DR.com: Forum or Chatroom?

[lackadaisi]

As any one else noticed that ML gets to post whatever he wants, no matter what?

I remember a rather odd post of his that was quickly deleted recently.

[hillvalley]

As any one else noticed that ML gets to post whatever he wants, no matter what?

Actually, that isn't true. He has as many deleted postings as other members. I'm not going to waste my time figuring out exact calculations but trust me, he is well represented in the Deleted Postings arena. One thing he does do, however, is work with Rocks when he needs to as well as gets Rocks permission when he is going to post something extra long winded or controversial.

[DanCole42]

But the problem is putting all of this under ONE restaurant: Ray's the Steaks.

Sorry, Ray's was just an example. My point was that those categories should exist for ALL restaurants (or at least those with more than a few pages of posts!).

No one's forcing you to read the posts on Ray's. You've been around long enough to know what people think of Ray's, I'm sure you've eaten there enough times to form your own opinions, so what should it matter if other people want to discuss it within that thread?

And as I've mentioned before, Ray's isn't the only restaurant that has such a high volume of posts.

Like I said, a LOT of the appeal of DR.com for me (and I'm sure many others) is the opportunity to talk with some of the top chefs in the area. Landrum happens to be a very active and eccentric one, so his comments are likely to garner a lot of attention.

Maybe another forum could be "Industry Insiders" where the GMs, sommeliers, chefs, waitstaff, hosts, etc. could post about their establishments and interact, answering questions, etc., if they'd so oblige. Of course, they'd certainly be posting in other threads, but perhaps this might deflect some of the chattiness* elsewhere.

*That word has been used enough in this thread that I feel comfortable leaving off the quotes and the hyphens and just accepting it as a word. I'm defining it as "the effect of too much food, wine, and an Internet connection on human social interaction."

[shogun]

As any one else noticed that ML gets to post whatever he wants, no matter what?

Yes. And his posts are generally first-rate. I can do with more Landrum and less of a lot of other people, frankly.

It's not just the Ray's thread that's the 'problem', it's just a convenient example, which is all I meant when I cited it.

[Heather]

That seems reasonable Dan, but the chefs might object to a holding pen.

[DanCole42]

I'm not going to waste my time figuring out exact calculations but trust me, he is well represented in the Deleted Postings arena.

We should have an ACTUAL "Deleted Posting Arena" where deleted topics battle to the death over which is the least on-topic. For example, this one.

[hm212]

I've been to Ray's exactly twice, once on my own and once as part of a DR.com organised dinner. So the board, for me, does NOT revolve around this one restaurant. That's a pretty far-fetched claim. Although the idea of Landrum as moderator is hilarious.

I have been three times. I do admit that if Silver Spring really opens I would go more often.

Maybe we can have a contest - A pool to guess the date and time the first steak get served.

[B.A.R.]

I've always found that the greatest of conversations often wander in intersesting directions from the first syllable.

On this board, when things go astray, Rocks will diligently split threads, merge threads, delete postings, etc. to let the merriment flow, with just a tad bit more focus.

I can't figure out what the problem is.

[goldenticket]

Maybe another forum could be "Industry Insiders" where the GMs, sommeliers, chefs, waitstaff, hosts, etc. could post about their establishments and interact, answering questions, etc., if they'd so oblige. Of course, they'd certainly be posting in other threads, but perhaps this might deflect some of the chattiness* elsewhere.

Doesn't this already happen in the respective restaurant threads and elsewhere?

I don't see the need for further segmenting - DonRocks does a great job of creating new threads when necessary, and even new subforums, as we've seen with Media and News and the Intrepid Traveler.

ETA - BAR and I must have been having a great minds think alike moment

[DanCole42]

Doesn't this already happen in the respective restaurant threads and elsewhere?

I don't see the need for further segmenting - DonRocks does a great job of creating new threads when necessary, and even new subforums, as we've seen with Media and News and the Intrepid Traveler.

ETA - BAR and I must have been having a great minds think alike moment

I agree. I'm just brainstorming.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Actually, that isn't true. He has as many deleted postings as other members.

Damn, I thought I was the "deleted posts" king. I did not realize that Landrum was my competition. I thought Dark Wing was (approaching a 100% delete rate).

