play nice, we did boot them all out. They then tried to get back in with fake IDs and we had to track their IP addresses to root them out. But it left a nasty taste in the mouth, and the comm. just died.

[shadowkat]

Yeah, trolls can destroy a fanboard. I've seen it happen. The fan board that I'm currently on - the moderator has to keep using an iron mallet on the idiots. Dear Lord, there are a lot of idiots or a better turn of phrase is thoughtless folks.

[mtbc]

"The Nevers" - maybe there just isn't much else to watch? I mean, goodness, "Debris" is about at the top of my list, and I don't remotely regard it as being wonderful.

[shadowkat]

I guess it depends on what services folks are streaming? Or if you have cable? Or are busy?

It's not that there isn't a lot of stuff to watch - it's just really hard to find. (If it weren't for Petz and DW - I wouldn't know certain things were on or about to premier. Netflix is impossible to find things on, not helped by their computer logrithym which floods me with recs on shows like the one I just watched, whether I enjoyed it or not - or want anything similar.)

Also, a lot of stuff is premiering on services I don't have access to -- nor want. I don't need Peacock and Paramount. I already have five streaming services as it is, plus cable. (I only pay for three - or I'd cut two of them.)

And if you miss a few episodes or the premiere - you have no way of catching up, without attempting Demand or subscribing to a streaming service. I missed the first five episodes of Debris (kind of impossible to try now), and I missed the first half of Big Sky.

The Nevers is easier - just six episodes, and it's on HBO Max - so you can watch at any time. (Although I think Debris and Big Sky may be available on Hulu post airing.)

I think the appeal is that it is just six episodes, and the curiosity factor. Also, it is hard to find stuff. Plus it looks like fun. Most people don't care about the allegations or that Whedon was involved - or even know that he is - he's no longer being advertised with it, and he's no longer associated with it at all. The second half of the season will have a completely different show-runner, and his name has already been removed from it for the most part.

[mtbc]

Yeah, I'd be watching "Star Trek: Discovery" or "The Mandalorian" or whatever if I subscribed to the relevant services, but I don't so I can't. I too pay for only three streaming services - Amazon, Netflix, Sling Blue - and I use Amazon mostly for the shipping and Netflix hardly at all since bingeing "Lupin". For "Debris" I have a $40 Mediasonic box which will record it off the air if I plug in a USB drive but otherwise I guess I'd be relying on Netflix's DVD service once it finally comes out on DVD. Except, not enough is yet out on DVD, so I've even suspended that for now, making me wonder if DVD rental is expiring as a catchall for all that I don't want to subscribe to. "Debris" is fine as light entertainment but it's hardly must-see viewing.

[shadowkat]

Good to know, thanks on Debris.

I use Amazon mainly for shipping as well. I do occasionally watch stuff on it - The Expanse, I need to get back to, and I've watched a lot of movies here and there.

Netflix - I've watched movies on, and various series.

Mostly, I've been watching things saved to the DVR, Disney +, Hulu, and HBO Max lately.

[cactuswatcher]

I was lucky when I was teaching. The usual trouble makers don't sign up for Russian. Before I started teaching, I imagined myself kicking out trouble makers. But in real life, though I had some bad students, I never had one I wanted to kick out of class. I had a kid who decided to derail the class for a day by asking a question that he knew I was interested in, but that was off-topic for the class and far too complex to answer quickly. I just said we didn't have time for it. He kept interrupting with a grin and tried to goad me to answering. Eventually I got mad and told him that was enough. I didn't want to throw him out that day, and I didn't hold his one day of bad behavior against him. Later in the term some of his classmate's invited me out for a beer and they told me they were glad I'd shut him up that day.

Shadowkat, were you ever in a class, high school or beyond, where a student got kicked out for bad behavior? I guess it happened in grade school classes I was in, but never even in junior high! Kids got sent to the principal for breaking school rules like chewing gum or breaking the dress code, but I never saw one get kicked out for disruptive behavior of any kind including arguing with the teacher in class.

