Feedback starting January 17, 1998 My comments are in [red brackets]. From: BZohn <BZohn@aol.com> Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 19:55:29 EST Subject: Another total stranger who read about you on the news I read the whole ridiculous story on CNN Interactive and then went to Infoseek and found your extremely nicely designed website. Try not to let the turkeys get you down, and may John Stuart Mill have mercy on us all. Bruce [Who is John Stuart Mill?] Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 16:19:13 -0600 From: Jim Haydock <haydock@vbe.com> Subject: Publicity Hello Cameron, I read about your case in The Daily Northwestern of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It was a brief AP story that concluded with a reference to Liz Summerfield who quit her job because of a flap with her employers over her web page, SexyChyck.I can't imagine why the two of you would be linked. Seems to me that your problem differs radically from hers. I like your web site; it's tasteful and well done; hers is not.I also like Traverse City, had good sailing there several summers. Good luck as you attempt to land on your feet; I think you will. Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 19:21:06 +0000 From: Racer X and the Masked Bandit <dspeer@telerama.lm.com> Subject: Welcome to America... See, the whole problem is that you aren't presenting gore and mayhem in the *societally acceptable* manner. I'm sure your boss would have no problem working with Aaron Spelling... Sylvester Stallone... anyone involved with the making of any of the Godfather movies... because they've been officially sanctioned by being involved with Big-At-The-Box-Office, Picked-Up-By-Television stuff. But since you're nobody (no offense intended) you're not allowed to write this stuff--you're a psychopath, not a writer. I've been there in a much smaller sense. It happened after I had a short story called "The Last Supper" published in a horror magazine--it was about a girl who sacrifices her cousin years after he rapes her. I really learned a thing or two about human idiocy after that one!! Months of "concerned" (read "morbidly curious") questions about my deep, dark incest secret. It didn't help that they used a picture of me from a modeling job that happened to go perfectly with the story--that just *proved* it was fact, not fiction. Thanks to the combination of the subject matter and the picture, the lowest common denominator came creeping out of the woodwork--I got proposals, threats, even a fan letter written in crayon! It's the readers who think the stories are real that we have to be afraid of, not the writers... So how does it feel to be famous overnight? This is the best thing that could ever happen to a writer, really... grab your fifteen seconds!! Dawn P.S. Hasn't your boss at least seen a Stephen King *movie*??? Now that's the really scary part of this whole story. [Apparently not.] From: PatStick <PatStick@aol.com> Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 12:50:37 EST Subject: Firing He's younger than me, and thinks he's smarter, and I feel my job is in jeopardy because I'm older and less computer savvy. [Huh?] From: RhythmRex <RhythmRex@aol.com> Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 11:54:16 EST Subject: I have an interesting story. Dear Mr. Barrett, First off I am Senior in High School. I have no idea how busy you are but I figured that would E-Mail you anyway. The other day my mom handed me an article in the New York Times, Jan 12. She told me that it would be very relevant to a situation I went through. So I wanted to share it with you. No body else seems to full understand what happened to me. I take a TV course at my school where we are assigned projects from TV ads to community service spots, and tv shows etc. One day we were assigned a Film Project. We were to be put in groups and produce a short film. Well, the teachers decided to put the three most creative students in one group. I have written fiction since I was 12. Most of it is unaccepted by everyone except my friends and my parents. One story invloved a character dubbed by society as Mr. Freak. He represented all that society fears. He is also a mystery like Big Foot. One day Phil Adich (yes like, fill a ditch), a news reporter finds Mr. Freak, and interviews him, in what would be a most profound experience. In the story treatment that we wrote for the assignment, we explained Mr. Freak as someone who seemed jittery and schitzophrenic, as most people who are cast off from society would be. The idea would be that Mr.Freak could express ideas that others would be afraid to speak off (including my teachers it seemed) Well after we handed this in we recieved it back the next day. On it were written the words, "Dsicrimanatory". The teachers came up to uss and told us that what we had written was discramanotory, evil, horrible, and immoral. That didnt want to hear what we had to say. Keep in mind I am an honor roll student, not a trouble maker. They had a meeting with us, all the teachers, and the guidance counselar. The next thing I know we are under attack. We didnt even make the film yet, this was a Treatment paper! They told us their opinion, and