Goodbye to Jark?
Major upheaval on DeviantArt!
Friday, July 29, 2005 by CerebroJD | Discussion: WinCustomize News
There is much speculation as to exactly what has occurred at DeviantArt in the last day or two.
No one seems to be able to talk about it very much, but its clear that there has been a shift in who exactly runs what on DeviantArt. Jark, the co-founder of DA, appears to have been demoted and/or fired from that position. There are many indications of this, the foremost being his member symbol prefix, no longer the $ of the past. Could this be happening to such a honest and driven individual? Jark has given so much to the community of both DeviantArt and many other art communities around the internet.
Several critical policies on DeviantArt were broken in this restructure, including the near-sacred rule of never removing comments. This freedom of speach and action formed one of the core foundations of DeviantArt: The ability to speak up in all situations and have your opinions heard. Deviations were removed, comments edited, and people banned in order to keep something quiet. No rock-solid details are available, but Jark himself seems supportive of the measures taken by fans to lend their shoulders to his cause.
Updating as info and sources are found.
Onestar's DeviantArt page. Onestar proposes a one-day hiatus on the uploading of all files to DA.
Jark's DeviantArt page. Some interesting reading here, but not much detail. Check his deviations.
Deviation/article by leliathomas. Speculation and theories and many facts pertaining to the event.
Jark's other page, off of DeviantArt. Snoop around... some VERY interesting stuff there.
Bookdiva's personal crusade! She's adding everyone who supports Jark to a massive list in her DA Journal.
Important! Actual semi-official statement from higher-ups. Jark responds too! (Caution, huge image file)
No one seems to be able to talk about it very much, but its clear that there has been a shift in who exactly runs what on DeviantArt. Jark, the co-founder of DA, appears to have been demoted and/or fired from that position. There are many indications of this, the foremost being his member symbol prefix, no longer the $ of the past. Could this be happening to such a honest and driven individual? Jark has given so much to the community of both DeviantArt and many other art communities around the internet.
Several critical policies on DeviantArt were broken in this restructure, including the near-sacred rule of never removing comments. This freedom of speach and action formed one of the core foundations of DeviantArt: The ability to speak up in all situations and have your opinions heard. Deviations were removed, comments edited, and people banned in order to keep something quiet. No rock-solid details are available, but Jark himself seems supportive of the measures taken by fans to lend their shoulders to his cause.
Updating as info and sources are found.
Onestar's DeviantArt page. Onestar proposes a one-day hiatus on the uploading of all files to DA.
Jark's DeviantArt page. Some interesting reading here, but not much detail. Check his deviations.
Deviation/article by leliathomas. Speculation and theories and many facts pertaining to the event.
Jark's other page, off of DeviantArt. Snoop around... some VERY interesting stuff there.
Bookdiva's personal crusade! She's adding everyone who supports Jark to a massive list in her DA Journal.
Important! Actual semi-official statement from higher-ups. Jark responds too! (Caution, huge image file)
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craeonics
Reply #42 Monday, August 1, 2005 4:58 AM
Reply #42 Monday, August 1, 2005 4:58 AM
Well, we're almost at X. Pretty soon we'll be at...
W. It happened, so what?
W. It happened, so what?
-xino
Reply #43 Monday, August 1, 2005 11:48 AM
Reply #43 Monday, August 1, 2005 11:48 AM
for those of you trying to keep up with what is going on:
spyed has written a "response". it seems he has re-written the history of DA saying that he founded it with jark and matteo. Now for anyone who doesn't know, Deviantart.com was created by only two people, jark and matteo. his lengthy response also doesn't not answer any questions but puts the spotlight more on himself and others saying that they worked harder than jark in the art community.
it can be read here: http://spyed.deviantart.com/journal/6095324/
jark also has response which can be read here: http://jark.deviantart.com/journal/6097407/#journal
I hope everyone can see the truth.
spyed has written a "response". it seems he has re-written the history of DA saying that he founded it with jark and matteo. Now for anyone who doesn't know, Deviantart.com was created by only two people, jark and matteo. his lengthy response also doesn't not answer any questions but puts the spotlight more on himself and others saying that they worked harder than jark in the art community.
it can be read here: http://spyed.deviantart.com/journal/6095324/
jark also has response which can be read here: http://jark.deviantart.com/journal/6097407/#journal
I hope everyone can see the truth.
Jafo
Reply #44 Monday, August 1, 2005 8:09 PM
Reply #44 Monday, August 1, 2005 8:09 PM
Ah....all hail the KING OF SPIN .... $Spyed's real name must be Shane Warne....
Urgo
Reply #45 Monday, August 1, 2005 8:55 PM
Reply #45 Monday, August 1, 2005 8:55 PM
not that intrested in the management as long what i get is still the same and that hasnt changed for me but people closer up on the ladder maybe have felt something.
When i hear what has happening i can have a opionion but right now guessing is just bad move.
btw my english is bad i know it
When i hear what has happening i can have a opionion but right now guessing is just bad move.
btw my english is bad i know it
TheSkinsFactory
Reply #46 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 1:06 AM
Reply #46 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 1:06 AM
Well i deleted all of our skins off of there and won't be renewing my subscription come december.
Jafo
Reply #47 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 1:11 AM
Reply #47 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 1:11 AM
I wondered why my 'deviation watch' suddenly got smaller....
Fuzzy Logic
Reply #48 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 1:53 AM
Reply #48 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 1:53 AM
The problem with DA is it's full of kids who were still in nappies when the community was born. Here's one sad comment from the messageboard:
"...who is jark? I never heard of him till four days ago..."
