ballp.it

Projects => The F Plus => Topic started by: Lemon on November 01, 2014, 10:44:33 pm

Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Lemon on November 01, 2014, 10:44:33 pm
with Boots Raingear, Portaxx, John Toast, STOG, Adam Bozarth, and Lemon.
CONTENT FOR THIS EPISODE WAS COMPILED BY LADY FRENZY
EDITED BY LEMON.
With so many websites run by people with dubious ethics (take this one for example), we've been introduced to RipoffReport.com; an Alexa ranked website where the people who've been wronged can let the world know. With nearly 2 million reports filed, these people have a story to tell, but the story starts and ends with duh. This week, The F Plus wants to talk about your MILFaholism.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: montrith on November 02, 2014, 05:23:44 am
Yay, angry idiots, my favorite!
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: A Meat on November 02, 2014, 05:48:14 am
I've read the constitution multiple times and I regularly participate in political debates and often win, why haven't I gotten elected yet? I've even said that I'd run for the presidency and sent the U.S. government a letter, why haven't they even considered me?

I bet it's because of all the women that work in the U.S. government.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: nigeline on November 02, 2014, 06:41:01 am
I've read the constitution multiple times and I regularly participate in political debates and often win, why haven't I gotten elected yet? I've even said that I'd run for the presidency and sent the U.S. government a letter, why haven't they even considered me?

I bet it's because of all the women that work in the U.S. government.
A Meat, November 02, 2014, 05:48:14 am
Oops, caught red-handed.

I absolutely *adore* Ripoffreport.com, so I must listen to it RIGHT NOW
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Muffinator on November 02, 2014, 07:19:48 am
3rd google result is reports from people who ripoffreport ripped off

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/ripoffreport.html (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/ripoffreport.html)
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Agent (gobble, gobble) Coop on November 02, 2014, 10:28:17 am
I was overjoyed to hear panic scam at the end.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Isfahan on November 02, 2014, 12:18:00 pm
The unspoken rationale for a lot of these narratives was pretty much "I really really wanted it to not be a scam, so [...]".

"I had no reason to trust them. So anyway, after I gave them my money,"

It's the glimmers of some self-awareness that show through which make this so funny. Then, however, these people just make that one skip in the chain of logic, and in each post you can identify that moment where the person deviates from what you would have done. Aside from not going to MILF websites or paying someone to write your papers for you in the first place, I mean.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Fatty Bo Batty on November 02, 2014, 01:31:44 pm
Bozarth has an amazing sock puppet voice.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Tiny Prancer on November 02, 2014, 07:37:50 pm
back in middle school a bunch of people at my school were obsessed with putting their writing on poetry.com, so hearing it come up was a weird bit of nostalgia for me. I remember someone's mom forced him to take his poems down because she was worried they'd claim copyright on his poetry and steal it from him. (from the record, it's a good point, but she's also a bit ditzy.)

Also hearing the mention of the smiley-face killer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley_face_murder_theory) at the start was interesting because I just learned about that the other day and it's an amazingly stupid conspiracy theory. (basically two cops started insisting there's a secret serial killer that drowns people and leaves smiley-face graffiti nearby, because it can't possibly be that the smiley-face graffiti was popular at the time and its appearance next to waterways had absolutely no relation to people drowning)
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Lady Frenzy on November 03, 2014, 09:51:03 am
Poetry.com was a pretty successful scam site (http://www.ivetriedthat.com/2009/02/05/the-poetrycom-scam/) that hooked in a lot of people when it used to be active. You submit a poem and it gets selected to be published in a REAL BOOK! You just have to buy your own copy! And get all your friends and families to buy one too!  Only $75! The link above mentions a 20/20 report where a class of 2nd graders submitted poems and they all got selected.

The unspoken rationale for a lot of these narratives was pretty much "I really really wanted it to not be a scam, so [...]".

"I had no reason to trust them. So anyway, after I gave them my money,"
Isfahan, November 02, 2014, 12:18:00 pm

This is my favorite part about the psychic reviews. I recommend that everyone check out the other psychic reviews I put in the doc, or browse the section on RipoffReport.com itself (http://www.ripoffreport.com/c/267/services/psychic) because man these people are dumb.

