# Furious and Shocked!!!



## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

I am just livid right now... Mother Earth News has done a switcheroo with editors, so I got a new one today. My previous editor was SO sweet and helpful, and was very gentle about mentioning a possible mistake that I might have made. We worked together beautifully and I just loved her.

Well, this new editor sent me an e-mail today, and without so much as a "Hello", she lambasted me!!! I got called a liar and ignoramus for saying that the dam of my new doeling is milking almost 20 lbs. per day. Which, the doe IS milking that much!! She's an awesome doe with incredible bloodlines, but this new editor is saying that I must know absolutely nothing about Nubians, since according to her they only give 1/2 gallon a day. :hair: 

But it gets better: She tore me down for bottle feeding my kids, for buying my doeling when she's only 3 weeks, she says I'm obviously a gross beginner in the goat world, I should think about finding a mentor to teach me about goats, and to top it off, she claims that I'm contributing to the trash heap of misinformation, and am misleading people. :shocked: 

At the end of the scathing e-mail, she announced that she is taking my publishing power (I used to be able to publish my own posts when I finished them), and if she feels that anything I write is inaccurate, or false, she will either rewrite my post, or delete it altogether. :veryangry: :veryangry: 

Guys, I've written over 1,300 posts here on TGS. After all this time, have I really been unwittingly contributing to a trash heap of lies to y'all??? I was so dumbfounded when I read her long-winded e-mail that I literally sat in my chair trembling from head to toe with anger and shock. I've received a lot of flack from my writing over at MEN, but this is the worst yet! I replied with a very polite and professional response, although I was really wanting to bust out the swords and challenge her to a duel. Winner is deemed more knowledgeable about goats. I inherited a very fiery Irish temper that even scares me when my fury is up. Ooooooh, to be able to reply to folks in the same manner that they've spoken to me! I'd give 'em blood and vinegar that they wouldn't forget for awhile!!!

There I go again... It really is no fun to always reply to scathing remarks with a gentle and kind attitude. Shucks, they can say whatever they want, but I have to watch my tongue? Methinks the scales aren't balanced. Grrr.

So this is my rant... Thanks for reading this far. Normally I can handle the flack, but this was altogether too much. If she continues to be so horrid then I will quit writing for MEN. It's not worth it to me to be constantly fighting with my editor. I want my old one back... :sigh:


----------



## GingersMaMa (Aug 4, 2011)

I'm so sorry you were disrespected    Some people can be a Hiney ( can I say that on here ?  ) that's why I like TGS :greengrin: :greengrin: :thumb: We're here for ya ! :grouphug:


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Oh...my...word!! She's a nut. Who is her boss and why did they switch editors?
Whoever has her on editing needs a talking to. She has no business doing editing at all.

Whatever you do...get all your anger and frustration out so you can have a clear head before you reply or talk to whoever put her on editing. It will make you look good if you handle it in a very calm, mature manner. I'd quit the position before I had this gal edit my writing. I won't put up with people like this though. :veryangry: Keep your chin up...you're not wrong at all. :hug:


----------



## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

:GAAH: :hair: :angry: :veryangry: @ Miss Editor

:grouphug: :hug:  :lovey: to you.


----------



## Mandara Farm (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree with what others have said -- keep your cool in dealing with this person. Find out who her boss is and request to speak with them. I would definitely forward that email to her superiors. Even if you were incorrect, which you aren't, but even if you were, her response to you is extremely unprofessional and unacceptable. Her boss will see that if they read her email to you. I hope you dont allow this person to change your writing or your message. You definitely need to stand for yourself here, and not allow this person to trash your work. You're absolutely correct about what you're writing! And there are a lot of folks on this forum who will attest to that, not only here but to MEN as well. Keep your chin up and do what you need to do. You've come way too far to let one nutcase shut you down! 

:hug:


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Oh man!  You would have to be an angel not to lose your temper! But I agree, your response to this will prove your level of maturity.


> There I go again... It really is no fun to always reply to scathing remarks with a gentle and kind attitude. Shucks, they can say whatever they want, but I have to watch my tongue? Methinks the scales aren't balanced. Grrr.


The scales ARE balanced. Her unkindness will come back on her own head in the form of broken friendships and loneliness.


