Image Designer Archive
Thread: Clearing up the confusion.
The opinions in this post do not reflect the opinion of SOE, nor it's affiliates, subsidiaries, etc. These are personal notes directly from me, as a player.
I talked with Thunderheart yesterday about the issues that have been brought up time and again on this forum. And for the time being, I'm not leaving the correspondant program. A lot of thought has been put in to this, and here is why.
First, and foremost, let me state again, that I have not been around in the past as much as I should have been. Many, many issues contributed to that, including a seemingly dying correspondant program, as well as real life issues. Unfortunately, the real life issues areconsidered personal, and I never wanted to go into them (and still don't). The correspondant program was pretty much frozen until Thunderheart came on board. That only happened within the last few weeks. What little information did come to the player aboutour profession, went to random players that posted about the issues on the general topic forum.
It was brought to my attention in three different places, that the image designers were upset about my lack of response. First, was on these forums, which I responded to the very next day. The second was on my PA forums, which I also responded to within a day. The third was in my private email address, retrieved from my PA forums, which I never responded to (on purpose).
Again, I admit that I had not been here as much as I should have been. By the time I thought about giving it up, most of the issues that I was dealing with had ended. So there was no longer a point to give it up.
Then the forum erupted into flames. The first response I made was quickly shot down by one person stating it was already too late, and they wanted me gone. Within just 24 hours, it had changed from letting the correspondant know she needs to do a better job, to a movement to "overturn her regime". No second chance.
Obviously, I took a bit of offense to that comment, as most humans would. But I did not respond further, because I did not want to start, nor support, a flame war. My position requires that I represent both SOE and the community.
Unfortunately, I'm a very strong-willed and stubborn person when I know what is right. I knew I could be more active, and because of that, I didn't want to freely give the position up. I knew I could be what the Image Designers wanted. They simply weren't giving me that second chance.
But things continued to spiral down. More and more negativecomments appeared, and again, I did not want to respond. I couldn't respond. Almost anyresponse would trigger a retaliation comment that could potentially turn into a flame war. I don't like starting flame wars. Yet at the same time, thosetypes of postskept me out of almost every single thread that existed. Suddenly every thread was turning into comments about where I was, and the fact that people wanted me gone.
So instead, I concentrated on trying to do my job, instead. The State of the Profession post was approved on the correspondant forums, so I posted it. But even that one turned into a discussion about me, and not about the skill. I was up for about 39 hours on patch day, checking out the different changes on the live servers.... for the image design skill. Yet I still put in an effort to try and create an FAQ to be stickied here on THIS FORUM (not on a fan site), and again... it turned into a discussion about where I was.
I'm not even getting paid for this, but I'm weathering more flames than most developers, right now.
Things like that only make me want to spend less time here. But regardless, I'm sticking with it. Thunderheart has said that I have his full support to continue doing this job. I told him that the moment another issue comes up, and I find myself without time, I will be happy to pass it on to someone else. But as of right now, I can still do this. I can still be what the image designers want in a correspondant.
Over the past two weeks, I have posted a total of 20 posts in this forum, alone. That's an average of almost 3 posts a day. That's quite a bit for a professions forum.
I don't want to discuss the issues behind my absence, but I will answer any questions you all have about this entire ordeal in THIS THREAD ONLY. Just keep in mind that I AM here now, and I have been making more of a presence, and I am determined to make the Image Design profession more fun, more playable, and less buggy. But let's stop dragging this discussion into every thread that comes up, and just focus on what those threadsare about, instead.
In the meantime, I will be looking at the other posters here, and try to find one that I really think fits the bill for a new correspondant. And if I am ever incapable of handling this position, I will step down, and recommend that they be giventhe job, instead.
I don't understand how you can have the impudence of still acting as if all that ever happened was that you just happened to be absent for a while. If that was all, I think the majority of all regular posters on this forum would be willing to give you a second chance.
But how dare you come here and cry about how the "forum erupted into flames", after you posted publicly on your guild's board that you were actively playing another character and just didn't want to drop Tygress' image design skills cause you want to hold onto the title. How dare you even try to point fingers at anyone but yourself after not even having the spine to admit that you made mistakes and offering to post a vote of confidence when you "returned" to these forums.
