A disturbing trend

[dwturducken]

Is anyone else getting nervous with all the ticking when VV's around? <edges slowly back>

[emu265]

I agree with you VV, but everyone should remember that doing anyone of those things once doesn't make you a verbal abuser for life.  People lose their cool and are vulnerable to situations.  I've probably done more than I would care to admit at one point or another, but I do my best to be positive and help people. 

It's probably obvious, but I felt it worth saying to avoid any unnecessary self-depreciation or name calling.

[Victoria Victrix]

I agree with you VV, but everyone should remember that doing anyone of those things once doesn't make you a verbal abuser for life.  People lose their cool and are vulnerable to situations.  I've probably done more than I would care to admit at one point or another, but I do my best to be positive and help people. 

It's probably obvious, but I felt it worth saying to avoid any unnecessary self-depreciation or name calling.

Ticking?  <hides C4 with timer>  What ticking?

I don't call anyone on Verbal Abuse until they've proved themselves with three verbally abusive posts.  Three strikes and you're out.  Anyone can get mad and make a stupid post. 

Or as Auric Goldfinger said, "Once is happenstance.  Twice is coincidence.  Three times is enemy action."

[emu265]

Ticking?  <hides C4 with timer>  What ticking?

I don't call anyone on Verbal Abuse until they've proved themselves with three verbally abusive posts.  Three strikes and you're out.  Anyone can get mad and make a stupid post. 

Or as Auric Goldfinger said, "Once is happenstance.  Twice is coincidence.  Three times is enemy action."

Just making sure no one's getting trigger happy

[TonyV]

Part of the issue is my fault.  I'm actually trying to do two very time-intensive activities at the same time: 1) Keep everyone motivated and address negative events and posts as they come up, and 2) Drive our "Calls to Action", including coming up with ideas and executing them with relatively little pain.  And sometimes in there, get a little bit of sleep and a few meals.

I think I'm getting a bit overloaded trying to handle everything, so I'm going to start working harder to delegate some of the responsibilities for running this effort to more people.

What I need you all to do are three things mainly:  First of all, PLEASE stay respectful towards each other in the community.  I knew that we have a really diverse group here, and not everyone is going to agree with our individual thoughts and ideas.  Shoot, I'm pretty sure that even some of our most ardent supporters have at least once or twice thought that I was probably crazy.  In fact, I've posted a few things that, even at the time, *I* thought were a bit on the nutty side, but that I've honestly felt gave us our best chance at getting us what we want.  That's not to say that you have to be sugary sweet towards the trolls.  The people I most often butt heads with are the people who keep saying that what we're doing is useless and that we should just shut up and accept what's happening.  But before you go jumping down anyone's throat, even if they're being snarky, please ask yourself, "Are they honestly trying to help, even if they're a bit misguided?"  If the answer is yes, then for god's sake, don't drive them off.

Second, when I try to delegate something, if you think you can run it, PLEASE step up and volunteer.  Some things will probably be a bit on the time-consuming side.  For example, we've got NY Comic Con coming up in less than a week, and I've put WAY too little effort in coordinating that effort.  I REALLY need folks who have the initiative to come forward and say, "I can handle this, let me do it," and who will run with it with little to no supervision.  The less micromanagement I have to do, the more time I can spend writing press releases and thinking about and working on rolling out big-picture kind of efforts.  Please don't interpret that as me saying, "Don't bother me!"; if someone has questions, I'm here.  But I trust you guys a lot more that I sometimes think you trust yourselves, and the coolest stuff I think we've seen come out of this effort so far has been when other people take an idea and run with it.

Third, kind of related to the above, please don't be afraid to initiate efforts on your own.  You do not need my permission or input on something to run with an idea.  For example, the people who have been running the City Sunset forums have done so almost completely without any input on my part.  That's not a bad thing, this is exactly the kind of initiative that we need!  If you have some idea that you think will help, I certainly don't mind you pinging me and saying, "What do you think of this?"  But if I don't respond, don't take that as a sign that I hate it; it's much more likely that I'm being deluged with a bunch of stuff.  If you think it's a good idea, run with it!  Post some messages, and as soon as it makes my radar, I'll try my best to sticky it or add some comments.

Oh, and if I do add some comments, PLEASE don't take that as saying, "Wow, this idea sucks.  Let's kill it dead."  What do I look like, NCsoft?  Seriously, I know that sometimes I come off as criticizing things when my intention is only to add some thoughts to consider.  I'll try to be more aware of such thoughts and add phrases like, "I think this is a good idea, but..." to make it clear that I'm not trying to kill something, just steer it in a direction that I think might be more productive.

