I’m deeply sorry, guys.

I know our relationship has been damaged throughout the last months by pointless disagreements but I do want you to understand I have always done what I considered was Best for the contest and the competition.

When I wanted to end Bait an Oscar a few months ago it was not because I had developed negative feelings about it or by lazyness; it was because I knew nobody would be able to provide you with the service you all deserved and were used to.

On the contrary, I love the contest a lot and I’m more than flattered by the passionate and loyal following it has built since I created it back in 2006.

We were fine, I guess, while I had our Oscar Igloo backup server active but now that it’s gone; I’m afraid I am as helpless as you are right now when it comes to having the baits posted.

I want you all to know I have always complied with my obligations, if a couple of times “later” than usual according our tacit, but never official, standards: the pages for this month’s baits are already created by me and I’m just waiting, like all of you, for the AC editor to publish them. As I support Clayton Davis, and I understand the job becomes extremely overwhelming most of the time; I can only express my apologies for all these inconveniences on our team’s behalf.

I’m hoping the baits get published soon and I’m also hoping this isn’t the end of our experience. If it has to finish this way, I’m once again sorry. We will all need to wait for confirmation from our editor.

If you want to continue our tradition, please be aware the Bait an Oscar concept belongs to yours truly and I would not support or acknowledge any attempt to plagiarize it. You are more than welcome to create/innovate a concept of your own if we, the AC team, need to put Bait an Oscar on hold.

Once again, I’m sorry for all the inconveniences and I’m open to your thoughts.

Thanks for posting this, Johnny. I remain optimistic on this topic, and am confident that, should Bait an Oscar get cut from the Awards Circuit, that we will be able to work out some way for the contest to continue in some form. Or maybe it won't be cut at all, and everything can continue as is now. Either way, I know that many of us are tight-knit and determined enough to keep it going.

Thanks Brian.

I am also hoping for the best and hopefully everything will be solved soon but as I stated, the contest is my legal property as all the copyrighted content published in The Oscar Igloo since it was created (only exception being the actual baits) is as well so it can't be used or reproduced without my permission as me or anyone else can't use or reproduce the baits without the authors' permission.

If I decide to re-launch the contest or create a new website in the near future (just as an example); I would consider plagiarism the existence of a concept I copyrighted in 2006.

I would have no objection to a separate, distinctive concept though.

You've clearly heard talks of us starting our own site, in order to preserve the contest. Your humble apology and frankness is much appreciated and sincere. Maybe, it's not my place to speak out. I believe it is. In the past, we, as a community have questioned, enquired and theorized over much of what goes on in the contest and in the community. Never was any of our intent to hurt the contest, but actually to see it thrive and grow. These gestures, some bad, some good didn't change the fact that we are a community and it is in our nature to speak out. That is why the forum was created and a link to the chat was placed. There are ways to go about doing things and maybe disrespect played a big role in the actions that have taken place. These actions led us to believe that you do not care for the contest and would hope to soon wipe your hands of it, rather than ensuring it's preservation. You bound us with new rules that are in contrast to the rules you've set on the main page. I'm sure there are just reasons for your decisions whether it's quality or length, but the hypocracy flag waves high when we read "the skies the limit" and that adds to our suspection that you want to cripple us for speaking out. In the past 2 months, our agitation grows and grows while I'm sure yours does too, reading our comments and our at-ease discussions in the chatroom. We put in hard work to write a great bait in hopes to see it displayed on a winners page, (that is no more) that the film-buff world would be proud of. All these things add up to the talks of moving the contest to our own site when clearly it is something you want nothing to be a part of. I'm not sure of what Clayton's interests are in the contest or your relationship with him in terms of this contest goes but we were left high and dry this month and I hope you see that these talks and aspirations for a new site for the contest under our control would be understandable.

It was never anyone's question in these talks of a new site to not credit its creator. We just assumed you didn't care about it anymore. Your talks of copyrighting and legalities pretty much assures me you want to be a part of it or not be slighted of it's successor.

If a new site was proposed and constructed, it would be ideal for you to help spearhead this new site and accept contributions we are willing to make, because apart from all our negativety towards eachother these past months, the main focus has been improving the contest and making it special. We have a lot of creative minds wanting to put in the effort and we have a lot of aspirations. If Clayton would like to keep the contest here, I hope he puts in the effort it deserves. This is your baby and I think you would rather see it thrive than meander about, unwatched. I think these concerns are valid and understandable, considering all that has happened. Thank you for your post and hopefully we can continue this contest.

I whole-heartedly agree with DW on this topic. As an author who has been around since almost the beginning, I have witnessed the contest go through many changes, I have seen other baiters come and go and I have watched everyone come together within this great community. You are the creator of this contest and for doing so, I thank you. I have had a lot fun taking part in it, and hope to be able to continue to do so in the future. Many of the authors, myself included, feel that this contest is a community effort now. This was proven recently by everyone's willingness to give donations of both time and money in order to keep the contest alive. We are an extremely dedicated group that want nothing more than to see this contest become the absolute best that it possibly can be. And I sincerely do hope that, if Bait an Oscar cannot continue with Awards Circuit, you will join and support, even if only in spirit, the people who have grown to love this contest that you created in keeping it alive. As one of the most prolific baiters on this site, even if all things I have written haven't been exactly baity, I want to express my sincere thanks for creating this contest. It has been an outlet for my creativity, as it has been for many others, for over two years now and I will volunteer to do everything I possibly can to make sure this contest continues to thrive. Any help I can give, I am more than willing.

I'm glad we can just get an open and honest statement presented here. I for one back this contest no matter what the occasion may be and I only want to see it thrive like it did before. I have no idea if Clayton even has any interest in the contest, but if it needs be that we branch off into our own zone, I would love to help with the process any way I can. I just hope something concrete can be decided soon so this trouble can pass.

Sands of Mars
Nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress (Natalie Portman)
Now Playing in the Awards Circuit

Thank you all for your responses. I havent heard from Clayton till this moment so I guess this means you have greenlight to post the baits on a blog right now while I evaluate our long term choices.

Hey Johnny,
I send you an e-mail concerning the blog.

Thanks.