[Escoffier]

Damn, I thought I was the "deleted posts" king. I did not realize that Landrum was my competition. I thought Dark Wing was (approaching a 100% delete rate).

and here I thought I was...going to have to get that count up somehow...

[Michael Landrum]

I've also wondered if the SENSE OF COMMUNITY ON ROCKWELL'S BOARD isn't being organized through this one restaurant with its owner acting as moderator; at times it seems to have become a Ray's the Steaks community NOT a Don Rockwell board community?

Unfortunately, Joe H is right here. I am guilty of highjacking the board at times for my own agenda and purposes (although never for commercial gain, I hope all can agree).

I have always felt that in these instances it is clear that I am using the forum, respectfully if at times heretically, as the paper upon which I write my treatises and as the nail I use to hammer them onto the church doors.

I endeavor greatly to pay my freight with access, entertainment, information--to the point of openly and freely sharing here what other restaurants would consider proprietory information and trade secrets--and by enjoining this forum as vehicle for community giving.

Also, like most of you, I do it because it is fun.

A major purpose in my use of this board, though, from day one, has been to subvert the status quo. To break the hegemony of established restaurants and the hegemony of the standard abusive, exploitative management practises and employment conditions, in favor of small, local, individually owned shops around which communities can be built.

In contibuting to the diversion of attention away from other, equally deserving restaurants and in detracting from the focus and integrity of this forum, I have both failed in that goal and failed this community.

For this I owe Don a sincere apology--if for no other reason than for being the precipitator of his judgement and values being called into question--for the misuse of his hospitality, as well as an apology to the board at large.

--Michael

[DCJono]

I've always found that the greatest of conversations often wander in intersesting directions from the first syllable.

On this board, when things go astray, Rocks will diligently split threads, merge threads, delete postings, etc. to let the merriment flow, with just a tad bit more focus.

I can't figure out what the problem is.

Gotta agree with that. I feel that there is a happy medium right now - some chattiness and room to explore through the written word without getting too bogged down in personality and cliques.

[Mark Slater]

I have been three times. I do admit that if Silver Spring really opens I would go more often.

Maybe we can have a contest - A pool to guess the date and time the first steak get served.

Estimated opening date for Ray's Classic: June 27, 3006 ^-^

[DonRocks]

[i have set up a temporary (read-only) forum so that everyone here can see the entire set of postings that I've deleted in the past seven days. Out of about 850 posts in the past week, I deleted 33, some because they were duplicates, others because someone found an existing thread, a few because they were off-topic one-liners. Have a look and see for yourselves. I've been monitoring this thread and appreciate the feedback - more comments later. Cheers, Rocks.

Click]

[DanCole42]

Also, like most of you, I do it because it is fun.

And please don't ever stop!

[Nadya]

Not a chatroom. Not a database.

A social club with an eating problem.

[Halloween]

Not a chatroom. Not a database.

A social club with an eating problem.

Amen, sister!

[CrescentFresh]

[i have set up a temporary (read-only) forum so that everyone here can see the entire set of postings that I've deleted in the past seven days. Out of about 850 posts in the past week, I deleted 33, some because they were duplicates, others because someone found an existing thread, a few because they were off-topic one-liners. Have a look and see for yourselves. I've been monitoring this thread and appreciate the feedback - more comments later. Cheers, Rocks.

Click]

I'm glad to see I'm not there. The "Clockwork Orange" treatments must be working.

[hm212]

Also, like most of you, I do it because it is fun.

--Michael

Please keep it up because it is fun. I think someone (or someone's) is taking themselves a little too seriously.

We can also thank Don for letting us have some fun and a break in the day with my favorite topic and hobby.

[zoramargolis]

Unfortunately, Joe H is right here. I am guilty of highjacking the board at times for my own agenda and purposes (although never for commercial gain, I hope all can agree).

I have always felt that in these instances it is clear that I am using the forum, respectfully if at times heretically, as the paper upon which I write my treatises and as the nail I use to hammer them onto the church doors.

I endeavor greatly to pay my freight with access, entertainment, information--to the point of openly and freely sharing here what other restaurants would consider proprietory information and trade secrets--and by enjoining this forum as vehicle for community giving.

Also, like most of you, I do it because it is fun.

A major purpose in my use of this board, though, from day one, has been to subvert the status quo. To break the hegemony of established restaurants and the hegemony of the standard abusive, exploitative management practises and employment conditions, in favor of small, local, individually owned shops around which communities can be built.

