Just accept it and move on....

Let's examine some of PSA's posts:

On trolls:

On a forum like this one, it's crucial that the trolls be kept in check. Unfortunately, due to the holiday weekend, the moderators were not on top of things as they usually are.

Too often, the trolls push the boundaries of what they can get away with. IMO, the moderators should probably rein in the trolls sooner by banning or suspending them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 09-01-2008 at 12:13 PM.

(does this apply to yourself PSA?)

On the decision of a great contributor to leave AZB:

10-05-2008, 02:05 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by dmgwalsh
I don't know the reason why he stopped but us guys over at the straight pool section are sure going to miss his input, his analysis, his tireless dedication to the game. He has made many of us play a little better.

I also wish you would finish your 14.1 book.

I too hope that Blackjack will finish his book as I had been looking forward to reading it.

I've learned a lot from Blackjack, especially from his 14.1 videos with commentary. His absence is a tremendous loss for our forum. I hope that someday he will reconsider his decision and come back.

(Blackjack contributes his thoughts on Facebook now, as do many other formerly prolific members)

On the subject of helping AZ members financially:

AZB fund - 08-20-2009, 11:01 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In view of some threads recently in which certain posters were asking for financial assistance, it occured to me that we might be able to create a fund within the AZB community to help fund worthwhile causes.

Consider that AZB has a membership of over 13,000 members. If just 1000 members were to contribute a modest $20 annually to this fund, we could easily raise $20,000 a year. While it's possible that we may raise less than this, with 13,000 members I think we could eventually raise substantially more money than 20K a year.

If the AZB community had a fund to work with, we could use it to promote causes that are important to us. Some ideas include the following:
- provide funds for talented players to participate in tournaments
- mitigate the expenses incurred with offering free web streaming
- provide free web streaming to even more events
- contribute money to a tournament prize fund
- provide funds for advertising, promoting and marketing of pool-related events.

The details of how all this would work still need to be determined. However, I think that this idea has tremendous potential to both enhance pool's image and also support the causes that are important to us.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 08-20-2009 at 11:38 AM.

(interesting because he now makes a point of attempting to run off AZ members who have a history of providing assistance to other members in need)

On internet posters who harass professionals:

Russ,
Given that you posted an unbelievable 28 times in that other thread, you were clearly arguing not discussing the merits of what it takes to become a champion.

For one thing, you hijacked that thread. The topic was "What does it take to become a champion?" My definition of a "champion" is someone who is one of the very top players in the game.

You then proceeded to hijack the thread and define a "champion as someone who has/can win at least one major event, and dominates regional tournaments." You went on to give itty-bitty examples to support your position.

Even in this thread, you tried to redefine what a champion is: "You know, the sort of fellow that crushes B players, and leaves the B player telling his friends 'He was a champion'."

If a professional player like John Schmidt decided to leave AZB out of anger and frustration, it was primarily because of know-it-all Internet rail birds like you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 12-04-2009 at 10:37 PM.

(So does this apply to industry professionals as well? Seems like you think it's perfectly fine to harass industry pros)

On sadism and villifying people in public:

Let's be clear: I certainly don't condone Earl's inappropriate behavior. Having said that, I think you are getting a certain sadistic pleasure in starting this thread and literally pushing Earl down the stairs and vilifying him in a public forum.

In this thread you've called Earl a clown, lacking class and a disgrace. As proof of that, you've cited Earl's raking the balls and covering his ears. It's already been explained to you that Earl was simply conceding the game after missing an easy shot with ball-in-hand. With Earl's high standards, perhaps he didn't feel like he deserved to win after missing with BIH.

As for Earl's covering his ears, by itself it surely doesn't mean that he lacks class and is a disgrace. Have some empathy for him, especially if Earl actually does have mental problems.

Compared to other incidents that have occurred with Earl, what happened here was hardly the "meltdown" that you're making this out to be.

(does not apply when you do it?)

On CTE:

What's really bizarre about this silly CTE thread is why GetMeThere has posted over 300 times in this thread. GMT persists in trying to tell people that CTE doesn't work when he hasn't even tried to learn or use it.

If CTE really doesn't work, then it's to GMT's competitive advantage to encourage people to use a system that doesn't work.

Arguing about CTE is like arguing over religion. If people want to believe in it, then who are you to deride them for their beliefs? If people want to learn and use CTE, then that's their choice.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 11-10-2010 at 08:58 AM.

(so when you deride people for their beliefs it's fine?)

On being a good contributing member:

07-30-2010, 02:37 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since we're a tight-knit community of pool players and fans, I think we're more inclined to help those who give back in some capacity to this forum. So before asking for help, you might want to ask yourself what you've contributed to AZB.

As a example, if you're a professional pool player, it would be great if you could share your insights, knowledge and experiences with the rest of us. Someday, you might be rewarded for it and even if you're not, you know that you've contributed to making this forum a better place for others.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 07-30-2010 at 02:53 PM.

