Color me suspicious...

[Amy B.]

We're bustin' ass, Amy...she didn't proof-read her post, pure and simple.  No sin...but it leaves you open to gettin' yer ass busted.  Maybe the new board will have a spell-check function.

I'm guessing she doesn't know how to spell "appalled," and having just typed that, now I'm wondering if I'm correct. But anyway, I know plenty of people who don't have a college degree or do and just can't spell. I guess I just feel like defending her because the poor woman gets busted on everything. I hear Harpo Marx couldn't spell either. Of course, he had a 2nd-grade education...

[endofposts]

They (whomever they are) may have wanted to choose a slow time of the year to make changes they've wanted to all along.  Perhaps Melinda appearing was a way to give a personal touch before they went dark for a bit.  Really, if they just wanted to get rid of offensive posts, they could have just done it in a few hours (or even minutes) during overnight hours, and it could be back up today.  I don' t see a vast Brian Wilson mafia conspiracy behind it.  If the board does come back in as crappy a format as ever, then maybe I'll agree.  I don't know why they ever had that format in the first place, though maybe it was a hangover from the old Pet Sounds board, back when there were probably still people using DOS-based systems.  It don't think it was a good advertisement for DeMartin's web design skills to have that format being used, but maybe he had his reasons.

[Mr. Wilson]

When the blueboard opened i thought it would be like this board or BBB or shut down..WELL..Not so... I asked some questions about bootlegged songs etc etc..And i got an aggressive response from Melinda.. So aggressive that i thought the FBI was comin to my house..She took my knowledge to mean I was a bootlegger..When i tried to explain i got more attitude... the BW blue board was up less than a week..Since that time in 2000 i rarely go to that site accept for info + buy something.. Im still lookin over my shoulder for the FBI..Her responses to me  shamed me on that board....And im not a bootlegger.. Unless U count trading for cdr"s..JEEZ.,...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Doo Dah]

Ironic, when you consider that if someone handed Brian a 3 CD set of Four Freshman vocal sessions (as well as Spector studio sessions), he would flip out and relish in them. Melinda just sees the business as a businesswoman, as opposed to a fan. I would guess that she's never collected a Beatle boot or any boot for that matter. A poster many years ago made that Four Freshman comment and it's always stayed with me.

As far as being appauled, I'm glad she didn't read our thread where many of us amateur psychologists diagnose Brian!

[donutbandit]

When was the last time Brian actually posted on that board? That used to be the only reason I went there, to read Brian's posts. It seemed to be a board full of newbies, and a group of people who viewed it as a chat room, and would even post "signing off until tomorrow messages."

[Andrew G. Doe]

As far as being appauled, I'm glad she didn't read our thread where many of us amateur psychologists diagnose Brian!

It will have been brought to her attention. 

[donutbandit]

Looks like the whole site is borked. Clicking on most links just redirects to the parent page. Maybe it's not a redesign of the message board, but a redesign of the entire site? Maybe it was hacked?

[RickD]

Funny how so many people visit the blueboard but only a small percent actually consider themselves blueboarders. Blueboarder? Oh, no. That's all the _other_ people who read the board. I'm not a blueboarder. I just go there to see what people are posting and post a few things myself.

Exactly! Some of the most regular "blueboarders" (by definition, like it or not) spend a lot of time bagging "blueboarders" (the "others") on various other message boards!

there are varying degrees of fruitcakedness!!    -  alot of people would (and do) suggest we are all nuts.

[TonyW]

Funny how so many people visit the blueboard but only a small percent actually consider themselves blueboarders. Blueboarder? Oh, no. That's all the _other_ people who read the board. I'm not a blueboarder. I just go there to see what people are posting and post a few things myself.

Exactly! Some of the most regular "blueboarders" (by definition, like it or not) spend a lot of time bagging "blueboarders" (the "others") on various other message boards!

there are varying degrees of fruitcakedness!!    -  alot of people would (and do) suggest we are all nuts.

Rick, you being Australian means that you would be a Macadamia Nut - (God I hope I have spelt Macadamia right or I'm going to get slagged by the spelling police...)

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I'm appauled. It should be Macca-damia nut.

[Susan]

I'm appauled. It should be Macca-damia nut.

LOL!!!!  And end of discussion!!!
:-)

[Susan]

The links all work for me...

[Wilsonista]

What's the worst insult you can hurl at a BB/BW fan?

"You, you, you Blueboarder!!!!!!"

I hate how that has become a dergoatory statement by some.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I hate how it's deservedly become a derogatory statement  by some.  There's some quality posts there, but you have to *really* look hard.

[Wilsonista]

I don't think it's deserevd at all.

[DonnaK]

There had been a discussion regarding the Kennedy Honors and some people started to take a poll as to who should've been the singers, etc. Then they started picking BW apart, IMHO, about him "falling asleep" during parts of the songs, his stoic look, how he wasn't smiling, etc. Melinda putting her hand on his shoulder, etc. It was getting very hurtful to Brian if you ask me and that was around noon yesterday. Melinda came on the board and posted a long letter saying that Brian had asked her to get on there and see how the fans reacted to the Honors show. She was very hurt about what was being said, and I certainly don't blame her. She said she could only read the good comments to Brian and was not happy about how the fans were acting. She answered some posts for awhile and was gone. I checked back later last night and things were quiet. This morning the board was down. I assume she told them to shut it down to let things cool off. I hope alot of people on that board are eating their words. How they could say the things they did about Brian is totally beyond me.
Donna (former Blueboard participant)

[Mahalo]

I like Brian's music. He is very talented and unique. I could go on forever about the beauty of his music. Couldn't you?

[XY]

A day after the Kennedy Center Awards, there was a Congratulations-message on the BW.com startpage with a special photo gallery. Taken down within a few hours.

