I'm Done

[Jim Patrick]

This is to say I'm stepping down as a Moderator/Administrator/Staff/ whatever else you want to call me. I'm doing this publicly so I can CLEARLY explain MY reasons. It's not for sympathy and it is CERTIANLY not to asked/begged to stay on. It is simply so I can tell you my reasons. I'm feeling like a volcano these days and I need to vent. I have allowed all of you to do this on MANY occasions so please, allow me mine.....

First and foremost, Gordy "THANK YOU and I'm sorry" I truly am. I know we had an agreement but like I said in another post, the straw has broken the camels back. I simply can't (or is it I don't want to?) take this any longer. Guy and Roc, "Thank You" for all your support. Sorry I haven't been much help lately but I just haven't been able to. Again, sorry.

The biggest issue is my health. Without going into detail, things have taken a turn for the worse and a back surgery I was trying to put off has reared it's ugly head. My time on the computer, hell, modeling has become severly limited. I just don't want to spend it with the crap that's becoming the norm here on pF.

Aghhhhh, the crap. What? What crap you say? LOL! Let me show you. It shouldn't take long as I'm sure you have all read it by now....

http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22974

and now this one.....

http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22889

Some of you may remember several postings a few years back that lead to a lot of the membership leaving pF in disgust because they were not allowed to post their views or say what they wanted to in public. I want to go on the record that most if not all of these people COMPLETELY misunderstood the staff's intentions. I harbor no resentment nor do I hope to make these individuals understand the staff's views. I'd do better trying to piss on a fire to put it out. So why even bring it up? Because of the recent childish postings being made here. You can all now see what happens when the staff does nothing to edit or regulate the postings. You can all now see the childishness that runs amuck when there isn't any sort of control. You can see the COMPLETELY personal and vengeful attacks that go on. Not once has someone tried to take it privately. Not one single time. If they had, it'd stay there instead of blasting the general public with your rendition of the Hatfield's and McCoy's. Then again, there's us, the general public who said nothing as well. We just stood by like some grade school children yelling "FIGHT!, FIGHT!". Remove yourselves from this childessness for just a second. Would you allow YOUR children to act this way? Be it with the neighborhood kids or their own sibilings, would you? Another thing I find strange is many of these same people who left in disgust are now back posting and flaming as if there is no tomorrow. Hmmmmm. Interesting.

Which brings me to my next point. This one is no doubt sure to ruffle some feathers. It doesn't matter if you agree or disagree, the fact is these are my feelings. This whole thing with Timelines does disgust me. The whole us v.s. them mentality. What? It doesn't exist? Oh, just the opposite friends. Timelines freely admits they don't feel the need to moderate the posters or the posts yet they moderate them. Try posting a news item with a link to here at pF and see what happens. It's already happened. They don't have the ugly, mud-slinging free for alls? Yes they do. They keep them in the staff section though. But that's where it should be kept you say. Out of the public's eye. Then why have several of the staff and many of the most popular members at TL come here to sling mud? Even if you didn't post, you all came here to read that childish nonsence. Then you PM and e mail back and forth with nothing more the idle gossip. Practise what you preach.

Many of you I now hold in a new light I'm afraid to say. Not quite as bright as in the past. The way you have behaved recently is enough to make my son's pre-school class feel like adults. Maybe this doesn't bother you, maybe it does. I don't know but what I do know is it would bother me. If someone I thought highly of came and told me he doesn't look at me quite the same way, I'd lose sleep. But hey, that's me and not you.

I'm not leaving pF, just stepping down from the staff. I will continue to post here. LOL, I'll try to post a little more than in the past. Hell, that'd be a whopping on figure! Here a link to a web spce a I created. In there I completely explain my "slump". If you care to read it, great. If you don't, that great too. Here it is:

http://jimminmodels.spaces.live.com/

I plan on doing more with it now. Haven't updated in a little while but work and my back have sort of came to the forefront.

Gordy, again, I know I'm going back on our "deal" but please understand, I was at my ropes end with this stuff. I will still continue to help you in any way I can and give you any assistance you ask for.

Thanks guys,
Jim Patrick

(looking forward to being just regular 'ole vBench Jim now!)

 

[Normo]

Jim
Sorry to see you go mate, you and the rest of the staff do a great job and where would us ordinary modellers be without your dedication to the hobby
Good luck in your future projects and get back to enjoying the hobby as it is meant to be
To quote from "Glory"
Give 'em hell 54!!
Cheers
John

 

[diosytexas]

you will be missed. get the back sorted and keep your chin up. say no more...dave.

