A perspective

[The Coil]

RedDevil,

I was willing to take your concillatory comments at face value. If there's one thing I think everyone here can agree on, it's that our recent disagreements haven't helped the atmosphere here at all. While I think both of us want the Blitz to be an enjoyable place, it's clear we have our differences as to what that looks like, and I think it's fair to say we've both made it a less enjoyable place lately.

As I've told McIvan, I'm done mentioning c:censored:es. I thought the whole thing was a bit of harmless fun, and I think it's too bad that the mention of them has come to inspire such ill will. But I guess that's what it's come to.

RD, I appreciate the time you've put into making the Blitz happen. I really do. As I've said many times before, I really appreciate all the folks on the staff who contribute their time and energy to making this place run. What I think you sometimes don't appreciate is that the members have put a lot of time into the Blitz, too, and see it as their own. I know you'd like to dismiss me as a "whiner and wanker," but I'll let the time and energy I've put into writing DARs and contributing to tactics posts stand for itself. While I'd never claim to be indispensible to the site, or even a major contributor, I dare say most people here have viewed my contributions as positive. We members love this site, too, and want to see it succeed.

It feels like you think the only way to hold the message board from anarchy is "mace-swinging". I've been "moderated" much more by McIvan than you. He's deleted my posts, locked my threads, and told me to shut up more than once, and made me like it. He's always handled any issues that have cropped up with diplomacy and objectivity, often behind the scenes in such a way that many issues have been diffused before most people even knew they existed. If you've felt any disrespect from me, it's because in my view, you have publicly insulted me, ridiculed the contributions I have made here, used your position to bully those who disagree with you, and threatened to ban anyone who responds to your insults. All this while enjoining us to keep our disagreements to private messages and refrain from "slights and stabs". If you were following your own rules of conduct, I think you'd be heard with a little more authority. As you've said, it's your site, so I guess you can choose to be above the law, and need not be bound to the rules you make for members. But don't be surprised if you don't get a lot of respect for taking that position.

I'm not sure why you have felt it necessary to take this controversy to other websites. The sincerity of your first post in this thread is belied by your willingness to upset the harmony of other message boards by dragging Blitz issues there. If you really want harmony, let's let this all die, and not drag in on to see how many people we can get to take our side so we can tell ourselves "I was right, and he was a jerk".

If any disagreement with "the staff" is met with threats, insults, and a questioning of the disagreeing person's motives, I think you just create a climate of fear, where everyone is afraid to express anything that might be perceived as criticism. It might look like harmony, but it's really a frightened silence that stifles creativity and input.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents, and it's just that, my opinion on this whole mess. I'm sure many will find much to disagree with. I'm not sure anything I say is really going to be recieved well at this point, and I suppose that's partly my own fault. RD, I'm sorry if you've ever felt like I didn't value the time and energy you spend to make the Blitz run. I do. That's not incompatible with thinking some of the ways you have exercised your leadership here have been regrettable, it really isn't.

Sorry to the rest of you who've had to endure all this, although I guess nobody has forced anyone to read any of this, so you have only yourselves to blame. Quit reading stuff that that bores or annoys you, people! You have only yourself to blame! ;)