Auditions

I have to agree completely with Justin Hammond. Not that people who have had past bad experiences with dodgy operators shouldn't warn others via websites like this. Rip-off merchants (or those who don't actually defraud anyone but simply take advantage of the naivety of ambitious young actors) prey on the fact that many non-established actors, especially ones new to the field, haven't always been good at communicating with each other about when things have gone wrong (no-one likes to go around saying "I did such-and-such a show and it sucked"). Websites like this can go a long way into putting more power into the hands of the performers and stage-workers, allowing them to promote ethical operators and discourage dodgy ones.

However, there is a world of difference between giving a warning and putting your name to it, and simply giving criticism without making yourself accountable for your words. I've heard a number of stories about different people, similar to the one which I assume relates to the person who is subject of Les Miserables' post (yes, I have heard of her as well - never worked with her, so I can't really comment myself). In quite a few of those situations, however, there was more than one side of the story. The trouble with posting a few narky comments, with no description of the context in which your criticisms arose, is that it is impossible for anyone who doesn't already have an opinion on the person being criticised to know whether the comments are well-founded or not. For all I know 'Les Miserable' may be a rival operator trying to slander his/her competition (not that I think you are, I'm just making a point).

Putting your name to such criticisms helps others in a number of ways. Firstly it gives some measure of guarantee of the accuracy of your comments - you are letting people know that you are staking your own reputation on what you are saying. Secondly, it allows people to know the context of what you are saying - ie whether you are just some bitter individual who has a personal dislike of the person who are criticising, or whether you are giving an objective and helpful warning. Thirdly it makes you legally accountable for what you are saying. Defamation is a serious business, both for the person who makes the comments and sometimes even for the board on which they are posted. Whilst this might be a motivation to NOT put your name after a post, remember that 'truth' is still a valid defence against defamation suits and that in any event an operator who truly has something to hide isn't likely to want their name dragged through the courts. Basically, putting your name after a post like that lets others know that you stand by the truth of what you said and you are utterly certain of its accuracy.

Again, I'm not knocking your intentions 'Les Miserable' in posting the warning - full credos to you for that. I also suspect that you had no intention of hiding your name at all - I've seen you post under that pseudonym on numerous occasions before, and you probably just didn't think to change it once you were already logged in. I'm just hoping that future comments in a similar vein may be posted with a little more accountability of their own.