In contibuting to the diversion of attention away from other, equally deserving restaurants and in detracting from the focus and integrity of this forum, I have both failed in that goal and failed this community.

For this I owe Don a sincere apology--if for no other reason than for being the precipitator of his judgement and values being called into question--for the misuse of his hospitality, as well as an apology to the board at large.

--Michael

Good grief, Michael! The stuff you write is not a problem--it is the most entertaining, creative, outrageous prose that appears on DR.com. I only hope that Don is collecting it in a separate place, so that at some point, he can help you get it published--perhaps as a sequel to "The Wit and Wisdom of Don DeFore" . Your unique and particular genius has inspired a cult, of sorts--the members of which are drawn to your persona and your establishment, but are only able to express themselves in comparatively mundane and repetetive ways, about the bisque and the diablo sauce and the reservation policy. I am only a bemused observer of this phenomenon, since I have dined at your establishment only once, at the DR dinner. The only reasons I haven't returned are my dislike of crossing the bridge at rush hour, and my husband's unwillingness to wait in line for a table later, after rush hour is over. If I do come by for dinner some night, I promise not to write about it, but only if you promise to vent more blasphemous screed for us to read.

[ScotteeM]

This community is important to me in ways I can't express in words. I love the reviews, and the banter, and I do enjoy Landrum's posts so I always check the RTS thread for something new. Other threads that don't seem to directly affect me, I save for later.

In fact, all day I've been resisting my urge to post somewhere on the board: Is everyone OK, with all the flooding?

BTW, if anyone wonders, I'm OK, just can't wait for my new gutters next Monday! We've been very lucky so far. I'm also looking forward to my dinner at Restaurant Eve's Tasting Room on Saturday.

[Camille-Beau]

But the problem is putting all of this under ONE restaurant: Ray's the Steaks. There are thousands of restaurants in the greater D. C. area that are worth a visit and a mention. Reading through the RTS thread I've often wondered if people even go anywhere else? I've also wondered if the SENSE OF COMMUNITY ON ROCKWELL'S BOARD isn't being organized through this one restaurant with its owner acting as moderator; at times it seems to have become a Ray's the Steaks community NOT a Don Rockwell board community?

I'm not saying a single word about the food or the experience. I'm just talking about so much attention and energy revolving around the restaurant. It's not a question of whether it's worthy of it or not; rather that there must be other places that people can reference within their community. At some point I believe that the disproportionate focus on RTS "flavors" the board with a bias that is counter productive.

For me the board is the focus. Not a restaurant which is one of many that people should know about and experience.

As I review this website, I see hundreds of restaurants listed, locally, nationally and internationally. Singling out RTS as being a problem is just ridiculous. So what that it has a lot of posts? So what that Michael Landrum expresses his extensive wit and sarcastic sense of humor when responding to posts about HIS restaurant on the RTS thread? Thank goodness he does because it makes me appreciate him, his restaurant and this forum that much more. If anyone tires of reading about Ray's, then don't open the thread. Kinda like not watching television programs that don't appeal to you -- just flip the channel.

With regard to multiple posts for the same restaurants, many of them change their menus quite often, so what one diner experienced last week at Maestro, Palena, Corduroy, Komi, Citronelle, Eve, CityZen, has likely moved off the menu and been replaced by something equally wonderful, therefore it would be nice to hear about the lastest menu items. That will, of course, increase the number of posts on that restaurant's thread. But isn't that the point of this entire board?

--just one person's most humble opinion. And Michael, keep it coming. Please!

-Camille

[Heather]

As I review this website, I see hundreds of restaurants listed, locally, nationally and internationally. Singling out RTS as being a problem is just ridiculous.

There's an axe to grind there, and this is, what, the fourth food-related website subjected to it?

As for the chattiness, any food-related site that tries to purge the human desire for connection from food preparation is doomed to failure. Witness eG - it's mostly forum hosts talking to each other these days.

[DHagedorn]

While looking through this auction http://rasmus.com/auction_detail.php?ID=371137 it appeared to be Restaurant Kolumbia.

I guess they're closing soon.

How does that "appear" to be Restaurant Kolumbia from that link and why is it your place to make this announcement? I do not blame Jamie for being upset. This post was irresponsible and in poor taste.

