The Dump Button

We need to bring the dump button back.

I have always been a fan of local talk radio, even since high school. Sometimes, I would secretly call in and debate the hosts. I dreamed of one day being on that side of the microphone.

Years later, that dream came true. After calling into a program one day and connecting with the host, I was invited on that show as a guest. Soon I became a guest host on several call-in shows in South Florida. It was a blast. There was also a lot to learn.

Those talented folks made it look easy. One day while in the studio, one of the producers showed me all the technical aspects of the show, which I would need to be aware of.

He looked at me and said, “Now, this button is critical.” His emphasis on the word “critical” got my attention. He said, “We call this the ‘Dump’ button.” He explained to me that the program was on a seven-second delay. That short delay allowed the host or the producer to hit that button if a caller said something inappropriate, off-color, or that would get the station in trouble with the FCC.

Over my brief career as a guest host, I had to use that button and observed others using it too.

That was years ago, before the internet became a thing and before social media consumed our lives. With social media, there’s no magic button to press! Even if you realize you posted something that you likely shouldn’t have, someone already has a screenshot before you can take it down, making matters worse.

The only alternative for us in today’s world of instantaneous communication is to be our own editor and let our words sit for a bit before we hit post/publish or push them out to an email list. It’s not a perfect world, and we’ve all said things that were better left unsaid. Sometimes it’s wise to delay what we want to say.