[shadowkat]

Yes, actually. A couple of times - in grade school, middle school/junior high, and high school. But I went to public schools, and junior high and high school had more than a 1000 going to them. They were all white, no diversity. Usually for not shutting up or being disruptive - I've vague memories of it to be honest - but it definitely happened.

Did it in college? Not in udergrad - our classes were small and kids were usually well behaved. In law school? Not that I recall.

I was bullied throughout elementary, junior and high school. At one point, I left a class - and refused to return, the biology teacher sent a boy after me to get me to come back in. (I was terrified of spiders - and they thought it funny to put them on my books.) And I avoided the lunch room like the plague - in high school and junior high, I remember hiding on the upper floor of my junior high at lunch, and eating with a friend in the upper balcony. Or in high school - where it was harder to hide, sitting at the very end of the exit, reading and eating next to the monitor.

If these kids had been suspended - I wouldn't have had to do that. I would have suspended them. And let their parents know that if they want their kids to have an education, the kid should learn how not to be a selfish asshole.

Hence the reason, I don't teach kids. I'd have been a horrible teacher. I don't like other people's kids. (My niece is an exception.) To teach kids - you really have to be somewhat charismatic, and get along with kids.If you aren't - it's a disaster - I know I saw it when I was in school. A lot of people who teach aren't cut out for it - I had some of the worse teachers in school. I can count on one hand the number of good teachers I had in school - and without exception they knew how to control their classes. You stepped out of line - you were out. And they followed through. Kids wanted to get their favor. But my ghod, the majority were a waste of time. They'd have been better off doing anything else.

[cactuswatcher]

Just wondered. I can't say kids never got kicked out of classes at my high school for acting up. It just never happened in a class I was in. I got a little bullying too, but when I got older I didn't get bothered any more.

There were certainly kids I didn't go near, and I had some bad teachers, too. I guess I was lucky to have plenty of average teachers who did well enough, as well as the good ones.

[shadowkat]

It depends on the school district, I think. And time period. I was in school in the late 70s to early 80s. Also, location. Etc.

And most of it is vague. But I know kids were sent to the Principle or told to leave at various points.

[yourlibrarian]

The thing about dealing with troublemakers is that although there is often nothing being said by other people, most of them are looking to the mods (or instructor) to handle the problem. The group is generally with the leader because most people prefer to avoid unpleasantness or don't want the reasons that they're actually there to be derailed. It's often a thankless task but it's usually obvious to others when someone is behaving badly.

Thanks for the news about The Nevers! I suspect that the first episode will get more viewership than the rest, both because some people are trying it out and because others are curious given the controversy with Whedon.

Rather interesting how ratings work though. I would have assumed there would have been bigger ratings for the end of S1 of Big Little Lies rather than S2. But I guess it's word of mouth at work. Although BLL was clearly a hit for HBO in its first season, it got a lot more attention after Emmy wins and talk about the season (and perhaps too, Meryl Streep's casting).

I expect the real news will be in terms of ratings for the last episode of this shortened season.

[shadowkat]

The group is generally with the leader because most people prefer to avoid unpleasantness or don't want the reasons that they're actually there to be derailed. It's often a thankless task but it's usually obvious to others when someone is behaving badly.

Depends, I've seen individuals do it a lot. On ATPO - it was usually individuals behaving badly. There was one that had been booted off every single board - and landed on the ATPO Board, then "played the victim" in chat, made friends, and it was impossible to get rid of her (according to one of the moderators - who told it to me in private. I was never in chat - so had no clue.). But it was VOY set up, so easy to ignore her. That's what most boards do now - just don't engage.

A couple of times they've been blocked or booted - like they were back then.

There are some people who honestly think being nasty online is a good idea. What they don't realize is yes, they can be censored, booted out, blocked, and banned.

I suspect that the first episode will get more viewership than the rest, both because some people are trying it out and because others are curious given the controversy with Whedon.

Agreed - it's not the same as say a Netflix series. You have to stick with it. It doesn't let you binge it all at once - well not until all the episodes have dropped, at any rate. So the ratings could dive.

I think this was the curiosity factor. Negative publicity can draw people just as much as positive publicity can. I'm admittedly curious. Considering checking it out this weekend.