Post by A.C. Smith on Jul 13, 2013 11:12:40 GMT -4
Okay. Those who know me well will tell you that I'm generally pretty reserved on the boards. I don't rant much, I try to stay out of trouble, and I avoid drama like the plague. However, I need to say something, given everything that's happened around here recently. Here goes.
E-fedding is supposed to be a fun diversion. It's supposed to be an outlet, a fun form of creative writing, maybe even something that you get frustration out through. What it's NOT supposed to be is something where everyone gets angry at one another, everyone's always on pins and needles, and everyone talks about everyone else behind their back.
In general, it's not something we're supposed to get insanely angry about, and I don't think we're supposed to let what happens in an e-fed affect us to the degree that it has to a bunch of really talented writers and really great people lately. Sure, tensions may run a bit high after you work your ass off on something and you don't get the result you want (trust me; been there), but it shouldn't affect the overall atmosphere of a good, solid e-fed with an OOC community that's as active as we are.
We should be as positive as we can, as often as we can. If we're not, the drain of talent that's happened around here recently is going to continue, and nobody is going to benefit from that. Not the fed, not the handlers, and not the e-fed community at large. This is supposed to be fun, and it's NOT supposed to be something where everyone gets so worked up that we overreact to the slightest provocation or do things we eventually regret that spark such a reaction.
I've had some time to reflect this week because I've been dealing with something that actually IS worth worrying about. My marriage to a woman I've loved unconditionally for eight-plus years is on the rocks right now because of something I can't control. Long story short, our conflicting hours at our respective jobs mean we don't see each other much, and she doesn't feel she can take that anymore or that it would be fair to either of us to change careers we've worked hard to carve out for ourselves (her as a supervisor at her office, me as a sportswriter). I have too much respect for her to fight her on that, and divorce, all of a sudden, is a real possibility, despite how much I still care about her and how it's not really any of our faults that this is happening.
I'm not trying to get sympathy from anyone, nor am I playing to the OOC community at large for any specific reaction. But THAT'S something worth getting angry about. THAT'S something where it's worth taking a step back and saying, "What am I going to do now?" Some match result? Some storyline? NOT worth either of those things, nor are they worth something that would spark anger from someone else.
I've been in APW for about a year and three months. I thought the Smith character was done when ACW closed up shop in October of 2011, but I joined because the OOC community was active, the writers were great, and the fed itself was extremely well-run by a staff that cared about the product that was out there. I did NOT come here to see really talented handlers leave what seems like every week, or see them provoked to do so. Furthermore, I consider myself at least partially responsible for Dimitri (Evan Envi/AJP), who's one of my best friends in the world of e-fedding, coming here, and he wound up bringing several quality writers who may also be leaving/have already left, so everything that's happened lately leaves a bad, BAD taste in my mouth.
Bottom line, guys and gals: Treat yourselves the way you want to be treated, and foster an atmosphere that makes people want to COME HERE AND STAY HERE instead of wanting to leave. I'm not blaming anyone in particular, nor do I feel any resentment towards anyone still in APW or anyone who's left. But that trend needs to stop NOW, and I hope what I've said plays a part in that.
E-fedding is supposed to be a fun diversion. It's supposed to be an outlet, a fun form of creative writing, maybe even something that you get frustration out through. What it's NOT supposed to be is something where everyone gets angry at one another, everyone's always on pins and needles, and everyone talks about everyone else behind their back.
In general, it's not something we're supposed to get insanely angry about, and I don't think we're supposed to let what happens in an e-fed affect us to the degree that it has to a bunch of really talented writers and really great people lately. Sure, tensions may run a bit high after you work your ass off on something and you don't get the result you want (trust me; been there), but it shouldn't affect the overall atmosphere of a good, solid e-fed with an OOC community that's as active as we are.
We should be as positive as we can, as often as we can. If we're not, the drain of talent that's happened around here recently is going to continue, and nobody is going to benefit from that. Not the fed, not the handlers, and not the e-fed community at large. This is supposed to be fun, and it's NOT supposed to be something where everyone gets so worked up that we overreact to the slightest provocation or do things we eventually regret that spark such a reaction.
I've had some time to reflect this week because I've been dealing with something that actually IS worth worrying about. My marriage to a woman I've loved unconditionally for eight-plus years is on the rocks right now because of something I can't control. Long story short, our conflicting hours at our respective jobs mean we don't see each other much, and she doesn't feel she can take that anymore or that it would be fair to either of us to change careers we've worked hard to carve out for ourselves (her as a supervisor at her office, me as a sportswriter). I have too much respect for her to fight her on that, and divorce, all of a sudden, is a real possibility, despite how much I still care about her and how it's not really any of our faults that this is happening.
I'm not trying to get sympathy from anyone, nor am I playing to the OOC community at large for any specific reaction. But THAT'S something worth getting angry about. THAT'S something where it's worth taking a step back and saying, "What am I going to do now?" Some match result? Some storyline? NOT worth either of those things, nor are they worth something that would spark anger from someone else.
I've been in APW for about a year and three months. I thought the Smith character was done when ACW closed up shop in October of 2011, but I joined because the OOC community was active, the writers were great, and the fed itself was extremely well-run by a staff that cared about the product that was out there. I did NOT come here to see really talented handlers leave what seems like every week, or see them provoked to do so. Furthermore, I consider myself at least partially responsible for Dimitri (Evan Envi/AJP), who's one of my best friends in the world of e-fedding, coming here, and he wound up bringing several quality writers who may also be leaving/have already left, so everything that's happened lately leaves a bad, BAD taste in my mouth.
Bottom line, guys and gals: Treat yourselves the way you want to be treated, and foster an atmosphere that makes people want to COME HERE AND STAY HERE instead of wanting to leave. I'm not blaming anyone in particular, nor do I feel any resentment towards anyone still in APW or anyone who's left. But that trend needs to stop NOW, and I hope what I've said plays a part in that.
lol
