Has there ever been a gaffe on the board?

[Melakon]

I know we have some professional writers hanging around here, including show writers, and maybe a few other professional Trekveterans are lurking around as well.

In the history of TrekBBS, has any member made a major faux pas? Say for example, ridiculing a particular episode's script, or tearing down an actor's performance, or criticizing a particular special effect, or lambasting one of the many novels, and the individual being trashed then stands up to make a devastating yet elegantly phrased reply, after which the accuser is so thoroughly humiliated he never darkens the door again?

I'd guess sometimes pros might want to do something like that, but manage to restrain themselves more often than they'd like.

I am not asking anyone to reveal themselves.

[Carcazoid]

I've been coming around off and on for years and I've never seen a giraffe here.

But seriously ...

after which the accuser is so thoroughly humiliated he never darkens the door again?

Are you kidding? This is the internet. Humility does not compute.

[The Mirrorball Man]

Yes, there was a gaffe involving a Deep Space 9 actress who's a member of the BBS.

[Deckerd]

The Mirrorball Man wrote:

---

Yes, there was a gaffe involving a Deep Space 9 actress who's a member of the BBS.

Yes but the accuser had a brassneck. And a green name.

[Melakon]

^ It probably doesn't happen enough, but I can understand celebs being concerned about their public image.

[MacLeod]

Surely being having your work critised is part and parcel of the job when you work in the Film/TV buisness. Of course a review itself can be critised and if you can make a valid reply as to why it is wrong. All well and good.

[King Daniel]

Chase Masterson's forays on TBBS were somewhat embarrassing. I was only here for the second one, when her boyfriend showed up and took colourful exception to a couple of comments about her age and one partcularly inappropriate comment. Of course, none of it was said knowing she was going to drop in.

[King Daniel]

Oh, and far more recently author David Mack gave an FU to somebody well deserving, who posted a wall of incredibly pointless complaints about wording, with dozens of quotes from his novels.

[macloudt]

Oh, yes, I remember that. Great entertainment.

[Melakon]

There always seems to be an idiot somewhere that deserves a retaliatory strike.

And I can't think of anything to criticize about Chase, certainly not her age. I'm 12 years older, so to me, she's just right.

[JirinPanthosa]

There are professional actors and directors who still respond to attacks on internet message boards?

I should say my opinion of Braga's post-TNG work more often.

[Gary7]

I wonder if some of the lesser Star Trek actors have joined TBBS just to have a little fun, without ever revealing who they actually are. I know that some production folks have joined forums about the series they're working on to get a sense of how episodes are being perceived. Certainly LOST made that very obvious.

[lurok]

It wouldn't surprise me if some Trek people have interns or family scan boards for them.

And I know they're not as celeb as Chase (to some) but aren't Sternbach and Drexler board denizens?

[Zardoza]

Didn't Orci say that he had some negative experiences with Trek message boards?

[scotpens]

Are we speaking only of gaffes made by professionals, or gaffes against professionals as well?

A couple of years ago, I remarked on how the TOS Enterprise is a timeless design that follows classic proportions while the Enterprise-D is ugly and malproportioned. I suppose my tone was a bit condescending. Turned out I was replying to Andrew Probert, the guy who designed the Enterprise-D. (I wasn't paying particular attention to usernames.)

It was a bit like instructing Beethoven on how to write a symphony.

(BTW, I still think the Enterprise-D is ugly.)