A Note On “Fake” Comments

In response to this comment from someone pretending to be Joe Travers, the real Joe Travers writes:

Only a true asshole zappa fan would go up on a site like this & say that it was me. Do you guys really think I would post comments like that? Do you really think GZ would ever allow something like that from the ZFT? Yeah, I’d really have some job security saying stuff like that. You guys really continue to prove yourselves.

There have been other occasions where a commenter reacted under the guise of Gail, or Dweezil, or Joe (or me for that matter). I tend to leave such comments untouched in cases where it’s obvious that the comment is a non-malicious spoof. When that line gets crossed however, it becomes a matter of identity-theft, and the rules change.
And so, since:

  1. nobody wants their name attached to something they did not write, and do not agree with or feel insulted by,
  2. it is not my ambition to get into trouble with the ZFT

… I will as of now be deleting any malicious comments from people that do not respect these guidelines. You know I like a good laugh as much as the next guy, but let’s keep it civilized and respectful. Okay?

22 thoughts on “A Note On “Fake” Comments”

  1. Whenever I get emotionally involved in discussions like that, and leave comments like I did, I later realize that there is only one thing I should do, really: “Shut up and play zappa.”

    I will do that from now on. In the end, music is the best, innit?

  2. while I see how Joe could really be upset about that post, it was blatantly not him. More or less a characture. I hope the post wont be deleted, free speech and all that. If the person posted as Joe Travers, then there’d be a problem. Joe T. is kind of a grey area.

  3. Maybe it’s because I’m Italian and I’m very partially into English, but I do not understand the reaction of the real Travers.

    What the fake one writes sounds to me like some sort of very weak humoresque thing conceived to criticize ZFT. I, for one, didn’t laugh at it!

    Also, after three words, it is obviously clear that it is not Travers, even to an Italian.

    So it is not an identity theft, rather is the usual boring stuff you happen to cut down if you want to read alt.fan.frank-zappa or other source like that, looking for interesting and informing posts (like those by Pat Buzby, to give a random example).

    It’s the Internet, and I hope it will continue to be like that for a long time.

    I can imagine that it should not be the first time that someone goes in such a … (fill in the blanks as you like) way to Travers, but if I were him I had just ignored such a thing.

    He is lucky enough to play wonderfully fine drums (lately, with the one and only Keneally), and to be in direct touch and ear with the FZ legacy, why loosing time with this?

    Ok, enough now, need to go into my almost-good-fi Dallas, October 17, 1980 tape, in heavy rotation these days!

    ciao, f

    PS great little post by “me” on September 6th, 2006 at 1:24 pm, this is the kind of things that make me laugh!

  4. Hey Barry,
    don’t worry about all the things!

    Your site is maybe the best site for all of us
    Fans!
    You do your job great!

    It’s okay to delete insane coments, even from
    flakes! They are even in the internet, but they won’t get what they want, if we keep our eyes wide open!
    Best regards
    Frank B

  5. So you know: I’m not a blogger.
    I happen to be a bird, dropping every now and then an egg in various blogs.
    What happened? One or another weirdo ( = self declared genius) posted comments using my name. I replied explaining things.

    It’s about elementary respect.

    The same applies to the FZ family trust. My opinion is: they should respect ( and provide with ample room ) genuine (FZ) music lovers.

    Is there somethung wrong about this way of seeing things?

  6. While I get that the real Joe is upset,
    I think that resorting to posting a response such as he did does not help matters.
    A moron on a web site spouting fake shit is one thing
    But as a “Professional”, and part of ZFT cutting into “asshole FZ” fans is uncalled for.
    The preverbal biting of the hand that feeds, as it were.
    Reminds me of the Relix interview, and the overall feel the ZFT poot forth.
    Perhaps they are forgetting the very people they slag on, are buying their product.
    (Product, by the way, that they did not create. As in the music, y’all.)

    Joe is a great fucking drummer, and is in a position that the rest of us would sell body parts to be in.
    Maybe less web browsing and more vault purging is in order.

    C’mon Joe, it was a joke, and everyone knew it.
    Lighten up bro, don’t let the GZ vibe take over your soul.

    PS. Maybe it’s just me, but I never got the idea that Joe had any final say on anything the ZFT release.

  7. OK, I overreacted. I was quick to post. What bothered me the most is that I did recieve emails from people who REALLY BELIEVED that was me who posted it. Whatever. It was a joke? Yes, that was obvious. Fine.
    Point is, it wasn’t me. That’s it. I’ll leave you to it. Have fun.

  8. Ok Joe, but please stop posting comments impersonating Bernard. ;-)
    Only he can lay those eggs!! (i knew there would be a chicken involved in this story…)

  9. See?
    Now that is a straight up answer.
    How can you not respect that?
    I stand corrected, however, on my statement
    that everyone knew it was a joke, as you have proven that wrong.

    However, I will not go back on my claim of
    your drumming talent. :O)

  10. “I can’t tell when you’re telling the truth . . .
    I’m not.
    How do I know anything you’ve said to me is . . .
    You don’t.”

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