Jerf Roberwitz Apologises.

Apparently I’ve been plagiarising, which is not allowed. I did admit to this when posting my, ‘Granddaughter Revue’ sketch, that the jokes were easily recognisable
for a young audience.( The show, 60 sketches long was wonderful, the writing enhanced by ‘enthusiastic’ acting.)
In my own defence, at my age, I really don’t know what is mine and what was in the corners of my memory.
For instance, take the ‘Monty Python Dead Parrot Sketch’ I saw a sketch like that at a ‘Moss Empire’ music hall in 1948.
The double act (can’t remember the name), were dressed as pirates, both with one leg and a crutch. One of the pirate’s had a fake parrot on his shoulder, which amid dialogue of “it’s dead, no it isn’t,” being knocked off his shoulder.
The punchline of the act was the stuffed parrot changing into a dove, flying around the stage before settling back on a prates shoulder.
A week or so later, it was reported in the local newspaper that the dove, which, being transported by train to another venue in the guards van at the end of the train, suffocated within the tightly packed cases.
So after seeing dozens of music hall acts and American movies at ‘Saturday Morning Pictures’ plus hundreds of TV sit-com, all of which showing traces of each other, I wouldn’t know what was mine or not.
So I apologise for breaking the rules,(which I think were applied to me more strongly than others, whine) but accept the premise.
Never knowing whether I was breaking the rules leaves me no alternative but to not post anymore work, and promise not to critique.
I apologise for my comments which were not meant to offend. Thank-you all and good luck
Aaron, I would like to stay on as a guest, if that is possible.

Jerf, I don't follow the Critique forum too closely, so I apologise if I've got the wrong end of the stick, but my understanding of the situation was that you'd copied a number of sketches word-for-word, direction-for-direction, line-for-line, not just duplicated a rough idea or premise.

I really don't think you've been treated unfairly at all. In fact, quite the opposite. Your constant digs and malicious posts, despite warnings, were more than enough to justify me suspending your account, but I chose not to.

That aside, you are - and anyone else is - welcome to stay. Whether posting or not is up to you, but the kind of personal attacks and provocations that we've seen in the past will not be tolerated.

Now, what's your favourite pizza topping?

(P.S. Pathetic attempt at conjuring sympathy. But nice try anyway.)

The more people offering critique the better Jerf.
You're more than likely not interested in my opinion, but for what it's worth - many people are extremely nervous about posting stuff up here, and you have to consider that their work is very personal to them. Banter and 'wit' is all well and good, but really I don't think it's appropriate in this section.
What's wrong with just posting some good old, honest crit, and helping people improve where you think you can?

And I think you are a funny guy as well, when you post your own material. It would be a shame if you stop imo, and not rip into people for offering suggestions etc.

Well, I get your humour too Jerf, and can see that most of your crits are tongue in cheek, it also can spoil the fun if an icon has to explain that it's a 'tease'. I can't see that any poster would be cruel

Jerf,

Let's look at your claims first.

You didn't 'apparently' plagiarise. You plagiarised repeatedly and unashamedly.

For an audience of teens, your 'easily recognised' jokes sourced word-for-word from a Tommy Cooper site was a very odd choice. Surely Joe Brand or even Peter Kay would have been more apt? And if it's a memory problem, as you claim, then you have remarkably excellent recall, quoting jokes verbatim from online sites. However, as I've said in my responses to your PMs, borrowing from influences is not the same as wholesale cut 'n' pasting.

You also know the rules were applied far more leniently to you. I let you waste reviewers' time FOUR times in a row and then you even admitted to plagiarism in your other posts too. Now, every post you make will sow doubt in people's minds. In contrast, I asked another poster to reconsider his sketch after just ONE post and that was mainly because his own original work led to a closing well-known punchline, so in truth, I've been far more lenient with you.

I've tried to explain (without success in private and public) that the problem with wholesale plagiarism is that you waste busy people's time, you take attention from other posters posting original work. You also took compliments from material not your own. Strangest of all, you bit back when others gave you negative comments which seems so totally bizarre when the work isn't even your own.