[Heather]

How does that "appear" to be Restaurant Kolumbia from that link and why is it your place to make this announcement? I do not blame Jamie for being upset. This post was irresponsible and in poor taste.

The photos of the bar and booths are very clear.

I'm not mustering much outrage over the original poster's noticing that a board favorite has put it's fixtures up for public sale, especially since Don did the "responsible" thing and confirmed the information.

[Mrs. B]

The photos of the bar and booths are very clear.

Not to mention the picture of the awning with RK's name on it.

Why is it irresponsible? If you read the auction website, it clearly notes that RK lost their lease, no shame in that from my point of view.

[synaesthesia]

How does that "appear" to be Restaurant Kolumbia from that link and why is it your place to make this announcement? I do not blame Jamie for being upset. This post was irresponsible and in poor taste.

Don wrote that Jamie was stunned, but it doesn't sound like he was upset, per se. It probably wasn't the way he wanted to tell folks, but that happens.

Isn't providing information that is hidden something the media does all the time? While this board may not be the media, everyone is interested, not to mention most people are extremely supportive. In fact, I would say that us finding out sooner can only provide them with more business and I think we can all agree that is beneficial.

[DHagedorn]

The photos of the bar and booths are very clear.

I'm not mustering much outrage over the original poster's noticing that a board favorite has put it's fixtures up for public sale, especially since Don did the "responsible" thing and confirmed the information.

Almost as responsible as seeing a post for a public auction and calling the owner to say, "Hey, I saw this on a website and think you should know this information is out there" and let him handle the matter himself. Are you suggesting this person was performing a public service? Or that the motive for announcing a public auction of someone's belongings is to manifest endearment? Give me a break. It was just a juicy piece of chum.

[DHagedorn]

Don wrote that Jamie was stunned, but it doesn't sound like he was upset, per se. It probably wasn't the way he wanted to tell folks, but that happens.

Isn't providing information that is hidden something the media does all the time? While this board may not be the media, everyone is interested, not to mention most people are extremely supportive. In fact, I would say that us finding out sooner can only provide them with more business and I think we can all agree that is beneficial.

Supportive? Beneficial? Wrap it up in whatever pretty paper you choose. The smell still comes through.

[DonRocks]

Almost as responsible as seeing a post for a public auction and calling the owner to say, "Hey, I saw this on a website and think you should know this information is out there" and let him handle the matter himself. Are you suggesting this person was performing a public service? Or that the motive for announcing a public auction of someone's belongings is to manifest endearment? Give me a break. It was just a juicy piece of chum.

What do you mean "and let him handle the matter himself?" I talked with Jamie about it for 10-15 minutes. I asked him how he wanted me to handle it, and got the basic facts out rather than letting the rumor mill flow unchecked. And then I gave him my cell-phone number and told him to call me if he needed anything. Yes, David, I DID do the responsible thing by calling, rather than simply letting that post sit unexamined.

And I went in and had dinner there last night, too - to show some support for two people I care about very much.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Heather]

Almost as responsible as seeing a post for a public auction and calling the owner to say, "Hey, I saw this on a website and think you should know this information is out there" and let him handle the matter himself. Are you suggesting this person was performing a public service? Or that the motive for announcing a public auction of someone's belongings is to manifest endearment? Give me a break. It was just a juicy piece of chum.

No, I don't think it was a public service. I didn't comment on the motives of the original poster, merely said that once the information* was put out there Don did the right thing in contacting them and asking them what they wanted to do. It's too bad that the Washington Post didn't get the scoop, but he doesn't deserve the amount of vitriol you're heaping on him. Is it Don's fault, or our fault somehow, that the sale wasn't supposed to be made public? Have you read anything here that suggests gladness that this is happening? Most of us are sad that Restaurant Kolumbia is closing, and wish nothing but the best for the Stachowskis. I'm sorry that they didn't get to release the information the way they wanted to, but at the same time knowing a little sooner gives the people who care a little more time to show their support. I'll be in today for lunch.

*initially "rumor," but it wasn't a rumor

[Waitman]

How does that "appear" to be Restaurant Kolumbia from that link and why is it your place to make this announcement? I do not blame Jamie for being upset. This post was irresponsible and in poor taste.