"I had paid for psychic services and to clense my spirit as she told me I had a lot of dark energy which caused me to lose my relationship and she also stated that I would lose my home and everything else if I didnt start the cleansing process. I paid her $100.00 for the first session, on the next session I paid her $500.00. Every session she would hound me on when I could get her the next payment. At first she told me it was going to cost $3000.00 but was only going to charge me $1500.00. For the 3rd payment she wanted me to get a gift card as her daughter was having a birthday and wanted a $500.00 gift card rather then cash. The last session she said she would only take $200.00 so in total I paid her because it was Christmas and I needed money to buy Christmas for my family. As soon as I gave her the $200.00 she never called me back in for more sessions. It is March and I still have not her from her and her office is never open. I would love to get my money back but can not afford legal help to do so."
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: goombapolice on November 03, 2014, 12:35:15 pm
This was an amazing episode. You should revisit this website sometime in the future.

I love readings of suuuper entitled people. The asshole demanding his Mcdonalds (while sitting in his big nice truck that he can't shut up about), or that lady that claimed to have spent hundreds at Walmart every day. It's so great to hear their awful squabbling about nothing being mocked and laughed at. I wish they could hear it.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: EYE OF ZA on November 03, 2014, 01:05:29 pm
They're super entitled but also in weirdly shitty positions in life.  Like, super mad that McDonald's isn't open on Christmas because you don't have any food in the house, or complaining about a psychic stealing all your money and you don't have any money to sue them.  (Though like the latter, sometimes these people have dug their own holes.)
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: chases parked cars on November 03, 2014, 02:32:03 pm
fucking christ.

i'm a manager at gamestop and i have met customers like that asshole before. they are absolutely horrible at interacting with other human beings and yet expect to be hired on gaming knowledge alone. we get so many applications on a daily basis and the signal to noise ratio is fucking insane. it's seriously hard to hire people at gamestop. either the applicants are nerds with no social competence or they're over-qualified in customer service but have no gaming knowledge.

you guys really hit the nail on the head with the whole quizzing business, too. shit i have to deal with on a semi-regular basis.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Lemon on November 03, 2014, 03:10:57 pm
I for one would love to read GameStop Manager stories. I love the idea that people think that credibility is a huge factor in hiring principles when it's a retail customer service job and (I assume) is filled as such.

Please start a thread (http://ballp.it/index.php?board=1.0) if you want to share.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: chases parked cars on November 03, 2014, 03:19:42 pm
I for one would love to read GameStop Manager stories.Lemon, November 03, 2014, 03:10:57 pm

unfortunately, there's only so much i can tell without breaking company policy. i'd be more than happy to share what i can, though. i'll start a thread tonight when i get home from work.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Navigator on November 03, 2014, 05:03:31 pm
I completely fucking believe the snobby clown review was from NYC. Jesus christ.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Lady Frenzy on November 03, 2014, 06:24:40 pm
Just wanted to add: back when Mad About You was still on TV, someone I know ran a Helen Hunt fan site and had an ongoing turf war with another Helen Hunt fan site. The Cate Blanchett forums report makes me wonder if this is a common thing.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: montrith on November 03, 2014, 06:45:37 pm
Just wanted to add: back when Mad About You was still on TV, someone I know ran a Helen Hunt fan site and had an ongoing turf war with another Helen Hunt fan site. The Cate Blanchett forums report makes me wonder if this is a common thing.
Lady Frenzy, November 03, 2014, 06:24:40 pm

Yes. I know two Harry Potter fansites dedicated to the same actor had a huge feud going on a few years ago. One of the webmasters called the other one's work and tried to get them fired.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Lemon on November 03, 2014, 09:48:14 pm
I'm really surprised to learn that more than one person would like Helen Hunt.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: chases parked cars on November 04, 2014, 12:34:45 am
Just wanted to add: back when Mad About You was still on TV, someone I know ran a Helen Hunt fan site and had an ongoing turf war with another Helen Hunt fan site. The Cate Blanchett forums report makes me wonder if this is a common thing.
Lady Frenzy, November 03, 2014, 06:24:40 pm