(so you think it's good when professionals share their "insights, knowledge and experiences"? Then how do you explain harassing them to the point that they leave or explode? And I am inlcuding industry professionals here. How do you justify the harassment of professionals like Stan Shuffett by others?)

On being insulting:

You're way out of line with your insults, profanities and derogatory comments in this thread. This is the first time I've given out a Red Rep as you've definitely earned it.

(so when you do it then it's ok?)


On spreading rumors, gossip and tolerance:

Or maybe the original poster, Kybill9, is gay? It's a sad day when people start engaging in unsubstantiated gossip, rumors and innuendo.

This is a pool-related forum so threads about whether or not someone is gay are completely irrelevant and should have no place in this forum.

(so, you exhibit no tolerance and spread innuendo and rumor and yet it's ok when you do it?)

An example of "villifying in public" - which you said was not civil above:

Professional players like Thorsten apparently look down on their fans with comments like: "Fans who can't even run two balls think they know how to fix pool."

The pro players themselves don't even know how to fix pool, as evidenced by the current state of our sport. Among other things, ABP players declaring a boycott and then dragging their feet on retracting their statement is certainly not how you fix pool.

(again you do what you claim is bad)

On the topic of forum moderation:

IMO, the underlying problem is that many of these threads are poorly moderated. As a result, certain posters frequently get away with insulting people, name-calling and hijacking threads, among other things.

Some of these threads actually start out very promising with an interesting topic. Unfortunately, it can take just one poster on this forum with OCD or ADD, to ruin the forum for everyone. Invariably, the thread will become a train wreck that needs to be closed or even deleted.

It's worth emphasizing that this forum really could use more moderating so that everyone stays on their best behavior.

(luckily for you no one was monitoring your behavior this week or you would have been banned for the very offenses that you preach against.)

On being a self-appointed forum cop:

Hmm, maybe I should buy the web site? Forum bullies like JB would be gone immediately and Dave's life as a moderator would be so much easier. With a "3 strikes and you're out" rule, everyone will be on their best behavior and AZB would be the best pool web site on the Internet.

There would be no more silly 9-year disputes over aiming systems and we would no longer have to read pages upon pages of drivel from one OCD poster in just one thread.

People like me are trying to make it happen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 11-19-2011 at 07:59 AM.

(so deliberately starting a thread to create controversy in the aiming forum is your idea of promoting peace?)




More to follow when I have time and desire.
 
Last edited:
Roadie said:
Let's examine some of PSA's posts:

On trolls:

On a forum like this one, it's crucial that the trolls be kept in check. Unfortunately, due to the holiday weekend, the moderators were not on top of things as they usually are.

Too often, the trolls push the boundaries of what they can get away with. IMO, the moderators should probably rein in the trolls sooner by banning or suspending them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 09-01-2008 at 12:13 PM.

(does this apply to yourself PSA?)

On the deicsion of a great contributor to leave AZB:

10-05-2008, 02:05 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by dmgwalsh
I don't know the reason why he stopped but us guys over at the straight pool section are sure going to miss his input, his analysis, his tireless dedication to the game. He has made many of us play a little better.

I also wish you would finish your 14.1 book.

I too hope that Blackjack will finish his book as I had been looking forward to reading it.

I've learned a lot from Blackjack, especially from his 14.1 videos with commentary. His absence is a tremendous loss for our forum. I hope that someday he will reconsider his decision and come back.

(Blackjack contributes his thoughts on Facebook now)

On the subject of helping AZ members financially:

AZB fund - 08-20-2009, 11:01 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In view of some threads recently in which certain posters were asking for financial assistance, it occured to me that we might be able to create a fund within the AZB community to help fund worthwhile causes.

Consider that AZB has a membership of over 13,000 members. If just 1000 members were to contribute a modest $20 annually to this fund, we could easily raise $20,000 a year. While it's possible that we may raise less than this, with 13,000 members I think we could eventually raise substantially more money than 20K a year.

If the AZB community had a fund to work with, we could use it to promote causes that are important to us. Some ideas include the following:
- provide funds for talented players to participate in tournaments
- mitigate the expenses incurred with offering free web streaming
- provide free web streaming to even more events
- contribute money to a tournament prize fund
- provide funds for advertising, promoting and marketing of pool-related events.

The details of how all this would work still need to be determined. However, I think that this idea has tremendous potential to both enhance pool's image and also support the causes that are important to us.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 08-20-2009 at 11:38 AM.

(interesting because he now makes point of attempting to run off AZ members who have a history of providing assistance to other members in need)

On internet posters who harass professionals:

Russ,
Given that you posted an unbelievable 28 times in that other thread, you were clearly arguing not discussing the merits of what it takes to become a champion.