Almost as responsible as seeing a post for a public auction and calling the owner to say, "Hey, I saw this on a website and think you should know this information is out there" and let him handle the matter himself. Are you suggesting this person was performing a public service? Or that the motive for announcing a public auction of someone's belongings is to manifest endearment? Give me a break. It was just a juicy piece of chum.

The news is out there on the damn world wide web. It's not secret any more. Apparently the owner knew, the auction house new, probably every chef in DC knew and every person shopping for used restaurant equipment between Richmond and New Jersey knew. Regardless of the motive -- is there reason to think that there's something suspect in the OP's motive? do tell -- putting something that is true and already public on line is perfectly acceptable behavior. No one's happy that RK is closing, or rubbing their hands in malicious glee -- quite the opposite -- but pretending it isn't happening doesn't change a thing.

You might have notices that this site concerns itself with, among other things, news from the restaurant world, which this certainly is.

[Domino]

OK see- Don is not to blame. Rasmus posted the information earlier than we agreed, so I was unable to make the announcement at the time and in the way that I would have preferred. I don't want to trash Rasmus too much as they are working for me, but they did goof.

We have indeed enjoyed really terrific support from this forum. If anyone of you come in in the next two weeks that I have not met, please do introduce yourselves but also please do me one small favor and do not set the stop watch when you sit down. It is nothing short of a miracle that any restaurant produces mulitple dishes at various times according to some special requests employing multiple languages under heat and steam while acting very, very cool about it.

Carolyn at restaurantkolumbia

[DHagedorn]

What do you mean "and let him handle the matter himself?" I talked with Jamie about it for 10-15 minutes. I asked him how he wanted me to handle it, and got the basic facts out rather than letting the rumor mill flow unchecked. And then I gave him my cell-phone number and told him to call me if he needed anything. Yes, David, I DID do the responsible thing by calling, rather than simply letting that post sit unexamined.

And I went in and had dinner there last night, too - to show some support for two people I care about very much.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Don, I was not talking about you. I was talking about the original poster who created the reason for you having to fact-check the story. I am objecting to someone posting a link to a website announcing that the fixtures of a business will be auctioned off. I receive notices of these auctions and would not dream in a million years of publicizing that information before the owner of that business has done so him or herself.

[DHagedorn]

No, I don't think it was a public service. I didn't comment on the motives of the original poster, merely said that once the information* was put out there Don did the right thing in contacting them and asking them what they wanted to do. It's too bad that the Washington Post didn't get the scoop, but he doesn't deserve the amount of vitriol you're heaping on him. Is it Don's fault, or our fault somehow, that the sale wasn't supposed to be made public? Have you read anything here that suggests gladness that this is happening? Most of us are sad that Restaurant Kolumbia is closing, and wish nothing but the best for the Stachowskis. I'm sorry that they didn't get to release the information the way they wanted to, but at the same time knowing a little sooner gives the people who care a little more time to show their support. I'll be in today for lunch.

*initially "rumor," but it wasn't a rumor

Don did do the right thing; he cleaned up after someone who did the wrong thing. All I am saying is that there is no good reason to post a link announcing the public auction of someone's business. That's what I object to. The link. The auction link. What purpose did it serve?

[Robert Clair]

Don did do the right thing; he cleaned up after someone who did the wrong thing. All I am saying is that there is no good reason to post a link announcing the public auction of someone's business. That's what I object to. The link. The auction link. What purpose did it serve?

Nothing personal, but why do you keep digging your hole deeper? There was nothing wrong with the original post on ths issue. For whom do the bells toll here then.

Robert Clair

Alex, Va 22308

[Heather]

Don did do the right thing; he cleaned up after someone who did the wrong thing. All I am saying is that there is no good reason to post a link announcing the public auction of someone's business. That's what I object to. The link. The auction link. What purpose did it serve?

Thanks for the explanation. It was hard to tell who you were aiming at.

The link let us know that something is happening to people that we like. Yes, it would have been preferable to hear it from the owners first.

[DHagedorn]

The news is out there on the damn world wide web. It's not secret any more. Apparently the owner knew, the auction house new, probably every chef in DC knew and every person shopping for used restaurant equipment between Richmond and New Jersey knew. Regardless of the motive -- is there reason to think that there's something suspect in the OP's motive? do tell -- putting something that is true and already public on line is perfectly acceptable behavior. No one's happy that RK is closing, or rubbing their hands in malicious glee -- quite the opposite -- but pretending it isn't happening doesn't change a thing.