Yes. I know two Harry Potter fansites dedicated to the same actor had a huge feud going on a few years ago. One of the webmasters called the other one's work and tried to get them fired.
montrith, November 03, 2014, 06:45:37 pm

I think my favorite Harry Potter fandom shitstorm will forever be that one about the popular fanfiction author lady who plagiarized like 75% of her story and the ensuing fallout once everyone found out. That one also featured quite a bit of yelling back and forth between similar fansites. Stalking and criminal lawsuits were involved.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Tiny Prancer on November 04, 2014, 03:03:06 am
Plus said lady did the whole "take your fanfiction and change the names and some details and get a publishing deal out of it" thing ala E.L.James. Ever heard of Cassandra Clare? That's her. I know there was another amazing fandom turf war in the HP crowd involving a lady who was hardcore Harry/Hermione and was involved with some serious harassment/sockpuppeting campaigns, and literally the only thing that ended her reign was Rowling declaring Harry/Ginny cannon. I know there's some rundowns of both things that someone put up on LJ, not sure if I can find them though.

I'm glad I didn't understand the internet as well during the time I was obsessed with Harry Potter because hoo boy did I ever dodge a bullet.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: goombapolice on November 04, 2014, 07:11:38 am
I know there was another amazing fandom turf war in the HP crowd involving a lady who was hardcore Harry/Hermione and was involved with some serious harassment/sockpuppeting campaigns, and literally the only thing that ended her reign was Rowling declaring Harry/Ginny cannon.
Tiny Prancer, November 04, 2014, 03:03:06 am

How in the fuck can you care about a thing like this so much?
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Sherlockian on November 04, 2014, 12:33:58 pm
Plus said lady did the whole "take your fanfiction and change the names and some details and get a publishing deal out of it" thing ala E.L.James. Ever heard of Cassandra Clare? That's her. I know there was another amazing fandom turf war in the HP crowd involving a lady who was hardcore Harry/Hermione and was involved with some serious harassment/sockpuppeting campaigns, and literally the only thing that ended her reign was Rowling declaring Harry/Ginny cannon. I know there's some rundowns of both things that someone put up on LJ, not sure if I can find them though.

I'm glad I didn't understand the internet as well during the time I was obsessed with Harry Potter because hoo boy did I ever dodge a bullet.
Tiny Prancer, November 04, 2014, 03:03:06 am

The Harry Potter fandom wank was beautiful. I used to haunt Fandom_Wank on Journalfen-- it was like F Plus, only even more pointless.

I think what you're thinking of Ms Scribe, though:
Fanlore Wiki: The MsScribe Story (http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_MsScribe_Story:_An_Unauthorized_Fandom_Biography)
The Ms.Scribe Story: An Unauthorized Fandom Biography, Table of Contents (http://www.journalfen.net/users/charlottelennox/784.html)
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: chai tea latte on November 04, 2014, 12:57:40 pm
While we're at it, y'all remember sf_drama, right? god what a terrible and great place
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: crow on November 04, 2014, 01:32:44 pm
I know there was another amazing fandom turf war in the HP crowd involving a lady who was hardcore Harry/Hermione and was involved with some serious harassment/sockpuppeting campaigns, and literally the only thing that ended her reign was Rowling declaring Harry/Ginny cannon.
Tiny Prancer, November 04, 2014, 03:03:06 am

How in the fuck can you care about a thing like this so much?
goombapolice, November 04, 2014, 07:11:38 am