----------



## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

KW Farms said:


> Who is her boss and why did they switch editors?


 Her boss is MEN's top editor; the gal who runs the the whole magazine. Everyone basically answers to the top editor, but below her is Heidi, the assistant editor, who USED to be MY editor! I went down a notch to a smaller editor! Everyone got switched around because they're trying to match blog topics to editors who are familiar with each topic. And this new gal was the only one who has experience with goats, but she sold her herd off years and years ago! :doh: I'll wait a little while before sending in a complaint, and if I do, it'll go right to Heidi. But I don't think I'll get much support from the editorial team, seeing as this new lady works right there with them, and I'm simply a writer whom they've never met. Heidi doesn't know much about goats, so she'll go by whatever this new editor tells her. But if my new editor doesn't lay off the nastiness I'll complain on the grounds of being treated unfairly and rudely. Heidi wants me to stick around, but this new lady wants me to get lost.


----------



## Mandara Farm (Sep 12, 2010)

Hang in there, and best of luck! :hug:


----------



## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

Oh Caitlyn!
I'm so sorry! :hug: :shocked:  That horrible person! :veryangry: :angry: :veryangry: 
If you need people to back up your writing and information you know you have all of us here! I would certainly forward the e-mail to her boss if she doesn't let you write what you know to be true.... and if things don't get cleared up, quit. You deserve so much better than that! :hug: Oh I am so mad!
M.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am so sorry.... that is terrible.... :hug: ray:


----------



## mommaB (Oct 1, 2009)

First off, sorry this lady is so RUDE!!! I don't know what I would do if I were you?? I'm kind of a hot head so.....

I think you should definitely stick to your guns! Pull up the research from sources other than yourself. SHOW this new editor that she is the [email protected]$$!!! Don't let her push you around. ESPECIALLY when you know your info is correct!! SHE is the one who is misinformed!!! Now I'm mad for ya!! :veryangry:


----------



## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

If Heidi and the top editor are - how should I say this - worth their salt, ie good, professional people, they should look past the issue of whether or not what you wrote was correct (which I've NO DOUBT it was) to the way it was written and how rudely you were treated. 

Say the word and the editor's inbox will be full of glowing reports of you from all of us here, dearie.  :hug: <3


----------



## ~Rose~ (Feb 24, 2012)

I am so sorry you were treated in such away. I was told Nubians give just under a gallon a day. I think the individual goat will do what god intends for it.


----------



## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

.:Linz:. said:


> Say the word and the editor's inbox will be full of glowing reports of you from all of us here, dearie.  :hug: <3


Awwww. :hug: :hug: :hug: That smooths my ruffled feathers just knowing I have friends who would be willing to help me if I need it. You guys blow me away time and time again. :grouphug:



~Rose~ said:


> I am so sorry you were treated in such away. I was told Nubians give just under a gallon a day. I think the individual goat will do what god intends for it.


Rose, I think it's typical for an average goat to give the amount you stated. The top quality goats who are bred to give more, will -- surprise! -- give more! This lady was totally putting a blanket statement on the breed.

This new editor hasn't e-mailed me back yet, and I don't know if she will until I submit my next post (which will be tomorrow or Friday... Joy.). Hopefully she and I can find some way to coexist. I have caused some serious uproars from readers over a couple of my posts (the barrage was impressive, to say the least), but I refuse to back down if I KNOW that what I'm writing is the truth. If I find, or someone else finds, that I am wrong in a particular area, then I will do what's necessary to make amends. But I've combed through my posts, and I don't see anything that needs fixing. My sense of humor is slowly catching up with me, so hopefully next time she e-mails I will be able to laugh instead of fume. It CAN be rather funny to see someone's wonked opinions... But by golly was I mad this morning... There are two things in life that will make me mad (everything else will just annoy): When I am unjustly accused of something, and when someone bad mouths raw milk. Consider yourself forewarned. :wink:


----------



## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

Because I really can't resist.... This is a copy/paste excerpt from my new editor's e-mail. I have in no way changed any of the wording:



> Your post today raised some red flags for me. You mention that the breeder you're buying from says the dam of your new doeling is milking 2.5 gallons of milk a day and hasn't reached her peak yet. This is either an error or an outright misstatement. My best milker gave just over a gallon a day and she was a 5* doe (her maternal forebears had earned a milking star for high production for 5 generations before her).
> 
> So I checked the American Dairy Goat Association's record books and this is what it said: A doe giving 2.5 gallons of milk a day is producing 20 pounds of milk (8 lbs per gallon) per day. The American Dairy Goat Association says its *best* Nubian doe, by testing, gave 4320 pounds of milk over a 305-day lactation. That's 14 pounds per day, or under 2 gallons. The *average* milk production for Nubians is only 1421 pounds over 305 days, and that's 4 pounds, or about ½ gallon, per day. It's just virtually impossible that your breeder has a miracle doe who's giving more than the ADGA's record-holding doe.
> 
> I think for now, the best course is to return publishing power to me, so that I can be confident that the information you're conveying is accurate.


----------



## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

Sorry this is happening! For what it is worth--I love what you write and have been enchanted when I looked at your blog.

Some people are what the other poster said.....a hiney..... :ROFL: 

You keep on writing girl-let that ole stuffy editor critque away. No bother to you :thumb: You will do fine :thumbup:


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

> Your post today raised some red flags for me. You mention that the breeder you're buying from says the dam of your new doeling is milking 2.5 gallons of milk a day and hasn't reached her peak yet. This is either an error or an outright misstatement. My best milker gave just over a gallon a day and she was a 5* doe (her maternal forebears had earned a milking star for high production for 5 generations before her).
> 
> So I checked the American Dairy Goat Association's record books and this is what it said: A doe giving 2.5 gallons of milk a day is producing 20 pounds of milk (8 lbs per gallon) per day. The American Dairy Goat Association says its *best* Nubian doe, by testing, gave 4320 pounds of milk over a 305-day lactation. That's 14 pounds per day, or under 2 gallons. The *average* milk production for Nubians is only 1421 pounds over 305 days, and that's 4 pounds, or about ½ gallon, per day. It's just virtually impossible that your breeder has a miracle doe who's giving more than the ADGA's record-holding doe.
> 
> I think for now, the best course is to return publishing power to me, so that I can be confident that the information you're conveying is accurate.


Most of that is politely worded, but...
Her logic is faulty. If, as she says, it is true that the best Nubian's _average_ daily production was under two gallons, then certainly she (or another excellent milker, such as your doeling's dam) would give more than that at some point during her lactation.


----------



## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

^Aye, this is the politely worded part. I didn't see any reason to add the language excerpts...


----------



## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

A thought I had while I was drifting off to sleep, so I'm not sure how lucid/logical it is, but... wasn't Summer one of quads? Wouldn't that alone be a reason for her dam to produce more? Her body was prepared to feed four babies!


----------



## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

> Well, this new editor sent me an e-mail today, and without so much as a "Hello", she lambasted me!!! I got called a liar and ignoramus for saying that the dam of my new doeling is milking almost 20 lbs. per day. Which, the doe IS milking that much!! She's an awesome doe with incredible bloodlines, but this new editor is saying that I must know absolutely nothing about Nubians, since according to her they only give 1/2 gallon a day.


I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. Well this NEW editor you have needs their head examined! My current best milker is giving 2 gallons a day and she does not even come from the bloodlines you would expect it from! Oh and if I had a Nubian that only gave 1/2 a gallon to a gallon they would be sold because they would not fit into my program here. If you need any other goat people/breeders to put in their two cents in a polite manner just let us know. Oh and a side note there are some people that have not put their herds through LA's. I know I have not yet but plan to after my 8*M line doelings get older and producing. Let us know if they change their tune.

One thing to remember is when in the sand box try to play nice. . . if all else fails throw sand in their eyes :shades:


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

> ^Aye, this is the politely worded part. I didn't see any reason to add the language excerpts...


Oh.


----------



## Mandara Farm (Sep 12, 2010)

How great that your sense of humor is 'catching up with you' -- I have every confidence that in no time, this new editor will be eating out of your hand :laugh: And if not, well... as Linz said, you just say the word and her inbox will be overflowing with emails from all of us here backing you up.


----------

