Insim under new management!

[Sherry]

You know what, I'm really ticked off that no one, including me, called Kathy and Eric to the carpet for their bullcrap. So many of us saw that something seriously fishy was happening. We didn't say anything because it was a "free" site, and because anyone who tried to go up against Kathy would be screamed at by her and many of her followers. That's fucked up.

I think paysites are at least partly to blame for this. The Sims community is ready to lay down and worship at the feet of anyone who runs a free site, no matter what shit the freesite owner pulls. This is NOT NORMAL. Other gaming communities do not do this. In other communities, shockingly, it's quite normal for modders/hackers/creators to thank people who use their products. Here, because of paysites, if a creator doesn't charge, they are apparently to be worshiped and never questioned. After all, no matter how much disgusting bullshit owners of freesites pull, they're free so let us worship. It's outrageous.

I completely agree.  It seems as if free creators tend to be immune when it comes to acting like a jackass, in regards to they way they treat say, file distribution and members.  It's unacceptable, that they shouldn't be subjected to the same standards as any normal member or human being just because they make free sims content.  Respect should be earned and not just given.    

Despite our lack of concrete evidence regarding donation money or ant-PMBD policy, K&E were only showing up every so often to beg for money for the site.  She wouldn't use the donation software cala sent her.  From what I have heard, before this whole Walt issue, they were none too nice to any of them members who tried to ask questions concerning their behavior.  People tried asking nicely and were told to STFU and mind their own business.  I don't think we have to get a warrant when things look fishy in order for us as a community to question what the hell is going on.  Were not the NYPD.  Policing ourselves and others is pretty much what we do.  Perhaps, if more people were 'allowed' to speak up earlier on a platform were they could be heard the 'Walt' issue would never have been an issue, or at the very least people wouldn't have been scrambling last minute to try to fix a situation that quickly spun out of control.    

[Quorneater]

Anouk, I tend to be a bit sparing with the emoticons, but that was meant to be a joke.  Pescado has already stated that he would not insist on changing the ambience of the site.

[Pescado]

In unrelated news, we will most likely be ditching vB unless I see about about $400 land on my doorstep for specifically this purpose. I took one look at vB and my immediate thought was RUN, DO NOT WALK. They want $360 or $200 a year! For NOTHING! This is outrageous!

[Quorneater]

Not only that, but VB is notorious for being heavy on resources and getting hosting accounts suspended!

[Amazone]

And if I ever treat people like poop just because I'm a free creator, someone smack me, okay?  Not real likely to happen, but its out there.  And maybe we should take this as a note, as a community, and start policing ourselves a bit more.  Maybe we should be willing to tell free creators they are making complete asses of themselves.

Wait, wait, you need a REASON to treat people like crap? I mean, look at me! I don't treat people like crap because I'm a free creator. I treat people like crap because I'm a jerk! Who needs fancy, convoluted reasons when common jackassery is all that is required?

Wait, that's why some people called you "sweet"? Haha.

[calalily]

K/E may have owned the domain name and whatever, but as clearly shown in the past couple of days, it was the community's site as creators are taking down their things and what will be left is a husk. 

The new Insim battlecry should be FOR THE HUSK!  

please don't ever think that we're not really very grateful for what's being done and I'd like to apologise again for my terseness yesterday

Fair enough.  

Ah but the problem is that now they've tried to sell it, there is something concrete concerning what the site makes and doesn't make. Whether that site advertisement is real or a lie, it proves that they're lying to someone.

The advertisements will be burned at the stake immediately, because they'd be filthy Waltish advertisements. Whether or not they will be reinstated for funding purposes will be put to vote. I personally oppose them, but it's up to peasants whether they prefer to be spammed or donate.

I was referring to the advertisement Synaptic Sim linked to - showing the values they attributed to their site while trying to sell it.  

The Anti-PMBD policy will be burned at the stake. A clear and coherent policy will be issued. All who question the word of El Presidente shall be tied naked to steel scaffolding and beaten with cement-filled milk jugs!

Now this punishment I can get behind.  I will even mix your cement.  It would be the height of ignominy if the reincarnation had an anti-PMBD policy. I had presumed though that this rule was enforced by Kathy and Eric - and backed up by a few (or one) propay staff. They seem to be mentioning it at Oasis (in a sticky) - so I think they've broken free of that policy anyway.

Pah! Royal princesses. Pathetic inbred sops! You know why they're called "bluebloods"? Because their feeble lungs cannot oxygenate enough blood to power their tiny shrivelled brains!

And BeosBoxBoy will be summarily fired as an Infidel Paysitist Dog. Live free or die! Viva La Revolucion!

Well you can be a royal pain in the arse concerning things you want. I think beosboxboy fired himself though and gave up freesites to be an infidel paysite dog before he retired.

