The question posed by Jason was simple ... and many have posted good responses that I'm sure have been helpful, but why are there a select few who find it necessary to continue riding that flame wave instead of being constructive toward giving this guy some understanding. I see no value in many posts in this thread because they're nothing but a continued personal attack, which does nothing but incite and cause the thread to become yet another battleground. For some, it's nothing but insult after insult, which is clearly not a means to address what I feel is a genuine question.
I find it interesting that ... many are throwing out insults and flaming comments in one breath, while trying to explain in another what the standard is for gaining a better reputation. If you want to educate a person in how to be more accepted or appreciated in this community, it's not done in the manner some of you are putting forth here, because it doesn't make a person too receptive to the input. It only continues to back the person up into the corner further, and then as human as we all are, enough becomes enough before the lashing out is returned ... and I don't blame him one bit.
Some people ... don't know
how to be constructive, and think it's cool to be rude and flaming while trying to get their point across, rather than taking it as an opportunity to be helpful. Continuing to beat the man down with rude and insulting posts isn't going to foster the kind of change some of you feel he needs to make, which I find laughable because the first thing that comes to mind is "role modeling" and how much of that by some is
not going on ... at least not in a positive way.
He's right about one thing though ... bringing up personal situations from the past to add salt in the already opened wound without knowing the full scope of the events was just an unfair thing to do. I appreciate that he took the time to explain those situations that some felt the need to expose (especially being years old), but he shouldn't have had to do that. We are all splendidly IM-perfect, with all having room to improve, but I'm sure it feels better on the other side of this rock-throwing than having to dodge them.
I don't think any one of you ... would appreciate having something personal like that put on a public forum where people draw their own conclusions without all the facts. Yes, he could have handled some situations better (he said that himself), but no one is mistake-free ... no one, and ... as a point of reference ... people post quite a bit about how they get drunk and do stupid things ... someone even made a
thread about it. I wonder how many of
you throwing insults around here posted in that thread. It's easy to point the finger, but a lot harder being on the other end of that finger.
It's ok to disagree with someone ... but for those who feel the need to throw flames and continue to beat a person down, tell me how that's supposed to be effective and inspire a person to change. Maybe it's just your style, and others think you're cool, but the continuation of it is just pure bullying IMO. Helping someone doesn't mean being part of a firing squad.
I fully expect a few to be defensive ... and come back at me with rude and flaming comments, but it will just prove my point even more.
For some, disagreeing with another's point of view doesn't mean a right or wrong situation, but rather just a different perspective.
My perspective is ... it's far more effective to be constructive, because it affords you a better opportunity to motivate and inspire the desired result. A person's way of communicating tells much, and despite not fully agreeing with how Jason came into this community, I at least can give him credit for making the effort to respond more constructively than not to some of the posts that he's had to deal with. Yes, I feel that the majority of his posts are constructive, but again, what would you do if backed into the corner as much as he has been?
To Jason ... in response to your question ... I think for the most part, there's never been anyone quite like you who has entered our community "with guns blazing" so to speak ... as some might term it ... so I can fully understand this whole circus of events that has transpired recently.
However ... after reading every post in every thread, your website, and what data was available to me to review ... this is my perspective ... you are definitely an ambitious person, which is not to say that it's a bad thing at all. I feel you genuinely saw an opportunity to bring something into the community that might be of benefit. Don't worry about the whole "greed" thing, because there are those who talk that way about the "ubers" as well, and those who are actually making a living, or at least a supplemental income from what they do in EU as a profession.
I understand your motives ... and there's no doubt in my mind that others in this community have the same motives in mind when it comes to their activity within EU ... they want to profit, but ... while I also understand your energy in this respect, perhaps it might have been a better choice to not be so engaging at the level you introduced yourself. Meaning ... a continuous and "in your face" posting of threads (no matter what your motives) with content that, mistakenly or not, gave a bad impression right out the gate. In contrast, your fight promotions IRL are just that ... a real "in your face" proposition that "gets attention" and gets it fast, but that approach doesn't work in every environment as you have witnessed here.
I think ... your idea is a good one, and perhaps can be beneficial for the community once things settle down more, but would take it a step at a time and perhaps settle down yourself a little in the process and take a deep breath. Give yourself an opportunity to analyze all of this and the input that has been presented you, and then go from there. Many, in spite of the constant rudeness and flaming, have actually given some good advice, so take it to heart, sort it out, and maybe drop back 10 yards and punt.
***
so what is your first memory of being beaten?
Much appreciated, thanx!! 