Leave and NEVER come back.
Those who would impose their wills on us are not welcome here
Friday, March 2, 2007 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
WinCustomize is a PG-13 site. It is also a site where people are encouraged to discuss issues on skinning and customization in an open environment.
But over the past few yeras, I've watched WinCustomize's forums degrade from being the central point in the skinning community for discussion of skins and themes to being a monolithic forum filled with self-appointed elites who stifle contrarian thoughts and opinions through bullying and intimidation.
That ends now. When we launched WC2K7, I made clear that I would be stepping in to put an end to the rank elitism that permeates the forums from time to time.
To those who would attack, insult, or demean others for having different points of view I say leave and NEVER come back. To those who use the arguemnt "This is a family site" as a shield to impose their own brand of tyranny you are not welcome here.
This site is not designed for people who are under the age of 13. We are not catering to children. We are catering to adults but allow people who are 13 and over. We allow people to discuss and disagree issues.
An incident occurred in this thread that provides an opportunity for us to make clear that those who would try to bury discussion with threats will not longer be welcome here.
For too long, people have used the threat of removing their works to crush disent to their opinions. When someone threatens to take their creations and leave the discussion always changes from what was being discussed to trying to convince the offended to stay. Over time, this has resulted in a great loss in diversity of thought and discussion on this site.
What this community does not need are a handful of self-appointed elitists trying to force their points of view down the throats of others.
This is a COMMUNITY site. It is not a site for snobby, self important elites who get kicks out of trying to bully others and impose their wills on others.
To any skinner or user woh has a problem with this. Leave and never come back. Remove your things and GO. GO NOW and never ever return.
From here on, if I see someone trying to force their opinion or end a discussion they disagree with by threatening to remove their creations and leave, I will force the issue. I will exile them and have their works deleted from this site.
We want a community where people feel comfortable discussing any issue that relates to skinning and customization without fear of reprisal, personal attack, or intimidation.
If someone disagrees with a policy of the site, a decision of the moderators, or has a problem with a user, let it be discussed civily and openly without someone commanding others to adhere to their demands lest they take their things and go. Because that time is over now.
 |
|
Page 8 of 10 | |
|
|---|
Reply #142 Sunday, March 4, 2007 9:54 PM
They are his 'feelings' and 'experiences' and he owns them. They are not meant to draw attention away from the issue, but have everything to do with the issue that began all of this.
You don't have to 'like' them or even 'understand' them, but you could find a more constructive way to acknowledge them if you gave it half an effort.
The sarcasm and smugness has gotten old.
Reply #143 Sunday, March 4, 2007 11:06 PM
Reply #145 Monday, March 5, 2007 12:41 AM
Not much 'fun', really.
Neither then NOR now.
I am loath to visit DeviantArt, etc now, as I expect various places will be rife with invective and vitriol. That is the way of the beast.
No-one does [or SHOULD do] website administering as a power-trip, at least certainly not here on Wincustomize.com. Admins/moderators are selected/invited/promoted in response to their clear and present 'devotion' to the site, skinning, and its community.
When someone is removed from Wincustomize.com it's not a knee-jerk cavalier approach/reaction, but rather an experiential thing defined over several years of [their] interaction on the site.
What interested me, personally in these recent incidents was not 'who was removed' but who subsequently popped in and commented. Names I hadn't seen for a very long time...who now were saying things along the lines of 'about bloody time this elitism was nobbled'.
Meanwhile, I was taking a few days off at the Bike Racing, a rare break from Wincustomize, and came back to several tomes of discussion/dissent over a single screenshot of something you'd very likely see at the nearest beach.
It irks me personally that I have spent so much time with some of the people involved here [via email] that THAT may be part of the problem ["remove the screenshot or I'll tell Jafo...he listens to ME"].
I [we] listen to everyone.
Wincustomize.com is a community [in theory] of 2.7 million people, each can have an opinion....that's democratic. As a 'senior' member of the Community [Apprentice/Journeyman/Wizop/etc] your role is to GUIDE - set an example to those who are new to the site.
That does NOT mean "do it MY way or else", or some such other threat.
I got back from the bikes....and spent the next 4 hours catching up on ALL the past few days of controversy. I DO that because it is important [to me] to understand clearly where everyone is 'coming from', so the community/guidance can improve.
Look at the last page of this thread.....count the smilies.
Are people being just serious...or just TOO serious?
Serious for me was the Red Flag incident in the Historic bikes when a fallen rider was run-over by another bike [who continued, not falling off] [Turn 4], and was air-lifted to Hospital with 2 cracked vertebrae and a broken sternum. [he'll be OK].
Frogboy's handling of the situation here was right and proper, and, had I the same freedom to remove a Stardock customer from access to product content, etc. as he, I would have done the same.
Removing those who attempt to force action/opinion upon others is a good thing. I can't say I've been anywhere else on the net [I do escape sometimes] where I've noticed such elitism/pressure to conform as we all see here, particularly culminating in a flame, etc.
That's going to change...
Reply #146 Monday, March 5, 2007 2:21 AM
Reply #147 Monday, March 5, 2007 6:46 PM
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/50230413/
Model is a teenager. I understand she finds deviantart to be acceptable but found wc unacceptable.
Reply #148 Monday, March 5, 2007 6:51 PM
or not!?!
Reply #149 Monday, March 5, 2007 6:55 PM
That is not funny or called for..
or not!?!
It's My Secret
Reply #151 Monday, March 5, 2007 7:13 PM
That is not funny or called for..
Agreed.
and that's something a five year old would do.
Reply #153 Monday, March 5, 2007 7:40 PM
It's only a test.
Reply #154 Monday, March 5, 2007 7:43 PM
Damned if ya do and damned if ya don't. Ya can't win no matter which side ya support. Someone will say your on the wrong side. Oh well.
Reply #155 Monday, March 5, 2007 7:50 PM
Yes u can !
Reply #156 Monday, March 5, 2007 7:51 PM
No you cant !
Reply #157 Monday, March 5, 2007 8:35 PM
That is not funny or called for..
Agreed.
and that's something a five year old would do.
I don't know CLWoods, but I see actions like that as hypocritical, personally. I mean, why complain about an image like the one found here and still participate on a page like DA that actually has porn images on it? It my be a crude way of pointing it out, but, unfortunately, it's the truth.
WC is getting to be so PC that it's downright boring.
Reply #158 Monday, March 5, 2007 8:41 PM
I know what you mean , however I still find it quite entertaining.
Please login to comment and/or vote for this skin.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
- Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums and downloading skins.
- Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
- Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
- It's simple, and FREE!
|
|
Page 8 of 10 | |
|
|---|
Reply #141 Sunday, March 4, 2007 9:30 PM
Oh brother. Slippery slope and now red herring. Once you take logic classes, you see it everywhere.