 

[Einion]

Sorry to hear about the back surgery Jim, hope everything works out well.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Einion

 

[megroot]

Jim,
I read it all from a distance. And i read it all again after i saw your posting. For me it is always a bad feeling that moderator or staff members quit because of some posting's. All that work that you and the staff has done, leaving that behind??? I should think over it.
But it is your choice and only your decision. So be it. Now i hope and i mean it that you are going to paint figures and give as much as comments and critism on the figures as you always did. In fact you can give more.
Again, pitty that you quit, but i believe that you had good reason. What TL concern, i think you have a point.
So, i'm a painter( not a good one), not a good debater specially not in english, so i stay far away from it.
My brushes are calling.
Hope to see soon more of your work.
And above all: Speed recovering from surgery. From my profession i know what you are going trough.

marc

 

[garyjd]

Jim, Thanks for your time as a moderator. I'm sure it can have it's rewarding moments and at other times not. Job number one is your family and health.~Gary

 

[Anders Heintz]

Jim,

Sorry to see you go over a silly thing like this but that is your choice. You've been telling me over some time now that you dont want to be part of the online community, which is fine, and I can understand. But to start talking about an "Us vrs Them" thing in your 'good bye' post is pathetic. Sure some feelings were hurt when some people got preferred treatment during the previous situation that you speak of. But the only mod at TL who posted on the thread you are referring to was Alan, who was not part of the previous fall out, besides he was the one who sculpted the piece, and I am sure he would have done the same thing at HF modeling or at TL if the same situation occured. I know you say it doesnt matter if you agree or disagree, but the fact is that your statement is not true, just a simple attempt to throw mud on something that had nothing to do with anything that was said. This in it self makes it more of an US vrs Them issue then there ever was before.

With that said, I hope your back gets better, get your motivation back and start painting again. Keep safe.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Its a shame that you feel that way, Jim!
I hope that youre back will be better and that youre grey army will be thinned out now.

Hope to have you around in the future as well.

Cheers

 

[Alan]

deleted by user

 

[Johan]

Hey Jim,

... I think I can understand your point of view. I am visiting and posting on and off on Planetfigure for a couple of years now, and I can say I've had my share of "FLAK", and meanwhile I wasn't an angel either... I calmed down a bit now.
I guess all that sort of stuff on the internet forums can really grind you down and even make you ill if you let this "cyber-reality" overwhelm and absorb you too much ... just don't let it come to that point, Jim, remember you're probably as good a man as any on this forum, if not better, and ... there's a neat trick which can help you put things in perspective :

just try to imagine that the guy who's annoying you with his crappy postings is a bad-tempered, smelly, ugly dwarf, about three feet tall, drooling all over his keyboard and f..ting audibly because he has to let go of the air from his hugely inflated ego. ;-)

Believe me Jim, once you get the hang of that little trick, it'll help you stay calm, it'll make you laugh, you won't feel the urge to react to some "crap" posting and become involved in it's silly "non-reality", you will be able to steer clear from the nasty rocks with their beckoning mud-slinging sirens , and you'll be able to enjoy all the REAL, useful and beautiful stuff this forum has to offer - I still believe Planetfigure is the best in it's kind !!

Remember, "Nothing's real until you feel" ;-)

Keep well, Jim, take care of yourself, and thanks for the good work you did as member of the staff.

Kind regards,

Johan

 

[gordy]

Members that post productively on a daily basis and contribute to planetFigure versus the return infrequent poster that rarely contributes is a more accurate statement.

Frankly, in the staff circles there is not any Us vs. Them, this "view" is commentary from Jim and not the staff. The only private commentary regarding other sites is to alert each staff member the security releases for patching the vBulletin forum software (presently 3.6.5)

The threads in question were closely monitored and the need to intervene was not an easy decision: circle the wagons or let it play out. We cannot have it both ways. Heavy moderation or light moderation will not make everyone happy. I've been running bulletin boards for over ten years and have seen it all and someone will always get bent over the this or that.

No matter what the outcome is, someone will feel slighted, I maintain that eveyone is welcome; however veterans of flame wars will carry baggage with them and grudges are thick and that is to be expected. I've lost 2/3 my staff over personal, limited moderation abilities and finally conceding and allowing members to air out their angst in the mentioned threads.

Clearly no winners here.

 

[KeithP]

D___d unfortunate.

Best wishes, Jim. Hope you feel better.

Keith

 

[MAB]

Hi My Friend
I hope that you to resolve soon and well your problem.....
I waited for you on this Forum with whichever role you want.

Salutes and Good Fortune MAB

 

[Major_Goose]

Health problems i have experienced alot in the past , make a serious issue regarding the time , ability , and willingness to spent on our hobby.

On the other side, beeing for years a staff member (in other site ) and a frequent member here (i think with zero problems till now ) leaves me the experience of having a hard role some times,and also situations that you cannot, or you must not act , even if you would like to involve.

Your decision is respected and i would like tosee you keep painting , modelling and participating as a member and a friend.

I wish you the best for your health and , wish to see you going on !!!

Costas

 

[periklis_sale]

Sorry to hear you are leaving mate!!! Good luck with your back... relax and enjoy from a distance!!!!!!

 

[yancy]

A personal story

All-

I have been a lurker for quite some time and rarely post, but I felt that I should climb out from under my rock and give my opinion. Some of you know me from the days when I ran Masterworks.net or maybe from the Atlanta show. I am the guy who always did the off-the-wall sci-fi stuff. Jim we know each other through Bob Waltman.

I would like to pass on a bit of advice from my personal experience with figure websites. Jim, I understand your frustration, but just hear me out.

I had been running Masterworks for about two years and took a deployment to Turkey. During the TDY I had some miscommunication with the owner of the website and a few of the club members via the message board. This miscommunication boiled over and things were "typed." All parties read into the messages and a flame war erupted. Needless to say many things were typed that could never be erased.

Sadly I returned to a broken circle of friends. Even worse I lost my best friend Bob Waltman. Though we tried to patch things up it was never the same and after a few months of being back in the states, I opted to move away.

I have not built since that time and I really miss my friends. I have tried to build, but it just never works.

My advice is to step back and let the embers cool. Take some time, then re-evaluate the postings. If they are truely enough to make you walk away then go.

All my best to you my friend.
Yancy

 

[Jeff]

I am sorry for my part in being a poster on one of the threads that broke the camels back. I like this place quite a bit and post her quite a bit. I hope what I have to offer is constructive. I really want it to be. As far as the thread in question goes if it had not been a photo of a person involved in our current war it might not have gotten so heated.

I left a brick-and-mortar club her in CA due to politics and helped to found a new club. The new club is doing great but the politics followed me to the new club and I lost friends in both clubs. I have not gone to any club meetings for a few years now. I have just gone sour on the whole club scene. So I have been where you are now and all I can say is it gets better. My advice is to first get healthy and go back to what got you in to the hobby in the fist place, paint some figures.

After this I will try and moderate my posts a bit more, and be less likely to post on a thread that by its nature will become political. It is some times hard to bite your tongue or sit on your hands and just let it go. It can be done and it is usually better for my blood pressure.


Best
Jeff

 

[yeo_64]

To Jim, Alan and all the rest on " Planetfigure " :
What's done is done, so let us please move on . Jim, I just LOVE your new blog and a chance to finally " see " your wonderful family. Do take care my friend and recover quickly from the surgery. Will you be at WE 2008 ? I really hope so, my friend ! Alan, I really enjoy your posts here and I hope that you will continue to post as your work is a real inspiration to all of us here on the " planet ". The " planet " should just be a place for models and nothing else, so let us please stick to it. I personally still think that it is the BEST place to be to " chill-out " and " talk " about models ! Just my 2 cents worth. Cheers !
Kenneth .

 

[Wasshead]

Jim,

Sorry your stepping down and the other stuff. I'm a sproradic visitor, but I appreciate your efforts in bringing life to this site.

I hope things go well for you with your back surgery. I had to have major cervical surgery last year ( anniverary March 7th). Stenosis. My spinal column was being destroyed by the bones in my vertabrae. Luckily the surgery went well and I am able to bend my neck without major pain.

All of this contributed to my rut. My problem is that I expected things to be further along ( my recovery) than reality. The figures I was working on had a thick layer of dust. Several parts that had been superglued had fallen off. Everytime I looked at my unfinished population of unfinished figures I got really depressed.

I'm beating my rut by trying new materials and mediums as well as an approach that brings back the fun to the hobby. I started painting for myself again and put away all the pressures like getting hung up on how the piece will fare in a show. So far so good. Baby steps everyday.

Take care and I wish you luck!

 

[vergilius]

Take care with your back, You've only got one (I guess). I'm sorry to hear you're stepping down but we must all respect our decission.
Wish you all well and I hope you'll have lots of fun in the future. (if it's about painting, do post it)
Good luck