Moderator Curiosity

[_PopArt]

Just curious. Over at the NL maxwell forum, they've got a good group of moderators - guys that are really passionate about maxwell, have been there from the beginning, and done and shared numerous works of theirs done in maxwell, and have always been very capable and willing to help people.

 

With one exception, at least as far as I can see. There's one who has posted relatively little, and is generally very insulting towards maxwell clients (and always has been), has posting very few images (1 or 2 images come to mind months ago), and seems to sadistically enjoy the power he holds in deleting threads.

 

Just curious, why is that? At first I thought hes becoming moderator was to give a more 'pro' slant on things over at the forum, but he seems to just throw more gas on the fire and really doesnt seem to have much credibility at all, like the other moderators do have. The other moderators seem to have disappeared...

[Ernest Burden III]

There's one who has posted relatively little, and is generally very insulting towards maxwell clients...

Just curious, why is that?

 

It's impossible to smile when you are a Big Stone Face?

 

My patience was snapped by having some of my posts and even one entire thread deleted. One deleted post pointed out that as long as people are yelling they will not do anything else. So just let 'em yell. But try to shut them up by exercising overt power and you will drive them to DO something.

 

I trust that things will go more smoothly here. They always have before. And I have 100% confidence in Fran and Maxer.

[Fran]

Ernest, I think he's talking about Darth Bleh. The one I suggested should switch to Twinkie The Kid for his avatar to improve his image.

[Ernest Burden III]

Ernest, I think he's talking about Darth Bleh.

 

Well it was Big Stone Face that kept following me around deleting any witty, oh-so-smart thing i would post.

 

That Big Stone Face,

That Big Stone Face,

I do not like that That Big Stone Face

 

But would you like green diffuse and abbe?

 

Would you like it in a Cornell box?

Would you like it with a 7 million poly Stanford dragon?

[AdamT]

It's hard to tell who's deleting what over there. Certainly Darth is in on the fun. He says it pains him terribly. I was tempted to give him the old joke:

 

Patient: "Doc, it hurts like hell when I do this, what should I do?"

 

Doctor: "Er, don't do that."

[Ernest Burden III]

It's hard to tell who's deleting what over there. Certainly Darth is in on the fun.

 

After my 'official policy on refunds?' thread was deleted, Big Stone face wrote me a private message saying "I couldn't allow that thread". So I figured it was him. Every time i would write something unforgettable there would be the Big Stone face and next thing you know, no more post or no more thread.

 

I told BSF that I had no interest in making a big deal about him deleting the thread after at least 60 people had read it. "Your actions say more than I ever could". We were either going to get an answer, which would make progress by ending all the speculation about the policy -or- we would see that efforts at a sane 'let's get on the same page' idea were going to be fruitless. So he answered that, and within 24 hours this board was set up and I think we're doing much better.

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

i don't use maxwell, but i am dissapointed with what has happened recently with their product.

 

i also have been involved as a use of other sopftware message boards where the company would delete anything that dissagreed with their product. it is kind of dissapointing if you ask me.

 

people come to forums to learn, and ask questions. if you delete the ones that don't talk in a purely positive tone, then what good are you serving the users base. they are basically using their board as free advertising generated by the user base.

 

if i was an uneducated user of software, and i went to their mesage board, and their were only positive comments, then i might be apt to buy their product. ...then only to find out shortcomings later.

 

i understand that slander, and vicous comments don't belong, but from what i am reading, the deleting is going far beyond that.

[_PopArt]

Well, yes, Fran is right, I was referring to the friendly neighbourhood Darth Bleh guy.

 

Ernest I agree with what you are saying about the Stone Face Guy, in the sense that he got carried away with deleting and certainly did more harm than good, but at least I can understand why the SFG is a moderator and why he acts in that way:

 

The SFG has been there pretty much from the beginning, and has done alot of work/tutorials, etc, so from that point of view I think he has a good deal of credibility. He tends to be on the 'fanboy' side of things (and I dont mean that in a negative way he's a very strong supporter of maxwell nothing wrong about that, really), and so, as we have seen in the past (with other moderators), he tends to take everything personally. Probably in the midst of all the complaining he got pissed (haven taken all the complaining personally) and started abusing his power as moderator, deleting whatever 'unfriendly' posts he could get his hands on. Its not professional, not mature either, but I can understand why things went the way they did.

 

But Darth Bleh is another issue. Other than his reknown (a bit of a stretch) cg credentials, as concerns maxwell, I honestly dont thing he's contributed very much to the maxwell forum at all. The fact that he became moderator the day of the first RC release makes me wonder exactly why that decision was made.

 

Were they preparing the anti-riot police beforehand, knowing full well that with the RC 'cycle' the protestors would surely hit the streets?

 

I only mention this because IMO just a few months ago the maxwell forum was one of the better ones around, a great place to be. Seeing it in its current state is a bit sad...

[Devin Johnston]

I don't think I ever had anything deleted but I do see where the Mod's took it way to far. I also don't know if they took that action of their own accord or if they had instructions from NL to minimize the amount of negative press. I didn't like the fact that posts were being moved from the main forum to the off topic section, the stuff they were moving was in no way off topic. In my opinion that is what really started all of the controversy, from that point deleting posts was the next logical step.

[Richard McCarthy]

I was just reading these posts and came across this interesting word Popart was saying : "reknown"... I was a bit puzzled for a sec then realise...

Renown means "fame." Renowned is the adjective form meaning "famous."

