It was not my intent .....

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DocStram

DocStram

Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2006
Messages
3,429
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dear IAP Members .....

I recently started a thread entitled "Sometimes I Did All That I Could Do". The reason for starting it was that after spending the last 2 years laboring over the project ..... it had finally come to fruition. Being part of the IAP community, I just wanted to share the joy of seeing it in print ... sort of like turning a beautiful pen and then sharing photos with other penturners.

When I first made the post, I was having difficulty uploading the photo of the cover. I finally gave up trying to upload the file and instead, decided to just take the easy way out and make a link to Amazon where the cover photo could easily be seen.

It was absolutely NOT my intent to post that link as a ploy to try to get any of you to purchase the book. Why on Earth would a penturner want to read a book of inspirational stories about teaching?

Since that thread was started, a complaint was made accusing me of using the Casual Conversation Forum to try to sell a product. As moderator of the Product Review Forum, I should have been more careful with my post and not included a link to Amazon. Honestly, at the time, I just never thought that the link would be a problem.

In response to the complaint and after talking with me, Curtis took the proper action and removed the direct link to Amazon. He understood the intent of my original post but we both wanted to avoid the appearance of doing anything improper.

I should also point out that I am not making any personal monetary profit from the sale of the book. All proceeds .... every last penny from the sales of the book ...... are going directly to my university's scholarship fund. By the way, I happen to teach at a Baptist affiliated university.

Thank you for your understanding,
Doc

Link to the book at Amazon <-- added by JEFF
 

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Thats the way I saw it. After reading about the book I am thinking it might make a nice gift to some friends that are graduating this coming spring as teachers. But the way I see it is if I had read a good book and wanted to share the knowledge that it contained. I am sorry to hear that some took it as a personal plug for yourself. I have never written a book but from what I hear it is kinda like having a baby only it takes longer.
Congratulations on the book.
 
Well I can't believe someone felt that way.I thought it was kinda cool myself,seeing a book on Amazon that was done by one of our members.No matter what the subject matter.I say well done Doc!It never dawned on me as a plug to try to sell anything.I just saw it as an easy way to take a look at what you were talking about and that was it.
 
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Must be somebody that was upset because you were not the first person to write a book. You obviously "stole" the idea without giving credit to the first author of the printed word.

Congratulations on the publication. Thanks for sharing your successes with us.
 
I wish you the best of luck in the sales of your book. After seeing a thread removed recently and reading about it I never took your post as a selling ad. This is one of the reasons that I am really getting discouraged about our forum, especially after our members go after each other in the PC board thread. Best of luck.
 
I personally did not see the thread, but if I did, I would not have thought anything was out of line. There are those that complain about the smallest things that have no effect on them. IMHO these folks should stop complaining and spend more time turning pens, and contributing something usefull to the site.
Congratulations Doc on your book and may it be truly successful and benefit those who read it.
 
Al,

Sorry to hear this...dampens the celebration a bit.

Though understandable, I am sorry someone felt that way about your post.
 
Doc
We all know you are one of the most upstanding members here and I read the post and did not feel there was any intent on your part other than sharing something with your friends that you were and should be proud of. I for one plan on buying the book for the LOML and am glad I can support such a worthy cause! Sorry if this took any thunder out of your celebration (I am sure it didn't)
 
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Doc, anyone who has had any dealings with you on this site knows your intentions are good. I saw your post as letting the rest of us know what you had been doing with your time and now being finished maybe have more time for pens. I know if I had just finished writing a book and it was published, I would sure want to gloat a bit. 'Bout any body else here would to. As for the subject matter, I think it would be interesting reading. I am reading (and enjoying very much) "Foxfire", I also have Foxfire 2 and Foxfire 3, a collection of how life is lived in the southern hill region. Put togather by high school students and their teacher. A teacher trying to save students from falling thru the cracks in the system. True stories and amazing reading. (I have no affiliation with these books and am not trying to persuade any one to buy these). I am looking forward to reading your book and am glad you informed us you had written it. Keep up the good work.
 
Doc,
Anyone who has talked to, emailed, picked on, or been picked on by you knows you were just (rightfully) showing an achievment you were proud of.