Since your glorious "return", you have not done anything that would have actually improved matters for our profession. After I asked in a thread on expectations concerning our correspondent where our "state of the profession" post was, you scrambled to make a SotP post which was a more or less exact copy of Kwee's ID wishlist, trying to excuse the late post with the claim that you had to get dev permission for the post first - and later, after complaints about how we weren't asked for our opinion before you submitted said post, you suddenly started to claim that the purpose of your post had been to gather opinions.
The only other act you did was to announce "image design FAQs", which is exactly what Kwee did in her guide months ago already, while you were taking time off.
I'll admit this: You can do what you want now, there is no way I will put up with you as a correspondent after all the things you've pulled off. After you've made clear you have no real interest in this profession anymore, but that you want to keep your title. After you were rude enough to post a "I'm still around!" thread after we had been struggling on without a single Rilawyn sighting for months. After you ignored any concerns that were voiced after your return. Your condescending and pathetic attitude and behaviour is amazing (and no, I won't go into details, but I know more than you might want me to know, and I'm well aware just how pathetic of a person you are - just consider allyour recent posts).
Maybe Thunderheart and you just don't get it. It doesn't matter what you do now, how active you are or not - you've lost the faith and confidence of a lot of people. And as long as you are the correspondent, I will continue to ask for a replacement who actually gets the job done. It's a slap in the face of hard-working people like Kwee that SOE actually chooses to support a rude person like yourself over Kwee, who has worked her backside off to get your job done while you had better things to do. If they choose not to replace you by all means, I will take my leave from this forum, and possibly this profession/game as well.
To Xixxix:
The simple fact is that very likely no matter who was the correspondent in the recent past, not much would have been accomplished,,we simply dont have the priority from SWG
After all, correspondents dont actually make many decisions that change the game.
And last, what ever our correspondent did or didnt do,,take a pill,,yikes,,its a game not real life
All those nice long words and not a single "I'm sorry." Not a single, "I was wrong to have left the forums for months without turning over the correspondent title." Not a single "I messed up." Just some windy rationalizations about how you're completely innocent and it isn't your fault, but it was late, and the slicehound ate your homework...
That aside, Rilawyn, I personally don't care whether you get removed or not as correspondent. I wanted everything to simply be settled quickly instead of generating bad blood, that we could reasonably discuss our joint expections, and improve our situation without a lot of petty bickering. Your continued presence in the role of correspondent does generate that bad blood, such that threads can now no longer remain on topic.
If this gives you the impetus to actually participate -- knowing we're dangling an anvil over your head -- then fine by me. If you slack off, I'm sure some people here will simply let the anvil drop.
Escia
Rilawyn wrote:
It was brought to my attention in three different places, that the image designers were upset about my lack of response. First, was on these forums, which I responded to the very next day. The second was on my PA forums, which I also responded to within a day. The third was in my private email address, retrieved from my PA forums, which I never responded to (on purpose).
Excuse me? I think your mind is somewhat addled, Rilawyn. My post, suggestingthat our Image DesignCorrespondent bereplaced was madeon October21st. You finally responded to it on November 2nd. Prior to that the last posts of yours, seen in theID forum, were fromsomewhere around the 10th of October. At which time you posted for a few days in a row. Prior to that youhadn't been heard of since about the middle of September. There was another post thatcame earlier than my own but expressed the same idea, that you be replaced. You either ignored or missed that post altogether.So please, let's not have this business of how you quickly responded tocomments peoplemade regarding their unhappiness at your almost completely abandoning andignoring the forum you represented. It's simply not true.
As to you responding to the poster who hopped onto your PA board, that toohappened onNov 2nd. The private messages I wouldn't know about. I only know that I never pm'd you about anything.
Ibarely know how to respond to the rest of what you say in your post. It's so inconceivable to me that you would want to stay here, cheering yourself on with posts from Delfina, your other character from another account. All thewhile ignoring that your determination to win back apublic, that in large parthas lostall confidence in you,might not be the best thing for the forum or the profession. In my opinion, regardless of what support you've drummed up with Thunderheart, your stubbornness, as you've put it,to stay here and prove that you can be the correspondent of our dreams, despite the bitter turnthat's taken place,seemsindicative of an extremelynarcissistic, ratherthan conscientious, nature. A conscientiousperson in your position wouldhave passed the torch backwhen they realized they couldn't be around to do their job.
