What happened to Phil?

Gone.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films Gone.

Ah, well, that clears everything up.  Case closed.

Rick, can you be just a tad more detailed?

Quoted from Grandma Bear He left SS...didn't like it anymore.

OR it was all part of his master plan:

(1) Join Simply Scripts over half a decade ago
(2) Post nearly a dozen scripts
(3) Surpass Don in overall number of posts
(4) Gain trust/favor with SS members
(5) Create a "campaign" for a "film" that's in "development"
(6) Collect money
(7) Disappear

...it's all too simple.  Honestly, we should have seen it coming all along.

There's something wrong if Phil is going.

There's hardly anyone left!

Someone emailed me that Phil had left. I have no idea what is going on, but I just want to say in the few months I was here, Phil was among the most helpful and welcoming to new members. I just want to say thank you, and I hope all is well. Thanks Phil, good luck with your projects!

I'm sure he had his reasons. I wouldn't even assume they were acrimonious. The dude was the most proactive screenwriter on the boards and he seems to have a lot going on at the moment. He doesn't exactly need to stick around and listen to the increasingly frequent bullshit that goes on here.

Regardless, a shock and a loss, if ever there was one. Best of luck, man.

And now Kevin returns from the dead.

Maybe Kev and Phil are collaborating on a new project together?

Wow, can't believe this. I don't think he left but...

So, if he left, whose going to plan the owc now?

Quoted from James McClung He doesn't exactly need to stick around and listen to the increasingly frequent bulls*** that goes on here.

Quoted from Grandma Bear Exactly...

To be entirely fair, he didn't exactly extinguish a lot of the arguments that happened here...

Again, I wouldn't assume he left because of arguments.

Don't worry, guys. Phil is okay. Maybe Phil traveled to Rio for a long vacancy. In Rio he intended to drink lot of "caipirinhas" with "pretty cariocas girls" and take samba lessons. Simple like that. :-D

Helio, sign me up for that exact itinerary.  I love caipirinhas and I bet I'd also love caricocas girls.

Dear Dreamscale, I have to confess I did his itinerary but with one condition: If I denounce his moving in Rio he promised me to send to my home lot of pedophilic Argentinean penguins. So I don�t like to take any risk, my friend! Just to ilustrate the dangeorus it could be: one day, I promised to him that I would get a secret of a gossip about him but I didn't. The next day, a crazy penguin almost trampled me on the road. Phil is a tremendous vengeful guy! ;-)

Wow, sad to see him go. Its easy to wonder if the time spent here could be better used somewhere else. Especially when your reading to try to get reads yourself. Its a great place to learn to write, but Phil already knows how.

Either that or Janet just sold a feature and Phil gave up writing altogether....

James

I have a good idea of why he left.  I'm not gonna say it but it'll become pretty obvious soon.

I do hope he comes back at some point, as I do hope all of the other members who have quit recently will do.  This is getting ridiculous.

It can't be that bad. He's been here awhile and most likely survived alot of stuff on here.

Quoted from Mr.Ripley It can't be that bad. He's been here awhile and most likely survived alot of stuff on here.

Phil's been here longer than most of us.  He loves screenwriting and loves storytelling.  He's read hundreds if not thousands of scripts, he leaves fair feedback, and he's been in countless arguments for one reason or another.  

For him to arbitrarily leave like this means there's something else at play.  I could be wrong, sure, but I kinda doubt it.  Out of respect for him I'm not gonna stir too much at the moment, but I'm pretty sure it follows a pattern that's been happening lately with people leaving.  

No probelm Greg. Just kind of stunned.

I remember the owc thread where Phil said it was going to start soon. So, everything seemed normal.

Hope all is well with him.

Quoted from greg I do hope he comes back at some point, as I do hope all of the other members who have quit recently will do.  This is getting ridiculous.

I remember when this board was little more than a dozen people running around crying about, "please read my script!"

Now it seems like every week we hear of a fresh option for somebody, or some new short film production to watch.  Or a podcast.

