This is going to be my own personal response to what has been going on both publically and privatly for well over a year. This has no connection to what TNS is nor is it a response involving others who have simular intrests that I have. This is solely my own words.
So for what it is, I've always had the greatest respect for SG and its leadership. I've always wished for this place to continue to succeed after I departed. I only left because my views differed from Haggard's when it came to helping out a friend. That has always been my way, I help others when I can, because its the right thing to do. With that in mind, I've always given SG leadership help when they've asked and watched out for problems that I've experienced. I never burned the bridge. And I've been grateful for what help they've been able to returned when I have asked and I know that they stuck their neck out for me when doing so.
Now to the post.
Do not view this post like that senario. My post is more of an outside whistleblower. I've had previous experiences with this community but I consider myself, exiled. As my name was smeared while at the same time I never once came and returned the favor.
At no point have I created a secondary account with SG and I do not plan to do so. While you may feel that this post is causing drama, again I am only a whilstleblower.
I've always felt that there was some favorism or bias involved in alot of these decisions. My intention with this post, is actually to help SG, even if you do not see it that way.
This will also be the last of it, I've sat idle and watched this all unfold over the past year and I've been disgusted with how it has all been handled. From both sides, neither party is innocent here.
The Image Garfield posted, I'll admit those are my words. I remember writing them. At the same time, this was over 2 years ago when I wrote this and when I wrote them, it was my opinion of the current situation that was going down, which has been left out of this conversation as it was discussed in a private forum. All I can say there is more to that conversation that people don't even know about. So without the community seeing the rest of that conversation, the image of my comment should not even be considered in any train of thought.
My relationship with Suri has been a form of brotherhood. We grew up here at SG, we grew a professional appreciation for each others talents. After Suri left, I probably didn't talk to him for almost 6 months. I left SG at this point. We started talking again just over some gaming things and I eventually started him creating graphics for my production company. A few months after that he asked me if I would be willing to help him create a community and I agreed.
I will confirm that at no time did Suri or anyone at TNS steal files. As any respected member of leadership here that personally knows me, I have the knowledge and capability to build my own servers from scratch. I actually prefer to code alot of things myself and by hand. So if I know how to build server files, then why would I or anyone else here at TNS need to steal? I know there are people here that would back me up on that point right there as I taught probably half of SG's current leadership when they were AO's.
Well on stucture and general rules, we really can't deny this as the format of the forums works really well and if it worked better, I would do that. And the rules, the rules are pretty generic for almost every server out there. Once you look past alot of the looks and actually know how we work, we make significant distinctions in how things work. Plus sometimes copying is also a form of flattery for some people ;-)
Yes the conversation with a "spy" Garfield sent to join TNS to gather said information. How reputible is that? Yet, he didn't find anything because there is nothing to find. IF there was something to find and you found it, you'd rub it in our faces like it was a pile of dog shit.
I won't deny this, but as I believe its viewed by eyes of leadership here, he let it open. I am not proud of this and was actually unaware of this till after the fact, but the way I look at it now, in retrospect, we just used your own spy to return the favor.
Again, I'd like to point out this is a whistleblower post and not a nuisance. Oh, you ask where the whistleblowing is? Well here it is.
Farbeit from me to have to do this, but if this is going to be my last post in SG, this will be worth it. But the above statement is true, but also hides alot of secrets that leadership has been hiding. Weather or not they will have enough balls to admit that this is truth or not I will never now, but I hope my few friends that are still here will confirm that SG is on the verge of being sold. It is being sold to a forum management company who takes over vBulletin forums and "links" them together. Whats so bad about that? Well for them to re-coup some of the money in the transaction, they post advertisments on the forum. So they will be making money off the forum. In doing some research on this company, they also send kickbacks to the one who sold them the forum. So now Garfield will be profiting from this place. They will also be taking over forum management, which will also include the removal of some of the leaders here, who aren't too happy about that decision. Now my proof, I really don't have, but if anyone goes and checks out the profile of Amit, he has 70+ posts but none are viewable by any member. He has access to the private forums and has been discussing this transaction for quite some time with the leaders. What does this mean for SG? Well ultimatly, its not going to change a whole lot. But I implore you to see what I've seen in Garfield since he entered the SteamGamers community. It cannot be denied, it was even stated by the former owner and creator of SteamGamers Haggard, that Garfield bought his way into the community. He was never an exeptional admin, who never learned how to run websites or servers, at least while I was here. He into his positions because he funded SG quite generously. His true intentions really could never be revealed till this transation came to light, his intentions was always to purchase this website and turn it into a profit. While he tried to find ways to do it behind the communities back he continued to spend more money than he wanted to and was forced to turn to someone else who was going to make money themselves.
Again, my message is only of a whistleblower. I serve no benefit from announcing this as I will most likely be banned after this comes to light of leadership. I only care for the integrity of this community. This community like the one I run now, is solely for the members who participate in it. No one should ever profit from a place like this. I care for SG, but I see the dark tunnel it is headed due to current leadership. I really wish you would reconsider the sale and think about the members of this community who have donated countless dollars, who spent months on your servers making them some of the most popular CS:S servers out there, who spent many sleepless nights working to make this community one of the best communities that there is out there. Like I said earlier, if I copy what SG is doing its because it does work and we cannot deny that fact. If what I do even becomes half of what SG is today, I would be happy. So take the compliment and think about the people here who keep this place running and not sell this place to a place who will institute their own values and not that of the communities.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, if you even get a chance.
EDIT: From my perspective, the SG v TNS crap is over. I will take appropriate measures at TNS to make sure that SG is left alone. I wish you would do the same.