You might have notices that this site concerns itself with, among other things, news from the restaurant world, which this certainly is.

I've noticed exactly what this site is and that is why I respond from time to time to call foul. And when I do, (to borrow the word a friend used in an email she sent this morning to express sympathy for the treatment I'm getting here) the "piranhas" attack, the people who rationalize the malignant posting of a notice for a public auction (possibly the lowest point of a restaurateur's life) by letting themselves believe it is nothing more than a benign reporting of the news.

You would be hard pressed to find a journalist who would post such a link. What he or she would likely do is call the restaurateur, tell him that the auction came to his/her attention, inform him that the information is out there for all the world to see, and ask if it were true that he is closing. Then, the restaurateur would confirm the closing and ask for the journalist to keep it quiet until he has a chance to announce it himself and tell his employees. The journalist would most likely do this, understanding the delicate nature of the information and feeling empathy for the restaurateur's plight. If he/she feels he/she must report it, he/she would tell the restaurateur so and then do so, without including the link for the public auction in the item.

You are right; many people knew of the auction, but no one saw the need to publish the auction link in a public forum, except here. The original poster published the link and then said he guessed RK was closing. Journalists do not guess. They do what Don did; they check the facts and report the story, without having to guess.

I do not know the OP. I do know that it takes scant deductive reasoning to realize that publicizing the public auction of someone's belongings is not a lovely thing to do. The closing is the story, not the auction, especially to those who are more interested in "news of the restaurant world" than they are in "other things."

[Heather]

So not worth it....

[DHagedorn]

Thanks for the reasoned response.

I'm sorry you feel attacked by "piranhas" but must point out that you jumped in with an extremely hostile tone, and didn't hesitate to hurl insults at the membership here. You might have had a warmer reception had this last post of yours been the first.

I did not hurl insults at the membership. I said the post was irresponsible and in poor taste. You all took it from there.

[Waitman]

I've noticed exactly what this site is and that is why I respond from time to time to call foul. And when I do, (to borrow the word a friend used in an email she sent this morning to express sympathy for the treatment I'm getting here) the "piranhas" attack, the people who rationalize the malignant posting of a notice for a public auction (possibly the lowest point of a restaurateur's life) by letting themselves believe it is nothing more than a benign reporting of the news.

You would be hard pressed to find a journalist who would post such a link. What he or she would likely do is call the restaurateur, tell him that the auction came to his/her attention, inform him that the information is out there for all the world to see, and ask if it were true that he is closing. Then, the restaurateur would confirm the closing and ask for the journalist to keep it quiet until he has a chance to announce it himself and tell his employees. The journalist would most likely do this, understanding the delicate nature of the information and feeling empathy for the restaurateur's plight. If he/she feels he/she must report it, he/she would tell the restaurateur so and then do so, without including the link for the public auction in the item.

You are right; many people knew of the auction, but no one saw the need to publish the auction link in a public forum, except here. The original poster published the link and then said he guessed RK was closing. Journalists do not guess. They do what Don did; they check the facts and report the story, without having to guess.

I do not know the OP. I do know that it takes scant deductive reasoning to realize that publicizing the public auction of someone's belongings is not a lovely thing to do. The closing is the story, not the auction, especially to those who are more interested in "news of the restaurant world" than they are in "other things."

I hope the piranha bites heal quickly. I would have assumed that as a chef and a journalist, a little on-line sparring would be less traumatic than it appears to have been.

I symapthize with Jamie and Carolyn but the the point of the internet is to democratize the flow of information. Sometimes that makes people happy, sometimes not so much. Your idea that the flow of information should be controlled by a small elite of "credentialed" journalists is profoundly atavistic and wrong-headed. As the founder of Faber College said: "knowledge is good." Even when it hurts.

As for journalists that sit on stories until they can be stage managed by the principals...not a big deal in this case, but not real journalism, either. Sounds like a concept that Dick Cheney would embrace.

[Heather]

Almost as responsible as seeing a post for a public auction and calling the owner to say, "Hey, I saw this on a website and think you should know this information is out there" and let him handle the matter himself. Are you suggesting this person was performing a public service? Or that the motive for announcing a public auction of someone's belongings is to manifest endearment? Give me a break. It was just a juicy piece of chum.