For one thing, you hijacked that thread. The topic was "What does it take to become a champion?" My definition of a "champion" is someone who is one of the very top players in the game.

You then proceeded to hijack the thread and define a "champion as someone who has/can win at least one major event, and dominates regional tournaments." You went on to give itty-bitty examples to support your position.

Even in this thread, you tried to redefine what a champion is: "You know, the sort of fellow that crushes B players, and leaves the B player telling his friends 'He was a champion'."

If a professional player like John Schmidt decided to leave AZB out of anger and frustration, it was primarily because of know-it-all Internet rail birds like you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 12-04-2009 at 10:37 PM.

(So does this apply to industry professionals as well? Seems like you think it's perfectly fine to harass industry pros)

On sadism and villifying people in public:

Let's be clear: I certainly don't condone Earl's inappropriate behavior. Having said that, I think you are getting a certain sadistic pleasure in starting this thread and literally pushing Earl down the stairs and vilifying him in a public forum.

In this thread you've called Earl a clown, lacking class and a disgrace. As proof of that, you've cited Earl's raking the balls and covering his ears. It's already been explained to you that Earl was simply conceding the game after missing an easy shot with ball-in-hand. With Earl's high standards, perhaps he didn't feel like he deserved to win after missing with BIH.

As for Earl's covering his ears, by itself it surely doesn't mean that he lacks class and is a disgrace. Have some empathy for him, especially if Earl actually does have mental problems.

Compared to other incidents that have occurred with Earl, what happened here was hardly the "meltdown" that you're making this out to be.

(does not apply when you do it?)

On CTE:

What's really bizarre about this silly CTE thread is why GetMeThere has posted over 300 times in this thread. GMT persists in trying to tell people that CTE doesn't work when he hasn't even tried to learn or use it.

If CTE really doesn't work, then it's to GMT's competitive advantage to encourage people to use a system that doesn't work.

Arguing about CTE is like arguing over religion. If people want to believe in it, then who are you to deride them for their beliefs? If people want to learn and use CTE, then that's their choice.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 11-10-2010 at 08:58 AM.

(so when you deride people for their beliefs it's fine?)

On being a good contributing member:

07-30-2010, 02:37 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since we're a tight-knit community of pool players and fans, I think we're more inclined to help those who give back in some capacity to this forum. So before asking for help, you might want to ask yourself what you've contributed to AZB.

As a example, if you're a professional pool player, it would be great if you could share your insights, knowledge and experiences with the rest of us. Someday, you might be rewarded for it and even if you're not, you know that you've contributed to making this forum a better place for others.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 07-30-2010 at 02:53 PM.

(so you think it's good when professionals share their "insights, knowledge and experiences"? Then how do you explain harassing them to the point that they leave or explode? And I am inlcuding industry professionals here. How do you justify the harassment of professionals like Stan Shuffett by others?)

On being insulting:

You're way out of line with your insults, profanities and derogatory comments in this thread. This is the first time I've given out a Red Rep as you've definitely earned it.

(so when you do it then it's ok?)


On spreading rumors, gossip and tolerance:

Or maybe the original poster, Kybill9, is gay? It's a sad day when people start engaging in unsubstantiated gossip, rumors and innuendo.

This is a pool-related forum so threads about whether or not someone is gay are completely irrelevant and should have no place in this forum.

(so, you exhibit no tolerance and spread innuendo and rumor and yet it's ok when you do it?)

An example of "villifying in public" - which you said was not civil above:

Professional players like Thorsten apparently look down on their fans with comments like: "Fans who can't even run two balls think they know how to fix pool."

The pro players themselves don't even know how to fix pool, as evidenced by the current state of our sport. Among other things, ABP players declaring a boycott and then dragging their feet on retracting their statement is certainly not how you fix pool.

(again you do what you claim is bad)

On the topic of forum moderation:

IMO, the underlying problem is that many of these threads are poorly moderated. As a result, certain posters frequently get away with insulting people, name-calling and hijacking threads, among other things.

Some of these threads actually start out very promising with an interesting topic. Unfortunately, it can take just one poster on this forum with OCD or ADD, to ruin the forum for everyone. Invariably, the thread will become a train wreck that needs to be closed or even deleted.

It's worth emphasizing that this forum really could use more moderating so that everyone stays on their best behavior.

(luckily for you no one was monitoring your behavior this week or you would have been banned for the very offenses that you preach against.)




More to follow when I have time and desire.
Click to expand...
It flips out like John...

Just sayin'.

pj
chgo
 
Roadie said:
Nah, just giving PSA a little taste of how anyone can go through past posts and characterize selected quotes in any manner they choose.
Click to expand...

The more you post, Roadie, the more people can see that your posting style matches that of John Barton.

