# I am leaving Squat the Planet.



## MolotovMocktail

Hi folks. I’m making this post to announce that I’ve decided to step down as a moderator and participant on Squat the Planet. Please know that this wasn’t an easy decision to make but I’m convinced it’s the right move for me.

There are a few reasons for this:

1) I’ve been on StP for six years and have been a mod for about five. I was still in high school when I joined and was super stoked on the idea of traveling. The site and its users helped me figure out a lot of things about being on the road and I would have been worse off without it when I was traveling. But in the past few years I’ve gotten less interested in the travel scene and have felt less and less connected to the StP community. I’ve put a lot of work into being a mod but it’s just not worth the energy for me anymore because I no longer feel any connection to the community.

2) The userbase also seems to have gotten significantly less interested in the things StP is supposed to be about. I rarely see interesting content on the forums anymore and I’ve gotten super tired of the teenage edgelords in the Discord making the community feel unwelcoming and pointless. 

3) There is a seemingly pervasive belief among many users that Matt is capable of doing no wrong because he created StP and I don’t buy that at all. He has been really shitty to a couple of people I really care about. I don’t think Matt is as progressive and woke as he presents himself to be and I think people cut him a lot of slack on things he should be called out for just because he created StP.

4) Pokebert has made a series of really bad calls moderating the Discord, especially in their handling of Riot Gang moderation. They proposed letting “vetted allies” into the safe discussion space for queer and POC travelers then tried to institute a rule forbidding people from venting about oppressive dominant groups because they believed it to be just as bad as the oppression marginalized people are subjected to. This culminated in Pokebert comparing a joke about white people and mayonnaise to using N-word, which I thought demonstrated a severe lack of understanding and empathy for marginalized groups. I know that Pokebert apologized for this but I no longer trust their judgement as a staff member on StP. 

On a related note: I know Matt doesn’t want to run the entire site himself but I’ve noticed that he tends to throw moderator duties on almost anyone who wants them. Mods and admins are in a position of power and are often presumed to be vetted as safe and knowledgeable and some of the folks that have come and gone as staff on StP have definitely not been. In fact, I know of at least one instance where a now former mod used their position of power to gain someone’s trust and engage in predatory behavior.

So for those reasons, I’m leaving. I hope for the community’s sake that things get better but it’s time for me to jump ship.

Take care and safe travels,

-MolotovMocktail


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## Pokebert

I wish you the best, Molotov.

I will be unable to respond to this for at least a few days, as I’ve been under a lot of stress in my personal and work life as well as the recent events as moderator. It will trigger my OCD and anxiety too badly. I hope you all understand. See the rest of you in a few.


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## Matt Derrick

so instead of having a reasonable discussion about it with myself and the rest of the staff, you decide to air your opinions to the public without even trying to talk to me about it. you literally could have said, "matt i think you're fucking up" and I would have been happy to talk about it and have the input, but instead, you bottled it all up and decided to have a grand blow out in front of everyone so you can declare me an awful guy or whatever.

very mature. i honestly thought you were my friend and would communicate things like this to me, but i guess that was bullshit too.


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## Matt Derrick

MolotovMocktail said:


> There is a seemingly pervasive belief among many users that Matt is capable of doing no wrong because he created StP and I don’t buy that at all. He has been really shitty to a couple of people I really care about. I don’t think Matt is as progressive and woke as he presents himself to be and I think people cut him a lot of slack on things he should be called out for just because he created StP.



this is also extremely back-stabby. you don't say who or how, and as i said before, you had _every opportunity_ to say something yet you chose not to. that really makes you huge jerk and a bit of a coward as well.


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## Eng JR Lupo RV323

Props to you for speaking your mind. If I were to offer up some unsolicited advice, it would be; Try to communicate better the things that are bothering you while they're bothering you rather than keeping all that shit inside and you're just stewing on it all the way up until the very last straw that just sends you over the edge. It's just not very productive unless your goal is creating strife. This is a really good method for someone who's looking to stir up drama but not so effective if you actually want things to improve. Either way, take care of yourself and be well.


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## blank

MolotovMocktail said:


> They proposed letting “vetted allies” into the safe discussion space for queer and POC travelers then tried to institute a rule forbidding people from venting about oppressive dominant groups


Am I reading this wrong, or is there a space for members to vent about... heterosexual white people... from which they are excluded?


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## roughdraft

I don't know you or Matt but this in particular is very bothering:



MolotovMocktail said:


> Mods and admins are in a position of power and are often presumed to be vetted as safe and knowledgeable and some of the folks that have come and gone as staff on StP have definitely not been. In fact, I know of at least one instance where a now former mod used their position of power to gain someone’s trust and engage in predatory behavior.



If this is so, why have you not ever taken the opportunity to expose this person, such as making a thread in the ''untrustworthy/shady' section?

Basically you are admitting yourself as an accessory to enabling a 'predator'.


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## WyldLyfe

roughdraft said:


> I don't know you or Matt but this in particular is very bothering:
> 
> 
> 
> If this is so, why have you not ever taken the opportunity to expose this person, such as making a thread in the ''untrustworthy/shady' section?
> 
> Basically you are admitting yourself as an accessory to enabling a 'predator'.



And wasn't this guy a mod himself too.. Is this gonna b another thread like that other mod chick where it all back fires on em, people should have there own shit in order before they start threads like this blaming others for things they themself do ay.. But whatevez


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## Strangeandsolo

MolotovMocktail said:


> Hi folks. I’m making this post to announce that I’ve decided to step down as a moderator and participant on Squat the Planet. Please know that this wasn’t an easy decision to make but I’m convinced it’s the right move for me.
> 
> There are a few reasons for this:
> 
> 1) I’ve been on StP for six years and have been a mod for about five. I was still in high school when I joined and was super stoked on the idea of traveling. The site and its users helped me figure out a lot of things about being on the road and I would have been worse off without it when I was traveling. But in the past few years I’ve gotten less interested in the travel scene and have felt less and less connected to the StP community. I’ve put a lot of work into being a mod but it’s just not worth the energy for me anymore because I no longer feel any connection to the community.
> 
> 2) The userbase also seems to have gotten significantly less interested in the things StP is supposed to be about. I rarely see interesting content on the forums anymore and I’ve gotten super tired of the teenage edgelords in the Discord making the community feel unwelcoming and pointless.
> 
> 3) There is a seemingly pervasive belief among many users that Matt is capable of doing no wrong because he created StP and I don’t buy that at all. He has been really shitty to a couple of people I really care about. I don’t think Matt is as progressive and woke as he presents himself to be and I think people cut him a lot of slack on things he should be called out for just because he created StP.
> 
> 4) Pokebert has made a series of really bad calls moderating the Discord, especially in their handling of Riot Gang moderation. They proposed letting “vetted allies” into the safe discussion space for queer and POC travelers then tried to institute a rule forbidding people from venting about oppressive dominant groups because they believed it to be just as bad as the oppression marginalized people are subjected to. This culminated in Pokebert comparing a joke about white people and mayonnaise to using N-word, which I thought demonstrated a severe lack of understanding and empathy for marginalized groups. I know that Pokebert apologized for this but I no longer trust their judgement as a staff member on StP.
> 
> On a related note: I know Matt doesn’t want to run the entire site himself but I’ve noticed that he tends to throw moderator duties on almost anyone who wants them. Mods and admins are in a position of power and are often presumed to be vetted as safe and knowledgeable and some of the folks that have come and gone as staff on StP have definitely not been. In fact, I know of at least one instance where a now former mod used their position of power to gain someone’s trust and engage in predatory behavior.
> 
> So for those reasons, I’m leaving. I hope for the community’s sake that things get better but it’s time for me to jump ship.
> 
> Take care and safe travels,
> 
> -MolotovMocktail



Maybe i shouldn't speak as i dont really know much about Stp or the folks involved . however as a user i want to contribute constructively, and well it got me going.

