A couple of weeks ago, TaintedLove was banned not only for threatening me in IRC, but also for trolling this site for ages.
After discussions with all the moderators and admins, it seems clear that I do not have the skills needed to run a forum, nor am I any sort of a leader. Further, it seems quite clear that my dream of a small close-knit community is an impossibility and as such, I am, again... giving up this site.
Whoever wants it will have to make their own dreamhost account and speak to Duce to get everything moved over. I am so sick of being told that I'm wrong that I am not going to keep paying for a site that, apparently, I have no skills to run.
Don't give up...
Rome wasn't built in a day, man. You need to chill and try again. So you had to drop the banhammer. It's not that big a deal...
Well, I don't think you should quit, anyway...
yes, Don't give up!
I KNOW you most definitely do have the skills and are doing a VERY EXCELLENT job running this place.
so DON'T QUIT!
Quote from: FallenStar on October 28, 2009, 07:44:16 PM
being told that I'm wrong
I find that the best response to this is "
NO U". Don't even put a lot of thought into it. Just shout it out whenever someone gives undue criticism and forget the conversation happened. It's all they deserve if all they have to say is that you're not good enough.
Advice or suggestions is one thing, but don't think that personal attacks should be given the same consideration.
After 3 years on this site i still can't guess what you plan on doing next, but giving up because of this wouldn't solve anything.
I'm really sad to hear it. I think you built a fantastic community. I mean, it's the internet, and every community attracts its trolls and evildoers, but I really think this place is special. It's a friendly, open place for people with similar interests... a safe haven for those of us who feel shut out elsewhere.
It seems like an inopportune time, as well, given that the forum just got upgraded and is all shiny and nice. Still, if this is doing you more harm than good then I won't try to stop you. I've run a forum before and I can attest to the stress. It's not easy, and I for one don't blame you for giving up. I'm not going to join the chorus; I know how much work it is and how disappointing it is to spend money on something that brings you pain. Rest well, and I hope you come back some time. Until then, you'll be missed.
You've been a great admin regardless of what people might say. It's really really hard to manage a sight, especially when it comes to things like banning rules, and you shouldn't let a mistake or two determine your entire fate. I honestly believe these guys are being genuine right now. Your heart is always in the right place, isn't it? You always try to make the right call, and you usually do. Even the most professional people make mistakes every once in a while, and bans are no different.
You learn from every mistake you make, so it's just not plausible to think that you'll keep messing up forever. Besides, there's always going to be people who disagree with you, and there'll be people who agree with you. It's impossible to please everybody, so try not to worry if a few people think you had a bad idea.
Quote from: Serika on October 28, 2009, 08:45:29 PM
Quote from: FallenStar on October 28, 2009, 07:44:16 PM
being told that I'm wrong
I find that the best response to this is "NO U".
NO Us tend to work best when you're not constantly proven wrong about everything from whether or not Cyan sucks, to whether or not Superman catching someone will have the same effect as if they had been splattered on the ground, to whether or not Sony made a bad business decision in removing PS2 Backwards compatibility from the PS3.
That being said, however, I oughta do a full house clean sweep of the moderators and stack them with people like Duce and Serika. Full-on Yes-men. :lol:
Well, no, not really, but I fail to see how it's a mistake to ban someone who constantly breaks the rules of the site after giving her several warnings in IMs and IRCs. That is why, I think, I should step aside for a bit. It's been made far too clear to me that I don't understand how the world works and not understanding often begets poor decisions, which apparently, I made.
So, to prevent more mistakes of this kind, I'm sorely tempted to just stand back and let Serika, Duce, and Chang (what was so wrong with Taiki? X_X ) make most of the decisions - delegating responsibility, one would say - and just sit back and try to learn.
Quote from: B.u.S. on October 29, 2009, 10:54:15 AM
It's not a mistake to ban someone who's broken the rules and you've given them warnings each time. You're the boss of a free Internet site! Why does it matter how much criticism you get for a choice you make when you're following international law? They can't do shit to you if they get pissy, and it's their fucking fault they fucked up. They have no leg to stand on and if they keep pestering you then just keep blocking them and ignoring them. If a faceless bastard that thinks it's great to be a tough guy online to cover up their own insecurites then let them do that - if they fuck up and you ban them that's NOT YOUR FAULT! you're being the boss dude, and going into "B.u.S. Mode" isn't going to help. You've been there to pick me up when I needed it and I'm here to pick you up too :) Scratch mine and I'll scratch yours :D
And as an aside, if you're still looking for Yes-men... I'm still free :D
I'm still your biggest supporter and you've done nothing wrong as a leader. You can't please everyone, and if people don't like it - fuck them! You're the boss! If they don't like anything in your motherland site then they can sod off and make their own piss-poor second-rate pile of crap website that pales in comparison to the AWESOME you've made here :D
Mr B.u.S, you have a way with words, which I do not possess, so I'm just going to second this.
Is that what this is all about?
Let me make it simple then: You pay the bills, so you're right. You can ban everyone whose post number ends in an 8 if you want. Until everyone else starts ponying up for bandwidth costs you can set whatever bar you want.
And if this person really was a troll and breaking the site rules, then everyone who disagrees with you can screw off. Banning isn't popular, but it has to be done. In fact, you've done a hard but important job by keeping the site clean and friendly. You deserve a pat on the back, not all this consternation ^_^
Quote from: B.u.S. on October 29, 2009, 10:54:15 AM
You can't please everyone, and if people don't like it - fuck them! You're the boss! If they don't like anything in your motherland site then they can sod off and make their own piss-poor second-rate pile of crap website that pales in comparison to the AWESOME you've made here :D
I think this sums up my opinion very nicely.
But seriously dude, don't quit over this. If the guy was being a horrible member, then you had every right to ban him. If you get proven wrong a lot, then woopdie-fuckin-doo. It happens. Nobody's perfect. Besides, you're the one payin the bill and running the site, which makes you the boss. If people don't like it then fuck 'em. Let em find some other place to troll.
Quote from: packrat on October 29, 2009, 05:27:37 PM
Quote from: B.u.S. on October 29, 2009, 10:54:15 AM
You can't please everyone, and if people don't like it - fuck them! You're the boss! If they don't like anything in your motherland site then they can sod off and make their own piss-poor second-rate pile of crap website that pales in comparison to the AWESOME you've made here :D
I think this sums up my opinion very nicely.
But seriously dude, don't quit over this. If the guy was being a horrible member, then you had every right to ban him. If you get proven wrong a lot, then woopdie-fuckin-doo. It happens. Nobody's perfect. Besides, you're the one payin the bill and running the site, which makes you the boss. If people don't like it then fuck 'em. Let em find some other place to troll.
Exactly.
Your the one who is paying to host this site, its your site to run, and no-one elses.
Even if you do make mistakes, that doesn't mean you have to just give up on the site, correct them and move on. Were human, we have to make mistakes to learn
I am saying this because i honestly don't know what he did to warrent the ban, and it's none of my buisness
If he deserved it, he deserved it
You've done an amazing job bringing this community together, you have no reason to give up on it
But don't ever give up on the site, and don't ever just give it away to the first bidder, you shouldn't ever do anything like that
If anything Star, if you can't or don't want to pay for the hosting of the site anymore, you can move it to my high-performance GS hosting server for free, and i will cover all the bills for you. But you are the owner of this site, you are the one who put all your hard work into making it, and you always will be the true leader of this site. Without you, this site wouldn't even exist today.
Don't give up this site!
Mr. FallenStar/Stargazing_Wanderer/whatever your real name is:
You have done a fantastic job as head of this site. Believe me, I've been around a LOT of forums, and I've seen a LOT of bad Admins. I've seen Admins who don't give a rip about their site and leave the mods to do whatever they want. I've seen Admins who are dictatorial, tyrannical, and just plain mean. I've seen Admins who really don't know what to do, fuck up all the time, and make poor decisions. I've seen pretty much every Admin you can possibly see, and I'll tell you there are very few Admins who shape up to do a good job.
You, sir, are in that select few.
The best Admins care about their site, care about their members, do all in their power to keep the site running properly, and put time and devotion into making the community friendly and likable. Star, you've done all of those things and more in wild abandon.
However, no matter how great an Admin is, on the other side of the screen, they're still only human. I've seen some of my favorite Admins make bad decisions before (which I've disagreed with) and screw up from time to time. It goes with the job; no leader can be infallible.
But don't let one mistake dictate your ability as a leader! If all of these wonderful comments and posts aren't proof enough that you're a wonderful leader and a fantastic person, then just look around the site! You have this place running smoothly and efficiently, and probably have one of the closest-knit, kindest communities on the entirety of the internet!
I know I haven't known you for very long, and I know I'm relatively new to the site, but I have to say that you have been doing a splendid job, you have been a fantastic leader, and you're one of the best Admins I've ever seen for any site. If you'd like to talk to me about this, just drop me a PM and we can get on a chat server; remember that I'll always be here to listen.
.
Okay, Okay, I get it, I get it. :lol:
Geez, where were you people when I was being cussed out (well, not literally) for banning someone that was trolling and just generally being ugly all around the forum. :lol:
I think I'm probably going to need another SMF expert to take Doom Guard's place as I doubt he'll return to that position. He and I still talk, it's just we don't think we work well together since all this drama shit went down. =/
Either that, or I'll have to get Duce off his ass and start being on more. xD
Do like Evil Empire does and don't be worried about what people say, just do what you have to do. Rules are rules and you have a right to enforce your rules however you want.
And don't leave Star, You're a great Admin whether you think so or not. It would be a shame to lose you :crying:
Oh and Lisk... What game is that image from? I want it XD
Scoozums, I want you on my staff so I can kick your butt and have you say "Yes, sir, Mister Fallen, sir!" :lol:
No, but seriously, let it go. I have, now that I've lost Doom Guard as an SMF expert and admin. I don't know whether or not it was a good idea to have invited him in the first place - he's a great guy and all, but I never really got the feeling he was all that interested in the position. I'd be the first to admit that I "hired" him more for his SMF expertise at a time when Duce was unavailable, but I really thought that, until lately, we were working fairly well together.
Until a troll came in and practically undid the work I'd done setting up good moderators that could not only do their job but also work well together. :S
Ah well... what's done is done and it's time to move on.
I don't use SMF alot, i use MyBB, which is much better (in my opinion)
But i would love to help out Star, if you want