The site has grown more than most realize, but people are also busy with their lives, so it is difficult to get a real sense of how many stop in day-to-day but say nothing.

Amongst those who do have something to say, a little common courtesy goes a long way.

There is a very small handful of people who are annoying the shit out of everyone and why they are so starved for attention and why they just don't cut it out is beyond me.

There.  I've said it.

But Michael C taught us that nifty trick to ignore people. lol. But in serious, I say ignore them. Like that VA script, I was surprised how people kept that thread alive. lol. Just don't contribute. But that's just me. Not trying to say anything by it just babbling...lol. I'll stop now.

Quoted from Mr.Ripley But Michael C taught us that nifty trick to ignore people. lol. But in serious, I say ignore them. Like that VA script, I was surprised how people kept that thread alive. lol. Just don't contribute. But that's just me. Not trying to say anything by it just babbling...lol. I'll stop now.

Sadly, I think that's officially an unreasonable expectation at this point. The amount of "rabble, rabble" that goes on here is dangerously close to common place.

I hear you James. Paraphasing Baltis, "it sucks donkey balls."

It's sad to see Phil leave the site and it's my hope the old message board wisdom 'they always come back' applies here.

It's definitely symptomatic of a wider problem where arguments permeate threads and reviews, etc. With any group of passionate writers and creatives, there will be a strong divergence of views but also evidence of individualism. I myself have always been pretty much a lone ranger on this board and speak my mind openly and forcibly with no attachments to anyone. In terms of our tone and way we address each other at times, I think we're all guilty of crossing the line. The odd niggle is giving way to more sustained disagreements and is leading to the departure of a number of people from the site.

I agree with bert that there can be more emphasis on respect and perhaps reserve when posting, but that we should all feel comfortable enough to express ourselves without the fear of someone wading in and shooting down the views based on a personal grievance, as opposed to the merits of a particular debate. If anything, I think some of the debates I have engaged in recently have mostly carried a strong and independent set of responses where we debate an issue on its merits. I've always been one to enjoy debate and see it as an exchange of views (so a positive thing and a learning exercise) rather than an argument to be won. The odd joke or snipe can be mistimed and I see it through the board and it's often a product of an impetuous post. The residue of these skirmishes builds and builds until it crystalises into a view of a person that blinds a fair assessment when we read their posts or reviews. Largely we can put it down to the nature of board (i.e. it's written not verbal, thus confusion) and also 'cos most of us don't know each other that well.

In one way or another, we're all here for a love of film or trying to make film. Such a positive energy can push us beyond our likes and dislikes. The most important thing here is that while some antagonise more than others, we all share an equal responsibility in keeping the board civil and keeping ourselves in control and not allowing it to be personal or to extinguish someone's validity on a topic. So I'm not trying to admonish anyone individually or to protect myself, but rather to highlight a group responsibility. A writing challenge to entice Phil back or to look at harmony can perhaps refocus us on what really matters on this site: writing and creating.

Oh boy, I see the deletions have begun...

Andrew Chuff, I agree with you.  It's too bad that people can't constructively debate an issue without someone (or everyone) getting upset.  I just don't get it.

I seem to live on my own little island here on SS, but you know I'm always going to speak my mind, defend my views, and give reason why I believe what I believe.

We may not agree all the time, but I hold nothing against anyone who has a different perspective.  It's truly what makes the world go round.

I think we can save blaming anyone for Phil's leaving - except Phil who chose to leave for whatever his reasons - he doesn't want to tell us.  Besides threads about what's "bad" about a member are just plain wrong.

What we can keep in mind is something Chuff so eloquently stated

"The most important thing here is that while some antagonise more than others, we all share an equal responsibility in keeping the board civil and keeping ourselves in control and not allowing it to be personal or to extinguish someone's validity on a topic."

Which means "argue" your case but don't "fight" the person with an opposing view.  If we all practice that then we can have a civil forum where we can talk about anything without having to worry about people leaving.  

