This board in the old days

[Harpz2006]

Ive been on this board for over a decade (and was lurking for years before that!), and I was wondering, when exactly did it change to become so strictly moderated? I remember the board used to have not only insightful reviews and analysis of shows, but juicy gossip, speculation, etc! People would freely talk about who was having affairs with who, who behaved badly backstage, etc! Lately Ive noticed that anything that even resembles a rumor is deleted, and anything that could offend any actor is deleted- in the thread about body diversity, if someone said, oh, well, so-and-so is a curvier woman, and shes great in this role!, it was deleted for calling that person curvy!! Did this all start with the Patti Murin incident? Im surprised the Mean Girls thread is still up, because it could offend Barrett people are calling her behavior unprofessional!

I am all for a happy medium, but I kind of miss the old days when things felt much more lively! Sorry if this has been discussed to death- just was reflecting and had been thinking about this for awhile now!

[DrowsyKaye]

"Back in my day, we used to talk about people's personal lives in a public forum without their consent, and got to spread harmful rumors about people's behavior left and right! Now that I don't have permission to be a jerk to someone, things have gotten boring, and I don't like that for some reason. Those were the days!"

[GreasedLightning]

DrowsyKaye said: ""Back in my day, we used to talk about people's personal lives in a public forum without their consent, and got to spread harmful rumors about people's behavior left and right! Now that I don't have permission to be a jerk to someone, things have gotten boring, and I don't like that for some reason. Those were the days!""

This right here, Harpz, is why things aren’t like they used to be. Sigh. We live in a... sensitive time. 

[Harpz2006]

That’s not what I’m saying at all!! I never even had any tea to spread! I just felt like the board had a little more of a gossipy personality to it (which does not automatically mean negative- gossip has many positive purposes from an evolutionary standpoint!).

[LizzieCurry]

See my join date, Harpz? You're not exactly wrong, but you're not right, either.

[Harpz2006]

Exactly, GreasedLightning! Yes, I agree there are rumors that cross a line and need to be deleted... but others... are probably ok! It’s a chat board! And moderating it well is a nuanced task... I feel like it’s very black and white these days!

 

lizzie, yes, you’ve been here a long time too!! Can you extrapolate? One thing I do remember we used to have way more trouble with is the “trolls” who would terrorize the whole board!! Props to the mods on getting rid of that issue!

[suicidalmickeymouse]

We joined within two weeks of each other! I also wish it wasn’t so moderated, but I suppose I can understand why it’s swung that way.

[LizzieCurry]

DrowsyKaye basically said what I wanted to say. The tea here definitely doesn't last as long as it used to, but now I feel like there are more venues at which to spill it. Like, twitter didn't even exist when the board started.

[JSquared2]

If that's the sort of crap you're looking for Harpz, then just go to Datalounge.

[Harpz2006]

Good point, Lizzie. I read a subreddit about a popular reality show franchise, and sometimes the gossip there gets out of control- if it’s a rumor the poster can’t prove, they have to mark it “unverified tea”; if they CAN prove it, they have to send screenshots or whatever to the mods and it’s then verified. I just feel like there’s a sense here of sucking up to actors, since the Patti Murin incident and her meeting with Rob on how the board could be more respectful to actors, etc. Like I think if you don’t like an actor’s social media behavior, you should be able to say that on a chat board. I feel like now, a comment about that would be a quickly deleted.

[Harpz2006]

JSquared2- no, I don’t like datalounge at all. When I’ve skimmed it it’s very mean-spirited. The board wasn’t like that at all- it was thoughtful theatre talk with a hint of gossip.

[LizzieCurry]

I definitely feel like there was a tinge of datalounge-ness here in the old days.

[Harpz2006]

Sure, a tinge, but a lot of the rumors on DL are downright vulgar!! Here it was more PG-13. I was also in high school/college during the early days of the board, so maybe that’s why I attach some sentimentality to the “good old days!” I’m not saying I think it should be filled with harmful rumors and slander, which is why I feel DrowsyKaye twisted my words.

[joevitus]

GreasedLightning said: "DrowsyKaye said: ""Back in my day, we used to talk about people's personal lives in a public forum without their consent, and got to spread harmful rumors about people's behavior left and right! Now that I don't have permission to be a jerk to someone, things have gotten boring, and I don't like that for some reason. Those were the days!""

This right here, Harpz, is why things aren’t like they used to be. Sigh. We livein a... sensitive time."

Nail hits head.