#1 says it all you dont feel connected to the community anymore.

#2,3,4 and the related note are political and personal. (It read to me like. you kids are mean to me and i dont want to play with you for x and y reasons)

#3 Bugs me more then the rest... I dont agree with matt alot... but im playing in his place for free. so.. i shut the fuck up and go with it... its not that he can do no wrong... we are in his house... so go with it or go home or go somewhere else. ( the guy seems to genuinely try to listen to the user's so just speak up)

#4 pokebert... this bugs me second most... poor pokebert , geeze please, cut the person some slack... they basically said lets be above white people/ n word jokes... lets be better then those we discuss.... that sounds bad?

#2 the times they are a changing... sorry this is just how life goes, bars change themes, tv stations change format. it happens, no one can fix this... i want MySpace back and Facebook to die.

#related note... more like side swipe sucker punch... so some one who made bad choices was in our group... can you know everything about everyone? do we have to scream at the top of our lungs about every bad thing someone has done? ever? is that person still here? this note was just to stir the shit... 

Thanks to the mods and matt again.. i like it here im staying. 

....good luck MolotovMocktail


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## Mr Morgan

Goodluck on the path @MolotovMocktail


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## Deleted member 8978

What you are saying reminds me of TASVideos back in 2010 where I was only asking for a name change and got permanently banned for it. One of the admins at the time took it further by harassing me and attempting to dox my real name and the ISP I was using at the time, which according to a law firm is illegal.
https://www.brickdonlaw.com/blog/2018/september/what-is-doxxing-is-it-illegal-/
TASVideos decided to overthrow their website with the laziest and most corrupted moderators and staff I have ever interacted with in my life. Then after laying low a few years, I joined this site for the first time and found a much better group of people I can actually work with.

For the past several months despite not often applying a lot of energy into StP, I have sat back and noticed our hard working staff in action. I know there is certain things people don't agree with, but I often look at fair moderation in a *business*-type perspective. Meanwhile, I have noticed several users taking fair moderation *personally*. When you take fair moderation personally no matter how harsh it seems, expect almost every legal step to be taken against you, that's part of how the system works - not just for this site but almost any other site also being kept well-moderated.

Since 2014 when I first joined, I never got the nerve to be a moderator here and that is only because of the forum software I am familiar with. I would take phpBB2/3 any day since it seems much easier for me to manage, administrate, and even set up a main page off one of their scripts. Now being that I have a near-full-time position at a grueling job, I still can't find the time to be a moderator and I am okay with that.

One more thing, I know you're still taking more than a road - maybe a beaten path, but please be careful with what you are doing because most people will take you seriously. May God bless you and we'll see you along the way. Cheers...
::drinkingbuddy::



molotovmocktail said:


> On a related note: I know Matt doesn’t want to run the entire site himself but I’ve noticed that he tends to throw moderator duties on almost anyone who wants them. Mods and admins are in a position of power and are often presumed to be vetted as safe and knowledgeable and some of the folks that have come and gone as staff on StP have definitely not been. In fact, I know of at least one instance where a now former mod used their position of power to gain someone’s trust and engage in predatory behavior.


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## feralautistic

this site really is falling apart, huh


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## Dameon

feralautistic said:


> this site really is falling apart, huh


Not really...these drama explosions just happen every now and then when a critical mass of drama-inclined users build up. Tends to be a problem that fixes itself since they either leave or do something drastic enough to get banned.


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## Strangeandsolo

feralautistic said:


> this site really is falling apart, huh


 
No. places change, people grow, break and heal to grow anew, just to break heal and go on living till they dont. just like websites... RIP globe.com my first online fourm. god i was so different in 1998


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## Eng JR Lupo RV323

feralautistic said:


> this site really is falling apart, huh



I don't know, is it? One mod who's been incredibly absent for the last year or more who only drops in occasionally decides he's less interested in travel culture than he used to be explains that he's grown to feel less interested in this site than he was before so he dips out and takes a couple jabs at Matt in the process and that's your definition of this site falling apart? Seems a bit premature to make such a statement but maybe you like drama too and what a perfect time to add fuel to this insignificant little fire hey?

Is the irony also not lost on anyone else that this is the second time an admin has left after taking shots at the admin team for not addressing something that they themselves held back and kept inside the entire time they were part of the exact same admin team they're now trying to flame? They're like "Well the admins should have done something about this thing that I knew about but I never brought it up the entire time when I was part of that team but still they should have done something about it why can't they just read minds? Why didn't you guys do something about that thing you knew nothing about?"

Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit you look fucking stupid. You were literally in the very position to do something about whatever the fuck but you didn't and now you wanna fault someone else the instant you remove yourself from that group you're talkin shit on? I don't buy it. I think it's baseless hyperbole. Instead of just walking away gracefully you throw a verbal molotov on your way out. Why don't you just throw the names out and screen shots or any sort of evidence to back up your claim rather than being all esoteric about it? If you're gonna call someone out on something don't be half steppin just come out and say what's up.

The site isn't falling apart. We're just losing some weight, shedding a little fat it ain't no thing.


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## Coywolf

Well, sorry to see ya go man, but the reasons you are leaving are not new, people have brought them up timeand time again when they leave. I'm not going to marginalize anyones complaints from people about admins, and how the site is run, and how Matt isint a god. But ya, I've seen this so many times I cant even count them.

Usually this is some behind the scene drama that 99% of the members on StP have no idea that it is even happening, and doesnt really concern them.

Every has their own personal reasons for leaving StP, but please allow newer members to come to their own conclusions, rather than having long time members involve them in thei own long standing issues.

That being said. Staff, this is at least the third time I've seen members bring legitimate concerns about Pokebert being a mod on Discord. During the last debate about being able to ban people from specific threads and on discord discussions, I expressed trust that mods would not turn into dictators.

This issue may be worth looking into. I dont use discord, so I dont have an iron in the fire, and I dont know Pokebert, but if I had that many complaints in such a short time, i would be looking into it. Which I'm sure someone out their is currently doing.


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## Odin

Take care and good journey in life @MolotovMocktail 

Also, thanks for the Ambien Zine... lol 

Peace.


