Running openmikes.org is fun. A nice diversion, hopefully (and apparently) useful to quite a few people. And very much a result of the constant input, suggestions, submissions, corrections, etc. from those same people.

One of the ways in which I encourage input is to ask in various places for comments on our listings. Is this night good, bad, indifferent; do I have the details wrong; has the night been cancelled; etc. My users are my quality control team, and I incorporate nearly all feedback into the site in one form or another.

Nearly.

The problem is, despite statements like this:

Remember, your comments are not going to the venue itself; they will be used to update the openmikes.org listings.

which is one of only two short paragraphs at the top of the comment-submission form; and despite what I like to think of as a fairly clear impression that this is an open-mikes-listing site, and not the official or unofficial site of any particular establishment, every couple of days I get a comment along the lines of:

what's up jim? it's ***. do you remember me? i'm a japanase man with long hair used to join your open mic every week.

or

when are the next courses for learning burlesque theatre ? please write me the appointed times or days in the year 2004 . i�ll coming back to brooklyn in autum and i�ll learn to do this wonderful great burlesque theatre !

etc.

Now, I don't always read the fine print either. And not everyone is at home on the web as you or I. Still... what causes one to:

  1. Google for "seattles best coffee", then
  2. skip the corporate home page (the first hit, as it should be),
  3. click instead on the fourth link, the one titled "openmikes.org : comment on Open Mike at Seattles Best Coffee"
  4. and leave the following message:

I recently was vacationing in Las Vegas and stopped in at Seattles Best Coffee shop in the Plaza Hotel lobby.I was treated very badly by the person behind the counter,he was extremely rude.I went to the management of the hotel to complain and was told the gentleman who had waited on me was the manager.They also informed me that I was not the first person to complain about this person.They told me that they had been trying to get rid of this person for sometime because of his terrible treatment of the guests.They were unable to reach anyone at the company to listen to their concerns.

I very much enjoy the coffee you sell,but you need to address this matter.I wouldn't think the company would want thid kind of person representing Seattles Best.

Thank You,
[Name Removed]

Oh, and the listing on which the comment was left? A Seattle's Best Coffee in Baltimore.