Anyway, please don't lose heart.  I wish that this hadn't have turned into the slog that it's become, that it had all been resolved within the first few weeks.  But hey, we still have a ways to go, and you can rest in December.    (Speaking of which, PLEASE do not get panicky as time goes on; we are also leaving open the possibility of acquiring the game after it shuts down.  Around the middle of next month, I fully expect the trolls to step up their "Ha ha, I told you so!" posts.  Don't bite, and don't let them discourage you.  These forums will continue operating, and we'll continue our efforts to make NCsoft want to sell City of Heroes.

[healix]

Tony, I think we all know what a Herculean Effort you have taken on, and bless you for that. It's good that you delegate trusted people to help in the myriad of things you are trying to do. I am ALWAYS  glad to see you post here, and let us know how you are and how things are going. It seems to me that a lot of people think 'it's over'. There are many who have stopped playing the game. This is the time we need as MANY people playing as possible, for many reasons. Your posts give us hope that one way or another, that the world we have come to love will continue. NCSoft expects us to give up. They expect the initial ferver to die down, especially if they just ignore us. We are a faceless part of their business. You are helping to keep our community banded and hopeful. Thank you for all that you do.

[Olantern]

Someone who's generally impressed me told me, "When I feel like getting angry, I remember that strangling people through the internet only gets fingerprints on your monitor."

That said, a lot of things I've seen posted lately are leading me to feel it isn't safe to post here any more unless I toe certain lines.

[Segev]

I've always been on the outskirts of most communities' popular opinions because I am...to put it mildly...highly opinionated and stubborn.

Olantern, and others who feel similarly, don't let people intimidate you into towing lines in which you disbelieve. All I really suggest is that you be polite and assume that those with whom you're talking are not rude children unworthy of anything more than a parental scolding.

Olantern, I look at you and say this: you have not been guilty of such arrogance. You've been nothing but helpful and your words of wisdom and expert knowledge have been extremely valuable to me, and doubtless to many many others on this board. I'm grateful nearly every time I see you post, even when your posts are "no, this just won't work" or "good god, men, that's ILLEGAL!" because it prevents us from making stupid mistakes.

The ones to whom I may be guilty of replying with less than cordiality are those who step in and say "shut up, go home, you guys are fools for even trying and because you aren't doing what I say you're showing how unworthy and how doomed to failure you are."

[Chaos Ex Machina]

Please minimize involvement with the Plan Z project.

Signing up should continue but I think the planning of world should emphasize that any posting is entirely brainstorming because the project is getting attacked as premature or dominated by a few.

Many of you consider the save efforts a project you have no way to get involved but I would like to say that you DO.  Please I desperately need recruits to the demorecording project.  I think plan z  can be a lot of fun so I understand the drive to contribute but right now we are desperately needing any help in any effort.  Even logging in has a beneficial effect to inspire people in the game.  Especially writers can help us convince people through letters or rally the players.  Do not think that a way to get involved is elusive to you.  Plan Z is not a way to get involved but another project.

[Victoria Victrix]

Someone who's generally impressed me told me, "When I feel like getting angry, I remember that strangling people through the internet only gets fingerprints on your monitor."

That said, a lot of things I've seen posted lately are leading me to feel it isn't safe to post here any more unless I toe certain lines.

I, for one, very much value your considered, well-thought-out, and well-researched legal opinions.  They keep us from haring off into patently useless directions.

You are VERY MUCH not a Verbal Abuser.  You never browbeat, never name-call, never assert your "superiority" and when you give an opinion you back it up with facts, rather than saying "I say I am an expert so STFU."  Every single one of the Verbal Abusers that has posted here has come in, asserted (with nothing whatsoever to back up their assertions) that they are Experts In Business, that we are all idiots and commie pinko whiny babies, and we should shut up, sit down, and do what they tell us to do.  Mind you, not one of them has shown ANY demonstrable credentials, given a real name and the name of the real business that they allegedly run, or said anything that would lead me to want to buy a box of paperclips from them, let alone walk into their business for anything substantial.  You, on the other hand, have been courteous, admitted frequently that X was not your level of expertise, and this is only what cursory research told you, and gave ample evidence that you DO know what you are saying, you ARE what you say you are, and quite frankly, even if our politics differ, I would feel perfectly comfortable trusting you with my legal business.

So please continue posting.  There's never been one of your posts that I had any problem with.  I might have disagreed (generally on the topic of using politicians, because, by ghod, if I am paying their salaries I want the same right to use them as any other wingnut and how is this a stupider thing to use them for than National Pickle Day), I was often disappointed (DAMMIT! another idea shot down!) but I never had a problem with the tone.

[Ironwolf]

Nope everyone here are the problems:

1. NCSoft blinked but used the old tactic of delay to weather our initial emotional response.

2. We were focused on making noise for NCSoft  so they would talk to our team, they never intended to be serious.

3. We are unsure what's next because with no one to talk to we lost our way forward.

4. We have lots of media attention and yet nowhere to point them.

Solutions:

1. Realize the truth is we may not save our game before Nov 30th. - now we use our minds and not our hearts to win this battle or at least fight in such a way that the other bastards know they were in a fight.