Magic.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: One Of The Crappy Pokemon That Nobody Likes on November 04, 2014, 05:32:22 pm
Yeah, that "Mortal Instruments" series is literally just Harry Potter fanfic with the names changed. If I rightly recall, I think the author (or one of her friends, who gives a shit since they're all basically the same person anyway) at one point also tried to sell a smaller story series. It was hilarious because the premise was "okay so like, imagine if there was like... a guy, right? And he wanted to save the world but then someone ELSE who was like, the chosen one... right... well like that OTHER guy saved the world and he was super upset about it! And they get together and make out and feel better!" and it was very obviously some Harry Potter shit with new names and all the context removed. I loved reading the pitch because it just underlined how fanfiction completely needs the backbone of someone else's world- and character-building to support itself. Without it, you get a lot vague preamble and characters we don't know or care about.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: montrith on November 04, 2014, 05:40:32 pm
The only thing you need to do to see how terrible Mortal Instruments is is just to read the Wikipedia page for it.

Clarissa "Clary" Adele Fray (also referred to as Fairchild and Morgenstern) is the sister of Jonathan Morgenstern and daughter of Valentine Morgenstern and Jocelyn Fairchild, who, to protect Clary, changes her last name to Fray. She is described as having long, curly red hair, freckles and bright green eyes. She is very small and thin and often viewed as younger than she actually is. Clary is an artist, and in the first book, City of Bones, she believes she is a mundane, a human without angelic powers. It is later revealed she is in fact a Shadowhunter, a human with angelic qualities. Clary is described as being very stubborn and often rushes into dangerous situations without thinking about the consequences. Her best friend in the series is Simon Lewis who is in love with her; however, she is dating Jace. She is devastated when she learns the fact that the boy she loves is actually her supposed brother but later learns that it's not true. Soon a new power is revealed, she can read ancient runes, used by angels, and create her own runes, caused by the extra angel blood she received from Valentine when she was in her mother's womb.

Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Magnus is an age-is-kinda-fuzzy-but-somewhere-around-800-year-old warlock who appears 19. He is tall and thin with Asian features, jet black hair, and amber and green cat eyes. Magnus Bane is often described to wear glitter and throws countless parties with Shadowhunters and downworlders. Magnus begins a relationship with Alec Lightwood, therefore he feels obliged to become the New York Shadowhunters' "pet" warlock in order to impress Alec. Magnus appears in the prequel to The Mortal Instruments—The Infernal Devices—and there is a series of 10 short stories describing some of the events that occurred in Magnus Bane's long life titled The Bane Chronicles.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Tiny Prancer on November 04, 2014, 06:22:11 pm
Plus said lady did the whole "take your fanfiction and change the names and some details and get a publishing deal out of it" thing ala E.L.James. Ever heard of Cassandra Clare? That's her. I know there was another amazing fandom turf war in the HP crowd involving a lady who was hardcore Harry/Hermione and was involved with some serious harassment/sockpuppeting campaigns, and literally the only thing that ended her reign was Rowling declaring Harry/Ginny cannon. I know there's some rundowns of both things that someone put up on LJ, not sure if I can find them though.

I'm glad I didn't understand the internet as well during the time I was obsessed with Harry Potter because hoo boy did I ever dodge a bullet.
Tiny Prancer, November 04, 2014, 03:03:06 am

The Harry Potter fandom wank was beautiful. I used to haunt Fandom_Wank on Journalfen-- it was like F Plus, only even more pointless.

I think what you're thinking of Ms Scribe, though:
Fanlore Wiki: The MsScribe Story (http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_MsScribe_Story:_An_Unauthorized_Fandom_Biography)
The Ms.Scribe Story: An Unauthorized Fandom Biography, Table of Contents (http://www.journalfen.net/users/charlottelennox/784.html)
Werelockian, November 04, 2014, 12:33:58 pm

Yup, that's the lady I was thinking of. I have a terrible weakness for horrible bullshit internet drama. That's why I listen to this podcast, after all.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Lady Frenzy on November 04, 2014, 06:49:04 pm
Cassandra Clare's Wikipedia page mentions nothing about how she grew to fame through her Harry Potter fanfics, or her plagiarism. There's  some arguing going on in the Talk page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Cassandra_Clare#.27Fan_fiction.27_should_not_be_mentioned_in_this_article) about it. Seems like Wikipedia editors won't allow that information in the article because there's no explicit evidence that the Mortal Instruments Cassandra Clare is the same as the Harry Potter Cassandra Clare?
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Ambious on November 09, 2014, 02:44:23 pm
Isn't having a 'Psychic' section in a ripoff report website kind of redundant?
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Isfahan on November 09, 2014, 03:12:46 pm
The Harry Potter fandom wank was beautiful. I used to haunt Fandom_Wank on Journalfen-- it was like F Plus, only even more pointless.