Once again, people can read Roadie's post shown below from the "Copyright and trademark" thread and immediately recognize that Roadie is JB. It is astonishing how much Roadie knows about the minutia of John Barton's personal history, as well as the history of JB cases and with the J. Flowers trademark name. He can certainly be counted upon to shill for JB when necessary.


That is correct. There is no infringement whatsoever. People often jump to the wrong conclusions based on their feelings rather than their actual knowledge of the law. Mr. Barton created a trademark. He did not approriate one. Mr. Flowers did not brand his cases as Flowers cases in the same way that Mr. Justis has done. The brand name used by Mr. Flowers was J.EF Q Cases. Legally a trademark is a very specific logo or collection of words that are attached by the trademark owner to a product or service.

Mr. Barton created a wholly new trademark. "J.Flowers" is no different than J.Smith in this instance. However if Mr. Barton had chosen J.Justis which is technically also an original brand name it is very likely that a court would find that this brand name is confusingly similar to Jack Justis or simply Justis Cases and they would disallow it.

As to the physical appearance or design there is not any automatic copyright extended to utilitarian objects. Thus the construction and shape of a cue case is not protected unless the creator applies for and is granted a design patent. Design patents, when granted, are very narrow in scope and easily circumvented. However Mr. Barton did not copy the construction or appearance of the original cases built by Mr. Flowers so that point is moot.

Next up is the decoration. Artistic expression used on a utilitarian object does have some copyright protection IF it was copyrighted in a protected medium previously. So if you draw an eight ball on a piece of paper that rendering is copyright protected by American law from the moment you create it. I am not legally allowed to then take that image and put it on coffee mugs and sell them without your written permission. The simple arrangement of decorative elements on a utilitarian item is by itself not protected by copyright and falls under the rubrik of design patent above.

One could make the argument for trade dress which is what Apple is using to sue Samsung in their dispute. Apple is claiming that Samsung has copied the look and feel of what makes an Apple product distinctive and therefore they are capitalizing on Apple's trade dress. This argument is tough to prove and will involve millions to settle among these two companies. In general trade dress is though to come about as a developmental process from many influences inside and outside the company. So to say that Mr. Barton has made a cue case that has a similar look and feel to those made by Mr. Flowers would be correct in a loose sense but since Mr. Flowers' cases are no longer made then there is no chance of infringement of trade dress. And in that vein the same argument of infringement of trade dress then also applies to the cases being made by Mr. Justis and Mr. Swift among others. However to be clear this argument would not get very far in the court because the differences in the products of all three current makers are significant enough.

This is a long educational piece about copyright and trademark. The answer to your question is that no, Mr. Barton is not infringing in any way on the intellectual property that Mr. Flowers could have or would have owned. Regarding trademarks it is also important to note that they have a shelf life. Registered trademarks have a term of ten years and design patents have a protected span of 17-20 years and then they MUST be renewed or they lapse. Unregistered trademarks, those designated with the TM or SM symbol, must remain in constant use or they lapse from disuse.

A registered trademark is considered live or dead. Live is when it is in use and registered or in the application process. The trademark office also has rules about using a trademark once it has been registered. They frown on people who register trademarks only to prevent others from using it with no intention to actually use it in commerce. Dead is when a trademark application has been abandoned or the registration has lapsed. At the instant that a trademark is considered dead then it is fair game for anyone to register it and in fact there are services that specialize in attempting to register trademarks which go dead through the negligence of the trademark owner.

Specifically where this applies to Mr. Flowers and his descendants or partners is that the brand name used J.EF Q Cases was not a federally registered trademark. Thus in order to remain live it would have to be in constant use. Which it has not been since the mid-90s. So legally the brand is dead. Legally Mr. Barton could have simply taken that brand. Of course in some people's view he would have been morally wrong to revive that brand and would been even more falsely accused of theft than he has been.

Now that you have the knowledge of what is legal you can make up your own mind as to the morality of Mr. Barton's use of the J.Flowers trademark and the use of certain designs that a somewhat similar to some of the cases made by Mr. Flowers. I don't find anything wrong with it either legally or morally and think that Mr. Barton has done a fine job of creating a line to pay tribute to Mr. Flowers. He owes a tithe to no one in this case.​

The AZB readers can connect the dots and draw their own conclusions based upon the collective evidence presented in this thread.
 
PoolSharkAllen said:
The more you post, Roadie, the more people can see that your posting style matches that of John Barton.

Once again, people can read Roadie's post shown below from the "Copyright and trademark" thread and immediately recognize that Roadie is JB. It is astonishing how much Roadie knows about the minutia of John Barton's personal history, as well as the history of JB cases and with the J. Flowers trademark name. He can certainly be counted upon to shill for JB when necessary.


That is correct. There is no infringement whatsoever. People often jump to the wrong conclusions based on their feelings rather than their actual knowledge of the law. Mr. Barton created a trademark. He did not approriate one. Mr. Flowers did not brand his cases as Flowers cases in the same way that Mr. Justis has done. The brand name used by Mr. Flowers was J.EF Q Cases. Legally a trademark is a very specific logo or collection of words that are attached by the trademark owner to a product or service.

