Just wanted to explain why I'm so pissed off lately: I'm releasing a game [first time I ever release something entirely on my own] and I fell sick with bad cold or mild-ish flu in middle of the pre-release mess so that I couldn't much work. You can imagine it is very stressing, and it's been so for weeks. I was (and still am) pissed off about everything from cross-platform issues (windows/linux/osx is no fun) to reseller forgetting to call some customer for 2 days. If I try to relax I just keep thinking about all the mess and worrying. Peace, OK? I'm just in rather bad mood due to combination of multiple really unrelated circumstances. I'll be fine when its over. I'm already lot better now that flu or cold is over, elevated temperature always messes me up a lot. (I'll be off this forum for some while, just coz of being busy)

I will accept your resignation on my desk, tomorrow at 8 'o clock in the morning.

Kick the dog much? Run out of aspirin?

Nice screens!

Oh hey, you're back [smile]

Just watched the gameplay video and it looks really, really pretty. Well done! And let's hope you go back to normal mode soon. I really liked you before you were PMSing [smile]

Oh noes! The swine flu strikes again! Dmytry is certainly going to die*!

Also, nice screens; can't wait! [lol]


*0.1% chance of death according to wikipedia.org

Quote: Original post by MikeTacular
Oh hey, you're back [smile]

Just watched the gameplay video and it looks really, really pretty. Well done! And let's hope you go back to normal mode soon. I really liked you before you were PMSing [smile]

BTW how your annoy-a-trons worked out?

(also, by the way, I didn't send any nasty private messages before suspension. All the posts that I were suspended for are still up, and frankly, I can't see anything so horrible about them besides "omg he disagrees with moderator". It so happens that even honest moderators are not immune to overstating their knowledge (I'd rather say that mods are most prone to it - any power corrupts anyone))

Quote: Original post by Dmytry
BTW how your annoy-a-trons worked out?

Pretty lame, actually. The only reaction I got out of my suite-mate was on the first or second day when he was talking to his girlfriend about what that beeping sound could possibly be. He just played his music all day (at the same obnoxious volume), which I'm sure just overpowered the two annoy-a-trons. I think he also just became used to the beeping sound eventually, whether or not he was drowning out the beeps with music. I think it may have been better if I had them set on the lower pitch tone; its easier to hear (although less painful when you do hear it) compared to the higher pitched tone.

Quote: Original post by Dmytry
(also, by the way, I didn't send any nasty private messages before suspension. All the posts that I were suspended for are still up, and frankly, I can't see anything so horrible about them besides "omg he disagrees with moderator". It so happens that even honest moderators are not immune to overstating their knowledge (I'd rather say that mods are most prone to it - any power corrupts anyone))

I dunno the whole situation or the mod's reasoning for suspending you, but perhaps a civil private chat with the mod might help both sides understand a little better what happened and why it happened.

This is highly unorthodox and borderline disruption of how our moderating policy usually works, but I'm going to address it anyways because I feel that it's the right thing to do.

I'm the moderator responsible both for Dmytry's current warning level and recent suspension. Over the past several weeks, I've noticed a trend in his postings, which I can best describe as a short temper and needlessly insulting demeanor. In one discussion in particular, things got out of hand, and I issued the warning.

Last week I came across a discussion where things seemed to have flared up again. I noticed some potentially questionable posts - but nothing too serious. My first reaction was to issue a warning for the behaviour; then I noticed who the user was (Dmytry) and noted that he already had been warned for such things fairly recently.

I made a snap judgment based on that fact, and issued the suspension. I remembered issuing the warning earlier, and my assumption at that point was that the suspension was simply the next logical reaction, considering that it appeared to me at the time that Dmytry was ignoring his (still-active) warning.


As I've reviewed the situation, and particularly in light of the information in this thread, I've come to believe that I made a mistake in issuing the suspension. A second warning at the most was all that was warranted, and even that probably wasn't strictly necessary (a PM would have sufficed I think).

As such I'd like to issue a general apology both to Dmytry and to the forum community as a whole. Moderating a forum like GDNet is a major job, and I believe it is my responsibility to be as careful and fair with that job as possible.


