You know, Gus, I've been working really hard to get a book published. It's my dream, and I work on it all night until my eyes hurt and my wrists ache.

And I'm really nervous about how it will be received, or even if it's worthy of publishing. I'm aware that if I'm fortunate enough to find an agent, and even more fortune to see it published, that I'll probably get some pretty cringe-worthy criticism.

But as a person who posts here, who is a member of the community, I expect that my friends, the people who call themselves Buffistas, will encourage me and hope and pray for the best, because they're my little electronic family and they will of course cheerlead for me. The way I cheerlead for them.

Now, when I send something out for beta reading, I expect and demand complete honesty, because I think my friends would want to encourage me in a helpful way, and don't want to fill me with confidence about subpar work.

And I imagine that since Tim is a Buffista, he expects no less, or more from anyone here. As a member of the community, I encourage him, and cheerlead, and do the Go Tim Go thing. I know he's got talent oozing from his soul out to his fingertips.

And when his show comes out for the big beta test, I'll greet it with the same honesty I expect from him or anyone else here. If he writes something that blows, I'll say so. If he writes something that makes me clap and hoot, I'll say so, too.

But until it comes out for beta test, I'll not come here and tell him what he's done sounds like it's a stale copycat based on an ad he didn't put together. I'll watch what he's done from beginning to end and make a judgement based on what he's given me, not what the marketing people have cut together.

If I went into Great Write and everyone there said, "hey Allyson, what you're doing sounds like a weak version of Sedaris, and that's been done and done and done again, you're going to have to really step up to the podium to impress me," I'd think, "who the fuck are you? You've read an assload of my writing, it's always entertained you before, can't you just read my manuscript before discouraging me based on a three sentence description of this work?"

I think you're better served puffing up your chest and criticizing what you haven't seen based on 30 seconds of evidence at TWoP.

I think a little respect for a very long standing member of this community is warranted. He's not steered you wrong before, he's always been kind to everyone here and has answered some brutal criticism with interest and respect.

I think you're being incredibly rude right now. I don't know why you think it's okay to make weird demands of Tim, as if he somehow owes you.

He doesn't owe any of us anything. We'll either like his stuff enough to watch, or we won't and we'll go out for a Dairy Queen Blizzard at 9 on Wednesdays.

And if you watch and and don't like it, by all means, say why. But do it with the respect you'd give Hec if you didn't like a book he wrote and was seeking feedback.

I get what you are saying, Allyson.

My perception differs, a bit. My perception is that Buffistas will hold your feet to the fire until you give up the raw truth.

It don't make us popular with the creators. Their feet, after all, are on fire.

We want more.

Cancel that.

I want more. Tim can deliver more.

But how do you know what Tim has or has not delivered since you haven't actually seen anything?

Tim can deliver more.

More than what? We haven't seen anything yet. Tim's particular strengths (I think) have to do with narrative structure and directing. That's just not going to come across in a 30-second ad. I mean, what would a commercial for "Out of Gas" or "Are You Now..." look like? Not exemplifying Tim's gifts. 'Cuz he ain't about the soundbite.

So, my premise remains: the promos are to intrigue the people who don't know who Tim Minear is. The fundamental premise of the show is broad enough (and seemingly well-cast enough) to support any number of Minearvian stories. Tim does dark. Tim does noir. This'll work.

I do not know what Tim has delivered, beyond the teasers.

Teasers are crafted by the network, in ways that horrify the creators.

I am just giving my honest appraisal based on the teasers. There may be some congruent appraisal among the great unwashed, or there may not.

I am just giving my honest appraisal based on the teasers.

Which is fine, but I'm going to have to bust your logic. Tim is not responsible for teasers. You expect more from Tim. Tim has probably delivered that something more (or so I believe) but we can't really tell one way or the other from the teasers.

So, your expectation is based on something Tim didn't do. You should be snarking at the network teaser-maker-people.

Mind, Tim has taken his fair share of criticism here and with good grace. Ahh, how well I remember the snarking over he got over "Billy." It's not like a criticism free zone.

Ahh, how well I remember the snarking over he got over "Billy."

I really like "Billy."

I'm just saying.

I remember Firefly marketed as a zany romp through space with Smashbox's Walkin' On the Sun as the background music.

I do however think that some of the ads have been pretty good.

I am not snarking at anyone.

I am relating my experience from the teasers.

For the record: Tim is the real deal, by my lights.

He gives a fuck. I know this.

I do however think that some of the ads have been pretty good.

I think the recent ones have been intriguing.

But I think I'm a Katie Finneran loyalist now anyway.