Mr. Barton created a wholly new trademark. "J.Flowers" is no different than J.Smith in this instance. However if Mr. Barton had chosen J.Justis which is technically also an original brand name it is very likely that a court would find that this brand name is confusingly similar to Jack Justis or simply Justis Cases and they would disallow it.

As to the physical appearance or design there is not any automatic copyright extended to utilitarian objects. Thus the construction and shape of a cue case is not protected unless the creator applies for and is granted a design patent. Design patents, when granted, are very narrow in scope and easily circumvented. However Mr. Barton did not copy the construction or appearance of the original cases built by Mr. Flowers so that point is moot.

Next up is the decoration. Artistic expression used on a utilitarian object does have some copyright protection IF it was copyrighted in a protected medium previously. So if you draw an eight ball on a piece of paper that rendering is copyright protected by American law from the moment you create it. I am not legally allowed to then take that image and put it on coffee mugs and sell them without your written permission. The simple arrangement of decorative elements on a utilitarian item is by itself not protected by copyright and falls under the rubrik of design patent above.

One could make the argument for trade dress which is what Apple is using to sue Samsung in their dispute. Apple is claiming that Samsung has copied the look and feel of what makes an Apple product distinctive and therefore they are capitalizing on Apple's trade dress. This argument is tough to prove and will involve millions to settle among these two companies. In general trade dress is though to come about as a developmental process from many influences inside and outside the company. So to say that Mr. Barton has made a cue case that has a similar look and feel to those made by Mr. Flowers would be correct in a loose sense but since Mr. Flowers' cases are no longer made then there is no chance of infringement of trade dress. And in that vein the same argument of infringement of trade dress then also applies to the cases being made by Mr. Justis and Mr. Swift among others. However to be clear this argument would not get very far in the court because the differences in the products of all three current makers are significant enough.

This is a long educational piece about copyright and trademark. The answer to your question is that no, Mr. Barton is not infringing in any way on the intellectual property that Mr. Flowers could have or would have owned. Regarding trademarks it is also important to note that they have a shelf life. Registered trademarks have a term of ten years and design patents have a protected span of 17-20 years and then they MUST be renewed or they lapse. Unregistered trademarks, those designated with the TM or SM symbol, must remain in constant use or they lapse from disuse.

A registered trademark is considered live or dead. Live is when it is in use and registered or in the application process. The trademark office also has rules about using a trademark once it has been registered. They frown on people who register trademarks only to prevent others from using it with no intention to actually use it in commerce. Dead is when a trademark application has been abandoned or the registration has lapsed. At the instant that a trademark is considered dead then it is fair game for anyone to register it and in fact there are services that specialize in attempting to register trademarks which go dead through the negligence of the trademark owner.

Specifically where this applies to Mr. Flowers and his descendants or partners is that the brand name used J.EF Q Cases was not a federally registered trademark. Thus in order to remain live it would have to be in constant use. Which it has not been since the mid-90s. So legally the brand is dead. Legally Mr. Barton could have simply taken that brand. Of course in some people's view he would have been morally wrong to revive that brand and would been even more falsely accused of theft than he has been.

Now that you have the knowledge of what is legal you can make up your own mind as to the morality of Mr. Barton's use of the J.Flowers trademark and the use of certain designs that a somewhat similar to some of the cases made by Mr. Flowers. I don't find anything wrong with it either legally or morally and think that Mr. Barton has done a fine job of creating a line to pay tribute to Mr. Flowers. He owes a tithe to no one in this case.​

The AZB readers can connect the dots and draw their own conclusions based upon the collective evidence presented in this thread.
Click to expand...

Shill for Barton? You consider an analysis of a situation with facts to be shilling for someone?

You have nothing to say about all the posts you have made taking a position where you then later contradict that position? And nothing to say about your recent rule-breaking?

Who were you shilling for when you started a thread about Mr. Schmidt's remarks about aiming systems? You preach peace and then make threads and comments designed to incite argument.

Again, have you reported yourself to the moderators for your violations of the rules?

And also Mr. Barton surely is very happy that you are talking about him and reposting threads about him. Pray continue as it's obviously working out so well for you.
 
Roadie said:
Shill for Barton? You consider an analysis of a situation with facts to be shilling for someone?
Click to expand...

Originally Posted by Sev
So how does JB stay in business???

Answer:
Roadie said:
Now you are getting into design and not trademark or copyright. JB Cases is not copying anyone's design but even if they were designs are not protected by copyright. The only protection for a design is called a design patent. Only then is a design protected under the law. But even as Cocobolo Cowboy pointed out this extends only so far as the holder of the patent is able and willing to prosecute the infringement.

