# A wee bit hypocritical there, Ed **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 4, 2008, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946 "2008-09-04T06:05:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/61 "2008-09-04T15:07:37Z")
I don’t have a problem with Ed creating a forum to promote his book. I’m a little concerned though, that given this precedent the moderators and maybe even SDSAB members will start agitating for their own forums to celebrate personal life-changing events. We could wind up with _I Got A Raise!_, _Discuss My Garage Sale_ and _My Fungal Infection_ forums, and no one wants to see that. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/62 "2008-09-04T15:12:54Z")
Seems okay for now. I have to ask, though, will the forum be removed after the book drops out of the top 50,000,000 on Amazon, or is it a permanent addition? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/63 "2008-09-04T15:13:06Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > The first username I ever had on these boards was Sartoris Snopes, the hero of Faulkner’s BARN BURNING. I wonder if it was prescience. This is off topic, but did Snopes (of the [snopes.com](http://snopes.com) page) get his name from there, too? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/64 "2008-09-04T15:16:14Z")
I gotta say that since we’re paying to participate in this message board, it may not be the best idea to start separate forums just as an advertisement. It would be different if the board were free. I think a sticky post at the top of Cafe Society would have been a better idea. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/65 "2008-09-04T15:17:09Z")
To me, this seems silly, ineffective, and hardly any less pompous than creating a blog, but as long as it doesn’t tax the guinea pigs\* unduly and nobody makes me read it, Ed can have his forum. \*-I figure we updated from hamsters last weekend. And seriously, dude, you thought creating your own forum on a site with 80,000 posters, which very few people have the resources to do, would be _less_ self-aggrandizing than starting a blog, which any Jack Sixpack can do? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/66 "2008-09-04T15:23:21Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > If it wasn’t for Ed Zotti this site wouldn’t even exist at all. > > Show a little respect. With all due respect, TubaDiva, fuck you. If it wasn’t for us this site wouldn’t exist at all either. I and thousands like me have ponied up our hard-earned scratch to be here for the last few years. Where’s our fucking respect? When do we get the features we’ve asked for and been promised? ---
**Author:** ![FarmerChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@FarmerChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarmerChick)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/67 "2008-09-04T15:23:28Z")
What the hell. I don’t understand all the anger and animosity directed at Ed regarding his new forum. It seems to me people just need something to bitch about. free to post is finally here, hey look… new forum, but it’s not what WE want. So what if he has put in a forum to “flog” his new book? Either it works or it doesn’t. If it does, great, if it doesn’t, it will die a natural death. The way some of you are carrying on seems to me to be childish, petty and well downright stupid. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/68 "2008-09-04T15:26:37Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I don’t have a problem with Ed creating a forum to promote his book. > > I’m a little concerned though, that given this precedent the moderators and maybe even SDSAB members will start agitating for their own forums to celebrate personal life-changing events. We could wind up with _I Got A Raise!_, _Discuss My Garage Sale_ and _My Fungal Infection_ forums, and no one wants to see that. I might, if there’s hot women in it! ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/69 "2008-09-04T15:30:05Z")
I wish I had headed straight to the Pit instead of expressing my views on the subject in the **All Things Zotti** and **ATMB** forums. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/70 "2008-09-04T15:33:12Z")
What a bunch of fucking crybabies. How does Ed’s ego forum harm your experience here? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/71 "2008-09-04T15:33:39Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I gotta say that since we’re paying to participate in this message board, it may not be the best idea to start separate forums just as an advertisement. It would be different if the board were free. > > I think a sticky post at the top of Cafe Society would have been a better idea. But the board is free now. As of Tuesday, haven’t you noticed the flood of returning posters as guests? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/72 "2008-09-04T15:33:46Z")
> [@fisha](#): > > If this is to shill his book, we didn’t need a forum. > > If this is to garner more traffic specific to homes, we need some experts. > > Ill conceived, poorly implemented, limited interest in this market, likely to fail. Well, yeah. The forum is to pimp Ed’s book. Anybody who wants hard info on rehabbing and extensive advice would be better advised to go the source: [http://www.oldhousejournal.com/](http://www.oldhousejournal.com/). I’ve been working on my 1874 brick Italianate for the past 15 years or so. That’s where I get a lot of information on historic preservation techniques, sources, etc. (Right now I’m racing fall weather, pulling out double-hung sash windows, heatgunning off the blistered paint, priming, repainting, replacing sash cords, stops, reglazing, etc.) So I’m a rehabber, and a pretty hardcore, no-shortcuts type at that, and the forum for Ed’s book doesn’t interest me. The SDMB is my recreation spot away from my full time job and actual, endless rehabbing tasks. I don’t need or want the experience filtered through someone else. If other people do, fine with me. The timing and prominent placement of the new forum were maladroit–IMO-- but again, Ed can do what he wants. I’m thoroughly unimpressed that he _did_ it but hey, no skin off my nose. Given his marked inattention to the board in the past I don’t quite see how he’ll manage his participation in his new vanity forum. But that’s his problem and not mine. Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/73 "2008-09-04T15:35:06Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > But the board is free now. As of Tuesday, haven’t you noticed the flood of returning posters as guests? 😕 No…do I get my money back then? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/74 "2008-09-04T15:35:41Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > We could wind up with _I Got A Raise!_… and _My Fungal Infection_ forums, and no one wants to see that. Apparently they do. MPSIMS remains our most active forum. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/75 "2008-09-04T15:36:27Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > Apparently they do. MPSIMS remains our most active forum. Yahbut we don’t need a separate forum for each thing mundane pointless thing. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/76 "2008-09-04T15:41:33Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Yahbut we don’t need a separate forum for each thing mundane pointless thing. It’s a fucking message board. We don’t _need_ any of it. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/77 "2008-09-04T15:50:10Z")
Just because Ed can do it doesn’t mean he should. Put me in the ‘it’s all about the benjamins’ camp. Still, it’s not something to get worked up about. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/78 "2008-09-04T15:50:55Z")
I think that in the days and weeks to come, it will become more and more obvious that the board doesn’t belong to _us_, it belongs to CL. Let’s face it, they didn’t just do this big upgrade and go free-to-post to make current subscribers happy…we were already here. They are trying to increase traffic, sell ads, and make money. Now it seems that they are also going to use this as a promotional venue for their own stuff. Color me shocked. Personally, I don’t see the big deal. I’d much rather get some new blood around here, and get the discussions really pumping than worry about whether or not someone’s pimping a book. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/79 "2008-09-04T15:53:19Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > If it wasn’t for Ed Zotti this site wouldn’t even exist at all. > > Show a little respect. Well the fact of the matter is respect is earned. Unless you happen to be the boss. Then it’s a FREEBIE!! So suck it up, my little babies. Don’t let your pretty little heads go thinkin’ this is some attempt at brown nosing. I’ve had words with both **Ed** and **Tuba** and well, after all is said and done, they are the boss. End of fucking story. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946/80 "2008-09-04T15:54:44Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Being as I have the kind of house that might have made that book worth looking at I sure now won’t buy it. My first thought was that it would be exactly the type of book my SO would love, and it would have made a great birthday present, but now I’m not so sure. > [@](#): > > \*It should have gone in a thread like MPSIMS, or the arts forum, possibly with a sticky. This way just looks, as another poster has said, “pompous”. > > A sneaky way to get an ad in front of those who pay.:mad: \*Exactly. The whole forum is nothing but one big advertisement. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wee-bit-hypocritical-there-ed/461946.md?page=5)