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## Phuen

I am not personally involved in this, and have no personal take. But I have noticed the admin+mods grouping against other users, giving off an aggressive vibe, even though they're the ones holding all the power. Being unapproachable and/or dismissive will result in exactly this. Reliable trustworthy people slowly distancing and then leaving.

When a reliable member gives me feedback about my community, as they're leaving, I know it's honest and meaningful. I take it as constructive criticism, rather than "a last jab." Anyone who doesn't, will not improve.


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## Eng JR Lupo RV323

It would have been a lot more constructive to bring up things that were bothering OP as they're occurring rather than bottling it up and hail marying a big dramatic eruption on his departure. But you've been against mods since you got here pretty much so I kind of expect you're always going to try and push this issue. I guess it all started when you started talking about how much you like young girls and then when I was like yo how young are you talking? You declined to clarify and then when I said that's kinda creepy you started passing out the poo reactions and you've kind of just been a butthole ever since. Go fuck yourself, Phuen. How's that for some aggression?


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## roughdraft

Phuen said:


> Reliable trustworthy people slowly distancing and then leaving.
> 
> When a reliable member gives me feedback about my community, as they're leaving, I know it's honest and meaningful.



So look at the OP here, what is constructive or indicates trustworthiness in the OP? What is honest or meaningful from his post?

From what I'm reading here you're doing the same thing he did, not even setting up a thorough comment and so your point not only falls flat - it becomes very much the opposite of your intended message.


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## Deleted member 20

I actually appreciate when mods & users prepare some sort of exit thread. I can't fault anyone for evolving, loosing interest, moving on or just getting burned out. While ownership & management is in the few, I think many of us feel connected & a part of STP. I myself have grown far apart from much of STP but still have a historical connection to the spirit that drives much of the lifeblood here. I have had a better connection to STP than to the greater traveler community. There is so much dysfunction, addiction, backstabbing, gossip, theft & backstabbing that occurs but feel that STP is and has been a safe space for communal exchange. It is more of a training school or a library for newcomers and an oasis for us others.

The newcomers have always outnumbered us that have been around. Few long-term users exist & participate in comparison to those new users who join. I can identify with the feelings around that of being a mod & being frustrated from those duties and or some of the bureaucracy that surrounds such participation. I wish I could persuade @MolotovMocktail to consider renouncing his mod duties & just lurk in the background like many of us who have done so. Perhaps reconciliation of the OP with those he names in the above post would simply resolve by taking a step back. To think that you started moderating right out of High School is interesting to me. I myself have done much growing up in my last 6 years here at STP. Perhaps this is a natural maturing & growing to bigger & better things without the inherent mod stresses? Perhaps, not being a mod would be just enough to step back & try to appreciate STP again.

After, your years there must be somethings that you care about here or posting an exit thread wouldn't have been done. I have not become friends with @MolotovMocktail in his tenure but also feel that mods get so consumed with modding that they loose some of the pure interest in participating with us elder commoners. For myself' I like donating cash or buying merch and mostly lurking in the background now. Occasionally topics get discussed where I feel I can contribute something of value. Nobody wants to hear all of my opinions in most threads & to be honest I got tired of responding to the same redundant threads.

That being said, I feel making a public gripe is therapeutic to the overall health of the site for all & a good way for users to get closure if they are okay with the finality of it. There is an art to saying what you mean without being mean & it is even harder online. I feel @MolotovMocktail communicates The mods tend to be democratic & always be involved behind the scenes. Cliques develop and there is a long tradition of former mods not existing here after there mod duties. I wish there could be more attrition of former mods who morph back into just regular users. Most get upset & give a big FU to the rules instigating a ban by making angry public grievances or quit all together. I feel that this thread by @MolotovMocktail was genuine and made out of his years of frustration/resentment. I do not read it as he violating a personal friendship by going public, more an invitation to vent & possibly salvage his connection to the forum & existing friendships.

With time and experience comes wisdom. I have never got close (as friends) but I have been around as a mod/user for 12+ years (with this account). Rarely have I witnessed @Matt Derrick to be very approachable or receptive of any form of public criticism. I think that Matt routinely seems personally attacked & defensive of certain critiques of his creation. Please, Matt; know that I am not trying to attack you here.

Where & how do us misfit users, mods & admins go to bitch about legitimate or illegitimate gripes on our community forum than on the forum? Would an anonymous gripe section that is not linked to a users account be as beneficial to communicate better without emotion?


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## Eng JR Lupo RV323

Phuen said:


> But I have noticed the admin+mods grouping against other users, giving off an aggressive vibe, even though they're the ones holding all the p̶o̶w̶e̶r̶ responsibility.



Fixed that for you.
I mean what "power" is this you speak of? Power to moderate? Do you think that's some sort of advantage? It comes with a lot of responsibility, it isn't like we're average everyday users with super powers. It's basically a job dude. And with the amount of pushback we deal with from the likes of users like yourself, sometimes it's more a curse than a privilege. You think we're above the law or something? You think I can't get banned too? I gotta play by the same rules as everyone else. On top of that I have the task of making sure others do as well. That's all it is, nothing more.


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## Matt Derrick

highwayman said:


> With time and experience comes wisdom. I have never got close (as friends) but I have been around as a mod/user for 12+ years (with this account). Rarely have I witnessed @Matt Derrick to be very approachable or receptive of any form of public criticism. I think that Matt routinely seems personally attacked & defensive of certain critiques of his creation. Please, Matt; know that I am not trying to attack you here.



this has a lot to do more with how toxic this culture has become than it is with any decisions I've made. people in this culture are extremely quick to assume that anyone with any kind of perceived 'power' is automatically the bad guy, no matter what the situation. and i've accepted that im basically going to have to come into the room and play dad/bad guy in order to keep shit on track here. there's also a shit ton of information people just aren't privy to and i don't feel like explaining every time someone has a disagreement.

that paragraph is also extremely unfair because while that might be your perception, the reality is that im constantly _begging _for input and ways i could make this place/community better. but getting anything other than 'do it better' or 'you suck' out of this group is like pulling fucking teeth, and on top of that it's really frustrating when you're constantly being told you're doing a shit job, but no one will tell you how to not do a shit job. so i'm basically fucked either way, and again, that turns back around to how cynical and toxic the community (train hopping in particular) has become.

i know that you're not trying to attack me; but the majority of situations that you are judging me on were situations in which _i was being attacked_. not situations of constructive criticism and me just 'freaking out' for no reason for someone _daring _to question me.

i very often get pigeon-holed into the persona that i just do this for a power-trip or whatever, and man, let me tell you, if that was the reason, I would have shut this shit this shit down years ago. the amount of flak/bs i get from people on a daily basis just isn't worth it. certainly not enough to justify any 'feel good' i would get from banning people. and let's not forget that unless it's the case of an extreme asshole, i actually don't enjoy banning people. i'm not a fan of conflict, and i don't like losing friends. that's not what i created this space for.

if it wasn't for the people supporting me and some even begging me to keep this site around, there's no doubt i would have given up on it years ago and gone and done something more productive. that posititve reinforcement just barely counteracts all the hate, lies, and other bs I have to deal with here, and if it wasn't for disappointing those supporters (who do in fact out number the detractors) I would probably just walk away from this. I mean, why would I _want_ this kind of negative shit in my life?