This discussion was started about the use of trademarks though. For example the use of the Florida Gators logo on a recent JB case shown in the gallery section is probably illegally used as it's unlikely that Mr. Barton licensed the use of the logo. However as Cuaba pointed out it's also a matter of harm and where there is no harm to the trademark owner and no harm to the consuming public then often such one-off items are allowed to slide. Technically a lawsuit could be brought against Mr. Barton and perhaps the customer and if they lost then the cue case would have to be destroyed and perhaps restitution would have to be paid. The likelihood of this occurring is remote.

Regarding the J.Flowers name there is no violation of trademark or copyright because this brand did not exist until Mr. Barton brought it into existence. So the answer to how he stays in business has nothing to do with copyright or trademark violation. The use of the word tribute appended to the brand name is meaningless to the central question of infringement. It's merely marketing to create a tie in to a type of case that was previously made. One could just as easily make a line of T.Roosevelt Tribute cue cases which hearken back to the days Teddy mapped the world and the gear he used.
Click to expand...

Just one example of the shilling you've done for JB.
 
PoolSharkAllen said:
Originally Posted by Sev
So how does JB stay in business???

Answer:


Just one example of the shilling you've done for JB.
Click to expand...

Talking about copyrights is shilling? Saying that Mr. Barton probably illegally used a copyrighted logo is shilling?

That's the worst shilling I can think of.

Now, I ask you again, are you ready to admit that you break the rules constantly even though you report others for rule breaking?
 
lfigueroa said:
lol. And it's in China and sure seems to know a lot about John's bizaness...

Just sayin'.

Lou Figueroa
Click to expand...

You know as much as I do about Barton's business. Anyone who can read and is on AZB knows everything about Barton that I have written about. Barton has written everything about his business at least five times over.

And gee, it's really smart to talk about China if I am trying to hide. There are several other posters here who have also been accused of being John Barton.
 
So, PSA, now that I have taken the time to compile this list I will simply repost it as long as you continue.

Let's examine some of PSA's posts:

On trolls:

On a forum like this one, it's crucial that the trolls be kept in check. Unfortunately, due to the holiday weekend, the moderators were not on top of things as they usually are.

Too often, the trolls push the boundaries of what they can get away with. IMO, the moderators should probably rein in the trolls sooner by banning or suspending them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 09-01-2008 at 12:13 PM.

(does this apply to yourself PSA?)

On the decision of a great contributor to leave AZB:

10-05-2008, 02:05 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by dmgwalsh
I don't know the reason why he stopped but us guys over at the straight pool section are sure going to miss his input, his analysis, his tireless dedication to the game. He has made many of us play a little better.

I also wish you would finish your 14.1 book.

I too hope that Blackjack will finish his book as I had been looking forward to reading it.

I've learned a lot from Blackjack, especially from his 14.1 videos with commentary. His absence is a tremendous loss for our forum. I hope that someday he will reconsider his decision and come back.

(Blackjack contributes his thoughts on Facebook now, as do many other formerly prolific members)

On the subject of helping AZ members financially:

AZB fund - 08-20-2009, 11:01 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In view of some threads recently in which certain posters were asking for financial assistance, it occured to me that we might be able to create a fund within the AZB community to help fund worthwhile causes.

Consider that AZB has a membership of over 13,000 members. If just 1000 members were to contribute a modest $20 annually to this fund, we could easily raise $20,000 a year. While it's possible that we may raise less than this, with 13,000 members I think we could eventually raise substantially more money than 20K a year.

If the AZB community had a fund to work with, we could use it to promote causes that are important to us. Some ideas include the following:
- provide funds for talented players to participate in tournaments
- mitigate the expenses incurred with offering free web streaming
- provide free web streaming to even more events
- contribute money to a tournament prize fund
- provide funds for advertising, promoting and marketing of pool-related events.

The details of how all this would work still need to be determined. However, I think that this idea has tremendous potential to both enhance pool's image and also support the causes that are important to us.

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Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 08-20-2009 at 11:38 AM.

(interesting because he now makes a point of attempting to run off AZ members who have a history of providing assistance to other members in need)

On internet posters who harass professionals:

Russ,
Given that you posted an unbelievable 28 times in that other thread, you were clearly arguing not discussing the merits of what it takes to become a champion.

For one thing, you hijacked that thread. The topic was "What does it take to become a champion?" My definition of a "champion" is someone who is one of the very top players in the game.

You then proceeded to hijack the thread and define a "champion as someone who has/can win at least one major event, and dominates regional tournaments." You went on to give itty-bitty examples to support your position.

Even in this thread, you tried to redefine what a champion is: "You know, the sort of fellow that crushes B players, and leaves the B player telling his friends 'He was a champion'."

If a professional player like John Schmidt decided to leave AZB out of anger and frustration, it was primarily because of know-it-all Internet rail birds like you.