Supportive? Beneficial? Wrap it up in whatever pretty paper you choose. The smell still comes through.

These two examples are insulting and unecessarily combative. As is your claim that you've "noticed exactly what this site is and that is why [you] respond from time to time to call foul." As is your "piranhas" comment.

On topic...I was very much hoping that Jamie would get a chance to put together the charcuterie class he'd been talking about. Guess we'll have to wait a while longer. In the mean time I wish the Stachowskis and the staff all the best and hope they all land well too.

[DonRocks]

These two examples are insulting and unecessarily combative. As is your claim that you've "noticed exactly what this site is and that is why [you] respond from time to time to call foul." As is your "piranhas" comment.

I have no problem with David's "what this site is" comment because I think he's just affirming that yes, the site can be newsy at times, and with many sets of eyes and ears out there, sometimes stories can be broken before they "should be" - I don't see it as insulting.

Believe it or not, it never even occurred to me that the original post was problematic until David brought it up - I think he makes good points that need to be taken seriously.

But I also hear what Waitman is saying too, and I think there are valid views on both "sides" of this issue.

All I know is, I'm sure glad I'm not moderator here, because I wouldn't know quite what to do.

Oops.

[JimRice]

I have no problem with David's "what this site is" comment because I think he's just affirming that yes, the site can be newsy at times, and with many sets of eyes and ears out there, sometimes stories can be broken before they "should be" - I don't see it as insulting.

Believe it or not, it never even occurred to me that the original post was problematic until David brought it up - I think he makes good points that need to be taken seriously.

But I also hear what Waitman is saying too, and I think there are valid views on both "sides" of this issue.

All I know is, I'm sure glad I'm not moderator here, because I wouldn't know quite what to do.

Oops.

Don,

I don't think that the original post was problematic. David's post was problematic, as it had a chilling effect on member's posts. Goddamnit, it was public knowledge. That's why I used the little report button. I plan to watch if the user he slagged continues to participate in this board. I hope so.

[StephenB]

I strongly disagree with my good friend, Johnb. There is no such thing as food without people. There is no such thing as people without chat, gossip, stories. Taste is inextricably linked to the people who express it. It is unimaginable to think that we could talk about food in an arm's-length, sterile, impersonal way.

[Lydia R]

David Hagedorn's posts above [originally in the Restaurant Kolumbia thread] would be fine:

1. If he had advance permission from the Stachowskis to post them because the posts reflected on RK [the crux of his beef with the OP]

2. If, after the exchange with other members of the board grew more heated, he contacted the Stachowskis for guidance regarding how they would want him to manage his posts on the snafu with the auction house [check the Used Restaurant Equipment thread - we click around Rasmus too]

3. If Mr. Hagedorn [as this board's rules require] included his industry affiliations in his signature, then his comments could have been taken in context by our members. Few industry folks would openly tussle on this board with a Washington Post columnist [ok, Michael Landrum exception proves the rule]. The food section could quote WSJ folks even more often...

If not, this is just a replay of his outrage as seen in the Agraria thread:

And so the public continues to say whatever it wishes without any accountability; they do not have to answer to pesky editors and fact-checkers as real journalists do.

I still remember your August 2005 parting note in the Washington Post. I realize the dining public hurt you and I'm sorry your wounds haven't completely healed.

Pesky editors click around here too.

[lackadaisi]

If there is something wrong with the original post, then I don't understand either the line between appropriate and innappropriate postings or the point of this board. I was under the belief that it was not just a forum for restauranteurs to publicize their plans; I thought that it was a place for people to share information about food and the restaurants in which they eat (which, in my opinion is exactly what the OP did).

[Heather]

I have no problem with David's "what this site is" comment because I think he's just affirming that yes, the site can be newsy at times, and with many sets of eyes and ears out there, sometimes stories can be broken before they "should be" - I don't see it as insulting.

It was the underlying assumption that we are all nothing but malicious gossips with no regard for the people involved in the story (or the tender feelings of prominent journalists ) that came across as insulting. His point that the original post was insensitive was spot-on, but he jumped in with his fists swinging and a needlessly adversarial tone that got my hackles up.

Waitman's also right: allowing the principals to stage-manage a story might be news, but it isn't exactly journalism.