You just keep playing the victim and making excuses, while the list of facts that you want to have ignored just grows and grows. Ignore and forgive that you never did your job here until it was too late as far as a number of people, not just myself, were concerned. Ignorethat your dates in your complaintthat begins this thread,complaints thatyou weren't being given a chance, cuz of mean ol' me,are all wrong. The truth of it is that it was days and days and days before you seemed to evennotice thatanyone was calling for your retirement. Ignore that the few times you did post herewas largely due to a more on the ball forum memberclueing you that you hadbetter speak up soon.Ignore that information thatneeded to be compiled,in an effort to do a correspondent's job,was done by someone else. Ignore thatyou cared less thanmost about generating interest in theID professionand this forum. Ignore that you didn't seem tohaveany interest inbuilding a community on the boards you were supposed to represent. Ignore that you didn't seem to understand the conceptthat asking us for feedback before composing the State of document was what it was all about.
The listofwhat you'd like to have ignored goes on...Messages, emails and confidences betrayed regarding you handing yourTygress account off to your husband "to do with as he pleased"but wanting to maintainyour ID character in order to keep your correspondent position andto use Tygress as a buff bot.Until finally you'd like us to ignore the factthat you continue toinsult us and delude yourself here today,with acomment like, "In the meantime, I will be looking at the other posters here, and try to find one that I really think fits the bill for a new correspondant."
Stymied as to who might be a more effective Image DesignCorrespondent than you are, Rilawyn? My first inclination is totell you,"Anyone with a pulse." Barring that,I'd suggest that you just come out and ask people who they want. That isif I thought you'd actually listen, and the powers that be would allow us a vote. It's no secret that Kwee would still get my vote.I somehow doubtat this point that the subversives will be allowed something as radical as a vote. That might set the uncomfortable precedent. Like offering players a voice on who they want astheir correspondent.
You say you're willing to answer questions about this whole ordeal. Not why you remainedabsent from this forum so often andfor so long. Not why you remainedabsent from this forumeven during times when you were busyposting on Starsider or you PA boards. But questions pertaining tothis ordeal of youtrying to maintain your correspondent position. Right?
Well, here's my question then. Why do you think that, despite your admittedly poor pastperformance as our correspondent, despitethe fact that a significant number of peoplewere vocal about wanting you to give up the position, despite the bitterness that a number of forum members obviously harbor toward you now, it is best thatyou still be kept as the Image Design Correspondent?
Not a single "I messed up."
I guess you missed this part.
First, and foremost, let me state again, that I have not been around in the past as much as I should have been.
There was supposed to be a correspondent change every month. Every month. Whether Rilawyn did a good job or a poor job is irrelevant. Four months have passed. Time is up. It is not appropriate to cling to the title longer than the projected term, particularlywhen the image design community does not support the lengthening of the tenure.
n'Jessi
I'm fairly new to the boards here, so I don't know, maybe I don't get a say in this. But it would seem to me that if you know you don't have the time for the position (which you obviously don't or your presence would be more obvious on these forums) you should turn it over to someone who does. You say that when YOU decide you can't do it any longer you will start looking for a poster who fits the bill... how come YOU are the only one who gets to decide? This forum is FULL of image designers at all stages, and from what I've read,many of them seemto agree on one thing: you don't cut it. We deserve to have a correspondent who does her job. If real life gets in the way, that's FINE, obviously it has to come first... but you need to step down. We're ALREADY on the bottom of the ladder as far as professions go... we don't need anything else that will bring us down. I'm sorry if you think this is harsh, but I don't even really understand why you would want to maintain your correspondent position under these circumstances.
We need someone who is available, who reads the threads, posts often, understands what we are lacking and can communicate that in an intelligent and efficient manner. Kwee seems the obvious choice to me.
Avadiha Lona - Former Master ID
Fuschia Darkwalker - Master ID
It seems to me that our correspondant does realize where she went wrong and wants to correct it. She has openly admitted that she's been neglectful, perhaps not in the words you'd like but in her own way she has.
Now, that being said.. it also seems to me that it is a case of "a day late and a dollar short". Everyone has their limits and I think the people here feel that it is time for a change.
Much the same as in any relationship, if you really care about something you can't hold on too tight because that's what YOU want. If the other people involved don't agree and want change.. it's pointless to fight it. If you really do care you would respect their wishes and let a new correspondant step up and make a fresh start.
That seems to be the only way you are going to gain their respect at this point.
