signing off

[Friday]

I just watched part of Dave Ridley's latest video.  I'd like everyone to know that Dave didn't make the slightest effort to contact me, either via phone or email, asking my permission to make me the star of that video.  He also used my real, full name, without my permission, and despite the fact that I choose to use a pseudonym online (although I go to no effort to hide my true identity).  He also identified me as a "former Libertarian official", while failing to mention that I am no longer associated with the LP in any way.  (Frankly, I thought the original video from which Dave is recycling his own content was a little sleazy.  He approached me at an MVP meeting and asked me if I'd do a "Made the Move" video for him.  I did.  I was completely shocked when I saw he posted it with the title "Libertarian Official Renounces Politics". )

I am deeply disappointed.  I am not any sort of public official and see no possible rationalization for making me the star of such a controversial YouTube video without even making a token effort to obtain my permission first.

I've been using the handle Friday since I was 18 years old.  I'll never use it again.  The blog which I write in that name will me taken down shortly.

[Fluff and Stuff]

Did you trying PMing or calling Dave about this?  PM me if you want his number.

[Kat Kanning]

Confused...what does Dave's video have to do with the name you choose to use online?  Sorry you're upset. 

[Jim Johnson]

You can't do that... (in that I'll cry)... you are a valuable person.
Your views are greatly respected and needed.

I don't see why a "Hey fuck you, Dave" would not be sufficient... or some other more eloquent thought.

I'll cry... don't make me do it... cause I will.  

[freedominnh]

Would it not be obvious to ask Dave to take it down?

[Tom Sawyer]

I'll cry too... and if Jimbo and I start crying... well let's just say it won't be pretty.

---------------
Seriously,
I have had similar experiences with Dave "The Newsman" Ridley. William and I showed up at the Keene Freedom Festival and as I am changing my shirt (hey this is going to be a cool event) and bam Dave is in my face with an extreme close-up identifying me and where I live (WTF does that have to do with anything?) going on about the semi-retarded guy that had assaulted me like a year previous. He chased the fellow with his balloons away... I had forgiven the guy and didn't care to be used for Ridley's Drama.

Or the time when I was threatened by the thug at the Ministry of Love, Dave goes off half cocked and reports the incident to a newspaper reporter with as much of my identifying info as he had... oh great, some folks say it is a felony to tape the thug and now I got to worry about some stinkin' reporter, who are much like cops in the way they stir up trouble for people... he had never bothered to ask me and had neglected to read the thread where I said I didn't want to go after the bully with the cops.

On other occasions Dave sent out "news releases" identifying me without my knowledge or consent.

When I did video for the underground, I was careful to only identify the principle folks that I knew wanted to be public at an event... others where shown, but I never ID'd them.

Dave is the media, I will not give him anymore latitude than I would give any other reporter. I don't trust his judgement in making the decisions on what to leave in and what to leave out. He has a manic approach to his work that bothers me.
---------------
Don't go away Friday... please.

[Lloyd Danforth]

What they said!

[Puke]

 

[FTL_Ian]

Sandy, I like you and hope you stay, but I think you should have taken Keith's suggestion and talked to Dave after cooling off a bit.  I'm not a newsman, but in defense of Dave, I'd like to say:

I have never asked anyone if I could read their publicly made forum post on the air.  It's never crossed my mind.  This is a public forum.  Would I have used your real name should I have read your post?  I may or may not.  I'm not a newsman, so it's not really something I feel the need to do.  If I did, I'd likely have just said "Sandy".  That said, since Dave is a newsman, I must ask Sandy: Did you specifically instruct Dave to not ever use your real name?  If not, how could you have expected him not to?

It's true you aren't a public official, but you ARE public.  You have given people your real name and appeared at various events.  Additionally, you have been active in the LP, and that's public knowledge, too. 

Please understand that privacy is something that needs to be worked at to be achieved.  If you don't want to be talked about on the media, don't ever talk to media people, don't go out in public, definitely don't do politics, and don't tell anyone your real name or anything else you don't want revealed!

Sorry to see people so upset over a little news reporting - but we live in a world where a blog or forum post can become a news story.  The only way to avoid it, is to do as I suggest above.

[coffeeseven]

Please stay.

I said please. 

[Tom Sawyer]

Ian is also the media.

They have their view and their livelihood is connected to telling your story. The consequences are the individual's to bear.

That is the dynamic and that is why I tried to be an artist, not the media.

[Puke]

It's stuff like this that makes me nervous about taking photos. 

[FTL_Ian]

It's stuff like this that makes me nervous about taking photos. 

If people don't want their photo taken and they feel they must venture outdoors, there are options:

[Russell Kanning]

is it really that controversial?
do you have to change your name or blog?
maybe he can take it down and change it

Dave is a reporter ... so he gets half his story wrong ... or is it half of his stories are wrong ... or half the time he is right ... I can never remember.

this could be dangerous ... I might have to change my identity to save me from the wrath of Friday of the Shire ... or her henchman the axe-wielding bacon chewing PatK

[Mike Barskey]

I've seen Ridleos broadcasting identification information that I had never before seen made public. He broadcast my real, full name before without asking me (but in my case, my forum name is no different) and I've seen Ridleos publicizing people's personal phone numbers. And a lot of what he reports is wrong or self-admitted conjecture.

I think Ridleos are important for the purpose of getting new people interested in the freedom movement and hopefully in moving to NH to participate, but the correctness of the news or political-correctness of what he records and how he broadcasts it don't appear to be too important to him. How tough would it be to check a fact and edit the audio appropriately, instead of broadcasting a Ridleo in which he says something like "Joe lives in Nashua" when he really lives in Keene?

But Ridley aside, I think you're very important and cool, Friday. If you feel the name "Friday" has been corrupted beyond usability, I hope you decide to choose another and don't have much difficulty changing your blog and online personas to it. In other words, I hope you stick around.