Saying “No Thanks”

[Mark Suszko]

Thanks for the comment. To clarify, this is not something I would suggest be applied site-wide; only here in this particular forum, and the people that would submit thru the “back-channel” would do so, knowing that there was no promise implied that their particular case would be posted. Only the most useful topics to the general user base would be selected and forwarded to the public forum, as and where deemed appropriate by management. Just a more formalized version of what Nick did when he started this topic.
There it is, make of it what you will.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Mark Suszko] “Ron, she probably doesn’t have a problem with the COW, but just doesn’t want to leave a cyber-trail openly discussing a case like this. I can relate. This is just the chance you have to take in a site that requires your real name. In some cases it may inhibit people from sharing because they have no anonymity to hide behind. I’m sure we all have some REALLY great stories/problems we *could* share, if we could be anonymous about them. But that’s not the way of things here.”

We definitely don’t need to change the policy of real names for sure. Prior to that change, the forums were really starting to get out of control with “I’m much better than you, You don’t know Crap” kind of posts that were just littering all over the pasture.

By requiring real names, which all of the forum leaders always used anyway, that makes you accountable for your words and actions. As it should be.

Yes, it might inhibit people from asking career changing advice or “how do I deal with this situation at work” questions because they can be found through their real names. But that’s a small price to pay for maintaining the order and civility of these forums.

I think the suggestions of a “back channel” to ask questions that could get someone in trouble or fired from a position is a very valid idea, though where do you draw the line for the questions and who is going to take / monitor / approve the questions? Ron, Kathlyn and the entire Cow team does a LOT of work behind the scenes that none of us ever see.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media

“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.

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[John Davidson]

I agree with Mark. In this particular forum, you’re not getting posts from people in large media companies because these folks can get fired for posting anything. Maybe the encouragement of restraint is a good thing, but it might be a myopic rule because you’re not hearing certain voices that are very, very important to all of our careers.
I have probably 15 years of contacts at dozens of networks, and I only know about 5 people on here from my pre-cow life. Part of that is because I’m editorially focused and not technical – the cow just doesn’t offer much to people in terms of Creative Services (network promotions, not actual creativity). Another part is because network x might fire somebody for posting on a board – it’s not as crazy as it sounds.

It would be the easiest thing in the world to allow an anonymous post, or to ‘anonymize’ a post like on craigslist. You still have the IP address, so a little cross referencing would eliminate an insulting poster – or expose him/her if that person was posting something ridiculous. If you abuse the anonymizer, your IP gets banned. What you might find is that you get new insights into parts of our industry that aren’t always represented. Isn’t that one of the goals of the cow?
j

[Nick Griffin]

Talked to my friend late this afternoon and she’s thrilled with the advice coming into this thread. Thanks everybody!

[Neil Hurwitz]

I am going to differ with most here and say my advice
Would be to suck it up and deal with the client
albeit on slighty diferent terms. She should insist on a
mechanism where her work is guaranteed to be viewed unadulterated,
even if it means delivering the work in person for a screening.
She got paid in full, so money was not an issue
So here’s my logic;
1. It seems that no one picked up on the fact that she was
REFERRED to this client by a third party.
She runs the risk of blowing up that relationship also.
If the client calls up the referer (we don’t know what that relationship is) and only blabs, whatever, then they might not
feel so confortable doing more referals.
2. Paying clients are not jumping out of the forest so fast
that in these times they should be run over. A little effort
to set the record straight and rehabilitate them is the smarter move.
They might in turn do some referals, stranger things have happened.
I have got to think that there is just some plain swaggering
going on here. In 30 years I have “fired” just two accounts.

Neil Hurwitz

[Martin Curtis]

I wonder if it’s possible for the forum to display “anonymous” for a poster’s name (if they so desire it) unless the viewer is logged in. That way we could prevent our names being attached to certain posts when the search engines come to visit, but still be completely visible to members.

[Bob Zelin]

All I can add to this, is that one of the greatest articles ever written in history is the Grinder article by Ron Lindeboom. There should be a permanent link to this article somewhere on this site, so that every discouraged professional can readily click on it, and read it (or be refered to it), as it sums up this womans situation very quickly (and makes you instantly feel better). We can even call it “Creative Cow Drugs”.

Bob Zelin

[Todd Terry]

I’m sure Nick appreciates all the opinions (most of them very good)… but I did notice something that happens here on the COW a lot, and that’s unsolicited advice.

Now, I’m not being a crank, I’m a fan of all advice, solicited or otherwise… and some of the best advice I’ve ever received was that which I didn’t ask for (or probably even want at the time). But I also know we are not privy to what is probably a myriad of details about this client relationship.

I’m suspecting Nick’s friend’s intention is only asking the best way to send ’em packing.

Clients are of the highest value, and our businesses aren’t businesses without them. But there are always bad apples in the bunch, and sometimes it is best to just cut the rotten ones lose… and not feel bad about it. Been there, done that. And I think Nick heard a lot of good ways to tell his friend to do so.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Nick Griffin]

Thanks, Todd. I do believe that the decision was already made that this was too much of a jerk to be involved with again. Screaming at a professional like they’re somehow beneath one is simply not acceptable to anyone who has any options.

Many of us have reached the point where we won’t tolerate idiots. Idiot clients can be replaced, usually easily. The truly good clients should be cherished and given the best treatment one can possibly offer because they are very hard to find and equally difficult to replace.

[Grinner Hester]

I just say I’m booked in these cases. It’s not unlike the old “i’m doing my hair” excuse chicks used in school when the dork asked em out. It’s just more polite that saying I don’t date dorks.
Not all artist/client combos are a match. Aint anybody gotta be rude about it.