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## Deleted member 8978

Again, even though you're disappointed with the decisions the staff makes on a daily basis, you have to take it for what it is. It's all fair moderation. This is why part of all of your argument is invalid and misleading to others. Can you bear the burden and move along? Or are you too weak to do even that?!



phuen said:


> I am not personally involved in this, and have no personal take. But I have noticed the admin+mods grouping against other users, giving off an aggressive vibe, even though they're the ones holding all the power. Being unapproachable and/or dismissive will result in exactly this. Reliable trustworthy people slowly distancing and then leaving.
> 
> When a reliable member gives me feedback about my community, as they're leaving, I know it's honest and meaningful. I take it as constructive criticism, rather than "a last jab." Anyone who doesn't, will not improve.


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## WyldLyfe

Ya know what guys, if ya kinda think bout it, people give you the best they can in any moment, even if they are being mean or acting however, at that moment that's all they could give or do.. If someone's gets triggered and slashes out in an unproductive way (because anger, rage and passion has its place too and can all be used productively) or someone gets triggered but then calms themselves, both in that moment gave u there best. In a way.. And that doesn't mean we have to accept behaviours that are not great, but it can help us not take shit so personally. If that makes sense.


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## Deleted member 20

I know that I am a shitty peacemaker but for what its worth that is my intention. This post may swerve "off-topic" but I feel its all connected to the greater discussion. Since @MolotovMocktail is still here, I can only speculate that there is still hope. If anything @Matt Derrick expresses similar if not even more involved & amplified frustrations as @MolotovMocktail If anything I see more similarities to the feelings expressed between them.

I think many leaders of many organizations experience many of the same things like.


Matt Derrick said:


> _begging _for input and ways i could make this place/community better



There are also some natural obstacles that inhibit communication with such hierarchical leadership models.
Why Hierarchy Stifles Creativity - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creative-leadership/201403/why-hierarchy-stifles-creativity
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandto...es/understandingorganizationalstructures.aspx

While probably impracticable given the current constraints of simply keeping this ship afloat by Matt while he still works a job and tries to juggle everything on the admin side,coding & modding the mods, etc. The time resources of one person

Since Matt is also constantly questioning his running the STP ship and balancing out the positive s & negatives. Could a council model work better for running STP? An Anarchist FAQ – I.5 What could the social structure of anarchy... - http://www.infoshop.org/an-anarchist-faq-i-5-what-could-the-social-structure-of-anarchy-look-like/ I apologize for suggesting an entire upheaval of status quo which would inevitably require more time/effort from Matt to successfully transition. Sure anarchy works from an academic level but eventually someone has to do the dishes. The dish washing involved is far above the scope of the majority of us who have never managed entire websites and forums in the past.

I have made this argument in the past & will bring it up again in response to Matts response to this. All the old timers have premature deaths (virtual) at STP. How does STP survive after @Matt Derrick? Just as Burning Man, Rainbow Gatherings, The Catholic Worker, IWW, Food not Bombs and many similar organizations, I have been involved with over the years. Man, may have a figurehead founder/leader but the leadership is also decentralized to ensure the groups survival. The amount of infighting and drama that occurs here, makes me think that STP can never grow to be anything more than what it is. Long term users cannot effectively become further invested here. We are not really building anything together. If anything, someone gets frustrated & then takes their time & energy to start something elsewhere.

IMO, if we ever could hash out how to better resolve conflicts and manage day to day operations it might be conducive to better spending time/energy on more ambitious collective STP projects. To support my commitment to this idea I am willing to allocate $600 (usd) for the advancement of STP, if ever such an organizational change is ever made. Matt has mentioned aspirations to pilot STP in future directions. What about us buying a collective plot of land for an annual gathering that can be used as a "waypoint" for STP members? Given the current governance; I say that is hard to impossible. With ownership comes great responsibility. I say, use the priceless human capital that already exists here and allow STP to expand communally as a "participatory community" somehow. Why can't we collectively coexist & grow something out of this online forum? Perhaps it starts with a council & revamping of the forums existing leadership structure. The "discord" experiment is a failure and proof (IMO) that STP cannot grow beyond or survive in perpetuity without a collective approach and plan for increased cohesiveness & a future decentralized leadership.

Imagine Matt if you were more happy than not surrounding that which you started. Imagine the possibilities of a future STP where us long time users contributed more of our potential. As many parents here will understand that protective nature that Matt has for his baby. Those of us who have adult children will also recognize the need for them babies to eventually leave the nest & fly solo to grow.


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## Pokebert

This is slightly off-topic, and I know I said I would reply in-depth to this, but...

I was fucking doxxed yesterday by the very people banned and making threads about me on here. My phone was blown up with texts, a doxx sheet was emailed to my personal email, and my personal Instagram got vaguely threatening comments. In addition, /r/Runaway was flooded with at least 8 posts (so, raided) accusing me of being a racist for the thing Molotov mentioned.

I understand that this may reflect badly on me to people just viewing this all right now, but please be assured that I have apologized multiple times for my false equivalency. Please also be aware that nickd03 has assembled a small personal army of sorts just to harass me enough to get banned from here or to resign.


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## Coywolf

Matt Derrick said:


> but getting anything other than 'do it better' or 'you suck' out of this group is like pulling fucking teeth, and on top of that it's really frustrating when you're constantly being told you're doing a shit job, but no one will tell you how to not do a shit job. so i'm basically fucked either way, and again, that turns back around to how cynical and toxic the community (train hopping in particular) has become.





Matt Derrick said:


> people in this culture are extremely quick to assume that anyone with any kind of perceived 'power' is automatically the bad guy, no matter what the situation





Matt Derrick said:


> I mean, why would I _want_ this kind of negative shit in my life?



I just wanted to highlight this, and post a HARD AGREE to everything contained in it.

I dont find it hard to understand that this place has been created to cater to all walks of life as far as traveling and houselessness is concerned, continuing to make this place a safe area to post without being subject to the influence of hate and isolation is going to be a hard thing for any group of people to do. Seriously. Go to Reddit. Tell me that its 'more akin to true anarchism' and therefore 'more of a safe space' see how that works out for you.

But @highwayman brings up great points, also some that I don't agree with, but hey, at least he has a sense of reason in his dicussion.

My point here is, this isint a free for all. I like the way this website is run, and I feel that if I have a problem, I can voice it...REPONSIBLY...and I will be able to discuss it with the staff and they will discuss it amongst themselves and get back to me with a consensus.

That alone takes a shit load of work, and many of these people voicing that they think this place is a dictatorship would never take it upon themselves to lift a fingers work concerning what the mods on here currently do. They would bitch bitch bitch, until they got the site shut down, and then brag about how they were such awesome 'activists' to promote a 'fair' society.


