Notebook Peekers

[Songbird]

Re: Notebook Peakers

Is peaking like peeking?

Naw, I think it's piquing.

 

[pseudo]

Dude, it's a little old lady. Why get upset?

It is not like the competition was glancing at your notes.

You never can tell...

 

[clutchcargo]

Heineken: You're a sports writer covering a "meeting" with chairs and old ladies milling about?

Just curious---what exactly was this?

 

[Ace]

Heineken: You're a sports writer covering a "meeting" with chairs and old ladies milling about?

Just curious---what exactly was this?

WNBA beat?

 

[HeinekenMan]

Heineken: You're a sports writer covering a "meeting" with chairs and old ladies milling about?

Just curious---what exactly was this?

WNBA beat?

Actually, I wear many hats. It was a city commission meeting. A bunch of folks marched down to city hall like they were ready to burn down Frankenstein's castle because they're jealous that the city administrator actually has an education and a commensurate salary. In other words, they think their taxes are high because the city administrator makes too much money. Never mind that their homes have tripled in value since 1990. That wouldn't have anything to do with the higher tax rates, would it?

By the way, this old shriveled lady was one of those who go through so much trouble to look younger that they appear to be an 18-year-old girl until you see their wrinkled, make-up smeared skin.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I once caught a competitor reading what I had on my laptop...

 

[HeinekenMan]

I once caught a competitor reading what I had on my laptop...

That's unbelievable. I had that happen at a few Arena games, except that it was some blogger rather than a true competing paper.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

I once caught a competitor reading what I had on my laptop...

It happened to me too, and the guy discovered a note nobody else had -- until then. I don't know if he used it, but he certainly memorized it.

Oh, and I used to work for him. Maybe that's why he thought he could just take what he wanted.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

A good karate chop to the throat would have gotten her to mind her own damn business.

Man, I want to go to the next meeting you cover.

 

[Bob Slydell]

A good karate chop to the throat would have gotten her to mind her own damn business.

Man, I want to go to the next meeting you cover.

Okay, just don't look over my shoulder.

 

[forever_town]

I once caught a competitor reading what I had on my laptop...

Now THAT guy deserves a karate chop.

 

[bigpern23]

I once caught a competitor reading what I had on my laptop...

Now THAT guy deserves a karate chop.

I don't know ... it almost seems like protecting your hand in poker. If you aren't careful enough to hide it, it's fair game for the guy to look. Nah, **** that. Karate chop that ****er's head off! :)

Seriously, though, I do protect my notes or stories a bit to make sure no one else is looking to see what I've got.

 

[boots]

I was covering a meeting last week, and an old shriveled lady was behaving as if she was either the rudest person on the planet or half-drunk. First, she sat in my chair and then protested obnoxiously when I came back to my seat after talking to the mayor. I would have plopped into another chair, but all of my stuff was under her legs.

Anyway, after objecting, she sat next to me and then kept staring at my notebook. I mean, she was actually leaning to the side and peering at everything I wrote for several minutes as if she was judging my coverage based upon what I did or didn't write.

What should I have done? I'm a push-over. So I didn't do a thing. But I really wanted to call her out on it.

That's what you should have done. That would've ended the peeking. Done it many times and never lost a momen't sleep.

 

[HeinekenMan]

I've seen guys who put their screen down. It sort of makes me feel funny, as if maybe they think I'm an asshole they can't trust, or that they're just so damned wonderful they're sure that I'll steal their stuff instantly and try to pass off their genius as my own.

But I try to remind myself that maybe one out of four people might take a gander at their screen. So who can blame them for being cautious?

 

[verbalkint]

I once had a city council member yell at me, "Write that down!" when an opponent said something objectionable during a council meeting. Far more blatant than a notebook peek.

I'd handle that like this:

"(Something objectionable)," first guy said.
"Write that down," second guy shouted to a reporter.

 

[Joe Williams]

I've seen guys who put their screen down. It sort of makes me feel funny, as if maybe they think I'm an asshole they can't trust, or that they're just so damned wonderful they're sure that I'll steal their stuff instantly and try to pass off their genius as my own.

But I try to remind myself that maybe one out of four people might take a gander at their screen. So who can blame them for being cautious?

Guy I competed with was so horsebleep that I figured he put his screen down, whenever he walked away, out of embarrassment.

Generally, it's bush league to do that. It's like sitting at a red light, see a pedestrian standing there and clicking your doors locked, which the guy can hear. Like you assume he's going to come over and mug you. Uncool.

 

[Some Guy]

I've seen guys who put their screen down. It sort of makes me feel funny, as if maybe they think I'm an asshole they can't trust, or that they're just so damned wonderful they're sure that I'll steal their stuff instantly and try to pass off their genius as my own.

But I try to remind myself that maybe one out of four people might take a gander at their screen. So who can blame them for being cautious?

Guy I competed with was so horsebleep that I figured he put his screen down, whenever he walked away, out of embarrassment.

Generally, it's bush league to do that. It's like sitting at a red light, see a pedestrian standing there and clicking your doors locked, which the guy can hear. Like you assume he's going to come over and mug you. Uncool.

you people have some odd pet peeves :)

 

[Ace]

I prefer the term Laptop Voyeur myself.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

I've seen guys who put their screen down. It sort of makes me feel funny, as if maybe they think I'm an asshole they can't trust, or that they're just so damned wonderful they're sure that I'll steal their stuff instantly and try to pass off their genius as my own.

But I try to remind myself that maybe one out of four people might take a gander at their screen. So who can blame them for being cautious?

Guy I competed with was so horsebleep that I figured he put his screen down, whenever he walked away, out of embarrassment.

Generally, it's bush league to do that. It's like sitting at a red light, see a pedestrian standing there and clicking your doors locked, which the guy can hear. Like you assume he's going to come over and mug you. Uncool.

I guess I should clarify. The home arena for the team I cover (high-major DI college hoops) has no buffer between press row and the first row of the stands. So every game I need to get to my seat early and leave right at the buzzer in order not to get caught up in the mosh pit of fans walking to and fro.

THOSE are the idiots that are always trying to read over my shoulder when I'm on deadline. And almost every game someone has something smart to say or will reach over and try to tap my keyboard or grab stats or something. It's not that bad if I'm not on a tight deadline. But when I am it certainly isn't amusing.

I'm lucky in that I'm given more than enough room, and a better seat than any other media members just because I'm the lone beat guy. So I generally don't have other reporters in my vicinity when I'm writing, unless it's a big TV game or something.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

When I called him on it, he said he was just seeing if my Internet was working because his was down.

Real likely...