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Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 12-04-2009 at 10:37 PM.

(So does this apply to industry professionals as well? Seems like you think it's perfectly fine to harass industry pros)

On sadism and villifying people in public:

Let's be clear: I certainly don't condone Earl's inappropriate behavior. Having said that, I think you are getting a certain sadistic pleasure in starting this thread and literally pushing Earl down the stairs and vilifying him in a public forum.

In this thread you've called Earl a clown, lacking class and a disgrace. As proof of that, you've cited Earl's raking the balls and covering his ears. It's already been explained to you that Earl was simply conceding the game after missing an easy shot with ball-in-hand. With Earl's high standards, perhaps he didn't feel like he deserved to win after missing with BIH.

As for Earl's covering his ears, by itself it surely doesn't mean that he lacks class and is a disgrace. Have some empathy for him, especially if Earl actually does have mental problems.

Compared to other incidents that have occurred with Earl, what happened here was hardly the "meltdown" that you're making this out to be.

(does not apply when you do it?)

On CTE:

What's really bizarre about this silly CTE thread is why GetMeThere has posted over 300 times in this thread. GMT persists in trying to tell people that CTE doesn't work when he hasn't even tried to learn or use it.

If CTE really doesn't work, then it's to GMT's competitive advantage to encourage people to use a system that doesn't work.

Arguing about CTE is like arguing over religion. If people want to believe in it, then who are you to deride them for their beliefs? If people want to learn and use CTE, then that's their choice.

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Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 11-10-2010 at 08:58 AM.

(so when you deride people for their beliefs it's fine?)

On being a good contributing member:

07-30-2010, 02:37 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since we're a tight-knit community of pool players and fans, I think we're more inclined to help those who give back in some capacity to this forum. So before asking for help, you might want to ask yourself what you've contributed to AZB.

As a example, if you're a professional pool player, it would be great if you could share your insights, knowledge and experiences with the rest of us. Someday, you might be rewarded for it and even if you're not, you know that you've contributed to making this forum a better place for others.

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Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 07-30-2010 at 02:53 PM.

(so you think it's good when professionals share their "insights, knowledge and experiences"? Then how do you explain harassing them to the point that they leave or explode? And I am inlcuding industry professionals here. How do you justify the harassment of professionals like Stan Shuffett by others?)

On being insulting:

You're way out of line with your insults, profanities and derogatory comments in this thread. This is the first time I've given out a Red Rep as you've definitely earned it.

(so when you do it then it's ok?)


On spreading rumors, gossip and tolerance:

Or maybe the original poster, Kybill9, is gay? It's a sad day when people start engaging in unsubstantiated gossip, rumors and innuendo.

This is a pool-related forum so threads about whether or not someone is gay are completely irrelevant and should have no place in this forum.

(so, you exhibit no tolerance and spread innuendo and rumor and yet it's ok when you do it?)

An example of "villifying in public" - which you said was not civil above:

Professional players like Thorsten apparently look down on their fans with comments like: "Fans who can't even run two balls think they know how to fix pool."

The pro players themselves don't even know how to fix pool, as evidenced by the current state of our sport. Among other things, ABP players declaring a boycott and then dragging their feet on retracting their statement is certainly not how you fix pool.

(again you do what you claim is bad)

On the topic of forum moderation:

IMO, the underlying problem is that many of these threads are poorly moderated. As a result, certain posters frequently get away with insulting people, name-calling and hijacking threads, among other things.

Some of these threads actually start out very promising with an interesting topic. Unfortunately, it can take just one poster on this forum with OCD or ADD, to ruin the forum for everyone. Invariably, the thread will become a train wreck that needs to be closed or even deleted.

It's worth emphasizing that this forum really could use more moderating so that everyone stays on their best behavior.

(luckily for you no one was monitoring your behavior this week or you would have been banned for the very offenses that you preach against.)

On being a self-appointed forum cop:

Hmm, maybe I should buy the web site? Forum bullies like JB would be gone immediately and Dave's life as a moderator would be so much easier. With a "3 strikes and you're out" rule, everyone will be on their best behavior and AZB would be the best pool web site on the Internet.

There would be no more silly 9-year disputes over aiming systems and we would no longer have to read pages upon pages of drivel from one OCD poster in just one thread.

People like me are trying to make it happen.

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Last edited by PoolSharkAllen; 11-19-2011 at 07:59 AM.

(so deliberately starting a thread to create controversy in the aiming forum is your idea of promoting peace?)
 
Roadie said:
You know as much as I do about Barton's business. Anyone who can read and is on AZB knows everything about Barton that I have written about. Barton has written everything about his business at least five times over.

And gee, it's really smart to talk about China if I am trying to hide. There are several other posters here who have also been accused of being John Barton.
Click to expand...