NJ62 wrote:There was supposed to be a correspondent change every month. Every month. Whether Rilawyn did a good job or a poor job is irrelevant. Four months have passed. Time is up. It is not appropriate to cling to the title longer than the projected term, particularlywhen the image design community does not support the lengthening of the tenure.
n'Jessi
The Correspondant program was also at that time, supposed to have a much faster response time than it did. The correspondant program has changed significantly since its original inception. The time frame being one of them. Mostly the realization that the answers to even the Top 5 +1 Issues were taking longer than the given month to obtain being the primary impetus for that change.
If you hold to the every month standard, almost all other professions also need their correspondant changed out.
Try reading the opening post here.
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=commando&message.id=32235
There, is a correspondant who has spent hours and hours and hours testing, reporting, answering, keeping updates, etc. The result? Nada.
I think a lot of your anger, and yes it's anger, go and read your posts you've made again, is misplaced. The correspondant system that started initially was a joke. The current one is a joke. 1 person in charge or communicating with 30 correspondants to get anything done sound efficient to anyone? Realize this. Kwee, Moon, the almighty himself, would not have helped any situation or bug, or issue with this class, because at the top of this system, is a program and strategy that simple will never get the information from point a to point b. You all should be on that back, trying to get it reshaped and working, then come back here and start beating the bushes and gathering the townsfolk again.
Are you kidding me with this?This is ridiculous, Rilawyn. Sending in reinforcements from your PA to tell us that it wasn't that you were a lousy correspondent it's the whole program that's making you look bad?
Orkomage, you have no light to shed on anything in this forum.You certainlydon'tneed to come in here and tell anyone to realize anything.Do you think we're all blind and stupid?We can easily see what has gone on in allthe other professions forums.We don't need youto pick through them for us and provide us with a link to the forum that's in the second worst shape of them all.I could just as easily provide a linkhere to the Entertainer's forum andan entirely different pictureof the correspondent program would be painted. This forum isn't a locked room for us Image Designers, Orkomage. We get out once in awhile.You and Rilawyn may have blinders on but that isn't a condition the rest of us are living under.
Regardless of whether or notthis Correspondent program is an efficient vehicleto use for conveying and sharing information between players and developers, the fact isit's all we have right now.Here's another fact.Rilawyn, up until a few days ago, younever made an effort to do your job. Dispitereceiving a number of emails and pm's urging you to get involved in this forum you did nothing beyond making the occasional brief appearence with a few scattered posts here and there. You were lucky enough that someone was looking out for you for awhile, letting you know when something came up that you should involve yourself in here. But still your involvement was kept at an absolute minimum.And now you cry foul about not being given what you call a second chance? What do you think all those heads up private messages, telling you to get in here, were?
I don't think anyone ever said that you weren't capable of doing this correspondent's job, Rilawyn. It was YOUR choice to be assigned to the position and then not do what you were supposed to do. The forum and the people involved in it moved on without you. And now we just supposed to sit around and smile while you play catch up? Smile while you diss the person that did your job for you the entire time you were gone, with a comment like this,"Yet I still put in an effort to try and create an FAQ to be stickied here on THIS FORUM (not on a fan site), and again... it turned into a discussion about where I was."
What? Three cheers for you because you finally stickied a post? Threecheers for you because you've tried to get a FAQ going? Something other correspondents did months ago, in the forums they represent? Something that was doneheremonths ago by someone other than yourself?And thenyougo and diss them fornot having the power to sticky the infoat the top of theforum? They do the next best thing they're able to doby directing people towhere they can find the FAQ that they've compiled. And you want to insult and belittle them for it? Try to make it seem like it means less because they couldn't sticky it here?LOL Yeah, ok. I guess the stickying is the hard part.
You said you were willing to answer questions here, Rilawyn. Where is the answer to my question?Or iscalling your PA members into have them tell us that we shouldn't bother to complain about anything because thecorrespondent program is lame, all the answer I'm going to get?
We seriously need some red name intervention here.
Sorry to dissapoint Moon, but I haven't played SWG in months. Decided to read through all these forums and see if SWG had changed. I was a Commando to be so I thought perhaps some of you should read what happened over there. You're way to angry to see the points that can be taken from that post so believe whatever you would like to. /shrug
My point, correspondants that have been exemplary for other classes have all thrown up their hands in disgust for the most part. The system is broke. If you want to replace someone, fine, that's your right as the ID community; however, don't you think the correspondant system itself should be looked at first? Plugging in another person isn't going to fix it. It didn't fix it for Commandos was my only point.