You also know that in my PMs and public posts with you regarding this matter I have been polite, fair, and reasonable. Regarding my role as a mod, you have taken advantage of the fact that I told you in private: a) that I have biased some decisions in your favour (which although unfair on other users, I did so not to appear unfair on you in public) and b) that I cannot often reply to criticism in public (whether that crit is fair or unfair) because my responsibility is to the forum and not myself.

With your public thread, clearly aiming for a sympathy vote, attempting to polarise the forum, and presenting a very biased view of our recent PMs, you forced me to explain myself in public.

As to people 'enjoying' your insults. Anyone can take tongue-in-cheek comments when they aren't the target. Sometimes we forget what it was like to take an insult. An insult is formed with the express purpose of hurting or baiting the target. This is a crit forum and the WORK, not the WRITER is under scrutiny. Please feel free to take your insults and insult-trading to other Internet sites where that behaviour is applauded and welcomed.

I have nothing against you, Jerf, whether you accept that or not. I apologise publicly if you've genuinely formed that opinion but I don't believe for an instance that you have. Please do post ... your original work and polite comments regarding other people's work.

But don't waste our time building a reputation on other people's hard work.

But BB, I don't think it's really a matter of 'getting' his jokes when it comes to feedback.
It's all right if you're here for a bit of a lark, but lots of people are serious about becoming professional writers and are looking for help, guidance etc. Replying by just trying to be funnier than them takes the attention away from their work and does absolutely nothing to help them. Is this what we are looking for when we post our work on here?

The question is, if I was him, would there be any point posting critiques and sketches? I mean I as a (amateur) writer have no inclination to ever take any advice from him in regards to writing if he has commited what in the writing community is the worst sin possible. (Apart from writer-on-writer rape.)

Quote: ian_w @ January 25, 2008, 2:59 PM

But BB, I don't think it's really a matter of 'getting' his jokes when it comes to feedback.
It's all right if you're here for a bit of a lark, but lots of people are serious about becoming professional writers and are looking for help, guidance etc. Replying by just trying to be funnier than them takes the attention away from their work and does absolutely nothing to help them. Is this what we are looking for when we post our work on here?

View original

It's just that I tend to have the same sense of humour as Jerf. Had he done a crit on any of mine....you never did Jerf.....and he'd done a sarcastic crit, I'd have taken it with a pinch of salt but that is my wicked sense of humour too. As he seemed to do these crits a lot, it became a 'game' with him but I do understand that perhaps a young writer wouldn't take it like that.

I don't know Jerf at all so don't want to do him a disservice, but I suspect this is exactly what he wanted when he posted his little forum suicide note.

It's the internet - people can post or not post - let's not waste ages discussing the validity of one poster's entries. If Jerf wants to leave then fine - he can find a new forum and someone else will take his place here. If he wants to stay then, like everyone else, he should abide by the rules else find a more suitable forum.

The internet is entirely transitory after all.

Quote: Barbs @ January 25, 2008, 3:33 PM

I don't know Jerf at all so don't want to do him a disservice, but I suspect this is exactly what he wanted when he posted his little forum suicide note.

It's the internet - people can post or not post - let's not waste ages discussing the validity of one poster's entries. If Jerf wants to leave then fine - he can find a new forum and someone else will take his place here. If he wants to stay then, like everyone else, he should abide by the rules else find a more suitable forum.

The internet is entirely transitory after all.

View original

Here, here. This is time we could be writing, people.

I find all this terrible boring.

Quote: David Bussell @ January 25, 2008, 3:37 PM

Here, here. This is time we could be writing, people.

View original

People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People.

You're right.

People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People. People.

Quote: Leevil @ January 25, 2008, 3:53 PM

I find all this terrible boring.

View original

Ditto

Awwwwww! Shame on you Jerf if you are using other peoples work. That is not only pointless but worries me about all our own written stuff on here.
I am not saying we are all brimming over with talent & you may think we are shit, but atleast it is our own shit.
I do hope that everything you wrote was all your own hard work. Some of your stuff was indeed funny. What a shame if it was not your's at all.

I hope you copied and pasted each time, Charles...