RE: Astley pissing match

["O'Neal, Kevin W." <Kevin.ONeal@vtmednet.org>]

>From: Jeff House <jjthandmeh@juno.com>
>Subject: Astley pissing match
>
>>keets  "We all saw Pete's response to comments on Jon Astley's work on the
>>PT BBS."
>Thanks for summarizing.  Is this is the context behind the
>current disagreement on this list?
>Of course, it would be
>nice to know without restarting the bickering :0)

Yep, it's all related.  And, I don't think we can characterize what was said
directly to Pete, and also on the BBS as just "comments".  Pete's a big boy,
he can read "comments" with out getting all in a twist.  As can everyone.
But it went *WAY* beyond just commenting about it.  If I'm not mistaken Pete
wrote that there were personal insults, and a threat involved.
I have to say, that the repeated discussions about Astley's work have always
been fine by me.  I've been bored with it for quite some time, but so what,
there are many subjects that I'm not into.  I only buy re-issues for the
additional tracks that previously were unreleased.
What unfortunately happened on Pete's BBS is that *that* subject was forced
down everyone's throats, and if anyone disagreed or requested that it come
to an end, that person was publicly ridiculed and insulted.  To those people
who don't normally belong to a list, it was pretty shocking, as was evident
by their responses.
The overall result was Pete getting fed up giving these "fans" a medium for
this abuse, at his expense, and shutting down of the BBS.  The few ruining
it for the many.
And it really is a sad thing.  Pete's BBS was the one place that I know of
where the "harder core fan", like ourselves, had the opportunity to hear
what the more casual fan was saying/thinking.  Granted, it could become a
test of patience to hear Who 101 questions repeatedly, but it was a good
barometer none the less.
It's in the past.  Some involved have publicly apologized.
Kind of gives current discussions a bit of perspective though.

Kevin in VT.