I think what you're thinking of Ms Scribe, though:
Fanlore Wiki: The MsScribe Story (http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_MsScribe_Story:_An_Unauthorized_Fandom_Biography)
The Ms.Scribe Story: An Unauthorized Fandom Biography, Table of Contents (http://www.journalfen.net/users/charlottelennox/784.html)Werelockian, November 04, 2014, 12:33:58 pm

Holy moly, I'ma have to put on some cocoa and get comfy for these links.

Edit to add: For perspective, during at least some of this time where people are freaking out and sockpuppeting and stalking and e-mailing death-threats at each other over which fictional character should receive another fictional character's penis, I was hunched down in an above-ground blast bunker hoping a surface-to-surface missile wasn't about to land on my head tipped with something biological or chemical.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Ambious on November 09, 2014, 03:32:20 pm
The Harry Potter fandom wank was beautiful. I used to haunt Fandom_Wank on Journalfen-- it was like F Plus, only even more pointless.

I think what you're thinking of Ms Scribe, though:
Fanlore Wiki: The MsScribe Story (http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_MsScribe_Story:_An_Unauthorized_Fandom_Biography)
The Ms.Scribe Story: An Unauthorized Fandom Biography, Table of Contents (http://www.journalfen.net/users/charlottelennox/784.html)Werelockian, November 04, 2014, 12:33:58 pm

Holy moly, I'ma have to put on some cocoa and get comfy for these links.

Edit to add: For perspective, during at least some of this time where people are freaking out and sockpuppeting and stalking and e-mailing death-threats at each other over which fictional character should receive another fictional character's penis, I was hunched down in an above-ground blast bunker hoping a surface-to-surface missile wasn't about to land on my head tipped with something biological or chemical.
Isfahan, November 09, 2014, 03:12:46 pm

In my own sad and regretful experience, you can do both at the same time.
I read (and sadly wrote) some terrible, terrible fanfiction from within armored bunkers and not-so-armored guard towers in the middle of fucking nowhere corner of Ramallah. Looking back at it, getting shot in the dick would have been less embarrassing of an achievement.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Isfahan on November 09, 2014, 03:35:41 pm
Jesus, this Msscribe story is what Martin Scorsese's film Casino would be like if it had been about fanfiction and not casinos.
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Isfahan on June 26, 2015, 06:28:13 pm
The Harry Potter fandom wank was beautiful. I used to haunt Fandom_Wank on Journalfen-- it was like F Plus, only even more pointless.

I think what you're thinking of Ms Scribe, though:
Fanlore Wiki: The MsScribe Story (http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_MsScribe_Story:_An_Unauthorized_Fandom_Biography)
The Ms.Scribe Story: An Unauthorized Fandom Biography, Table of Contents (http://www.journalfen.net/users/charlottelennox/784.html)
Sherlockian, November 04, 2014, 12:33:58 pm

I wanted to revisit the Msscribe saga, but sadly the journalfen URL is gone. I just wanted to share the Archive.org URL (https://web.archive.org/web/20130203000224/http://www.journalfen.net/users/charlottelennox/784.html) for people to enjoy. All of the chapter links appear to be working, so read away!
Title: Episode 153: What A Rip Off
Post by: Fanzay on October 05, 2015, 08:34:59 pm
So Reply All have made an episode about Ripoff Report. https://soundcloud.com/replyall/40-the-flower-child

You should listen to it. I find it fascinating to listen to how delusional but mostly just incredibly, mind-bogglingly naïve the man behind Ripoff Report really is. He doesn't seem to understand that innocent people get hurt on his website. It really is a fascinating episode.