became very upset. One of the teachers began to cry. What ensued was mass hysteria. They all became enraged, screaming, calling our parents, putting us in inschool suspension, assigning lenghthy papers on the "responsibility" of media. Well fine, by this point we were as mad ah hell. This was ridiculous. I found myself in a Kafka story. I happen to have a website at http://members.aol.com/rhythmrex, called the Town of RailRoad. Right now it is being redone. Anyway on the site I wrote about our experience, venting my anger to my friends, who knew about the sight. The next day I showed it to my friends, and I was proud of the layout so I showed one teacher who I considered a friends. Apparently he opened it again later and found my story. Realize I created this sight at home not at school. Anyway he shared it with the other teachers and they went nuts! Completely nuts! Meetings left and right! They wanted to have me see a pyschologist, more assingments, more crying! Teachers declaring I would "feel their wrath!" Shit man, YOU can imagine how I felt. Finally after a week of fighting this garbage I told them what they wanted to hear, lying my ass off. I said "Yes I have learned that what I wrote was discrimatory, and wrong, and that it was immature, and that I shouldnt be creative in any way. I also learned that any assignment should be done as an anti-smoking commercial." so they believed me. Mind you, my parents sat next to me, laughing at my teachers frivolous complaints. So that was it. My year ruined. I couldnt explain they were wrong, I couldnt make them understand. Nobody understands how frustrating this was! I am very happy I am finally leaving, and can pursue my film carrer (hopfully) where not everyone is a politically correct pyschopath who thinks anything other than pictures of daisys, and anti-smoking adds, is immoral. Well this was my ramblings of an experience that sort of mirrored you problem. I thought you might find this interesting. To this day the teachers do not trust anything I say or do, fearing some sublimanal image I may be creating. I still trudge on though doing my best. I would leave my name but I fear my teachers have private investigators tracking everything I do for immorality or something. Well, maybe not. Thanks for reading this. [Wow. This is why I never went into teaching in the public school system. Our society really is screwed up.] From: "Katie K" <katester1@hotmail.com> Subject: cool site Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 07:22:54 PST You're fucking hilarious. Your fiction is the greatest!! Mon Dieu, if I had an employer like you, I sure want to keep you around!! Keep up the badass site! Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 09:58:18 -0500 From: Harold Ward <harward@usit.net> Subject: Ruckus and concern Dear Cameron, I did pick up my Knoxville News Sentinel this morning and your name caught my eye. Not that I really ever pay attention to this stuff, but it was in a name. My son is trying to decide about a science fair project, so we did a search on the web. A young man by the name of Cameron Barnett had done a terrific survey using the web. My point your page is one letter different than this 9 year old boy's page. [My page? My name you mean.] It just so happens I looked you up to see what would have happened if my kid had been making this search at school where in Tennessee every child has an opportunity to have access to the WWW. I'm all for freedom of speech, but I'm also for responsibility in being able to protect my son until he mature enough to make decisions. Just for the record I am writing this without going any further than the e-mail icon at the beginning of your page, and after reading the article in the paper. Thanks for making my opinion available. Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 08:59:42 -0500 From: Debby <debo@canyon.usa1.com> Subject: heard about you.... I just wanted to let you know that I disagree with the company that fired you! A personal website is where you can publish whatever you want! I dont know why everyone is making such a fuss! Considering that there are so many other websites out there that are soo much worse! Tell these two women who felt "uncomfortable" working with you after they read your FICTION, to stop getting their panties in a bunch and get a life! I mean, really! Best of luck! Debby Olsen Quincy, Mass Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 12:21:14 +0100 From: "The Snowball Maniac (TM)" <kjmorlan@online.no> Subject: Hi I don't realy understand why on earth you where fired, but sick women with a total paranoia for everything presented more a square inch of naked flesh is becoming a bigger problem in a modern, mature society then any fiction literature. Whoever I realy liked the design of your page wich is the actual reason why I mailed you. I make quite a few pages my self, her's my latest one: http://home.sol.no/kjmorlan (for Netscape 4.0) or http://home.sol.no/kjmorlan/301 (for Netscape 3.x) It requires Netscape, and NOT MSIE, that's a problem, but I'm setting up a script wich checks the browser wich is used and presents the correct version. P.S. Luckely I don't have a job, but do you think this wil get me fired?