----------



## roughdraft

Coywolf said:


> ...at least he has a sense of reason in his dicussion.
> 
> ...many of these people voicing that they think this place is a dictatorship would never take it upon themselves to lift a fingers work concerning what the mods on here currently do. They would bitch bitch bitch, until they got the site shut down, and then brag about how they were such awesome 'activists' to promote a 'fair' society.



Thank you for having enough sense to put these words together. This is exactly how I feel, there are people on here who wanna try to diminish this resource, but they don't even have sound reason together to make a point. Which ironically only reflects badly on them.


----------



## Matt Derrick

Pokebert said:


> This is slightly off-topic, and I know I said I would reply in-depth to this, but...
> 
> I was fucking doxxed yesterday by the very people banned and making threads about me on here. My phone was blown up with texts, a doxx sheet was emailed to my personal email, and my personal Instagram got vaguely threatening comments. In addition, /r/Runaway was flooded with at least 8 posts (so, raided) accusing me of being a racist for the thing Molotov mentioned.
> 
> I understand that this may reflect badly on me to people just viewing this all right now, but please be assured that I have apologized multiple times for my false equivalency. Please also be aware that nickd03 has assembled a small personal army of sorts just to harass me enough to get banned from here or to resign.



I think it's also important to point out that these are a very small group of 16 year old _children_ who are more mad that they got banned for posting 'edgy' content than they give a shit about the false equivalency pokebert posted. They had no interest in participating in the StP community, and now that they've taken this to the level of 'doxxing' it just shows what sad little internet trolls they are.


----------



## Matt Derrick

About @highwayman's post, ive always been interested in running StP more or less as a collective than the hierarchal structure we've also had. I've even discussed it with the staff semi-recently (maybe 8 months ago or so?) And I'd be all about it if we could find a way to logically do so in an online format.

The only issue I have with that is that it's hard enough to find people that want to take on the (mostly thankless) job of being a moderator, much less devote a portion of their life to being on some kind of board of directors or whatnot.

That's how we ended up with a lot of mods that didn't quite work out, although I won't mention names to avoid stirring the shit pot. When your only choice is taking what you can get, you end up with (at the very least) a lot of inexperienced folks that don't know what they are talking about or (at worst) a bunch of mods that don't understand the diplomacy necessary to not piss off the entire community.

Now I feel very confident in our current staff, and despite any mistakes recently made, they've proven they can handle what needs to be done to keep things on track here.

So yeah, we probably need to improve our vetting process and make people be a mod for a good while before considering putting them on some kind of BOD that has real power to control where this ship goes.

But think that's a subject for a separate thread.


----------



## DrewSTNY

I'm not active much as my interests are more into rubber tramping and helping people with mechanically things. (Machines don't talk bad about you) 

I stumbled into this community when @autumn was rebuilding her RV and asking a bunch of Q's about keeping it running. 

For the most part, everyone's been great, but there have been some recent incidents that really surprised me. 

If you are a mod, please, please, deal with issues with the mod team in private. As @Matt Derrick said, being a mod lately has become more and more stressful. If this is supposed to be a supportive community, why are members of the moderation team going public with this type of drama post? I'm sure it's related to change in people's lives, but is there something else going on in general? I think Matt aluded to this above and maybe there needs to be a change in how new members to the discord and forums are approved. Maybe new members should have a "sponsor" from someone already here and in good standing? I know this isn't a club or anything like that and is meant to be a safe place for everyone, but it's definitely gotten a bit more toxic lately.

@MolotovMocktail - you've been around a while. All the best to you. Sometimes, life takes is in directions we never intended to go. I hope you and the rest of the mod team work out whatever brought you to this point.


----------



## Deleted member 20

This is quickly morphing way past the OPs thread & wonder if the mods/admin could create a relevant thread discussing these bigger picture issues, not involving @MolotovMocktail leaving STP? 



Matt Derrick said:


> The only issue I have with that is that it's hard enough to find people that want to take on the (mostly thankless) job of being a moderator, much less devote a portion of their life to being on some kind of board of directors or whatnot.



Perhaps some form of a collective "membership governance" would work? Voluntary association - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntary_association#United_States

The recruitment & appointment of mods by an individual or small cadre of existing mods is still fairly autocratic. Instead of looking to the existing staff (mods) perhaps the most radical & democratic way would be to instead look to the membership? Could voting work among the membership for the advancing of STP? Could we collectively ever function better like a voluntary association/union/member org to determine governance, direction, funding, recruitment for participation on STP projects? 

Much conflict has always existed between members & members, mods & members, mods & mods or admins etc. As mentioned elsewhere, some mods contribute while others are mostly nonexistent. Sure, this is a forum and the rules are interpreted & discussed among the mods; then democratic action & diplomacy is attempted. If this was to ever become more than just a forum (say more like a nonprofit/union/member organization), would those punitive website rules that mute & banish still be relevant? Could a democratic council be more impartial than just using exclusively mods? 

*IMO Rarely do nonprofits have the volunteers/employees act as the board. They could deal with governance, while appointing directors, managers who then coordinate leading the volunteers/staff. This could help to recruit & install new energy/ideas into the advancement beyond this just being a forum. Could mods getting burned out/quitting, be a call to recruit new mods & or have limits to lengths of volunteer service as a mod? As mods are in the trenches could they become overwhelmed by such ongoing responsibilities?

I have noticed many users (some mods) just fade away, implode & be banned after conflict and rarely ever see conflict resolution that encourages continued membership in spite of grievances. I do not fault the mods for this as I know the thankless nature of volunteering to keep the peace here. I know many users just get so butthurt that they intentionally act worse. While I recognize that mods are held to the same rules as users, they are all still installed by the same limited autocratic system; designed to maintain & moderate an online forum. 
https://www.501c3.org/kb/board-of-directors-vs-membership-governance/


----------



## Phuen

You can't expect to have power over others, but also interact as if you were equals. When you wear an admin or mod badge, your are that *first*, and a community member second.

And this is why the OP did not behave the same way you would - the admin, the other mods, or even just members. He saw the *balance of power to responsibility* that he had after several years of experience. His feedback reflects on that. His leaving reflects on that.

Good leadership works to understand what was his power and responsibility, why it failed, and rebalances their community to improve on that.

Anything can be called vague. Or too late. Or selfish. Or assholey. But if you publicly wear a badge of power, you have to put the well-being of the community before your personal preference; to the extent of your position.

When that doesn't work out, people leave their positions. Rightfully so.

P.S. Often community managers will step back from the conversation, to allow themselves a more neutral and encompassing view. A parent mostly watching over the kids, if you will, rather than being distracted by playing with them. ::drinkingbuddy::


----------



## Deleted member 14481

As someone who's had run in with toxic users and mods, and had a short disagreement with Matt, I side with @MolotovMocktail . And, I feel the issues where addressed the way MM wanted to address them for a good reason. No one owes anyone a discussion or explanation, and the minds have been made up.