Hope the book sells well.
Ron
ps: Thanks for the advice you gave me regarding my son. Working things out.
 
I'm gonna buy it just because I know you had a hand in it. I didn't feel like it was a sales pitch. I wouldn't have cared if it were.
 
I read the thread in question (which is still up, btw) and did not see it as Al trying to sell the book but rather showing his accomplishment. I was surprised to get a PM from a member asking "since when was it ok to sell in the Casual Conversation Forum". I replied and told the member that I know Al and know it was not his intention to sell in that thread. He replied back that "as you have implied, it is all in who you know". That really did not sit well with me since I try my darnedest to be impartial and treat everyone the same without playing any favorites. After looking at the thread again, I decided to remove the link and replace it with "Available on Amazon" instead. I guess to a new member that did not know Doc, it could have been construed as him selling in CC and we certainly do not allow that. BTW, the member that complained was NOT a new member.

Oh the joys of being the moderator sometimes!
 
MesquiteMan said:
Oh the joys of being the moderator sometimes!
Click to expand...

I gues that is why you get the big bucks for being the Head Moderator. :biggrin:

BTW, Curtis: I guess that same individual would expect you to change your signature, too. He/She might think you are trying to sell Cactus blanks, here, in the CC forum.

Some people have waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy too much time on their hands.
 
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I just may. Then I can compare your stories with some of mine. :) Maybe we could just start a thread over in the Casual Conversation to let others know what a wonderful time Ihad teaching and what a great time you are still having. I hope you sell a million of the books. I think we all understood what you were doing. Well, all of us except one.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

DocStram said:
Dear IAP Members .....
Why on Earth would a penturner want to read a book of inspirational stories about teaching?
Doc
Click to expand...
 
Some people have nothing better to do I guess. Doc I know you well enough and most here do also that the thought of you trying to sell your book in the casual conversation forum never crossed our collectived minds.
 
What annoys me, other than people, is the fact that it's NOT against any posted rules to sell something in Gen discussion. The sale forum is for penturning items only, as posted in the rules. So, even which he was (which I don't believe he was) trying to promote his book, then were is the rule that says it's not allowed?
 
I'm thinking it was you know who getting you back for playing that lunch joke.:) In the words of John McEnroe - You can't be serious! Someone needs to get away from the computer and make pens.
 
I really like this website and forum. But, dang. Do some of you folks really just have nothing better to do than to gripe about every little stupid thing that happens? Let it go, for Pete's sake. The post was harmless.
 
I didn't even see the other post and I don't need to see it to know you meant nothing by it. That's not what I have seen of your character here on IAP. You have always been of upstanding character.
Whoever complained, obviously doesn't know you very well. No apologies necessary Doc.
 
Having read the other thread, perhaps if you had included this . . . .

I should also point out that I am not making any personal monetary profit from the sale of the book. All proceeds .... every last penny from the sales of the book ...... are going directly to my university's scholarship fund. By the way, I happen to teach at a Baptist affiliated university.
Click to expand...
nothing would have ever been said. Here's hoping the scholarship fund receives a good boost in the arm!!
 
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There are some people who will see others enjoying themselves, enjoying
some sort of success or realizing some sort of gain .. and they feel they have
a moral imperative to put a stop to it.
Up until now, I thought they had to be elected into office or be referred to
as 'mother-in-law' .. but apparently they can also be an IAP member.
Ah well..
 
DocStram said:
Why on Earth would a penturner want to read a book of inspirational stories about teaching?
Click to expand...

Hey, there are a FEW teachers with time to turn also! Ok, well maybe just young teachers like me who are supply teaching until some of you old farts retire! :wink:

But I'm looking forward to reading your new book...and the first one too, if my fiance will ever let me have it back! I left it on the kitchen table after opening the mail package, and haven't seen it since!
 
Aw come on Doc! we know it was a shameless attempt at self promotion!

Now a second thread to draw even more attention, shame on you!

Personally I see nothing wrong with that, but know you would not stoop to my level.

Congratulations on finishing your book you must be proud and glad to have your life back.
 
