Robert Eggleton - Rarity from the Hollow

[I, Brian]

Some people on the internet just don't get it.

Robert Eggleton is one of them, who after writing "Rarity from the Hollow" decided to go on a mass forum spamming run. He's also been spamming blogs with promotions.

You can see the results of some of this here: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...nG=Search&meta=

Rightfully so, Robert Eggleton has been banned from most of the big forums for his forum spamming, but what is especially annoying is that doing so invites abusive emails.

General tirades against the forums banning him, and veiled threats to the admin, show a general attitude problem that does him no favours.

Maybe he is a good writer. I don't know. I will never read his work, and after a string of abusive emails emails from him one things for sure, he's never going to get discussed at chronicles for his writing. Only for his threats.

In the meantime, other aspiring writers should take note - if you treat the internet as nothing more than an advertising medium, and especially if you take to forum spamming as a means of promotion, and then send abusive emails to site admins, don't expect to see any support from such sites.

After all, advertising is a form of positive reputation management. Being seen as a forum spammer, or simply a complete prat, is a great way to generate negative reputation.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with the latest saga in Robert Eggleton's Public Relations parody:

Now I've got another short story coming out. Unban me so I can tell people about it and the upcoming sequel -- almost finished. What if I make it? How will you look by banning me when I was first published?

I'll tell for sure and this site will look like crap. Everything is moving forward, but no optimism.

Spam is not telling people about something that they might be interested in and otherwise would have not found out about without paying for site advertising that most readers ignore -- get an education. The entire body of law on spam on this date is related to bots and automated email.

There has been absolutely nothing wrong with me telling people about my novel on your site, Rarity from the Hollow, and for you to mislead your readers is a total drag. For it to be posted by search engine is actionable.

Please restore anything that I've posted (I can't remember because I'm so busy) and restore by ability to contribute to the forum. It's likely your loss otherwise.

Robert Eggleton
"Rarity from the Hollow"

[Foxbat]

Personally, I find spam as intrusive and unwelcome as the unsolicited phone calls I receive trying to sell me new kitchens or double glazing. It angers me that these people/companies think they have the right to invade my time with their unwelcome intrusions.

Maybe one day Mister Eggleton will come to realise that his intrusions are just as bad.

I live in hope

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Maybe one day Mister Eggleton will come to realise that his intrusions are just as bad.

I live in hope

I'm afraid I don't. My experience with such people at writers' conferences, etc., is that the only time they begin to get the point is when they have a few tons of bricks dropped on their head. Otherwise... you're shouting into the hurricane....

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by j. d. worthington

I'm afraid I don't. My experience with such people at writers' conferences, etc., is that the only time they begin to get the point is when they have a few tons of bricks dropped on their head. Otherwise... you're shouting into the hurricane....

Some people think that anything they create, they have a God-given right to impose on the rest of us but they don't, it's our choice whether we wish to view their creation or not. Somebody trying to bludgeon folk into complying to their wishes with spam, spam and more spam will only be met with resistance. I find it ironic that a writer (and therefore I presume through character creation somebody familiar with Human Nature)cannot see this.

Still, I take your point. Maybe bricks ain't a bad idea

[littlemissattitude]

Just a note to Mr. Eggleton...making those sorts of demands is not an effective way to try to get people to read your work. It only makes you look like an egotistical jerk who can't get by on, oh, talent. Perhaps you have talent, sir, but I shall never know because you have made such a negative impression that I will not now read your work.

[roberteggleton]

On the other hand, unless this controversy consumed, you would have not read my novel anyway because unless admins of sites like this one recognize their duty to support the advancement of culture by allowing posts like mine, you would have never been exposed to the opportunity to read my novel, or those of hundreds of others that present alternatives within the stagnation.

Robert Eggleton
"Rarity from the Hollow"

[I, Brian]

Sorry, Robert, but that justification only works for spam.

You have no marketing plan, other than to treat fiction sites as free advertising hoardings. As with many other sites, this is simply not acceptable on chronicles.

Your constant stream of emails telling me how right you are, how wrong I am, and how much chronicles suffers for not advertising your work make for interesting reading - but I think underline the fact that your attitude is your worst enemy.

You would do well to address your general rudeness, because all it does it alienate people.

[Winters_Sorrow]

Originally Posted by roberteggleton

admins of sites like this one recognize their duty to support the advancement of culture by allowing posts like mine

This is most humorous.
In one way though, you're right Robert. Your work of fiction could be the best, most insightful read ever created.
However, this being the case, you'd imagine you'd already be trumpeted in the trade magazines backed by a publishing house or at the least, an agent.
Sadly I've never heard of you until this moment, so this leads me to believe that the only person who has so far considered your work an "advancement of culture" is you.
Oh and p.s. sites like this don't exist to provide free advertising for authors - it's a discussion forum in which people can talk about books they've read and liked. We have a Press Release section but I'm guessing Brian (the only one who actually finances this site and hence has the right to make these kinds of decisions) has already told you of this and you've decided to post (i.e. spam) elsewhere on the site.

[Foxbat]

It should be remembered that this is a community - not Satchi and Satchi

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by Winters_Sorrow

We have a Press Release section

Yep, but persons believed to be abusing the forums lose their right to have anything posted there.

That includes but not limited to:

• spamming ads on the forums
• creating multiple users to get around bans
• abusing forum members and staff

[Justin Thorne]

Just deleted Robert from my forum...



If only!

[Steve Jordan]

Y'know, I just almost sent this missive about what I thought should be done with this thread and why, before I woke up and realized: It's not my forum.

It can be tough navigating forums, what they do and do not allow, and what is too far... every forum is different. In fact, I consider this one of the tougher forums in terms of promoting a written work (just after the ones that say "No... Just No."), and I always feel like my neck is on the line when I even mention my work, much less promote it!

Anyway, no comments on Robert's transgression... just a good example of What Not To Do around here.

[Big Kahuna]

Found this thread -- and updating it with some possible humor on ole Bobby Boy

I am the administrator of a forum at oldhippie.com/forums and about the same time Eggleton was spamming your board -- he started polluting ours. Because our most popular forum on the board is political -- we give a lot of rope before banning people -- as to not give the appearance of stifling opinions that differ from the administrator (which we are diametrical opposed with all things in life).

He goes by the name of Bobcat there -- and we've pretty much adopted him as our Village Idiot.
He has provided us with about two years of humor (unintentional on his part -- although he does think of himself as a comedian) and if you have a slow day and need a pick-me-up by watching a train wreck -- read his posts in the political forum there and the warm responses he receives in return.

After a couple of his posts -- you will see why he feels that the world is here to provide him with entitlements, such as board admins allowing his to do whatever he wants. He feels like I should be giving him a web site, a banner, and a link -- free of charge. His justification is his feeling that I'm more well off financially than he.

As far as him attacking me with his poison emails -- he has not.

Despite his claims that his book will soon be a Wolrdwide best seller (it may be in Red China and Iran) -- a search of his name only really finds threads such as these. Boards that he's been banned from.