Introduction

[Adam Ide]

More advice: Don’t sign up with your real name.

And if you did...

well, get yourself a sock puppet PDQ.

Can you change your name once you've signed up?

 

[KJIM]

This forum is very confusing to me. All I was doing was introducing myself on an anything goes page, and I got some feedback I was not expecting. Then I got some valuable advice, followed by some really odd questions that have nothing to do with anything. If they're inside jokes I get it, but you can't expect someone who knows nothing about it to just let it go.

Yes, you can just let it go. It's not mandatory to respond to everything, here or anywhere. It's much saner not to. If it comes across to you as a stupid question, like "why the heck do you need to know that?" you are under no obligation to answer it. That you cave into the thought you have to reply to everything makes you a bigger target of teasing.

I don't think you can change a name on an account, but you can nuke it and start over. Most people come and go quietly. If you stick around, in time, you'll figure out who's worthy of listening and responding to. (Hint: Moddy is one.) It takes awhile to figure it all out. (Said someone who's been around since 2006 and still hasn't figured it out...)

Maybe you did this, I'd suggest lurking awhile before jumping in; it gives you a taste of the tone of the place and an idea of people's personalities.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Maybe you did this, I'd suggest lurking awhile before jumping in; it gives you a taste of the tone of the place and an idea of people's personalities.

In other words, figuring out which ones honed their talent at snark through practice at other websites.

 

[User 149557]

Oh, and I can’t give you much advice other than this: The title may be “sports writer, but don’t pay attention to that.

Report. Don’t write.

Oh, God, where were you to tell me this when I was 21 years old cranking out pretty prose without a single useful sentence?

 

[qtlaw]

Adam, respectfully you appear too honest, naive (most admirable), and these old timers are pouncing on it (I’ve been the target many times). Don’t be afraid to ignore. Remember at all times, while many here offer unique insights (which is why I enjoy this) we are all behind the great internet barrier, we may not be who we appear to be despite our best efforts. Welcome (once again).

 

[TwoGloves]

This forum is very confusing to me. All I was doing was introducing myself on an anything goes page, and I got some feedback I was not expecting. Then I got some valuable advice, followed by some really odd questions that have nothing to do with anything. If they're inside jokes I get it, but you can't expect someone who knows nothing about it to just let it go.

Watch The Client. Brad Renfro was great in it.

 

[TwoGloves]

Crusty old-timers can be a pain in the ass but they also can be very helpful. First desk guy I ever dealt with was a real pain many times (OK, ALL the time!) but I still remember a couple things he said early in my career: You're eager, not anxious (unless you're nervous); it's not basic fundamentals, it's one or the other (basic fundamentals is redundant); and it's always noon or midnight, never 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. I can't believe how many long-time reporters I still see making these mistakes as well as the "first the time, then the day or date, then the place" AP Style rule.

 

[I Should Coco]

Welcome, Adam. We old-timers occasionally offer good advice about journalism, car repair, fast food, etc.

But mostly we just swap useless trivia about music, sports and movies. Kind of like an old-school copy desk in a newsroom.

Speaking of music, here's an "Introduction" for you:

 

[ChrisLong]

Welcome, Adam. We old-timers occasionally offer good advice about journalism, car repair, fast food, etc.

But mostly we just swap useless trivia about music, sports and movies. Kind of like an old-school copy desk in a newsroom.

Speaking of music, here's an "Introduction" for you:

I have this album.

 

[Songbird]

Kershaw batted in the inning the Dodgers broke it open, and reached, and scored. LOL and then Roberts brought in Baez to start top-8.

Baseball is better when pitchers stand at the bat. AL baseball is junk.

 

[Vombatus]

Can you change your name once you've signed up?

Adam, sincerely, welcome aboard!

There is a way to have your ID changed, but, it will retroactively rename the userID on all of these posts. So, we will still know, since some of the replies call you Adam.

But that said, man, do NOT. You be you. It’s refreshing actually. No need to change your username.

Unless... you want to start wading into highly contested threads like the Politics thread. In that situation, I’d highly recommend, first, lurking a bit like @KJIM suggested, then second, if you do want to join the fray in argumentative topics, a second username (a sock puppet) could come in handy to insulate your real self from any stupidity from a dumbass message board.

I’m not trying to scare you. The danger is not just from any potential bad actors here. Google somehow does a pretty good job crawling and finding this site in searches, so if a potential employer were to search for your name on the old World Wide Web, they might find your postings here. And so far, you’ve been fine. As I said, refreshing. But I don’t want you to have any regrets someday either. There are stories here about some of us having to deal with things in real life because of activity here. Just offering a word of caution. So far, you’re perfectly fine. Not trying to make you paranoid. Just some advice.

But first and foremost, you be you!

So far, you’re doing fine. You haven’t shown any desire to drive to Atlanta from Charleston just to watch soccer.

Again, welcome aboard!
VB

 

[Adam Ide]

Kershaw batted in the inning the Dodgers broke it open, and reached, and scored. LOL and then Roberts brought in Baez to start top-8.

Baseball is better when pitchers stand at the bat. AL baseball is junk.

Right. If Barnes had not singled, Puig would have pinch hit. That's the strategy I'm talking about.

Couldn't agree more. I don't hate AL ball, but I definitely prefer NL.

 

[Songbird]

I missed the previous batter and walked in to the room with Kerhsaw up and watched him take the walk. Left the room for a few moments and came back in when he was on second base, which was great too because they could have pinch-run for him but didn't. I thought that after he scored and they added another run or two that they'd let him go back out for top-8. That they didn't is why it's funny ... they let him run the bases and score AND THEN pulled him. It's one of the funnier non-move/moves I've seen recently.

 

[Adam Ide]

I missed the previous batter and walked in to the room with Kerhsaw up and watched him take the walk. Left the room for a few moments and came back in when he was on second base, which was great too because they could have pinch-run for him but didn't. I thought that after he scored and they added another run or two that they'd let him go back out for top-8. That they didn't is why it's funny ... they let him run the bases and score AND THEN pulled him. It's one of the funnier non-move/moves I've seen recently.

Right. I left in about the third inning when Milwaukee was up 1-0. Came back after the Muncy single. I think they pulled him because he ran the bases, because you know pitchers don't have enough stamina to run the bases and throw another pitch haha.

 

[Chef2]

A few more tidbits of advice for our young scribe.

Ask repeatedly if so and so should be in the Hall of Fame. Like ANY Hall of Fame.
If you have any feelings (good or bad) about Whitney Houston or Phil Collins, make them known immediately.
Watch The Client.
Lastly: The blue font is the sarcasm font. Know it, live it, love it.

 

[TyWebb]

But seriously. Have you ever seen a grown man naked?

 

[Adam Ide]

Yeah ever heard of a gym?

 

[TyWebb]

Yeah ever heard of a gym?

Nope, never met him.