Reknown does not exist in English. Apparently it is drawn from confusion with known.

Don't mind me

[lebbeus]

I stayed up that first night with RC-1, trying to get something to render, and 'Dark Bleh' was quite helpful so was 'sour mash'. . .I'm begining to think all the moves and deletions were/are company policy.

[AdamT]

It wouldn't surprise me if NL was behind it, but if a moderator disagrees with the policy he or she is certainly free to resign. It's not as though they're getting paid for their trouble. I'm glad to see that Whiskey at least has come back to his senses.

[rivoli]

i thought i'd drop my 2 cents as well. i've been hanging around the maxwell forums for a while, and i must tell thomas has always been one of the most helpful, active and professional individuals out there. he did a great job keeping the rhino forum in good shape and very well organized, and contributed to the community in general with a lot of helpful threads.

as for mike, as lebbeus says, when the rc1 came out and panic was spreding fast across the board, he's been a great help for the whole night.

i don't think this deleting posts/threds frenzy has anything to do with any moderator in particular, i guess it's rather a new forum policy started directly by nl.

this being said, it's true that at the moment the maxwell foum is no longer a very pleasant place, maxwell beta has been covered till exhaustion and apart from complaining there's not really much else left to do. hope things will be back as they used to be soon.

[Ernest Burden III]

i don't think this deleting posts/threds frenzy has anything to do with any moderator in particular, i guess it's rather a new forum policy started directly by nl.

 

As I mentioned, Thomas (aka Big Stone face) sent me a private message saying that he deleyed my thread. As if I didn't know that already. Everytime I would post something and soon saw Big Stone face nearby, my posts would disappear. I do not think he has handled his moderator's role in an honorable way.

 

And if he was active with the Rhino forum then he knows how product developement is done right. McNeel is the model of how to do things, in my opinion. Rhino 1 was done by open, public beta (pre-release) and it resulted in a great product. Then, the next version or upgrade was open to all current customers who wanted to work with it. A great process.

[AdamT]

Rhino beta is still open; v4 has been in the works for quite some time. Not only that, but Rhino owners are free to test Brazil for Rhino beta, and by request, VRay for Rhino beta.

[Ernest Burden III]

Rhino beta is still open

 

Really? Still open to anyone? Sorry if I was wrong. I was active in the pre v1 testing, have bough all versions since, even though I very rarely use it. I met Bob McNeel at Siggraph this year, thanked him for running such a great, customer-friendly company. I just wish every company (ah-HUM) was run like they do.

[rivoli]

ernest, yes, i've seen quite a few of your posts disappearing from the board lately, and i find this deleting mania a bit ridiculous.

anyway, by rhino forum i meant the rhino section over at the maxwell forum.

[ivox3]

Ernest, .....my take on this is that i think Thomas was just trying to keep only single posts about a certain subject alive. Meaning that ........in his determination, if you weren't the first to post it(or you were similar), then you got deleted. I believe he was just trying to keep a 'tidy' house. Now, on the other hand ......regardless of the reason, when your post gets deleted, it doesn't exactly feel so great. So, i understand and i think it can end up feeling a little personal. IMO.

 

As far as Mike goes ...... i think he's 'funnily' sarcastic, but genuine in actually wanting to help. That's all i've ever seen from him.

[AdamT]

Really? Still open to anyone? Sorry if I was wrong. I was active in the pre v1 testing, have bough all versions since, even though I very rarely use it. I met Bob McNeel at Siggraph this year, thanked him for running such a great, customer-friendly company. I just wish every company (ah-HUM) was run like they do.

No, sorry, but it's open to all v3 owners.

[Fran]

I stayed up that first night with RC-1, trying to get something to render, and 'Dark Bleh' was quite helpful so was 'sour mash'. . .I'm begining to think all the moves and deletions were/are company policy.

 

I doubt any of the moderators would take the initiative to move or delete things. I'm sure it's what they've been instructed to do.

 

My problem with Darth Bleh is that he has the people skills of Boo Radley. Some of his comments have really put NL in an even worse light regarding customer relations. And yes, nobody thought that was possible. Go figure.

 

Even I, one who is too weak-willed and spineless to hold a good grudge, will not soon forget his infamous "You Don't Matter" speech.

[AJLynn]

Do you mean the "Maxwell will be delivered on a silver platter with a golden light by the hand of God but you pathetic losers will whine anyway" speech with the "the value of your posts is equal to zero" followup? That was some classic Bleh.

[Fran]

Do you mean the "Maxwell will be delivered on a silver platter with a golden light by the hand of God but you pathetic losers will whine anyway" speech with the "the value of your posts is equal to zero" followup? That was some classic Bleh.

 

Yeah. That one.

[AdamT]

I don't know, I'm still fond of the "to the victor go the spoils" speach. History will show that NL was right and we are all losers!! Unfortunatley it appears this vindication won't happen in our lifetimes.

[Fran]

I don't know, I'm still fond of the "to the victor go the spoils" speach. History will show that NL was right and we are all losers!! Unfortunatley it appears this vindication won't happen in our lifetimes.

 

We, the ignorant, unwashed masses, fail to see the magnitude of Next Limit's contribution toward a greater society.

 

And King Arthur and his knights could not supress their exclaimations, "Camelot! Camelot!! Camelot!!!!"

"It's only a model."

 

But I digress.

[Ernest Burden III]

The best ever of the cartoon strip "King of Id" shows the guards rushing into see the King and tell him "Sire, the peasants are revolting!" The King stares at them for a moment and replies "and?"