[Susan]

How they could say the things they did about Brian is totally beyond me.
Donna (former Blueboard participant)

I"m really NOT trying to be argumentative here, but i'm sure it was very easy for people to report what they saw.  I did not read any of the posts that were apparently so very offensive...so i can't comment on them specifically.  But i watched 4/5 of the show [missed Scorsese], and commented to myself the entire time that Brian looked like he was miserable...like he would rather have been ANYWHERE else...that he was not enjoying himself...it was clear to anybody who watched that he wasn't enjoying the experience very much.  As for Melinda's hand on his shoulder, it certainly appeared to me as if she was trying to calm him - which tells me that SHE realized how unhappy/uncomfortable he was.  I was very, very grateful for Diana Ross, who was genuinely friendly and supportive of Brian.  She went up a great deal in my estimation.

Bottom line is this: When you are a public figure, people are going to talk about you, and you are not going to like everything they say.  It's part of the territory.  And i don't think Melinda has figured that out yet.

[Susan]

I don't think it's deserevd at all.

That's cool.  I'm sure lots of regulars feel the same way.  But you need to understand that there are others who feel differently, and could explain very clearly why they feel that way.

[Andrew G. Doe]

How they could say the things they did about Brian is totally beyond me.
Donna (former Blueboard participant)

I"m really NOT trying to be argumentative here, but i'm sure it was very easy for people to report what they saw.  I did not read any of the posts that were apparently so very offensive...so i can't comment on them specifically.  But i watched 4/5 of the show [missed Scorsese], and commented to myself the entire time that Brian looked like he was miserable...like he would rather have been ANYWHERE else...that he was not enjoying himself...it was clear to anybody who watched that he wasn't enjoying the experience very much.  As for Melinda's hand on his shoulder, it certainly appeared to me as if she was trying to calm him - which tells me that SHE realized how unhappy/uncomfortable he was.  I was very, very grateful for Diana Ross, who was genuinely friendly and supportive of Brian.  She went up a great deal in my estimation.

Bottom line is this: When you are a public figure, people are going to talk about you, and you are not going to like everything they say.  It's part of the territory.  And i don't think Melinda has figured that out yet.

Agreed, but the bigger problem is that a large number of Blooies still don't, after all this time, have the first idea what Brian is really like day-to-day, or the nature of his problems. They expect him to react like a normal person in any given situation. Now how dumb is that ?

[Sheriff John Stone]

You need good timin'. It takes good timin'...

NOW is the time to shut the board down for enhancements/improvements? In the last week or so, Brian released a Christmas message to his fans, a heartfelt musical tribute (and one his best performances in years) to his brother Carl, Brian appears on a national TV special, fans are probably listening to the Beach Boys' and Brian's Christmas albums, Michael Meros passes away, it's the 24th anniversary of Dennis' passing, and there are rumors circulating about the release of POB.

So, somebody says/decides, "Hey, now's a good time to shut down the message board". Only in the world of Brian Wilson...

As I stated in an above post, maybe having a message board isn't the best thing for Brian - or Melinda. But, remember, it was Melinda who, after marrying Brian and in effect was running his career, said (and I'm paraphrasing), "Brian has to decide if he wants to have a career and be in the music business. He can't just record an album every ten years or so and just throw it out there". Or something like that.

You can't have it both ways. Personally, knowing that Brian might actually read the posts on his message board, I could never go on there, because my opinions might offend him. And I don't want to offend him. So, I choose to post on message boards that I am fairly certain he or Melinda don't frequent. There, I can voice an opinion - sometimes critical - and not hurt anyones' feelings.

Edit: Why was this thread moved to The Sandbox?

[The Goat]

How they could say the things they did about Brian is totally beyond me.
Donna (former Blueboard participant)

Bottom line is this: When you are a public figure, people are going to talk about you, and you are not going to like everything they say.  It's part of the territory.  And i don't think Melinda has figured that out yet.

Agreed, but the bigger problem is that a large number of Blooies still don't, after all this time, have the first idea what Brian is really like day-to-day, or the nature of his problems. They expect him to react like a normal person in any given situation. Now how dumb is that ?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but thinking back, I don't remember many regular/long-time "blueys" responsible for posting most of the really ruder comments that happened after the KCH.  There were a few new names. Who knows, maybe one or two weren't even fans -- just yahoos stirring the pot who wouldn't be embarassed by Melinda's scolding.

As you say, AGD, in this day and age, I don't know how even a newbie fan can be unaware of his health issues.  Doesn't that pretty much start at Chapter 1 of any bio?  Or maybe, just like some other afflictions, you need to experience it first-hand to respect it.  (My late brother was bipolar, so in an oblique way I can understand Brian's reactions.)   

[DonnaK]

I agreed with Andrew, Susan, et al., but I think that most of the folks on the Bloo have to realize that because they are hoping that Brian WILL get on the board and read their comments, they have to be cautious in what they say. If they don't want to hurt Brian's feelings, they shouldn't post offensive remarks. The man is sensitive and any fan knows that.

I'm sure none of them would say anything hurtful to Brian's face, but yet they beg him to read the posts. I don't get it.  I totally agree with Sheriff John Stone on his remarks.

Thanks for letting me on THIS board!!! BTW I did NOT post anything bad on the bloo. I told them they were acting like a bunch of old ladies bitchin' about the damnest things.

Donna (ex bloo)

[The Goat]

A day after the Kennedy Center Awards, there was a Congratulations-message on the BW.com startpage with a special photo gallery. Taken down within a few hours.

From early December - I remember that, Jasper.  That was cool while it lasted. My guess is someone (dare I say even Brian or Melinda?) was uncomfortable with a TLOS track being used as background music long before the official CD is released.  Hence, the short shelf life on that.