Despite our lack of concrete evidence regarding donation money or ant-PMBD policy, K&E were only showing up every so often to beg for money for the site.  She wouldn't use the donation software cala sent her.  From what I have heard, before this whole Walt issue, they were none too nice to any of them members who tried to ask questions concerning their behavior.  People tried asking nicely and were told to STFU and mind their own business.  I don't think we have to get a warrant when things look fishy in order for us as a community to question what the hell is going on.  Were not the NYPD.  Policing ourselves and others is pretty much what we do.  Perhaps, if more people were 'allowed' to speak up earlier on a platform were they could be heard the 'Walt' issue would never have been an issue, or at the very least people wouldn't have been scrambling last minute to try to fix a situation that quickly spun out of control.    

I think the problem with that is that you get wild assumptions and theories.  If all the people involved in the community could be relied upon to be sensible, then we'd be fine.  But that's not this community. We'd get anything from the paranoid rantings of Jan, to the arsekissing sycophantic rantings of someone who loves X.  

I screenied that PM because I thought there was something fishy, but couldn't prove any of it - just releasing it would get me keelhauled for sharing private messages and screams about how busy Kathy is about 6 months ago.  Hell, that might even happen now with more sycophantic ravings. I could make a decision about whether to send them money myself, but that wouldn't have been a universal decision.  After all - they sold the forum and a group of members posted "We miss you good luck" - nothing would stop them being scammed, or get them listening to us, much less nebulous speculation.

In unrelated news, we will most likely be ditching vB unless I see about about $400 land on my doorstep for specifically this purpose. I took one look at vB and my immediate thought was RUN, DO NOT WALK. They want $360 or $200 a year! For NOTHING! This is outrageous!

Surely there is little difference in the variation offered? What is the qualitative difference?

[Tabby]

   People tried asking nicely and were told to STFU and mind their own business.  I don't think we have to get a warrant when things look fishy in order for us as a community to question what the hell is going on.

 This happened here as well as there. I think it was when they were holding the Freetime InSim hostage and saying that they needed something like $500 within the next couple of days, it was asked here and we were promptly told they had real lives too. When people over there would ask, they were treated like they had committed a capitol crime. I understand that people have "real lives", and that updating your website may not be at the top of your list, but IMO if life is so busy you cant be bothered to check in with your staff and tell them what is going on, hosting bills shouldn't be at the top of the list either. Even when they came back to beg for money, nothing was said of where they had been. Just "We need it by tomorrow, or you will all have to find a new place to hang."

[Quorneater]

If there is any comfort in this, I think the time when E&K stopped hanging out with us all was when they started to cream off the money, and it could indicate they felt a bit guilty.  So that would have been about a year back?

[SnarkyShark]

Pah! Royal princesses. Pathetic inbred sops! You know why they're called "bluebloods"? Because their feeble lungs cannot oxygenate enough blood to power their tiny shrivelled brains!

I always thought Queen Elizabeth II looked kind of stuffy and uncomfortable. Now, because of Pescado, I know why - She's slowly been asphyxiating in her own blood all these years.

--

As for the InSim site, this could actually be the best thing that's happened to them in a long while. When Pescado restores the site, they can reconstruct their community minus all the bullshit.

[HystericalParoxysm]

Anouk, I tend to be a bit sparing with the emoticons, but that was meant to be a joke.  Pescado has already stated that he would not insist on changing the ambience of the site.

I gotta say I do agree with Nouk, and that what she seems to be talking about goes a bit beyond ambience.  Major decisions on rules or anything like that should be decided among the staff.  Anyone overseeing it should basically be doing so for technical adminnery and the like - running the server, getting the forum software up and running, getting all the downloads in place, fixing issues, etc. - the actual rules and the way things run on a day to day basis has to be left up to the staff... otherwise it's just being taken from the all-controlling hands of Walt into the all-controlling hands of someone else.  Even if that someone else is someone we know...

[WedgewoodBlue]

Just some more things that are rolling around in my brain...........for those of us who painfully watched his video.....
1. The child like decor in the background, seriously that gave me the creeps. He's 51 and has kiddie decor? That alone scares me to death. 

2. Did anyone else  see that his hair was kinda messy? On young preppy types that hairstyle looks hot, but a 51 year old wannabe hotshot? He can't carry off that look. Now some older people look damn good with that look, but they know what to do to properly achieve the desired level of messiness.

3. He's a supposed "business" man and I am assuming that video is his marketing tool. The decor is unprofessional as is his appearance, but his presentation   
did you notice he was reading from a prepared script? Almost as if he was reading the handbook of instructions for the product he is trying to sell. Nothing inspires confidence more that a sales person who is not comfortable enough with said product. If he can't talk freely and knowledgeably about the tool he is marketing, in his own words,    is he doing?

Personally I would love to know just how many "failed" business ventures his mommy has bankrolled. She had better close the purse strings before he uses up all of her resources. Otherwise the poor old fool (mommy) will be looking for a  position as a greeter at Walmart.