2. Don't take no as no. Take no as the fact we didn't have enough things they wanted. So we need to raise the bar and work harder. We need to follow through on each and every step and hit them withe Operation Blitzkrieg.

Operation Blitzkrieg is mailing them, emailing them, making more movies, send them fan art of your characters created in the game, more testimonials, send stuff (socks) to the share holders and tell them we as heroes are socking it to NCSoft. Get our media and celebrities a goal or at least a direction.

I am stubborn and not easily swayed by setbacks. To quote Tom Petty: You can stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won't back down.

 

[Aquashock]

There's another trend that I've started to see rear its ugly head. We've started attacking each other for "not doing enough." Using what's essentially a personal and arbitrary stance to pick at each other and the movement as a whole.

If you've tried to help where you can when you can, no one should be saying that's "not enough" of an effort. Especially because the accuser often doesn't even know -what- that particular target may or may not have done. I am not especially vocal, does that mean I've done less than a more prolific poster? Who knows, but slinging mud at each other isn't going to lead anywhere good. It will only drive people away from helping.  It is something that would make me remove myself from the picture due to health-related issues. It would make a lurker much warier of joining in. It will create a toxic atmosphere and that's the last thing we want to happen.

I haven't seen this happen much and it's very much something I'm sensitive to, since it'll make me pop my escape hatch, but I think we should all be aware that it can become a very big problem for us.

[Segev]

I have not, mercifully, noticed anybody making that particular accusation, Aquashock, but if you are seeing it, thanks for bringing it up. We've gotta be grateful for anything everybody does, and demand nothing more. We can ask, we can plead, but we must remember that only that which is willingly given to help our cause is going to ultimately save it; all else will come with expectation of being owed something which nobody is going to be able to promise.

[ukaserex]

I am refreshed to see so many people admit that they are argumentative, old, cranky, stubborn, etc..

Now, I don't feel so alone. 

[DrakeGrimm]

I am refreshed to see so many people admit that they are argumentative, old, cranky, stubborn, etc..

Now, I don't feel so alone. 

...you should hear what goes on in my head before my "Public Consumption" filters kick in. >.>



..wait, no, on second thought, no one should ever hear that. XD

[downix]

...you should hear what goes on in my head before my "Public Consumption" filters kick in. >.>



..wait, no, on second thought, no one should ever hear that. XD

*uses his telepathetic ability*

*backs away very very slowly....*

[DrakeGrimm]

*uses his telepathetic ability*

*backs away very very slowly....*

Oh. Oh you poor fool.


Someone get an emergency psychiatric trauma team down here! Stat!

[chaparralshrub]

I'VE BEEN WORSHIPING CTHULHU FROM DUSK TO EARLY LIGHT!
I'VE BEEN WORSHIPING CTHULHU AS I AWAIT ETERNAL NIGHT!

Yeah, insanity has its perks.

Trouble is that I'm not a diplomat. I feel like Plan Z is about all I can do.

[emu265]

There's another trend that I've started to see rear its ugly head. We've started attacking each other for "not doing enough." Using what's essentially a personal and arbitrary stance to pick at each other and the movement as a whole.

If you've tried to help where you can when you can, no one should be saying that's "not enough" of an effort. Especially because the accuser often doesn't even know -what- that particular target may or may not have done. I am not especially vocal, does that mean I've done less than a more prolific poster? Who knows, but slinging mud at each other isn't going to lead anywhere good. It will only drive people away from helping.  It is something that would make me remove myself from the picture due to health-related issues. It would make a lurker much warier of joining in. It will create a toxic atmosphere and that's the last thing we want to happen.

I haven't seen this happen much and it's very much something I'm sensitive to, since it'll make me pop my escape hatch, but I think we should all be aware that it can become a very big problem for us.

I get this too.  Some of us simply don't have the expertise/time/whatever to mount the Herculean efforts of others.  I am one of those.  Some just don't know what to do and some have circumstances that cannot be fathomed by an internet-onlooker.  Telling someone they're slacking off is totally uncalled for and rude.  Any help should be appreciated and welcomed, not met with "that's fine... but not enough".  I have my parents for that. 

If anyone sees this going on, stop it.  It is not okay.   

[downix]

I'VE BEEN WORSHIPING CTHULHU FROM DUSK TO EARLY LIGHT!
I'VE BEEN WORSHIPING CTHULHU AS I AWAIT ETERNAL NIGHT!

Yeah, insanity has its perks.

Trouble is that I'm not a diplomat. I feel like Plan Z is about all I can do.

Demorecord while you play too. I've been doing that.