they're like that on the net

[DGSquared]

Eric, how'd you get to be so damned eloquent?

[eric]

Aw shucks, Deb.

[John Yamrus]

for my money eric is a poet not necessarily for what he writes...no, a poet is what he IS.
and eric just plain IS

[eric]

thank you john, seriously. 

[John Yamrus]

thank you john, seriously. 

back at ya, man.
jy

[sideshunter]

i love it when we all "go off on one". four pages worth, damn fine. i like milner place as well. i happen to think Brendan Cleary is better, so is Ann Sansom, but its like comparing hondas with triumphs, cricketers with footballers, etc. i mean, does Mr. Place(wonder what HIS real name is?) Think he compares to big ian mac? its SO subjective.(though never anything goes of course). JY rant on pen names looks funny when you realise his fav poet uses one. xxjoe the sideshunter.

[John Yamrus]

Milner Place is the dudes real name.
at least that's what's on all his books.
Caminante is my favourite.
in his recordings (and he's done a few) he sounds like the voice of god.
i've told him i will never appear on a stage with him...ever.
it'd be grossly unfair.
he's the man.

[herron]

You know, H., I think some of your photographs are just beautiful.  I like the trees a great deal, for instance.  Not too crazy about the fence post and haven't looked deeper into your portfolio, but several of  the other early ones were stunning I thought.  

But one you say could have been stunning, yet it was simply interesting.  Let's look at it.  You call it "Detail" in your web page, a close-up of the inside of a flower.  A lovely flower, the stamen in complicated equipose, but also having a dynamic; it would not stay like that for long.

Below it you append a short essay about momentous world events in flux, the salient but little details giving us all we could really grasp of the moment.  In this light, the detail of the flower is a poem or the start of a poem, and a very good one, about the reality on the ground of the forces of history on their march.  We have seen great movies like this, Bogie etc. caught in the jaws of war, and so on.

Then you make the metaphor even more interesting, with your comment about not bothering to go inside to get your tripod so you could make this a truly special picture.  You just took the photo with a hand held camera, you say out of laziness.  Poetry is much like that.  You need to have your tools in hand at the moment, do what you have to do to complete the image, hone it right -- for that instant, once presented in exactly that way, will never come again.      

Thanks, Eric.

That's why I like photography so much. You capture an instant that will never come again ... and there's something very pleasing to me in doing that, and doing it well. My blog has never really gotten off the ground, and I have so many more images that I could post.

I also have a lot of commentary to add on my view of the world, that I enjoy tying to the images. I'll have to get busy with it.

[genevie]

I know this discussion is over but you know it took me two years of thinking and playing with my name to get it right so I am quite proud of it. 
I use V and Genevie. 
V is my anglophone name
and Genevie is my francophone name ( but I use either or. It dont matter if I am writing in french or english.  I use my name to close my poem)
But anyway my real name is Genevieve
and I like genevie because it means `'I dont live` and I think thats poetic and my name V means peace and everyone is already using it so Im already popular.
Anyway, I just wanted to share because I am one of those who think not only my poetry is good but also have the best poet name too so... there.

[herron]

sometimes even the obvious needs to be stated.  additionally, just yesterday i was talking with my publisher about the pros and cons involved with using the net to attract potential buyers for one's book(s).  it's a fine line you dance.  it DOES attract a good number of buyers or potential buyers for mine or anyone else's books that are out there.  just yesterday i learned my publisher had an order from Romania...a few months ago on of my earlier books was ordered from Iceland.  You can't get that kind of exposure without the net. and that would absolutely never happen if i were posting anonymously.  but, the other side of the coin is that it exposes my work to people who are content to read those poems that i choose to post on the net.  like i said, it's a fine line and something that i'm always concerned about.
take care.
john

I enjoyed John's poem that started this thread, but am ambivalent about the reasons folks use a pseudonym for their user name. There are a lot of valid reasons for people (male or female) to be leery of using their real names and location info on the internet. If you've ever been burned by it, you'll always appreciate the unease people feel.

John's comment above made me want to add my own opinion, since I used to spend a great deal of time trying to create and produce marketing idea for folks, in all media. For a long time it was tough to convince companies that social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. were valid marketing tools. But they are finally becoming accepted, although they are still not always properly usd.

As John says, it's a fine line.

[Victor]

The internet seems a very touchy subject.

[herron]

yeah, every time i post a poem that has anything to do with the internet, i get tons of responses.  my most violent (in the various sites where i post on occasion)were in response to the following poem:

contrary

to
popular opinion,

the
internet

has ruined
poetry

for
the world.

it has
fooled

too many
people

into
thinking

they
can do

this.

LOL!!     Digital cameras seem to have done the same thing for photography. 

[Spell Chick]

John, that's perfect. 

[Conanthedoylarian]

So, the argument is that people using screen names are hiding their real identity because they're ashamed to say who they are?

Roll up John Smith.  Try getting that id. on almost any established site.  And what a distinctive name to use on your books.  It'll really stand out from the crowd.

And so to many more.

Look at the copyright notices on the books you buy.  Notice how many copyrights are held by someone other than the author indicated on the cover? Or, could it be a nom de plume fronting for a name more ordinary or perhaps judged less marketable?

And in today's society of self-trumpeting p.r., why would we expect anything different online?

As for arrogance in screen names, well there's plenty of that slushing around the world, whether under a pseudonym or not.

DISCLAIMER: Written under a pseudonym, clearly, because I'm deeply ashamed of everything I say - or is it just that my name is so common I've decided to use something distinctive?

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

[oxymoron]

So, the argument is that people using screen names are hiding their real identity because they're ashamed to say who they are?

Roll up John Smith.  Try getting that id. on almost any established site.  And what a distinctive name to use on your books.  It'll really stand out from the crowd.

And so to many more.

Look at the copyright notices on the books you buy.  Notice how many copyrights are held by someone other than the author indicated on the cover? Or, could it be a nom de plume fronting for a name more ordinary or perhaps judged less marketable?

And in today's society of self-trumpeting p.r., why would we expect anything different online?

As for arrogance in screen names, well there's plenty of that slushing around the world, whether under a pseudonym or not.

DISCLAIMER: Written under a pseudonym, clearly, because I'm deeply ashamed of everything I say - or is it just that my name is so common I've decided to use something distinctive?

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

I liked this. It made me laugh and I agree with you.