I'm still here because I forget this site exists when I'm not traveling. I remember it when I plan on traveling, and then it's not all that helpful when I'm traveling, so I put it down, again. Friendly interactions are rare, so I'm on less and less. Or course, I'm thankful for friendly interactions, but is that really how it's suppose to be? And, I can tell by how people reacted that they aren't considering how they contributed to this situation's outcome. 

And, it's let every time I peek my head things have gotten worse. From the time, a year or so ago, where I posted a few different things and someone replied "You had to come in and shit all over our forums, didn't you?" Someone was was being toxic towards me for using the site as intended. And, two different place at two different points down voted ALL THE MY POSTS, with no explanation. For one, I know that person was banned, and later a lot of old posts got deleted, but it still happened and added to my impression of this site. I think the recent person was also banned, or stopped using the site. And, more recently, when I asked what happened to the ranking system and why my title was low again. Users somehow thought my reasonable question about a website function was funny, and I got trolled.

However, I don't wish for StP to change. I wish for someone else to start a website, and run it differently, in a way that I more agree with.

I appreciate you sharing, MM! Good luck in life! 

(I know I'm going to get trolled for this, but I get trolled just using this site no matter what I say - SO LET THE NEGATIVE VOTES RAIN!)


----------



## Eng JR Lupo RV323

Inuyoujo said:


> However, I don't wish for StP to change. I wish for someone else to start a website, and run it differently, in a way that I more agree with.



You know who would be the best "someone else" to start a website and run it in a way that you more agree with? 

You. It's a great idea isn't it? I think it's gonna be everything you want and more! I wish you all the best. Good luck!


----------



## Matt Derrick

Inuyoujo said:


> As someone who's had run in with toxic users and mods, and had a short disagreement with Matt, I side with @MolotovMocktail . And, I feel the issues where addressed the way MM wanted to address them for a good reason. No one owes anyone a discussion or explanation, and the minds have been made up.
> 
> I'm still here because I forget this site exists when I'm not traveling. I remember it when I plan on traveling, and then it's not all that helpful when I'm traveling, so I put it down, again. Friendly interactions are rare, so I'm on less and less. Or course, I'm thankful for friendly interactions, but is that really how it's suppose to be? And, I can tell by how people reacted that they aren't considering how they contributed to this situation's outcome.
> 
> And, it's let every time I peek my head things have gotten worse. From the time, a year or so ago, where I posted a few different things and someone replied "You had to come in and shit all over our forums, didn't you?" Someone was was being toxic towards me for using the site as intended. And, two different place at two different points down voted ALL THE MY POSTS, with no explanation. For one, I know that person was banned, and later a lot of old posts got deleted, but it still happened and added to my impression of this site. I think the recent person was also banned, or stopped using the site. And, more recently, when I asked what happened to the ranking system and why my title was low again. Users somehow thought my reasonable question about a website function was funny, and I got trolled.
> 
> However, I don't wish for StP to change. I wish for someone else to start a website, and run it differently, in a way that I more agree with.
> 
> I appreciate you sharing, MM! Good luck in life!
> 
> (I know I'm going to get trolled for this, but I get trolled just using this site no matter what I say - SO LET THE NEGATIVE VOTES RAIN!)



the reason you get 'trolled' (lol) is because you literally have nothing positive to say. your signature literally says it all and you've posted multiple racist comments in the past as well. when you say these toxic things, people disagree with you and you interpret that as 'trolling'. disagreeing is not trolling, please try looking up the definition.

either way, i love the hypocrisy of people that complain but won't go away either. i mean you disagree with everything i do so why stick around? doesn't make much sense to me.



Inuyoujo said:


> However, I don't wish for StP to change. I wish for someone else to start a website, and run it differently, in a way that I more agree with.



so, in other words, "I wish someone else would put in all the 1000's of hours of work it takes to make a community like this, but I won't lift a finger to help in any way; and if they don't do it exactly the way I want, im gonna complain and moan and tell them what terrible people they are." does that sound about right?


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## Coywolf

@Inuyoujo I've been out there looking for sites that even remotely compare to StP. There arent any. No one in this community has been willing to put in the time or effort, let alone dedicate a full time mod staff to make sure it doesnt turn into a 4chan forum.

I can say, with almost certainty (because I haven't seen the ENTIRE internet) that this site is the best traveling forum out there. Everyone is going to have their differences of opinion. But as far as this site being some sort of dictatorship, or some site 'acting under the guise of anarchist travel', that isint the case.

I, for one, feel we are fortunate to have such a space on the internet. A trip to 4chan, reddit, or similar websites will clear that up real quick.

If it was this, or nothing (as is pretty much the case), I will throw my full support behind this, because the quest for absolute perfection always ends up in disappointment on all sides.

I do notice you coming on once and a while, and it usually is to post incredibly one sided content, or post how much you disagree with people. I haven't seen alot ov your content that is supportive, or at least trying to offer supportive content to everyone else. No offense, that has just been my observation over the past couple years.


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## Deleted member 8978

THIS! I think you nailed it. Too bad genies don't exist, so wishes have to be granted in some other way. If that's the case, we can all enjoy a few more tacos and burritos and relax a little bit! 



matt derrick said:


> so, in other words, "I wish someone else would put in all the 1000's of hours of work it takes to make a community like this, but I won't lift a finger to help in any way; and if they don't do it exactly the way I want, im gonna complain and moan and tell them what terrible people they are." does that sound about right?


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## Eng JR Lupo RV323

Inuyoujo said:


> And, I feel the issues where addressed the way MM wanted to address them for a good reason. No one owes anyone a discussion or explanation, and the minds have been made up.




Right, nobody said he wasn't allowed to address his issues. I think it's that he didn't address them ever, not until the very last moment before pulling the plug. Kinda hard to resolve something when the person holding issue can't be an adult about it but instead chooses to fire off all their grievances and essentially covers their ears by walking out on the conversation before anyone can even retort.

Imagine you're working a job for 2 years with no raise and you feel you're due a raise. You never ask for one but you're bitter about not getting one. Then one day you walk into your bosses office and tell him "Fuck you I quit because you never gave me a raise!" and storm out. Wouldn't it be better to first try to sit down and talk to your boss? This way the two of you could potentially reach a resolution, like okay fair enough you'll see the raise take effect on your next check. Can you not see how ineffective MM's method was?

On the other end of that;


Inuyoujo said:


> And, I can tell by how people reacted that they aren't considering how they contributed to this situation's outcome.



No one on the receiving end of an attack or accusation should be expected to sit mealy-mouthed either. Are we not allowed to react unless we agree? We don't agree, so how would you suggest we should have reacted?



Inuyoujo said:


> I'm still here because I forget this site exists when I'm not traveling.



You forget this site exists when you're not traveling and that's why you're still here... That makes absolutely zero sense.



Inuyoujo said:


> I remember it when I plan on traveling



Oh that's convenient, it's almost like amnesia. You've been using this site for over four years and somehow your memory of it's existence just comes and goes.



Inuyoujo said:


> and then it's not all that helpful when I'm traveling, so I put it down, again.



Are you ever traveling though? Haven't you been in Minnesota this entire time?



