Boards, Blogs and Other Business

Just talk amongst yourselves if this doesn't matter to you...

Many of you are here because you heard about this site from a fan board. There actually was briefly a thread on Monkeyville with a link to the blog, but of course that didn’t last long. But other people have found us and spread the word on other boards. While we appreciate that, and we really do, this brings us to the subject of boards.

Why talk about the boards? Because even on private boards there are people there who are there for the wrong reasons. I have been on at least eight Keith Urban boards. Some were really great and some were worship boards. I have been banned from one major board, thanks Teener!

I left one board when other posters ganged up on one of the four original skeptics. I have been asked to join a few others but I don't have the time to give to that so I have declined. Currently, I belong to two private Keith Urban boards. One is a little more active than the other but both have their strengths. Private boards are places where the membership is limited. Both have administrators who care about the content and about the members. But even as great as these boards are, they still have people on them who have agendas.

What is an agenda? Well, it can be anything from someone wanting to gossip to someone who is paid by either Camp Urban or Camp Kidman to post comments or "monitor" the board. Oh, you don't believe that happens? Well, think again. It does. I know because things I have been accused of having an agenda about get back to others who aren't on the boards I am posting on. How would they know unless someone is monitoring the stuff on the board, or someone is on there to discredit another poster? That is a pretty heavy accusation but it’s true.

For the most part on boards the real news comes from private messages and e-mail networks. This is where those that want to know, who are there on a paid mission, have to access, but few get access. Once someone is suspect they are either eased out or dropped. I know I have been dropped. Why? Because I refused to spread a rumor on a board. I don't do that. Many do, but what is the point except to spread an agenda? Plus rumors end up on the public E! board all the time and are often brought back to the boards.

Let’s talk about the E! board. The E! board is fine place to visit but I don't want to post there. It is as public as can be and because of its public nature what is put on there can be very damaging. I am surprised that the lawyers haven't got on there as they did on the Velvet Rope. The Rope was superior to E! in many ways but its Nashville section is now a shell of what it used to be. As you read E! just take into account what is being said, who is saying it and the time it is being said. As for your own board think about who is posting, what are they posting, how often they are on and posting or just on and not posting. It can be eye opening!

We are interested in how you heard about this blog. So please use the comments section to tell us. Also, is there something that you would like to see addressed in a blog that hasn't been? While we have the gestation lull, and Keith and the incubator are holed up in Nashville, let’s talk about stuff that we haven't before.