Following is an email exchange without including the author's name:

Subject: Latest show. (Bits and Pieces)

Hey vanehale

First of all i like to say that i love your show. I'm listening to your podcasts for a couple of weeks now from the Netherlands. You generally have great show. I do got one comment about your latest show. If you so completely devastate and show the insanity of the comments some of your more colorful callers make you might discourage them from calling. Generally you have some great comic relief in your shows by callers making a complete fool of themselves by making very predictable and unfounded comments. If you discourage them as much as you do you might have to look for those entertaining breaks somewhere else. So maybe you shouldn't be so hard of them. They are just comedians in training

Then again, maybe it wouldn't be too bad if they didn't call. :-). Keep up the great work and i'm looking forward to new podcasts to be added.

My Response:

I have three callers who present a problem for me. My position has always been to accept calls regardless of the person's point of view. These three callers, however, seem intent upon monopolizing my program. The one is determined to spend his time mis-stating my views, refusing to allow me to respond and calling me a very long list of names. My program is about Mormon history, doctrine, scripture and controversy, not this sort of childish banter. This caller's disciple calls in to attempt to lend support. Another calls in with the most wild points and when I ask him for a source, he gives a vague reference which always turns out to be false.

I have received a lot of criticism for allowing them to participate. Most comments I have received suggest the time could be better spent. I have decided to curtail the length of time I allow them, but I am not prepared to change my 27 year long policy of inviting callers regardless of their point of view. I hope I can deal with this in such a way as to be bearable.