Inuyoujo said:


> Friendly interactions are rare, so I'm on less and less. Or course, I'm thankful for friendly interactions, but is that really how it's suppose to be?



No not really. That's not my experience with the site and I'm in a position where people are definitely going to be less friendly to me than a casual member. Do you think people might be unfriendly towards you because.. now this is gonna sound crazy but maybe, maybe they're being unfriendly because of something you're doing/saying? Or do you think it's more likely everyone's just a big jerk all the time for absolutely no reason? It certainly cannot be any fault of your own, right? No way!




Inuyoujo said:


> And, it's let every time I peek my head things have gotten worse. From the time, a year or so ago, where I posted a few different things and someone replied "You had to come in and shit all over our forums, didn't you?" Someone was was being toxic towards me for using the site as intended.



I wonder what you could have said to get such a reaction. Probably something very positive and helpful right? And then they just got all mean for no reason! This site is so toxic that way! It's never you though, never you.




Inuyoujo said:


> And, two different place at two different points down voted ALL THE MY POSTS, with no explanation.



Take a look at your recent activity log on your profile. You just spammed me with three down votes yesterday and that's by no means the first time you've done that. I never got an explanation. Where's my explanation?



Inuyoujo said:


> For one, I know that person was banned, and later a lot of old posts got deleted, but it still happened and added to my impression of this site



So you're forming negative opinions towards the website as a whole over something a person we banned did to you? So hypothetically, let's say someone attacks you while you're in a coffee shop. Just some random psycho off the streets. The coffee shop owners kick the person out, tell them to never come back and the police are called. You then form a negative opinion towards the coffee shop and owner? Alright....whatever.

And just FYI, we don't delete posts unless they're spam bot posts or inherently against the website rules in general and that really doesn't happen. We have a filter that flags them before they reach public viewing with a moderation queue and they're cleaned from the site at that point. So I don't know what you're talking about, sounds kind of made up and convenient because we can't ask you for a link if it was supposedly deleted, which it wasn't but stick to your guns anyway, fuck it.



Inuyoujo said:


> I think the recent person was also banned



So that's two people now who were giving you trouble that we banned? Man, I can see why you have such a negative view of us. Getting rid of all the trouble makers that harass you.. fuck us!



Inuyoujo said:


> And, more recently, when I asked what happened to the ranking system and why my title was low again. Users somehow thought my reasonable question about a website function was funny, and I got trolled.



No, it isn't a reasonable question. Nobody cares about that title except you. You're literally the only person who cares. Nobody else has ever given a shit, because they know it means absolutely nothing. You can't put it on a resume. Your parents won't be any more or less proud of you over your STP title. You're not really a pilgrim Inuyoujo, I promise.



Inuyoujo said:


> I wish for someone else to start a website, and run it differently, in a way that I more agree with.



And you're also not punk. That quote is the absolute most unpunk thing I've ever seen written on this site. Not that you gotta be punk or anything, but I'm just saying.. if you ever thought you were.. you're not.


----------



## roughdraft

Inuyoujo said:


> I get trolled just using this site no matter what I say



classically delusional victim mentality


----------



## Deleted member 14481

I'll admit, it's funny to see people get shit on that deserve it, but when it happened to me for criticizing the community I felt like Matt was being defensive against someone who wasn't even attacking. Instead of "I hear your concerns and we're open to suggestions," or "May I have more details, so we can better address the issue" Matt went full "WELL, DON'T INVITE ANYONE BECAUSE WE NEED PEOPLE AS UPPITY AS YOU!" And, all I could think was "What is the end goal of this kind of behavior, and how is it helpful for the community?" And, I'm not even being rhetorical.

But, before THAT was my run in with the long forgotten Kim Chi. One of the most disrespectful mods I've ever seen in my life, and I use to be a member of DeviantArt - before and during Google Ads, and the art theft.

I'm not says people can control others. I'm saying I want to see feedback and crits being handled respectfully. A consideration of the feedback and evaluation of what's it's addressing. And, a respectful response, along with whatever changes can and will be made. Or, a respectful response if no changes are made, for whatever reason. In case you missed it; the keyword is "respectful". A little respect can go a long way, as can disrespect.

I've seen enough around here to hope someone else makes a new website and runs it differently. Different attitudes. Different priorities. Different leadership. Different decisions. Different members. All of it different. The competition will get users a different product - be it whatever changes are made here, or whatever happens on the other site to make it (more) appealing.

Someone asked if the site is going to shit (and that reacts it got) and someone replied it's just cutting off unnecessary fat. I say rats abandon a sinking ship. Even if the others can't tell it's sinking, rats are pretty dang smart. Of course, by rats I mean people who left that were invested in this website and community. As someone who has been actively discouraged from being invested, I'm willing to stick around to see what happens.

I see why Mol did it like this based on a lot of what was said and reactions in the thread(, and I would have done the same).

Godspeed, @MolotovMocktail !

(LET THE NEGATIVE VOTES RAIN; I SAID WHAT I SAID!)​


----------



## Deleted member 125

Inuyoujo said:


> I'll admit, it's funny to see people get shit on that deserve it, but when it happened to me for criticizing the community I felt like Matt was being defensive against someone who wasn't even attacking. Instead of "I hear your concerns and we're open to suggestions," or "May I have more details, so we can better address the issue" Matt went full "WELL, DON'T INVITE ANYONE BECAUSE WE NEED PEOPLE AS UPPITY AS YOU!" And, all I could think was "What is the end goal of this kind of behavior, and how is it helpful for the community?" And, I'm not even being rhetorical.
> 
> But, before THAT was my run in with the long forgotten Kim Chi. One of the most disrespectful mods I've ever seen in my life, and I use to be a member of DeviantArt - before and during Google Ads, and the art theft.
> 
> I'm not says people can control others. I'm saying I want to see feedback and crits being handled respectfully. A consideration of the feedback and evaluation of what's it's addressing. And, a respectful response, along with whatever changes can and will be made. Or, a respectful response if no changes are made, for whatever reason. In case you missed it; the keyword is "respectful". A little respect can go a long way, as can disrespect.
> 
> I've seen enough around here to hope someone else makes a new website and runs it differently. Different attitudes. Different priorities. Different leadership. Different decisions. Different members. All of it different. The competition will get users a different product - be it whatever changes are made here, or whatever happens on the other site to make it (more) appealing.
> 
> Someone asked if the site is going to shit (and that reacts it got) and someone replied it's just cutting off unnecessary fat. I say rats abandon a sinking ship. Even if the others can't tell it's sinking, rats are pretty dang smart. Of course, by rats I mean people who left that were invested in this website and community. As someone who has been actively discouraged from being invested, I'm willing to stick around to see what happens.
> 
> I see why Mol did it like this based on a lot of what was said and reactions in the thread(, and I would have done the same).
> 
> Godspeed, @MolotovMocktail !
> 
> (LET THE NEGATIVE VOTES RAIN; I SAID WHAT I SAID!)​



dude, seriously? yer delusional. i dont even have the patience to point out all the stuff thats just not true about what youv said, but damn man all this coming from a staff member (who had been less then active for a while now, not that you or any other members would of noticed that) leaving the site? thats just kinda sad how much stock you put into using that as a excuse to tell how the website is going downhill. i HIGHLY encourage you to find or even create a alternative to stp, im being 100% sincere that i think it would just be great if somebody else attempted to create and maintain a forum like stp. seriously, go for it, and i wish you nothing but luck although judging from the websites in yer profile...i think maybe you should rely on somebody who has a little more experience. yer more then welcome to voice yer opinion of how yadda yadda everything sucks, but have you ever thought that maybe things suck for you because uh yer negative as fuck all the time?