NewLondon88 said:
There are some people who will see others enjoying themselves, enjoying
some sort of success or realizing some sort of gain .. and they feel they have
a moral imperative to put a stop to it.
Up until now, I thought they had to be elected into office or be referred to
as 'mother-in-law' .. but apparently they can also be an IAP member.
Ah well..
Click to expand...

ROTFL
 
Wow! A book. Now I've thought about reading one... but just can't seem to find one with enough pictures.

Congratulations.
 
Sorry to hear that Al, glad to see that more folks know about your book now than since the last thread. lol

I for one hope you get many sales my friend!
 
I read your post Doc, and I took it exactly as you intended. Great job! You should be especially proud considering all that you poured into the project. I'm really surprised someone saw your post as evil worthy of hunting down and killing. Regardless... Great work!
 
Heck Doc, I was hoping you would offer signed copies of your book for sale here.
I guess some folks ain't happy unless they got something to fuss about.
 
I bought 18 copies of the book because I felt terribly pressured by Al's post. Now that I know he wasn't trying to sell books to IAP members can I return them for a refund??:wink:
 
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Al,
I read your post and like most here I just thought, cool, one of the guys on IAP has written a book, and since my daughter is a teacher also, I thought it was a cool subject.

Never occurred to me you were trying to promote sales, besides, my attitude is, if you don't want to buy it, don't buy it, just don't complain if someone else does.

I'm sorry about the complaint, don't know why anyone would won't to rain on another member's parade. Congratulations and well done!!
 
Randy_ said:
I bought 18 copies of the book because I felt terribly pressured by Al's post. Now that I know he wasn't trying to sell books to IAP members can I return them for a refund??:wink:
Click to expand...

Is that why amazon only has 4 copied left? :)

Congrats Al. I'd be thrilled to have something published - thats pretty cool.
 
Well, this got ole George wound up this morning... thanks a lot!

Maybe this is why Curtis is a moderator instead of me! I would have told the complainer to get over himself and when they replied with another smart ass comment they would have been booted from the forum with not so much of a reason why, just pull the plug on their sorry butt! Instead, they are still here... waiting to cause more trouble whenever they feel like it.

It seems that this forum is slowly heading towards self destruction. Every day something else is popping up, usually trivial but gets blown out of porportion and more and more rules are having to be written to govern what should be simple decent behaviour. Instead of getting rid of the members causing trouble, we coddle them and make more rules to accomodate their behavior.

When I joined the forum almost two years ago, no one knew where the rules were because we didn't need any, it was just a place to talk shop and when someone joked around just about everyone saw it as a joke instead of a reason to start a war. Since that time the forum has turned into a mini ebay with new "members" making a living from product sales. And with all the added e-commerce more and more rules, sub forums, then more rules and rule clarifications were necessary. This is what happens when the forum changes from a place to hang out and talk pen turning to a "barter town" (remember that movie?).

Think I'm crazy.... just look at this thread, one of the most decent members on the forum innocently posts about an accomplishment he is proud of thinking he is just sharing with his friends and probably one of the member vendors felt slighted and made a big deal over it instead of simply saying.........

Way to go Al, congratulations on a job well done!
 
Doc, you seem like a guy that just keeps moving forward. This is speed bump stuff. And the book looks great, and look at how much more publicity it's getting right now!

Dale
 
Al,

Whatever: Some people just have to whine and moan their way through life - whether it's a nosy neighbor, a dissatisfied coworker, or a discussion-board member. No worries.

I like your book in this thread too.... Hey, who's the hottie in boots on the cover? ;)

Cheers!

Gary
 
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Al,

As a postscript to my humorous yet irreverant replies (at least that was my intent (grin)), is there a method by which you would be willing to discuss selling signed copies?

I ask because I am seriously considering buying this book (and perhaps your other) as a gift for all of my teacher friends; I have always bought books for other professionals (doctors, nurses, police officers, et.al.) but never came across one that screamed to be given to a teacher - until now.

I'm thinkin' that the gift of a "teacher's pen" and your book would thrill any educator.

At any rate, please let us know if you choose to start a commercial thread elsewhere - I (along with many, many others) eagerly anticipate this eventuality.

Thanks,

Cheers!

Gary
 
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