Now I realize times have changed and I am 50 years old, but I still expect a certain amount of professionalism from a "businessman".
Pescado and Delpy toss around extremely technical terms that are above and beyond my limited understanding, but this knowledge is obviously well mastered by both men. They, without a doubt in my mind, know what the hell they are talking about.
Walt comes across as so clueless and completely inept, that it boggles my mind that anyone would subscribe to his  internet business ventures.

I worked for 23 years in the Canadian banking industry. I watched it change and evolve into what it is today. I applauded the slow acceptance of the more severe mandatory dress code to the more relaxed  casual approach. However, if anyone of our employees had ever gone to a client's place of business looking like Walt did, in his video, their employment would have had cause for termination. You can dress casually and professionally at the same time.
To me Walt's sloppy appearance and equally sloppy attire, combined with child decor, smacks of a terrible lack of understanding of the target audience he hopes to achieve. What I am trying to say, and doing a rather pathetic job of it is, he looks sloppy, so his work must be sloppy as well.
Now with respect to the whole attire thing, I do think Pescado's internet appearance is entirely appropriate.

I am sorry for the obvious lack of taste for this macro......

[Alexia]

however, there were moves afoot to make insim neutral which we know was burned down by beos and Kathy ... I would be nice if REAL neutrality could be attained

I completely agree with you eledhel. In my mind to atttain a fair level of neutrality, both sides of the arguement need to be presented. By claiming to be neutral and at the same time banning mention  ofPMBD, I really can not beging to fathom how you're supposed to get a look at the big picture.  

[Sherry]

I think the problem with that is that you get wild assumptions and theories.  If all the people involved in the community could be relied upon to be sensible, then we'd be fine.  But that's not this community. Tongue We'd get anything from the paranoid rantings of Jan, to the arsekissing sycophantic rantings of someone who loves X.  

I screenied that PM because I thought there was something fishy, but couldn't prove any of it - just releasing it would get me keelhauled for sharing private messages and screams about how busy Kathy is about 6 months ago.  Hell, that might even happen now with more sycophantic ravings. I could make a decision about whether to send them money myself, but that wouldn't have been a universal decision.  After all - they sold the forum and a group of members posted "We miss you good luck" - nothing would stop them being scammed, or get them listening to us, much less nebulous speculation.

I am not advocating wild theories or opinions on anything, even though sometimes we tend to do exactly just that when it comes to paysites, and without evidence it's just as meaningless.  I think most of us could wade through that in order to find some truth in what is going on, and to keep the subject on tract.  However, if they are unwilling to answer for their behavior that is suspicion enough, for someone to say "something is not right here, we need some explanation, maybe we should work together to get some or at least call them out royally for not giving any."   I'm sorry I don't think the risk of speculation is any reason to avoid situations like this in the future, be it pay or free.  Especially if the other end can easily clear the situation up by giving an explanation instead of avoiding and neglecting concerns.  

As for the excess of devoted, OMG I love X fans!, that's all part of the very problem, that extends past this K&E situation.   People are ingrained to think just because something is free for them then essentially anything free creators do is ok, when clearly this is not the case.   The more we avoid the subject the more likely it will be that people will be duped.  Plus, this site as seen plenty of asskissing rantings of paysite fans afraid that their precious peggy or rose will leave, it's nothing we haven't dealt with before.

[Amazone]

In unrelated news, we will most likely be ditching vB unless I see about about $400 land on my doorstep for specifically this purpose. I took one look at vB and my immediate thought was RUN, DO NOT WALK. They want $360 or $200 a year! For NOTHING! This is outrageous!

vBulletin has powerful features. I have seen prices like $180 for owned license, but then again, i have no clue what you are talking about,  but i would hope we coud manage to keep vB, not ditch it.

[Pescado]

Not only that, but VB is notorious for being heavy on resources and getting hosting accounts suspended!

Well, we have a dedicated server, so the only thing that will happen is that the server will meltdown.

vBulletin has powerful features. I have seen prices like $100 for owned license, but then again, i have no clue what you are talking about,  but i would hope we coud manage to keep vB, not ditch it.

Look, the only reason I'm even CONSIDERING the possibility of keeping it is because I know the peasants would like a minimum of change. Therefore, either someone volunteers to pay for it BEFORE we get it up and running, or by the time the issue comes up, I'll have hucked it. Are you volunteering? An owned license for both sites will cost us $360, because those shysters raised prices. There are several different currencies, so you may be able to get a more favorable rate by conversion. I, personally, would rather eat my own offspring than pay that, and if this were just entirely about me, this issue would not even be debated. Are you volunteering to pay the equivalent of 2-3 months worth of server bills for THAT?

Now with respect to the whole attire thing, I do think Pescado's internet appearance is entirely appropriate.

I have an appearance? My appearance is hampered by the fact that I don't like cameras combined with the fact that vampires don't appear on film.