EDIT: hokay, well here we go so i can get this out of the way and hopefully save somebody else the time typing this out to explain things to you.

kimchee isnt a staff member anymore. hasnt been for years. he doesnt even have a account anymore far as i know. so whats the issue here? you had a problem with somebody who has been removed from the website? do you want like a hand written apology letter or maybe just not having to interact with them anymore is good enough? shit i hope so cause its about the best i can do.

what i find personally strange, is for the most part these "the sites going to shit" users are new users. or old users like yerself that lets face it, havnt exactly provided stellar content for the community. im not saying you have to post interesting stories or information everyday, but dont you kinda see how complaining that the site is going downhill when yer latest posts have been one or two sentence profile posts that are basically more or less personal updates that dont contribute anything other then being a time log of a thought you had? aside from that posting looking for a place to crash etc etc. this is in no way indicative of the website going downhill. just cause nobody wants to/is able to put you up or has anything to say to a post like "I'm still looking at Omaha, but if things don't work out, I hope over to Iowa." doesnt tell me that the sites going to shit. i really just have no idea where this thought came from, maybe yer no longer getting something you want or need from stp? fuck if i know. but i do know that a staff member leaving, shit half the staff members leaving wouldnt be enough for stp to goto shit, staff members arnt providing content most of the time. people like you are. post cooler shit and maybe people will respond more positively to you.

yer being actively discouraged from participating? i guess id have to see specific instances because im pretty sure the only time iv interacted with you was because of a racist comment you made and when i gave you a chance to explain yerself you left the conversation, so you gotta give me examples or yer just spitting hot air ya know? as for yer reason for staying, that sounds like bullshit to me. but what the hell do i know?

(I BET I CAN BEAT YOU ON NEGATIVE RATINGS; I SAID WHAT I SAID!)


----------



## Coywolf

Inuyoujo said:


> I'll admit, it's funny to see people get shit on that deserve it, but when it happened to me for criticizing the community I felt like Matt was being defensive against someone who wasn't even attacking. Instead of "I hear your concerns and we're open to suggestions," or "May I have more details, so we can better address the issue" Matt went full "WELL, DON'T INVITE ANYONE BECAUSE WE NEED PEOPLE AS UPPITY AS YOU!" And, all I could think was "What is the end goal of this kind of behavior, and how is it helpful for the community?" And, I'm not even being rhetorical.
> 
> But, before THAT was my run in with the long forgotten Kim Chi. One of the most disrespectful mods I've ever seen in my life, and I use to be a member of DeviantArt - before and during Google Ads, and the art theft.
> 
> I'm not says people can control others. I'm saying I want to see feedback and crits being handled respectfully. A consideration of the feedback and evaluation of what's it's addressing. And, a respectful response, along with whatever changes can and will be made. Or, a respectful response if no changes are made, for whatever reason. In case you missed it; the keyword is "respectful". A little respect can go a long way, as can disrespect.
> 
> I've seen enough around here to hope someone else makes a new website and runs it differently. Different attitudes. Different priorities. Different leadership. Different decisions. Different members. All of it different. The competition will get users a different product - be it whatever changes are made here, or whatever happens on the other site to make it (more) appealing.
> 
> Someone asked if the site is going to shit (and that reacts it got) and someone replied it's just cutting off unnecessary fat. I say rats abandon a sinking ship. Even if the others can't tell it's sinking, rats are pretty dang smart. Of course, by rats I mean people who left that were invested in this website and community. As someone who has been actively discouraged from being invested, I'm willing to stick around to see what happens.
> 
> I see why Mol did it like this based on a lot of what was said and reactions in the thread(, and I would have done the same).
> 
> Godspeed, @MolotovMocktail !
> 
> (LET THE NEGATIVE VOTES RAIN; I SAID WHAT I SAID!)​



Most of this message sounds like it was written by a spoiled 16 year old. High and mighty, blaming anyone else without even trying to accept some responsibility for your own actions. Exactly why I agree wholeheartedly with this:



roughdraft said:


> classically delusional victim mentality



If ya dont like it hear, why do you stick around? Not telling you to leave, just wondering why you continue to be so negative, and blame everyone else for yo getting negative post ratings. Accepting responsibility for your own personal actions goes a long way in people taking you more seriously.


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## Deleted member 14481

@SlankyLanky Well, you already have a positive vote, and negativity voted my post, so I don't think you'll be betting me anytime soon - but nice try. 😏

Hmmm... You've voted my post stupid and you claim I'm blowing hot air. Why should I feel like actually care about where I'm coming from, when you've already openly dismissed me? Just because you PARTICIPATED in interacting with my post doesn't mean you are INVESTED in my concerns. I see you switched my word there, so I pointed out the difference.

That's what I'm talking about. I'm not interested in playing word games, though. I've said my peace, so there's no reason to continue.

NEGATIVE VOTE TO HEART'S CONTENT!​


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## Deleted member 125

Inuyoujo said:


> @SlankyLanky Well, you already have a positive vote, and negativity voted my post, so I don't think you'll be betting me anytime soon - but nice try. 😏
> 
> Hmmm... You've voted my post stupid and you claim I'm blowing hot air. Why should I feel like actually care about where I'm coming from, when you've already openly dismissed me? Just because you PARTICIPATED in interacting with my post doesn't mean you are INVESTED in my concerns. I see you switched my word there, so I pointed out the difference.
> 
> That's what I'm talking about. I'm not interested in playing word games, though. I've said my peace, so there's no reason to continue.
> 
> NEGATIVE VOTE TO HEART'S CONTENT!​



i dont care about where yer coming from, precisely because all yer doing is blowing hot air. but i didnt openly dismiss you, i kinda thought me publicly replying to yer concerns was a good indication of that. you got the attention you wanted, so what now? 

to be the asshole im expected to be, i kinda wish i just left my post as "yer delusional" and not even tried to address apparent concerns.

so yer peace was what exactly? cause...i cant find a single thing to take away from these posts besides you only stick around stp to what see it fall apart because you arnt happy here? damn dude thats kinda pathetic yea? im really genuinely going out of my way here to attempt to give half a shit about what you have to say, but at this point yer making that near impossible.

POSITIVE VOTE TO HEARTS CONTENT!


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## Deleted member 8978

When you post negative or off-topic stuff, expect negative love. Sometimes you have to stop and re-think what you are typing before you make a complete fool of yourself. And that goes for you @Inuyoujo. Send me a postcard! Hahaha...


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