Sigh 
c242
Reply #49 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 4:18 AM
Reply #49 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 4:18 AM
If that e-mail prooves to be authentic, things become very clear : http://www.t52.org/
michael havard
Reply #53 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 10:05 AM
Reply #53 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 10:05 AM
It sounds to me as if there's a conflict between typical business practice of treating "customers" as a commodity and the more altruistic thoughts of treating "customers" like people and friends.
There are few sites out there that balance the needs of the business with the strength that a sense of community creates. It's a difficult balancing act. Mostly because the people with the power forget what it's like to be a customer. They start focusing on the bottom line, reducing services, focusing more on new customers than old, and suddenly their community is gone.
So many businesses wonder why their customers are so fickle. They wonder why their customers are always jumping off to other businesses, or switching back and forth. It's a problem that they've created by not listening to their customer community.
So there are two strategies for profit.
1. Work hard to build a community around a good product.
2. Create a mediocre product and work hard to constantly bring in new customers and up-sell, up-sell, up-sell.
Hmmmm... Which is Stardock's model?
There are few sites out there that balance the needs of the business with the strength that a sense of community creates. It's a difficult balancing act. Mostly because the people with the power forget what it's like to be a customer. They start focusing on the bottom line, reducing services, focusing more on new customers than old, and suddenly their community is gone.
So many businesses wonder why their customers are so fickle. They wonder why their customers are always jumping off to other businesses, or switching back and forth. It's a problem that they've created by not listening to their customer community.
So there are two strategies for profit.
1. Work hard to build a community around a good product.
2. Create a mediocre product and work hard to constantly bring in new customers and up-sell, up-sell, up-sell.
Hmmmm... Which is Stardock's model?
joeKnowledge
Reply #54 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 6:05 PM
Reply #54 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 6:05 PM
Spyed said WHAT? He was in the team of people that started Deviant Art? I want to know what the old school people think about that... Jafo, Bakerstreet, Frogboy, craeonics, DavidK, and so many other that I have known since Dec 2001 that have been on the scene way before me.
Did Spyed help start and create Deviant Art?
?????
Anw why, for almost 4 or 5 days, was the about page on Deviant Art missing almost everything I was USED to seeing?
http://about.devaintart.com
< spam >esourcemagazine won;t be like DA cause its going to be non-for profit. Jark and others are welcome to join once its open for mass consumption...
Did Spyed help start and create Deviant Art?
?????
Anw why, for almost 4 or 5 days, was the about page on Deviant Art missing almost everything I was USED to seeing?
http://about.devaintart.com
< spam >esourcemagazine won;t be like DA cause its going to be non-for profit. Jark and others are welcome to join once its open for mass consumption...
joeKnowledge
Reply #55 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 6:15 PM
Reply #55 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 6:15 PM
In reply to michael havard:
It is funny how some businesses do what you say even though most of the money of a business comes from repeat customers. Getting new customers is a very hard task.
As another said in this thread, many of the people who started DA or are on it now tend to be kids. If Spyed really did what he did as a business move, it was a poor choice that doesn't seem to represent someone who knows much about business.
It can be cut throat, indeed, but you don't make moves to alienate your core customer. Those are risks that end businesses.
DA survival will depend not olny on good business practicies, but on the ability to clean up mistakes (mistakes happen, its your ability to recover that makes or breaks you).
If this whole thing isn't just a marketing ploy for DA birthday and to get community involvment to increase (and it still would be a bad risky idea but at least that type of risk can be quantified as a recoverable bet) then it just a real bad business move, period.
It is funny how some businesses do what you say even though most of the money of a business comes from repeat customers. Getting new customers is a very hard task.
As another said in this thread, many of the people who started DA or are on it now tend to be kids. If Spyed really did what he did as a business move, it was a poor choice that doesn't seem to represent someone who knows much about business.
It can be cut throat, indeed, but you don't make moves to alienate your core customer. Those are risks that end businesses.
DA survival will depend not olny on good business practicies, but on the ability to clean up mistakes (mistakes happen, its your ability to recover that makes or breaks you).
If this whole thing isn't just a marketing ploy for DA birthday and to get community involvment to increase (and it still would be a bad risky idea but at least that type of risk can be quantified as a recoverable bet) then it just a real bad business move, period.
Jafo
Reply #56 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 6:25 PM
Reply #56 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 6:25 PM
One word answer to #53....'1'.
One word answer to #54....'no'.
One word answer to meaning of life....'42'.....
lilstarfish
Reply #57 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 7:47 PM
Reply #57 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 7:47 PM
Quite a revealing e-mail c242.
If that e-mail is true, and I have no reason to doubt it,
it seems indeed that deviantArt is now the victim
of a "hostile takeover" by a couple of persons who
are hell-bent on destroying the site and in the process
rob it of all the money the members have provided.
If that e-mail is true, and I have no reason to doubt it,
it seems indeed that deviantArt is now the victim
of a "hostile takeover" by a couple of persons who
are hell-bent on destroying the site and in the process
rob it of all the money the members have provided.
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Reply #41 Monday, August 1, 2005 1:38 AM
Reading many of the forum posts there at Devart is an interesting sociological experiment....tracking the onset of confusion, speculation and ennui.
People could seriously write a thesis on the philosophical implications of societal melt-down...just by careful observation.
All the 'usual' steps are there.....
They start at...
1. WTF?!!!!!
ultimately to...
X. It never happened.
[We haven't got to 'X' quite yet...but the doctors of spin have their shoulders to the wheel.....]...