That said, I don't think Dmytry's handling of the situation was particularly appropriate (especially the underhanded shots at the mod staff for being "corrupt" and other such nonsense) but that's really not the issue here. In any case I think it's best to have all sides of the situation out in the open.

Quote: Original post by ApochPiQ
This is highly unorthodox and borderline disruption of how our moderating policy usually works, but I'm going to address it anyways because I feel that it's the right thing to do.

I'm the moderator responsible both for Dmytry's current warning level and recent suspension. Over the past several weeks, I've noticed a trend in his postings, which I can best describe as a short temper and needlessly insulting demeanor.

I've been always like this, especially in X vs Y vs Z or operating systems that I port to, or yet another 'role of singletons in modern society: the case study' style thread.

Quote:
In one discussion in particular, things got out of hand, and I issued the warning.

To be honest, I really don't see how that singleton thread stands out at all as example of my badness. Unless you were reading only my posts.
I'd say it was rather mild. Someone says sentiments like "people are stupid" and goes on how he teaches people not to do stupid things. So, I said he's making same mistake as everyone else including newbies, so what? I also said he's better programmer [than newbies and everyone else].
Really, you must not read few lines and jump at conclusion.

Quote:

Last week I came across a discussion where things seemed to have flared up again. I noticed some potentially questionable posts - but nothing too serious. My first reaction was to issue a warning for the behaviour; then I noticed who the user was (Dmytry) and noted that he already had been warned for such things fairly recently.

The argument was versus a moderator whom knew the thread, made plain untrue, err, i mean, objectionable remark about OSS in this thread, and got relatively mildly flamed for it by OSS contributor (me). If that's "potentially questionable", so should be flamebaiting.

TBH, I don't think it was actually bad for the thread either. People with actual VCS experience posted insightful stuff in that thread in result, e.g. someone pointed out that merging of svn branches is done same as merging of git repos, for example.

Did you notice that 'polite' conversations on X vs Y vs Z topics are devoid of information?
Consider polite tea vs cola vs pepsi. It would consist of people telling that tastes differ, which one they prefer, and that each has its niche.
Contrast this to tea vs cola vs pepsi debate (on Internet, debate pretty much implies flamewar). People can go about shugar content, additives, food dyes, sodium glutamate, falsification of science studies, and there will be a lot of interesting links, as well as hopefully some conclusion (tea without sugar as best option for health).

Quote:

As such I'd like to issue a general apology both to Dmytry and to the forum community as a whole. Moderating a forum like GDNet is a major job, and I believe it is my responsibility to be as careful and fair with that job as possible.

Well accepted.

I in my turn make an apology for flaming. Though IMO only thing that's worse than A vs B vs C flamewar is A vs B vs C 'polite' thread.

Quote:
That said, I don't think Dmytry's handling of the situation was particularly appropriate (especially the underhanded shots at the mod staff for being "corrupt" and other such nonsense) but that's really not the issue here. In any case I think it's best to have all sides of the situation out in the open.

I said that power corrupts anyone. That's a part of quote attributed to various philosophers (you ever heard "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely"?) though I'm not sure who actually said it first. A common wisdom. IMO you read too much into things.

This really isn't my problem and I'm definitely not involved, but I've been home all week on the couch with mono and I'm so bored, so I'm going to jump in a little.

Dmytry, I think there might be a problem in what you consider "debate." Debates are not flamewars, whether or not they're on the internet. You could have a polite debate of tea vs cola vs pepsi and cover every scientific fact, every marketing twist, every detail there is. Flamewars start when insults get thrown and the debate is now focused on who is the bigger bag of douche. Things can be heated and you can be passionate about something (and indeed these are often what make interesting debates interesting), but there really isn't a need to resort to flaming. It's very possible to remain polite and yet be passionate about whatever it is you're debating and carry on a great discussion. I have no idea where I'm going with this or exactly what I'm trying to do with this post, but I think the GameDev community would benefit most from intense, yet polite, debates, not flamewars.

Sorry to jump in like this. I know I'm not involved with any of this in any way, but like I said, I've been so incredibly bored the past few days that I need something to do.