So, I posted
this update back in late October, when I was gearing up to add more Contributors. As I explained at the time, it was something that had fallen by the wayside with everything else that was on my plate, and had to take a backseat again in June when finding a new home for the site was paramount, so that there'd still be an NLSC for any of us to contribute to. We honestly came very close to having to shut down completely or really scale back our operations (ie no Downloads section, basically), but fortunately I was able to secure funding (for now, at any rate).
With that done and everything secure and in place, it was time to start catching up on things that were overdue, including following up on the clean out of the Contributors group by adding some new people. I posted that notice to let everyone know I'd be doing that, and also to highlight a couple of points about the group. In particular, this bit:
We do want to keep recognising the work of modders in our community, through adding new people to the group. At the same time, we also want to make sure that the Contributor group does not become some sort of elitist "status symbol", something that people want to get into just for the sake of getting into, or to hold over other members of the community. We want the Contributor group to not only be a means of recognising people who have made consistent contributions to the community, but also a sign of mutual respect.
The "being active and adding files to the Downloads section" part of the contributor rules is quite clear and easily understood, but there is another requirement that I want to highlight: Contributors must also have "been a good Forum citizen, setting a good example for other members." This part is actually very important because respect is a two way street, and to be frank, we're not particularly comfortable with giving profile perks and public recognition to someone who is rude or disdainful towards us, or the community at large.
In short, if you're unpleasant to deal with, or most of our interactions with you leave us with the impression that you're difficult and disrespectful, then it doesn't matter how good your mods are. If you want us to give you recognition and do nice things for you, you need to be nice to us and the community; it's only fair. If you have a habit of being rude in your posts, or unsupportive towards your fellow modders, or taking passive-aggressive potshots at other members or the NLSC and any of its staff, or anything like that, then you're on the fast track to disqualifying yourself from the Contributor group. And yes, that includes the way you interact with people in private messages, too.
And no, that doesn't mean sucking up or lavishing praise or anything like that. It just means being respectful, and not being difficult to deal with. skoadam, you're doing some fantastic work on URB which is a great contribution, but our interactions have rarely been all that civil. I reached out to you when HAWK23 was concerned about the name of URB and a couple of other things, just to make sure that everything was on the level and to smooth out any tension. The response I received was not pleasant, nor are some of the passive-aggressive remarks here in this thread as of late, or the potshot in your avatar/signature right now (which you added before I addressed the situation with the Contributors group, and haven't seen fit to take down since). Please don't insult my intelligence and say it's self-deprecating; I can tell when someone is taking a shot at me and the site. I get your frustration given how behind schedule I was, but lashing out at me isn't a good way to get me to do something for you.
That kind of stuff does discourage me from adding someone to the Contributors group, because it's asking me to make a big show of respect and appreciation for someone who isn't willing to return the favour. Instead of hitting me up and saying "Hey, is the group still a thing, you said if I kept doing what I was doing, I'd be in", I could've explained how I was behind on the process (which I definitely was, since I originally planned to have it all sorted by mid February). I'm probably trying to juggle too many things right now and admittedly that's my problem, but it is what it is, and the reason why certain things have fallen by the wayside.
Same goes for posting URB on the main page. I do actually have it queued up to post, but I was waiting a couple of days for another NBA 2K14 addition before I posted the bulletin. I like to have at least a couple of additions per bulletin when possible - sometimes it isn't, and "File Additions" is really "File Addition" - and as it happens, I do have one ready to go, since Garbajosa uploaded a face pack. Again, this is something I could've explained if you'd reached out and asked me what the deal was instead of making assumptions and ripping into me. With the NBA 2K13 version, I probably will have to post it as a lone addition, since we don't get as many additions for that game these days. As far as the post in your screenshot is concerned, it had been scheduled since Friday night since I was going to be out most of the weekend, and those were the additions I had in my log at the time. Again, I can understand there being confusion and frustration here, but there's an honest answer waiting for anyone who wants to inquire about that stuff.
I do think you belong in the Contributors group, to acknowledge the work you've done. You've put a lot of hours and great work into URB, as I said. However, for the past fifteen years, I've put a lot of time and work into the NLSC too, so I feel that should be a two way street. I'm not asking you to grovel, kiss ass, contribute financially to the hosting fund, or anything petty like that. But this attitude, the notion that the NLSC's success somehow revolves around or owes itself to URB (if there's any one mod that's made this site, it's the original rosters by Tim and Lutz back in the day) and we're being "destructive" by not posting a bulletin about it right away, the snarky, passive-aggressive remarks in this thread...that's the issue here. That's what I'd like to see resolved and cut out before I add you to the Contributors group. I don't think that I should have to weather that. Like I said, you're putting in a lot of work for the community, but I am too, and have been for fifteen years and counting.
Fair is fair, and it's only fair that you receive recognition for your work. But it's also only fair that I don't have to put up with disrespect directed towards me, my staff, and the site in general. If we can put all that behind us, then great, let's get you in there. But not while you're making posts like this, taking shots at me with your avatar/custom title, and all that. I'm happy to show you respect and appreciation for URB; all I ask is that I get a little respect and appreciation in return. If you've got a problem, shoot me a message. If I'm falling behind on stuff and you're wondering what's happening, ask me directly. Don't go making a public fuss and starting campaigns.
Finally, for what it's worth, I have mentioned URB on more than one occasion on the NLSC Podcast. That's not something I'd do if I didn't respect or appreciate your work. I also wouldn't be entering into this dialogue and overlooking things like posting the contents of a private message and creating a public fuss if I didn't appreciate the contributions, and be willing to put any ill-feeling aside to sort everything out. I'm simply asking you to do the same, so that there can be mutual respect, and thus appropriate recognition given by way of the Contributors group.
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