Quoted from mcornetto "The most important thing here is that while some antagonise more than others, we all share an equal responsibility in keeping the board civil and keeping ourselves in control and not allowing it to be personal or to extinguish someone's validity on a topic."

This is a terrific idea.  It's absolutely brilliant.  I would endorse this anywhere.  

The problem is, as Bert stated, there's a small percentage who could care less about that and are constantly disrespecting other board members, the mods, and even Don.  And the level of tolerance for that disrespect has been pushed further and further.  Or maybe it's not tolerance; maybe it's just dealing with it and hoping it'll work itself out on its own.  But it never does because these people don't seem to care.  It's always the same crap over and over and no amount of "please be respectful" warnings ever seem to fix it.

what will happen to the OWC?

There is another OWC scheduled (not sure exactly when but soon).   Should be an interesting one from what I've heard.  

Meh, I'm sorry Michael. I'm at the point where I'm ready to leave too. We lost Led, Phil, Jeff threatened. The boards will always be hostile. I'm sory for the mess I may create in the near future because I respect you, Bert, and Don for the challenging tasks you have here... But if I'm going, I'm getting deleted.

My time here, I've given people my best advice. They've taught me how to write screenplays. Whether you like or dislike my work, its time for me to move to features, or give it up all together.

And I think its time someone takes a bite out of the so-called "elephant in the room" - and I'm just the lad to do it...

Cheers everyone!!!
James

Quoted from greg The problem is, as Bert stated, there's a small percentage who could care less about that and are constantly disrespecting other board members, the mods, and even Don.  And the level of tolerance for that disrespect has been pushed further and further.  Or maybe it's not tolerance; maybe it's just dealing with it and hoping it'll work itself out on its own.  But it never does because these people don't seem to care.  It's always the same crap over and over and no amount of "please be respectful" warnings ever seem to fix it.

And the mods and Don are trying to deal with that.  As you've probably noticed the mods are taking a more active role in trying to solve these issues but it's not going to change overnight.  It isn't always easy to say someone is wrong and someone is right in a lot of cases, it's not always black and white.  

We lost Kevin as well, and he was a new member who was contributing like crazy, in terms of posting scripts, reading and providing meaningful feedback, and getting involved in various debates, in which he threw out loads of interesting information, that he was obviously well versed on.

We all have our own personality, and when its online, it tends to be a bit different than it probably is ion real life.  People need to keep that in mind...and try to understand.

If you're gonna go down, go down swinging, James.  That's what I believe at least.

So why did Kevin leave?  

Khamanna deleted her account and where is Ray?

Everyone leaves for their own reasons.  And all of these people leave for different reasons.  People have been leaving the site since it started for every reason under the sun.  There isn't any one reason or any easy solution.   Nor is it likely that we'll ever stop people from leaving.  

However, being civil to and having respect for your fellow members is a good way to ensure that you aren't their reason.  

Yes I confess. Phil has gone because I promised him that it would present Isabel, a beautiful and special young carioca of Copacabana beach. That’s it! Sorry!

Now I'll make an appeal:

Please, Phillip Clark Jr, return for the welfare of SimplyScripts poor wanabe like me! ;-)

I thought Kevin gave his reasons...maybe he didn't.  I have been asked not to go into any detail about his exit.

Ray has been on and off the boards lately...mostly off.  Not sure why.

I think Shawn made it quite clear, but then again, most of his posts that final night were deleted, so maybe many didn't actually see what the deal was.

Khamanna made it quite clear why she left, but she neglected to fess up to the real details.

I find it odd that Phil would just disappear like this with no explanation or even warning, whatsoever.  Hopefully, he comes back to let us in on what went wrong, in his eyes.

Can I use Phil's user name now?  ;D

I wish him all the best and hopefully he'll pop in to visit every now and then.

I only found out the other day that Phil and wonkavite were partners! I never knew that - and I only realized during the last OWC that wonkavite was female! Lol

Cheers all

Quoted from screenrider Despite the many tussles I've had with Phil, I wish him the best.  I've always appreciated his creativity.  Personally I think he'll be back.

really?