[nasty_khakis]

The major reason censoring started happening is people saw the out of town production of a new musical and didn't really like it, posting negative reviews. That show was in rehearsals for a broadway opening and the producers had to shut down due to lack of funding. Somehow that was blamed on the opinions on this board and an actor from that show used his/her influence to get these forums more closely monitored. The same person had another incident here a couple of years later, but that's another can of worms.

This will be deleted soon despite the fact I gave no names and will say it's all alleged.

[Jordan Catalano]

Let me tell you that your romanticization of the “old days” here as being a wonderful place to hang out is just that - a romanticized version of the truth. While it wasn’t as moderated as it became and there was a whole lot more bitchiness and fun sometimes, there was also an oftentimes scary level of cruelty and harassment that went unchecked for far too long.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Jordan Catalano said: "Let me tell you that your romanticization of the “old days” here as being a wonderful place to hang out is just that - a romanticized version of the truth. While it wasn’t as moderated as it became and there was a whole lot more bitchiness and fun sometimes, there was also an oftentimes scary level of cruelty and harassment that went unchecked for far too long. "

I agree with Jordan. This thread was started with the rosiest of rose-tinted glasses. There’s no doubt that this board has changed, but it’s an entirely personal view as to whether it was for the better or for the worse. 

[JSquared2]

Jordan Catalano said: "Let me tell you that your romanticization of the “old days” here as being a wonderful place to hang out is just that - a romanticized version of the truth. While it wasn’t as moderated as it became and there was a whole lot more bitchiness and fun sometimes, there was also an oftentimes scary level of cruelty and harassment that went unchecked for far too long."

 

100% agree with this.  I was here at the beginning and then left for several years because it became too much of an unmonitored "zoo" atmosphere.

 

[PatrickDC]

I have two theories: 

1. BWW is covering themselves from a legal perspective. I'm not a lawyer and don't know Internet law at all, but could a chat forum such as this be held liable for rumors, gossip, and negative posts about actors or productions? Craigslist removed their personals section because they could be sued for promoting human trafficking and prostitution. Does a similar issue apply to BWW legally? 

2. BWW is free and depends on ad revenue, including from productions. Could it be part of an advertising contract that negative content (compared to legit, reasonable reviews) will be removed from the site? 

[VotePeron]

This will get deleted, but the biggest reason is a certain broadway actress who has personally contacted BWW on 2 distinct occasions, resulting in severe moderation and censoring of the board, including the removal of half a dozen of the boards most dedicated, active users.

[itsahopi]

A lot of good stuff already said here about the toxicity of this board in the early days. This website is also primarily a Broadways news and content platform and I can imagine it might be difficult for the site to get support from people in the industry when there are entire threads slamming their show while it's in previews, or whatever the case may be. The one thing I remember vividly when these boards got all that negative press a few years back was how much people here went after the one specific person who blew the lid open on it, without seeming to acknowledge that the reason their blog got so much traction was because all of their peers publicly agreed with them. This wasn't an isolated feeling from one particular actor in the community, it appeared to me that basically the entire industry voiced their support and I think it upset a lot of people here to find out that the artists they admired just didn't like them.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

PatrickDC said: "I have two theories:

1. BWW is covering themselves from a legal perspective. I'm not a lawyer and don't know Internet law at all, but could a chat forum such as this be held liable for rumors, gossip, and negative posts about actors or productions? Craigslist removed their personals section because they could be sued for promoting human trafficking and prostitution. Does a similar issue apply to BWW legally?

2. BWW is free and depends on ad revenue, including from productions. Could it be part of an advertising contract that negative content (compared to legit, reasonable reviews) will be removed from the site?"


Yes to both. Legal liability for slander, pissing off advertisers (how BWW actually makes money), and also alienating prominent members of the Broadway community.

I get it, but miss the old days. The rumors and bickering was fun. There were also far less members, and so the threads were more like actual conversions with pals, not a bunch of random people talking at once.

[sabrelady]

 Did this all start with the Patti Murin incident?

Yes For all the reason given. $$$$$$

[soulgrrl]

sabrelady said: "Did this all startwith the Patti Murin incident?

Yes For all the reason given. $$$$$$"

Joined the board years ago but strayed w life etc...but for those not in the know, I'm dying to know what this incident was now! l Too bad ya'll can't spill the tea it seems!  Will google away...

 

[JBC3]

Comments were made.
Complaints were lodged.
Edicts were issued.