[Ron Lindeboom]

In this case being discussed in this thread, Travis, the spam mail was for illegal DVD ripping software that they were selling. Once they got their account approved, they started going all over the site making one post after another about their ripping software. They didn’t even care if the thread was appropriate to their software, they would highjack posts and threads, etc.

Around the COW, that constitutes spam.

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom

[Ron Lindeboom]

[David Roth Weiss] “So, it would naturally follow that, if you changed your mind and decided not to finish the project, you nonetheless get paid for the entire project. Right? Why not add that as an addendum to the contract and see how they like it.”

Man, I like the way that you think, David.

🙂

Ron Lindeboom

[Ron Lindeboom]

[walter biscardi] “I had an interesting twist on a contract from a former client that wants me to do work with them again. They included a “Change of Plans” clause that essentially stated that if they change their minds or the project gets cancelled at any point, then I don’t get paid for any work done to that point.”

What?$#@!? — you didn’t jump at the chance?

:o)

Man, that is one of the most insane clauses I have ever heard of, Walter.

Crazy stuff.

Ron Lindeboom

[Ron Lindeboom]

[Jill Simpson] “Is it clear to you whether it would be better for her to have viewed it all again, this time logging it, instead of capturing it all then culling?”

Back when I first started working in editing, I once had a project go out of control just as you have now. (Thankfully, it was my own project.) In the end, after much work, it became increasingly apparent that it was going to be better to just start the process clean — using good logging and import practices — instead of trying to work with all the existing footage and cull from there. That is working backwards and when you have as much stuff as you have online, you never arrive at that “balanced” place.

If it was me, I’d start the whole thing from scratch and log well, with a notebook, naming all my tapes by number, and noting the timecode on each numbered tape where the good shots are found.

In the end, you will know where everything is and you will not have to keep sorting through things repeatedly.

That’s how I would handle it — especially with an older machine that is going to need all the babying it can get.

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom
publisher
Creative COW Magazine

[Ron Lindeboom]

[Jill Simpson] “I don’t believe it, but the problems I am encountering suggest I am the first to use Vegas to edit a documentary.”

No, as others here have said: many have done this and done so successfully.

[Jill Simpson] “From our 60 tapes, totaling 50 hours, we have oh-let’s-say 250 clips, which we now need to pull into our timeline like puzzle pieces, knowing we have more puzzle pieces than can fit in the finished puzzle.”

Pros would first log the shots and would only import areas of the tapes that would actually have a chance of being used in the production. With 60 tapes and 50 hours, you are bound to have at least 9/10s that isn’t even up for consideration.

Import the clips that at least stand a chance and then cull those down by using setting in and out points to delineate the areas that you really want to consider.

Importing it all as low-rez proxies (if I heard you and understand you correctly) is a poor way to consider this job.

The time that you send in the log process will more than save you many times over in helping you isolate good shots, correct scenes, etc.

Carve the mountain down to a workable hill.

Also, as Douglas points out: make sure that your machine is optimized for what you want to do. Using an older machine to edit — while it serves as your internet surfing machine, etc., running virus detection and anti-spyware programs, etc. — is a recipe for disaster.

Vegas works fine, the issues are on your end and need to be sorted out one bite at a time if you are going to eat this elephant.

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom

[Ron Lindeboom]

I have removed all the spam posts and have left the one post that they did that was not spam. Unfortunately, someone approved their account after the one good post and then they went psycho with spam all across the site.

I guess our policy needs a revision and new accounts need to stay on moderation for a while.

I have also added some of the keywords to the blocker that she used to spam the site, so hopefully when she creates a new account, it will get blocked that way.

Sheesh, spammers — man I hate ’em.

Ron Lindeboom

[Ron Lindeboom]

[David Roth Weiss] “And, I’d bet good money that Blue Velvet is one of your favorite movies too. Right?”

No, but Bobby Vinton’s “Blue Velvet” and “Blue On Blue” were two of the songs I liked when I was a kid many years ago. Does that count? (Although I have to say that they do not any longer qualify for inclusion on the Boomie iPod.)

But, like Timmie, I too use the Blue background to surf the COW. Call me out of touch but I have always like the blues. Hey, I just got a two-disc set of Blind Willie Johnson yesterday and so I think I know what’s going to be playing in the studio today. ;o)

Ron Lindeboom

[Ron Lindeboom]

I have stayed out of this one in the couple of previous go-rounds because I knew I’d be the wet blanket on this one. But, as Walter found out from his attorney and many here were previously aware, non-competes are not unethical and do not have to be tools of the unscrupulous. They can be highly defined and the more specific they are, as some here have pointed out, it makes them all the more enforceable.

I have been under a few non-competes in my time (three exactly) and two I had no issues complying with, and the third? — well, let’s just say that there would be no Creative COW if we had caved into it and Nick Griffin and his attorney had not helped Kathlyn and I. Thanks eternally, Nick.

The spirit of a balanced non-compete says something like: “You are entering into the employ of XYZ Company who currently has dealings with ABC Company, DEF Inc., GHI Holdings and JKL & Associates. As part of this agreement, you agree that these are our accounts and that the relationship is with XYZ Company and you are barred from doing business with these companies for a period of one year from the date of your termination.”

Me, I’d have no problem whatsoever signing an agreement like that. But some of the non-competes that I have seen bandied about on this forum — especially those that are shoved under the nose of employees at the time of their termination — I wouldn’t sign.

It is easy to spot the honorable non-competes from the ones designed to destroy a person’s ability to work. The courts can see through these destructive agreements too and are likely to throw them out.

Keep a non-compete specific, very specific, and for a short enough period of time that is deemed not excessive and you are likely to have something that can be enforced. Try to make all the benefit fall to yourself, and you are likely to lose any sympathy that the courts may have had with you and your situation.

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom
creativecow.net

[Ron Lindeboom]

Hello Stephen,

I just dug into the admin utilities and looked at your account and all of your posts are active, none have been refused or are in an “off” state. (Which is what happens if we elect to disapprove a post for some reason.)

Also, you have only one account and so the customary issues that arise when there are multiple accounts from the same user, do not appear to be the cause.

That would tell me that you are using a word that is in our blocker. We tell you what that word is when that happens. You will know what word is causing it to hang up if you take the time to read the page that comes up when a word is being blocked.

I suspect, as none of your posts are off, that you may have used a word like “specialist” in one of your posts. As you can see here, it contains one of the most popular words propagated by spam bots.

There are a few times when posts will get flagged because of stuff like this and we manually have to look at them and see what is there. It is how we keep signal high and noise low.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Ron Lindeboom
creativecow.net

[Ron Lindeboom]

[Arnell Cosca] “Aharon Rabinowitz’s After Effects tutorial just saved my butt like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”

And a butt saved is a good thing. ;o)

Thank you for taking the time to give your feedback, I know Aharon and all of the COW Team appreciate the report.

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom