Response to CCOA's dig on HBGames staff on Spongen

[Guest]

;D

 

[Ellie]

I'd like to apologize for saying what I said. It was a reaction to something I'd just learned, and it wasn't well thought out at the time. I'm sorry, Wyatt.

On the other hand, this has nothing to do with an old grudge (which is against certain people, not a site), but rather about things I learned from other people who had experienced the site directly, under the new management. I don't "hate" HB Games, I simply do not believe I would be comfortable here given what I learned of the place.

I think sophist is merely trying to make a point that labelling people as "hbgames staff" is something that really needs to stop. Considering Zeriab and Guardian are regulars at Spongen, and people like Tindy, Dadevster, or Regi - who I strongly doubt have ever done anything the least bit controversial or wrong are added to the same group - I just find it incredibly unfair a label.

As to this being posted here, well, I agree that it should be posted somewhere. Probably not announcements but where else would it go?

On the other hand, this has nothing to do with an old grudge (which is against certain people, not a site), but rather about things I learned from other people who had experienced the site directly, under the new management. I don't "hate" HB Games, I simply do not believe I would be comfortable here given what I learned of the place.

We have a feedback forum.

We always have had a feedback forum.

We always will have a feedback forum.

If something bad is going on, and I don't know what events you are referring to so listen to this next bit, you need to actually let us know otherwise what are we supposed to do about it?

What have you "learned about the place"? Who experienced the site directly? What about the new management is wrong?

Is it something I've done, something sophist has done, something brew has done, something a tech admin has done, something perihelion, zeriab, or dadevster has done, something a moderator has done?

Is it a problem with a general policy of the site?

Is it a rules problem?

Is it something to do with the mainsite?

Is it something to do with our recent thing of trying to make friends with people we were formerly squabbling with?

Is it because our chat room is not really a part of the forums and rather a seperate entity with different people?

Is it because we are too professional, or not professional enough?

 

[Ellie]

I mean, the top post is merely a response to what everyone keeps saying about .org and I don't see a single problem with it - other than perhaps the naming of one of the people who's said the staff are bad.

Perhaps the quote needs to be taken out and the name taken out and replaced with a generic quote, but it would still be the same post and it would still be 100% true.

I honestly think our staff at the moment are the least corrupt, most honest, nicest and least likely to cause a ruckus of any staff this site has ever had.



I've said it before and I will say it again:

If you have a problem with .org please say it. Feedback forum. Staff private messages. Anything. Please :| It's pretty obvious that some people have a problem, as I've seen countless people saying the same things, the staff are corrupt etc etc etc, but I don't know what the hell they are talking about and when I ask them, they can never name me any cases and I just sit there racking my brains trying to think of something we've done in the past few weeks that might have given us a bad reputation.

Which is why it always leads back to "oh it must still be the treg stole the kingdom business". If you don't tell us otherwise what else are we supposed to think?

 

[ccoa]

But you also don't need to talk about it while you're gone.

I really hope I don't have to point out the irony of that statement.

Frankly, my conscience is clean. I've apologized publicly and privately to the people involved. I've taken down the offending statement.

I was considering attending the get-together, talked to four or five people about it, and learned that, from their perspectives, this was not a pleasant place. If they wanted to give you feedback on it, I'm sure they would have. It's not my place to do so in their stead. I was angry on their behalf and posted from that anger, and have apologized for it, but I'm not going to publicly castigate myself to make you feel better. And, honestly, the fact that this thread exists tells me a great deal about how this site is run.

You are free to think otherwise. You are free to love this site. You are not free to tell me that I can't have an opinion on it. Personally, I hadn't thought about this place at all until yesterday, and I plan to return to that state immediately upon posting this. Good day and happy RMing.

 

[Ellie]

Your opinions are appreciated but think about this from our point of view, please.

What are we supposed to do?

People are spreading hate of the site without letting us know. How can we improve if they don't tell us? I don't even know who the offended people in this case are. You're welcome to have an opinion about the site, but please, don't get too upset if somebody replies to that opinion with their opinion or asking why you have such an opinion.

We are all friends here right? Or rather, we all used to be. The only reason I didn't go to Spongen in 2007 was I never caught the link. We are not your enemies and we are not trying to be, but please, if you say we have done something wrong, then be polite tell us when we ask you what that is. It's only fair and problems can't be solved if they are never brought out into the open :/

 

[Perihelion]

Yeah, I also don't think this thread needed to be posted. I know you guys are just trying to get the record straight, but posting a response here to something that was posted on SponGen just has the tendency to kick up more forum-related drama, which I know is the last thing everyone involved wants. I know you guys mean well, but sometimes you have a hard time letting things go. I mean, as justified as defending ourselves may be, continuing to press the point was unlikely to be productive. The entire issue should've been dropped after it became clear that ccoa and her friends weren't interested in visiting us.

Ccoa, I agree with Wyatt that posting constructive criticism would be appreciated, and there are a lot of people here who would read it carefully and take it to heart, but you're under no obligation to do so. But I encourage you to at least tell your friends that we are interested in fixing the problems people have with us, and they're free to PM Wyatt or another admin or even me any time they want. It's really unfortunate that this whole event just ended up dragging up bad feelings again, but, well, it's done now. I hope any future interactions you may have with us will be more positive.

 

[Ellie]

I'm going to lock this because this should never have escalated like this.

This was badly handled on our end and an apology is at hand but still. Everyone said this would happen if we tried to reach out to the people who left us. Hell, it's essentially going to people who we know don't like us and saying "please like us for a second". They left, they won't be coming back, that's fair enough, and the past should be left in the past.

With regards to the whys and the whats we're discussing them and for the most part the problem is the type of community we are. And that will never change, so reaching out to people who left because of that isn't going to do anything at all. Sorry.

I do however agree with comments about the quality of feedback in Projects. We do deeply discourage the kind of posts that are flared up, and they are dealt with warns and so on, but we either need more moderators in projects or for more people to use the report system.