Yes, many of us know quite a bit about John. But I doubt a one of us could write about it with the facility that you show nor do it at length like you do. That you are so involved in this CTE thing and mimic John's position on it with his same doggedness and verbocity is also unique. Lastly, your $500 proffer was classic John. That you're in China is just icing on the cake :-).

Lou Figueroa
 
Roadie said:
Now I fully understand that trolling is the number one sport on the internet. It's fun to needle others and get them upset and watch them squirm. Same as when we were kids and we use magnifying glasses to fry ants and other similar things. I get it that there will always be people who delight in that type of behavior. So I harbor no illusion that it will go away. I simply hope that some here will choose to focus more on being positive than being negative just because they can.
Click to expand...

It is only fun to needle others and get them upset and watch them squirm, only IF YOU ARE SADISTIC BY NATURE.

The mean-spirited comments and the tag-team approach to ganging up on individuals because they don't fit your mold of being a similar POS is probably the greatest jeopardy to this forum and this web site.

This forum has become a safe harbor for small-minded, mean-spirited, cyber-bullies and that tolerance of those few individuals is what actually jumped the shark.
 
JoeyA said:
It is only fun to needle others and get them upset and watch them squirm, only IF YOU ARE SADISTIC BY NATURE.

The mean-spirited comments and the tag-team approach to ganging up on individuals because they don't fit your mold of being a similar POS is probably the greatest jeopardy to this forum and this web site.

This forum has become a safe harbor for small-minded, mean-spirited, cyber-bullies and that tolerance of those few individuals is what actually jumped the shark.
Click to expand...

Hmmm. That's over the top, to say the least. The balance seems ok to me.

There are some on here that are fair game, and deserve all they get. Anyone getting worked up over the theories of pool needs a reality check.
 
lfigueroa said:
Yes, many of us know quite a bit about John. But I doubt a one of us could write about it with the facility that you show nor do it at length like you do. That you are so involved in this CTE thing and mimic John's position on it with his same doggedness and verbocity is also unique. Lastly, your $500 proffer was classic John. That you're in China is just icing on the cake :-).

Lou Figueroa
Click to expand...

Barton would have offered to bet you not pay you. I only offered to chip in to get you and Mr. Shuffett and Mr. Schmidt in the same room and on video. That's how strongly I feel that Mr. Shuffett can get his method across in person.

You could certainly write about Barton in depth if you chose to. But since you don't agree with most of what he says or does that won't happen. I happen to agree with most of what he says, not so much with what he has done.

And yes of course, if I am Barton and trying to hide then the thing to do is to write so that I sound exactly like him. That's intelligent. I happen to resonate with Barton on a lot of topics including CTE. So if I channel his thoughts on it it's because I agree with a lot of what he says. Based on my experience though AFTER learning it from Stan Shuffett's DVD.

As I told PSA feel free address me however you want to. It doesn't matter because I don't take anything personal that anyone here says about me. I simply look at the content and address that. If you can't deal with that then that is your own problem to figure out.
 
JoeyA said:
It is only fun to needle others and get them upset and watch them squirm, only IF YOU ARE SADISTIC BY NATURE.

The mean-spirited comments and the tag-team approach to ganging up on individuals because they don't fit your mold of being a similar POS is probably the greatest jeopardy to this forum and this web site.

This forum has become a safe harbor for small-minded, mean-spirited, cyber-bullies and that tolerance of those few individuals is what actually jumped the shark.
Click to expand...

Research shows that people are sadistic and more prone to simply being assholes when there is distance between them and their targets. The internet is the great facilitator of this as it's reduced the time to target to virtually instantantaneous. But by no means is this a new occurence. You can go back two hundred years and find vitriolic attacks in print going back and forth on just about any subject. The internet has only made it easy for anyone to be a jerk without expending a lot of effort to do so.

Another way to say it is that it allows us to be our worst and to be our best in real time. I agree though that one has to be sadistic by nature to some degree to spend time stalking and harassing others for sport. Unfortunately it's free and easy and if people who are this way aren't allowed to do it here then they will find an outlet somewhere.
 
RoadieBarton:
...feel free address me however you want to.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't it be most polite to address you according to which personality you're wearing? For instance, when you're Mrs. Barton maybe we should call you Ma'am, and when you're Brother Barton, maybe it should be Bro...? I don't know what's best for Roadie - maybe Apple?

pj <- just wanna do what's right
chgo
 
Patrick Johnson said:
Wouldn't it be most polite to address you according to which personality you're wearing? For instance, when you're Mrs. Barton maybe we should call you Ma'am, and when you're Brother Barton, maybe it should be Bro...? I don't know what's best for Roadie - maybe Apple?

pj <- just wanna do what's right
chgo
Click to expand...

You choose. Because whatever you say doesn't matter. If trying to get to me this way is what turns you on then by all means do it. I am immune to namecalling of any type.
 
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