as many of you are aware we are facing a problem people keep leaving. we have provided them with the best frum available, but they keep leaving. we have provided them with games, but they are still leaving. we have even tried to have long (and extremely fun mind you) talks in their going away threads, but they still leave as soon as someone (he knows who he is) closes it. something needs to be done! :help:

I have just the thing: we need an Iron Curtain, I suggest we install high fences, barabed wire and borderguards with large mean dogs, let's see those Rediskas leave then! :sneaky:



More seriouly though. over the last month many vlauable pople have left, as far as I got it was cocerning some admin intiative to either change something dramaticaly or their refusal to change something that is wrong (yes, that is everything I got from your senseless blabber). so can anyone who knows soemthing expalian what is going on?

:ranting: P.S. Svejk (and others), If you ruin this I will personaly hunt you down and... well I'll think of something. :ranting:

Relax. We have more than 6500 members. Plenty of time to ponder this out... :whistle: Seriously, nothing can be done about this, what's done - is done, end of story. :whistle:

Explanation: When Sites grow bigger and tend to expand (in this case Abandonia creates sister sites like AR for instance) people can get conflicting views how to go on. Either these conflicts get fixed or they don't. When they don't, the person that can't get over it has to go.

The same structure you can see in politics. When someone does not agree with the guidelines his political party has set, he/ she resigns.

You'll see a lot more people leave, and a lot more people come over the next few years.

And please do your background check before jumping to conclusions :ok:


Who would this "He" be?

Seb's farewell topic --- closed by Titan
Pigggy's joke farewell topic --- closed by The Niles
"What is going on?" --- closed by Maikel
Tiki's farewell topic --- closed by me
Tiki's "hi again - this is what happened" topic --- closed by Danny252


Don't jump to assumptions, if you don't even look at the recent topics and get your facts right.

hey, I CAME BACK

Bye Im leaving ......buuhuu big deal a little change is good .Thousands of members to take a fallen soldiers place.

And we think that's great :ok:

Yep. Eventually, the entire current active population will either leave or return to the lurker stage.
If you left now and returned in two-three years, I doubt you'd recognize more then a dozen of the active members.
It's a natural process, as a whole.

If you look back to how the board shortly after it has been formed and compare with how it is today, you will see that it didn't stay the same.

The indispensible, fearsome and unstoppable... FORUM STAFF!!! :D
(just a light-hearted pun)

People leave all the time, like Strobe and Omuletzu, and many others, but they didn't make goodbye topics...

Nothing has to be done.

Abandonia is doing pretty well. We get 4 new games on the site every week, we've got an active forum with more topics than any single person can keep track off. We're getting a wagonload of pagehits. The bandwidth is being used by the gigabytes. So what if some of your friends/co-workers leave.

That's what happens in the real world as well. People switch jobs, they get fired, they're taking a sabbatical whatever. It's the same on the forum (only less dramatic and serious, and instead of a decent reception on which we can drink all we want we're stuck with some crappy farewell-thread ;) ).

And see people like ********



We all coming back some day :cheers: :cheers:



And just because it's a good place to stay here...but sometimes you just need a break :angel: :angel:

We could give those cowards who run away a kick we shouldnt feel sorry for them the ADMINS are doing a great job...so shut up about this you people are like grannies if you miss the perso get their E-Mail ....OKAY!!

If those thousand members are anything like you, this place is screwed.

I dont like you.

I saw your picture and you are not beutiful enough to be loved

Oooh oooh ooh that hurt man, that hurt!! *cries*
If you're talking about the profile pic, that's not me but a rather god damned handsom fellah. Don't diss him. If you're talking about my own picture, then your opinion means absolutely nothing to me, so if you think you can hurt me with a silly comment like that, you're more dumb than I thought.

Hey Puffin what are you Puffin?

A puffin.

Another example of hostility on our beloved Abandonia. Harsh comments and bad attitudess.

What happened to kindness? Friendly conversation and exchanges of ideas.

There might be a reason why people are leaving........

Im finished No more hostility no more spam someone baptise me im now forgiven.

Yeah, and they question my looks.

@Wolf: I really want to punch your face right now.
You're bringing your shout-box stupidity to Reloaded, which is unforgivable, a place as clean as that isn't ever going to be soiled if I can help it.

Please, don't worry about him. He's just a stupid fool who doesn't know what he's saying. He's just envious, because he wants to look more like you. I think you're very pretty :)

This is pretty much everything that changed since I registered here.

When I joined, this was a pretty cool community.

Now almost everyone just feels offended by everything and acts accordingly.

The only thing to be done is to stay cool and ignore guys like Wolf. (I'm not blaming Wolf for everything that happened here, he just delivered a pretty damn good example)

Well, something just has been done. Wolf_Thug has been suspended for 24 hours for flaming Puffin in this very topic.

Why didn't anyone report it? :huh:

He also flamed TheVoid. I think it should be made 48 hours.

Your a stickler for details aren't you Puffin LOL

Nobody can dis him in front of me and expect no consequenses.

NO

Oh. Hello there Tina :)

Want to get banned?

i wonder if wolf thug has just made a new account to protest his temp ban?

Or Should I call you Wolf_Thug?

Oooh cool, a twist!!
*theme song to The Bold and the Beautiful plays*

i think tina sounded better.. nicer ring.

I think Permban has a nice ring to it.

*makes it so*

p00n3d

by the :Tom:

cool

Well, an annoying member has been brilliantly nuked, peace is restored, and I got compliments. That's what I call a happy ending :)

Compliments.. I've got more! PM me if you want ;)

yeah. im waiting for the conspiracy theroists to say that this is another example of currupt admins... which they might think unless they actually bother to check wolf thugs post record.

Whoah

Wolf_Thug must've been suffering from multiple persona disorder...

He had the following accounts:

Wolf_Thug (AB and AR)
Tina (AR)
Halle (AB)
balthasra (AB)
sadlerd (AB)


Deleted all the aliases, but kept Wolf_Thug. He is now on indefinite posting restrictions, has a new nifty password, can't get his password through his mail (as that has been removed), is suspended until 2033, is placed in the Banned member group (so he can't post, even should he manage to get in), is IP banned and is generally nuked I'd say.

face

Oh poohey with the conspiracy theorist....

The admins of this site have always been pleasant folk I believe. If you dont make trouble, they dont have a reason or desire to go snipe hunting you...

i think the admins here have a distinction. u remeber last year when there was a lot of closing going on in 3x blah. evry admin discussed it with us and the site policy must have been revised because the 3x blah got a bit looser.
thats the difference i think. rahter than telling us all just to bog off the admins are willing to discuss things with us in public. if you look at a lot of closed threads they generally have said all that can be said.
there is a couple of times i have disagreed with thread closing. but the admins always discussed it with me rather than just ignoring or telling me to bog off.

Puffin, stop the crap. You're spamming. Someone should close this topic because its filling with trollers and spammers, pointless arguments and crap. I'm getting sick and tired of all these stupid topics that all end up like this. BTW If any of you think I'm whining or should shut up, I don't give a crap about your opinion.

Puffin, stop the crap. You're spamming. Someone should close this topic because its filling with trollers and spammers, pointless arguments and crap. I'm getting sick and tired of all these stupid topics that all end up like this. BTW If any of you think I'm whining or should shut up, I don't give a crap about your opinion. [/b][/quote]
Whoa dude.
Cool it.

Hey, was it what happened on AR that got him banned?
I sent a PM to Taikara about him impersonating me in the shoutbox and she said she'd look into it.

I feel bad that I got someone banned, even if they did deserve it.

Damn... Tom picked up a few of my specials i can see.. Nice work mate.. He was on his last chanse, and he blew it.

ANYWAY:

The fact that ppl are leaving; We'r not loosing members, it's just that they are leaving with a bang, and gets alot of attention.
We have alot of newcommers doing a good job, take "guessst" (or whatever) for example. He managed to get VIP allready, and is doing a sheitload of work.

Don't bother too much about these "i'm leaving"-topics and think it reprecents the general forum-population. Yes, we lost 2 valuable members, and it might feel for a while, but since Abandonia is not a top-feed site, but rather have evolved into a semi-community; Where one fall, the next takes on, applies

So.. honestly; i haven't said much in regards to the ppl leaving recently, but hear this, Drop it... just DROP IT. It's booooooring to hear this getting dragged into eternetie, and i'm sick and tired of all this: OMGz We'R l00sing ALL memBerz!!!!!!111-talk.

Ppl wouldn't stay with the site for 2-3 years if there was something realy messed up.
The attitude-change is due to the ammount of users we have. With a wider base, there are more rool for *****s to get in, and they tend to make posts that will get noticed, while the wast majority of posts slips by unnoticed.

(In reply to Pigggy)

Actually, he got banned because I suspended him, and he made another account immediately after (the Halle account).

Then we started comparing IPs with AR, and discovered that he was the one who was posting under false names in the shoutbox over there.

This thread is exactly why I left, without a melodramatic farewell speach I'd like to add. Really bad energy in here, and kind of an in-group gang mentality.

I'm not leaving, I just arrived. :bye:

I came back too :ok:

Well, thank you. I usually don't like to toot my own horn, except the day after burrito night. But it's nice to be recognized.

So far Abandonia has been my grip on sanity. I'm a project guy. I like to have two or three things simmering on the pot at any given time. But RL situations being what they are at the moment I don't get the one-on-one time with my own computer.But I can pop in on a borrowed computer with my USB drive loaded up with DOSBox and a half a dozen dos game and do some reviewing.

The time will come when situations will change again and I'll move on myself. That's just the way things go.

YO! Stop right there! :banned:

Just look at this mess. Yeah rite, ppl are not leaving because of the recent happenings... well DUH! <_< Whaddya call this if not exodus No. 2? Remember, we had a conversation frighteningly similar to this one not so long ago, when a couple of core members stepped down or fled to AR because of increasing spam, flame and trolling by newcomers. <_<

Don't you see *IT'S* happening AGAIN? Some troublemaker freaks get in here and flame us against each other, and sadly some people go with them shredding the community to separate groups. Evad is right, its an in-group gang mentality. And the mods try to restore order by declaring martial law, going around banning people and bullying with :modpower: in the meantime the forum is sinking into state of emergency. But this is a backfiring gun, making the good people leave insted of the bad ones, as you can clearly see.

The main reason I stayed here was Seb's and some other members friendship and the ability to have decent, intelligent conversations about whatever came up. But with these gone, I doubt I will have anything to do here anymore :( Treating people unfairly... I joined this community because this was the first place where people can get VIP status if they contribute and not with paying. I reviewd games, started the hungarian translation project, helping out on the forums, I even started to translate a whole game to english... but the enormus lack of appreciation towards my work discouraged me badly... seeing guesst archieved VIP status in this little time without (if only) me noticing any major work from his part, I doubt my skills now... :(

See, I don't really know what to think now....

I agree with you.............................

suckup! :whistle:

as far as I know, guesst is doing reviews. that is a very noticeble job. If you want a VIP, you might consider doing that (more often that is). And translation to obscure languages (defined as ones without an admin speaking them) won't really get you there. I, myslef, had started the russian translation, and the only good thing that I got for it was access to the translation subforum. not that I asked for VIP, mind you. It just that translations pretty much go behind the scenes, while reviews are right there on the front page where everyone can see (and appreciate) them. :max:

BTW, what is "gang on mentality"? it's been mentioned several times (and I got that it's a bad thing), but I stil can't figure out what it means.

You are not alone, I can't figure out half of what been said in this thread.

I knows where I stand, and I knows (well mostly) what is happening behind the scene... And I keep saying that nothing much is happening, at least not the conspirationist scenarios some people are making up... However, it seems like it's not enough to actually tell the truth to be beleived, I guess.

@a1s

I was not questioning guesst's VIP promotion, I was questioning mine, or the lack thereof. And I just mentioned it, I'm not gonna moan about this, never did.

ssso, you don't know what is "in-group gang mentality"? Group-in-a-group? Like when people forming little groups in a community rather than being fully part of it. jeeez, if you don't know what I'm talkin about, you probably don't even need to understand... Here, maybe this'll help...

If you're here just to get appreciation for you work, you should really question yourself ;)
I doubt that Seb or anyone else was here for that...

Yes Tulac, I really like to feel my work appriciated. I work with full devotion and soul, and from time to time, yes, I'd like to know if it's not for nothing. And why should I question myself? My motives are my concern. I'm working mainly for the community, for Abandonia, but I like to recieve some reassurance from time to time, yes.
But is this thread about me, or the state the forum is in?
Let's get back on topic shall we?

First, thank you for the link... i intend to use it in some way in my research work.

Second, i wanted to say i don't bleieve there is any conspiracy. if i am wrong and there is one, it is really badly planned.

Thirdly the point is people are living for some reason. People that offered a lot of their free time for this site (not just chat on forums). And it seems to me the reason is that they started to question in the authority of some and the way of thier conduct. Now if that made some people that did a lot of volontery work leave, then can we conlude that it is still a good conduct? is it still a way to behave to members and at the same time keep the site going?

Maybe....then again maybe not.


Either way someone else will have to do the reviews now. Someone else will have to devote alot of time to the site. unless offcourse the very peopel that made others leave with their comments and conduct will take over the work of those that left....

You can't force people to stay. That woulnd make it a not-so-fun-forum.

I'm sorry you feel that way. We all appreciate your work for this site. It can happen that we overlooked you on this boards. We have a lot of members working hard and some jump more into the eye then others. My apologies for that. I'll take an extra look at all the things that you do on this board and propose you as VIP candidatie if your work is indeed as much as you tell.

PS. We have a maximum limit for VIP members, in order to keep it well balanced and organized. So in order to become a VIP, someone else has to loose the status. Just so you know. :)

Wow, I never knew that. So the easiest way to become a VIP is to assassinate one of the current ones?

The circulation of VIP members comes naturally and no assasination attempts were necessary so far :P

I'm sorry if you feel your contributions weren't valued enough, but rest assured that I always give VIP to people I believe deserve it. Reviews always come as number one thing. From what I see, only one of your reviews ended up on abandonia, for Mine Bombers. That is hardly enough for a VIP membership I'm affraid. You were trying to do too many things at the same time, and they all ended up being partially done, which wasn't of any use. Guesst got his VIP membership because he is organized, provides quality reviews and does what he says he will do. Anyways, I don't think I have to justify my decisions, just wanted to clear that up since you have brought it up.

As for the state of the forum, its not in any particular state. It always grows to a certain point when there's too many people for everyone to get along. Those that can't adjust leave, others stay. Its been like that for years now, and it will continue being like that in the future. Its natural, just as its natural for countries to go through recession phases.

If I thought there is an emergency at hand I would probably act, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary happening. The updates are on schedule, we've got a handful of nominations in the Da Fast Lane's official Abandonware Awards, visitor rates are not falling... I don't know, if you can point out a real threat and emergency, let me know, but try to be specific, because I might be simply ignorant of these apocalyptic times? :blink:

there is really no need.
Sebatianos was a VIP. So was tiki. and there are proably other decent people who aren't active but felt no need to let *everyone* know. so it's really a question of gets it. :sneaky:

one final word of advice (before I hit the sack): do reviews- it pays off.

Hit the sack....sounds painful.

for it maybe :whistle:

@Play

We haven't overlooked your contributions. The problem is that even though we respect the effort you have shown and the attitude you have, we have to go through a really difficult elimination process in order to pick new VIP candidates (and kick out old non-active VIPs).

When we do that, we have to put people who have completed what they begun above people who are still working.

That might sound a little wrong, so let me try again.

You are working on translating a game, which is a wonderful thing - and will definately earn you VIP-ship. No doubt.

Reason for that is that you make a game available to the public - which otherwise would never be hosted. And it is an immensive undertaking. This is something we respect in a guy.

But when someone has written something like 5 reviews in a short amount of time - that person is also making games available to the public, but in a different way.

By reviewing games, you earn VIP-ship. It is the easiest way.
But it is also the most demanding long-term method, because in order to keet your VIP-ship afterwards, you need to submit at least 3 reviews per month. Otherwise someone else gets your place.

By translating a game, you have done way more than a reviewer - and are thus allowed to stay longer as a VIP without having to redo your efforts.

Doing things the hard way will get you into VIP much later than doing things the easy way, but the trade-off is that you stay for longer. :ok:

True, i've translated and gotten my VIP. Then i left and haven't visited the site for 4 straight moinths and didn't lose my VIP until the 5th month.

like...um... wow...

I mean, thanks for all the response ^_^

Okay, I just recieved an application to the translating team, so, with renewed efforts, we shall go ahead and make Abandonia hungarian :D

And this guy also with me translating the game, so this shall speed things up quite a bit... I need some help for the programming phase though... :unsure: But once complete, it will be a BLAST! I tell ya, a BLAST!!! :Brain:

Ssso, thanks again for the kind words, and rest assured, I'll give everything I got :ok:

Well, don't give everything, summer is coming up! ;)