There's a difference between stirring things up and what this has become. I don't like what this has become, and that it's a daily thing. Also, I never did anything to anyone who didn't have it coming in some way. The ban I received was tenuous at best, and my attempt to reach out and discuss an appeal was met with silence. I was furious at the time, but what lead me to swallow it was that at some point, you have to follow through and do what you say you will, or lose all respect. I had been warned probably a dozen or so times, and they had to follow through with it.
The BSG article hit and I was gleeful, absolutely ecstatic to watch everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off, and this new presumptuous mod making a right feckin' arse out of himself within the very first day of his tenure. It caused all this though. Now, without the power to see what the alternate timeline would have been, I can only speculate. Perhaps the article caused what it did and we needed what we got, but maybe not. It does bother me that it seemed like Dark was very bias at the time regarding the Walter situation. It also causes me to think what other things were swept under the rug, if any. You know those types of people who live sloppy, and clean up real quick before company are expected? They do the dishes real quick, and shove things into every little hidey hole they can, and their place looks presentable? That could have been what was going on. We just don't know. What we have now is things coming to light and decisions being made and disagreements and drama every day. I say it's a new regime and not a good one.
Now comes the part where things become unpleasant for me, because I really did not want to be the one to say this, but I think people who pay attention to the way things have been going lately will see it for themselves, and so I will not be stating anything new to those people. We have a situation where essentially the head admin is incompetent. He is indecisive, and relies on others to swing him around to their own ways of thinking, but then goes back on it. Aaron is not administrative material, perhaps moderator material, but in a role where he had a job to do and just did that job within established parameters. You can't have a personality like that have the power to promote other admins, demote them, or even weigh in on important decisions. With him being able to be blown along with wherever everyone else is headed, that is the same to me as if you take away one vote. But, instead, that vote still counts, so it's potentially harmful. The way I see it is that if you can't arrive at a decision via your own means, you should not have the power to influence things. If all of your decision making potential rests with the persuasiveness of your colleagues, you become ineffectual, but with the power to still do harm. Now, I have no problem with Aaron personally, I don't even know him. So to me, it feels like I'm fighting dirty, just sucker punching someone right out of no where, but it had to be said, because we're dealing with something that arose due to incompetence.
So let's take a look at our administrators. Two in absentia for an unknown period of time. One incompetent, indecisive individual. One radical power hungry individual who lets their politics interfere with their decision-making process, and who has the skill needed to manipulate the others. And one who has publicly sworn off administrating this place and who is still here anyway, and whose intent is unclear. The moderators, I'm not even sure anymore. I'd honestly have to dig to see who is still around, but one or two whom you never hear from and Carter. And, it would have been wiser to promote Carter by far, simply due to the fact that he is level-headed but also has the development chops to know what is going on with these games and so forth. suffice it to say that the team is not cohesive, at all. Even using the word team is a stretch at this point. So wouldn't it be somewhat natural for all the others to go along with whatever the fiery one said just so they didn't have to put in their two cents worth? It's certainly easier that way, and one of them seems to do that on the regular anyway. Not only that, but with it suggested multiple times that things are slow on the list (which it seems absurd to me that people still use email lists, I mean use whatsapp or telegram ffs) can you really and truly say that everyone is in support of an idea. For instance, how are votes counted if no vote has been submitted by an individual, or do you wait for everyone to vote (which seems like it could take ages). Generally it would make sense if someone did not declare their affirmation or condemnation of an idea that they are counted as an abstention. So, there are some gray areas here.
Now, why am I continuing to write posts like this? I can assure you all that it is not to stir things up. There are more effective ways to do that. When you come right down to it, this forum is the venue that has the most reach, is well-established, has the user base, and has the game DB. So saying just make another one, it sounds easy, but it is not. I don't know what will happen to this place honestly. I can say this though, it'll only get worse if things with the staff remain as they are now. People are going to keep on as they are, this whole grand notion of a community just stepping up and being better is nonsense and will not happen. Jayde will continue and his power will grow larger and unchecked, which it isn't even now. He will continue to sweet talk the others into larger and larger feats of dictatorship until he is the head admin, and everyone else answers to him. For this forum to get back to the way it was, he needs to go, and Aaron needs to go back to moderator where his scope is limited.
That said, I don't see anyone coming to their sense any time soon, and now that Jayde has tasted the delectable essence of power, he'll never voluntarily give it up. so, as I wrote in the other thread, we either have to deal with things as they are, or leave, because they will not be changing and only will be getting worse.
Facts with Tom MacDonald, Adam Calhoun, and Dax
End racism
End division
Become united