Who appears to be going out of his way to inject the UA-Fayetteville nonsense into every one of his articles, as quickly as possible. What gives Tom? I know this probably won’t stay on the board for longer than a minute, but I needed to get that off my chest.
He doesn’t. The editors do. He submits his article for publishing and then it is edited to ensure that is in there.
You are killing the messenger here.
Yeah, I noticed that too, but I agree, it’s not Tom doing it. His last few articles show just how utterly ridiculous this “UAF” crap has become. His recent articles have started with “FAYETTEVILLE”, followed by a sentence or 2 about the “Razorbacks” or “Arkansas”, etc. That has completely and clearly established the "who, what, and where of his article. Yet, the very next sentence references UAF. It couldn’t be more blatant that this is nothing but a ridiculous jab aimed at the University of Arkansas.
Unfortunately, I stop reading the article as soon as I see that 2nd or 3rd line. I’m sure I’m punishing myself and missing what is probably a very good article. Reading that crap instantly changes my mood. Yeah, I know, that probably means they’ve achieved what they were trying to do with the UAF crap.
It’s not the writers.
I can’t recall anything critical of the UAF topic or anything else ever being deleted. You have the right to not like it.
Tom is only doing what he’s been told to do.
Well, at least it isn’t that Yankee AD…
I stopped my subscription to the Demozette yesterday because of this stupid policy of the University of Arkansas Fayetteville. I will resume it if and when they stop this idiotic practice. The only reason I kept the subscription for the last several years was for the comics and to throw darts at John Brumett’s photo.
I’m glad you reiterated that this isn’t the writers’ doing. In some ways that makes it even more annoying. Someone at the paper has been instructed to insert it whether the writer wants it or not.
Why as writers do you have to write UofA?
Why don’t you just say “The Razorbacks” or “The university not located at Little Rock, Jonesboro, Pine Bluff or Conway”?
Would the editor change that to UAF?
Yes.
Have any of the Hawgs Illustrated writers requested that the Fayetteville reference not be used in their articles?
The problem I have with it at this point is that despite asking several times, no one will say who made this decision.
I understand that none of the writers are going to say that for fear of retribution. I just think it’s chicken S (not salad) for the editor or publisher to enact this policy, designed only to annoy UA ppl, and yet he/she/they don’t have the nerve to respond to the criticism and at least own it.
Did you tell the person your reason for canceling?
I understand it’s different. It’s a change. So many do not like change in any form. I’m guilty of that sometimes, but I’ve been trying to temper that as I grow older. Change is inevitable. I have no idea what prompted the UAF thing, and it seems silly, but then again I’ve never thought a whole lot of the Dem Gaz.
Big picture, this is not a big deal. If you otherwise like the Dem Gaz’s Razorback content, or that on WholeHogSports (which I do very much) then the UAF thing really should matter very little. Just roll with it. Ain’t that big a deal.
I don’t like the policy as it is offensive to me as a long time follower of the UA, and I’m pretty sure I have put my foot in my mouth with a comment or two, but in the world of media today this is a minor bump. I’m over it.
UA has enough umph to get it changed if they pushed it. Obviously it is not a big deal to them
I don’t get why this is a big issue. No one at UofA is challenging it. As far as I know it is located in Fayetteville. On the positive side, by stating the name that way, no one will confuse UALR with the Razorbacks.
I don’t really like it, more because it reminds me of the jealous little brothers in northeast corner of the state, but this continual upset seems to have all the appeal of the continual bickering on forty times or whether hoops players are measured with shoes on or shoes off. Seems like some people really seem to enjoy having something to be unhappy about.
Yes, I told the person who called me exactly why I was quitting the paper. I wanted them to know. It won’t matter to anyone, but I wanted to let them know why.
This isn’t something the UA can challenge. The ADG has a first amendment right to call it UA,F.
I think it’s a big issue because it’s obviously done with the purpose of either placating people at UALR who say, “if you’re going to put ‘LR’ in our name, put “F” in their name” or it’s done as something of a slap at the UA. It’s the intent of the policy as much as anything that annoys me. It’d be different if there were some legitimate reason to avoid confusion or if the style change made the stories flow better, but the opposite is true–at least as to ease of reading. The addition of the “,Fayetteville” is simply surplus language that doesn’t keep anyone from being confused. The whole nation knows who the University of Arkansas is. They know who the Razorbacks are.
Things that aren’t “big deals” if done without malice can become quite big deals if there’s malice or intentional purpose to annoy.