Substitute Teaching, DIME Mods, other observations...

Hi Everyone,

I had planned on putting up a link to download some songs from "Mythology", which was Tony Iommi's band prior to Black Sabbath. I don't have to now because some gracious soul uploaded them to DIME. In fact, it turns out that these recordings are so 'special', that DIME has allowed them to remain on the tracker despite the fact the show is lossy-sourced. A lossless source for the show hasn't surfaced yet, and DIME smartly has realized how significant the show is to many Sabbath collectors. I had no idea it was actually as rare as it was, as I found my copy on a file-sharing site (of all places).

DIME is a great resource for boots. They overall do a great job, and their mods are generally very helpful. I've dealt with them on a couple of occasions. A few of them are a little rude though, and I remember when I was uploading my very first torrent, I had a question and I got snapped at by one of the mods. Apparently my question was stupid to him, but as a first-timer (and a person known for not asking stupid questions), I think he was just a jerk. Whatever.

Today, another person who I don't really know well (but frequents the same downloads I do) uploaded his first Lizzy torrent today. Good for him. I'm glad he took the time to learn the nuances behind DIME's uploading system. It turns out his source for the show was lossy though and it got pulled from the tracker. From what he said, I doubt he had any clue his show was even lossy. Oddly enough, another person uploaded the same show after this (a previously unknown FM source) and I was able to acquire it anyway. A few people made comments about the other version that had been pulled, and I thought it would be good to say something. Everyone makes mistakes and while it was the uploader's responsibility to make sure it wasn't lossy before he uploaded it, I doubt he even thought twice or knew better. It's one of those times where you think "yeah, technically he did something wrong, but is it really necessary to make a big deal out of it??" I would say no. This wasn't a big deal. I commented as much about it, saying that you couldn't really fault him...he's just a newbie and everyone makes mistakes. No need to stone the guy.

Of course, the moderator jumped down my throat about my comment, and was like "yes, it was his responsibility...blah blah blah...". I already know this... I'm not saying he isn't responsible...but let's face it...if everyone was perfect, this moderator WOULDN'T HAVE A JOB. There's really no reason moderators should ever get pissy unless people are repeat offenders. Other than that, they are doing what they volunteered to do. So there's no reason to complain and chastize people for making mistakes...especially first timers. I like to think of myself as a hard man, but yet I'm pretty compassionate. Especially when people take responsibility for errors they make. It shows they are humble, and it shows that they are responsible...two very valuable qualities. I can easily forgive a person when they show those qualities. There's no need to come down hard on a newbie and discourage him completely from ever contributing postitively again. I wanted to say something to the moderator, but just before I posted a comment, I deleted it. I don't know how the moderator would take it, and I don't need to deal with one that's on a power-trip. Sometimes that happens to moderators and they go off the handle. I can post it here though, and I think it's a good thing to keep in mind when dealing with people...online or in real life.

Moving on, lately I've been working quite a bit, so I haven't had a chance to update here. I work as a substitute teacher, and I'm trying to get a permanent position teaching Social Studies. Right now I sub for several districts, but spend most of my time in one specific school. It's tough at times because the kids think I look young and they think I'm funny (one of them said I should be a standup comedian). If I'm not strict, they can be handful. I enjoy it a lot, and it's nice to get a paycheck every two weeks. The pay actually isn't that bad for working 4ish days a week.

My next post will have a download of some kind in it. I have to work on getting my Lizzy and Sabbath lists updated tomorrow. I have a lot of potential traders contacting me...and my lists aren't accurate at all, especially with the reason gold rush of Lizzy and Sabbath material online. If you have some good stuff and want to trade, feel free to contact me and we can trade lists. I'm not guaranteeing that I WILL trade with you necessarily, but trading inventories is nice just to see what's available.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Blacksabfan