I think he'll be back as well, and I think he will partner with Screenrider to write the bestest, coolest, techno-thriller to hit the market since Up From The Depths.

I'm still around, just trying to focus on work. Forums can be a distraction. But I wish SS the best, and I am grateful for everyone in it that has helped me...a long list! I still read scripts of regulars too, but I've been emailing reviews. Anyone needs a read, I'm always willing to do the best I can.

All the best to everyone, and leave a light on for Phil. He's a special guy.

BTW, arguments never bothered me. They're part of life, part of any active forum.

OK, back to work.

Quoted from Grandma Bear Khamanna deleted her account and where is Ray?

Oh, I'm lurking in the shadows wondering why Jeff is telling James to "go down".

I... just really... don't...


Lettuce discuss Phil some more.
Please.
I've got disturbing images to blot out of my imagination's eyes.


Nah.
Not really.
They're quite amusing, actually.


PHIL!!!
Where are you, Phil?!



Ya'll wait here, I'm going to go see if he fell down in the well.
Anyone seen Lassie?

Quoted from Dreamscale Ray has been on and off the boards lately...mostly off.  Not sure why.

I'm just dodgey that way.

HaHa...funny, Ray. I didn't tell James to go down, but said if he is going to go down, he may as well go down swinging.

We miss you, Ray.  As hard as that may be to comprehend, it's true, at least for me.

Hope to see you round more often...

Dogglebe was an anchor.

I wonder how many people have not had days when they felt like leaving? I know I have. Some days it just feels tiring, but I'm still here...

Quoted from cloroxmartini Dogglebe was an anchor.

I agree. And not only Phil, but many others who don't even know their worth. Ghost and Khamma and Kevin, (Leitskev) sorry if I ruined the spelling-- and where are you, Death Monkey? ...

...loads of intelligent people around here. And yes, I understand how everyone gets their feathers in a prickle because of this or that, but somehow, we need to get over that.

The most important thing on Simplyscripts is YOU!!! G-d dammit anyways, but without YOU, we are just a bunch of hopeless souls.

Simplyscripts is only Simplyscripts with "The Group"-- together and unified with all their stupid complaints. Simplyscripts is not any one of us. It's ALL off us, together

Without your company, we are sadly lacking. And when we're sadly lacking, we really-- suck the big banana.

Please stick around. Even though we very well might be the worst of the worst.

Sandra

All I know is that Phil is awesome, and when people are ravaged by bullets from a sawed-off shotgun held by a mad polar bird, we'll know who got him to leave.

--Julio

Whatever his reasons, it is doubtful Phil left due to any sort of board antics. I've come and gone over the years, but I've always checked in to see how things were going whether I posted or not. Remember that these boards are completely public and you do not need an account to read what goes on. Sometimes, life commands your attention, and the real world (sorry, kids) is far more important than the one in here. I would love to be able to spend all my time reading scripts, writing stuff, and just perusing every thread. But I do other stuff. I've been married 12 years and have 3 children and a job that keeps increasing my workload. When I started on SS, I had 2 very young children, and a job that was a joke on time. My most prolific posting time was during that job. Life changed, and so did my patterns of posting and writing. Then I moved from just scripts to shooting a couple things, writing books, etc. That on top of my current job makes hanging out here difficult.

Phil was very intelligent and had a more level head than he put forth sometimes. Life probably just caught up to him somehow, and it became necessary to focus on something else. We know how much he was here, so in order to maintain whatever that focus was, he had to remove his account. It's hard to post when you can't. And you can't, it's easier to do whatever it is you need to do. I know nothing on these boards would ever make me leave. It would be something external.

Phil, I wish you the best in whatever you're up to your neck in. I hope it works out for the best, and as you can well see on here, you'll be missed.

...and again today.

Anyone heard from Phil, yet?

I just got back from looking down the well.
Nu'n'.
Just some creepy little girl with long black hair.

Hooray 4 Phil!

TY, Pia.  ;)