New Admin!

[Sunwolf007]

Hi all! After our nice little reunion chat on the facebook group I began talking with Kathryn Lacey and Fate about taking over the site. It took some convincing, but they agreed to let me try and bring this forum back from the graveyard. I am grateful that they put their trust in me and are allowing this opportunity.

That being said, I have a lot of work ahead of me. If you see a few changes going on it is me getting this site back in order. I have a plan, which I outlined a bit of it here. My plan is to have it all figured out and working by May 13, FoGs 7th anniversary. I'll keep you all updated, but right now I have a lot of work to do, but am looking forward to it! Let's make this place a thriving site again!

[Guest]

Congrats on the Grand Heist! I'm going to leave with a little something that I wrote the last time you decided to kick the dirt and cause a stir, because I'm a dick and I feel like it. First of all, though, I want to eliminate some of the confusion. You bringing the site back from death was always a long shot, though I didn't mind you cleaning up the place and trying to bring back some interest. That isn't what happened. You left a while ago to try and make your own forum, in which you failed miserably. Now you want to come here, take it over, and try it again using the foundations of what dozens of people spent years to create. You want to take it for yourself. And yes, I mean that, otherwise you wouldn't have slipped in like you did and gave every other person with a smidgen of power the boot.

This place was dead. It was a memory. The people who came here to revisit the past were literally treading in the footsteps of ghosts. You've ruined that. You tilled the dirt, shoved everything we've created six feet under ground in hopes that it will provide rich nutrients to feed the hundreds of new followers you are going to search in vain to find. Thank you for defiling sacred ground. I won't let you use me though. I spent an hour or so deleting content from all of my most recent posts (again, cause I'm a dick) and I'm going to delete my whole profile. I won't be back.

Oh, and the fact that I can't even edit the posts of any of my old role-plays really irks me. Low blow, man.

Revisiting what I told you last time:

First of all, I want to say that I agree with Knifey Keith. Creating a thread to whine about the activity level you find in FOG after a very long and unexplained absence is like walking into a childs bedroom after leaving him/her unattended for several days. You say, "What the hell is this?" And the child looks at you as if you are the crazy one. If they are mature enough, perhaps they will even say "Well, what did you expect?"

Role-play websites have always been a bit of a problem for advanced writers who enjoy writing. FOG was created with that in mind. Rules and guidelines were established to that effect, and I think they worked great. Bear in mind, I pretty much isolated myself to the Advanced role-playing section. I can write a lot, and I used the Advanced section to my advantage. I can agree that having a minimum requirement in casual does not work out, but I really do not like casual role-playing anyway. I'm in it for the writing, and the stories, and if I'm writing a few sentences, then I am not really doing myself justice. The problem is that people came on here bitching about these requirements. Yes, even the Advanced minimum requirement. Really? I can meet the minimum requirement even when I can't think of anything to write. And if I can't, then the role-play really just isn't that good.

So here is the thing. The problem is not with FOG, which was really created as a haven for good writers who liked writing. The problem, my dear friends whose company I have come to greatly enjoy, is with you. And, yes, even with me. No one can devote their time every day to a website, to post consistently and keep up with several stories at once when they are going to school, graduating, getting jobs, getting married, having kids, losing jobs, getting divorced... you know, RL. There are two names who stick out in my mind who I was greatly enjoying role-playing with until that bastard RL came and stole them away. What hurts, though, is that they never took advantage of the absence thread to explain. In fact, a majority of you don't. When you've had enough, you just take off without a word. And then years or months down the road, you come back. But things aren't quite how you like it. So, after joining and starting several role-plays that seem awesome and garner interest, you find yourself bored again. So you leave. Again. And without making a notice in the absence thread. Again. And then you come back, years or months down the road. Only this time, you see the digital tumble weeds rolling across the barren plain of what was once a fertile field of words and social interactions. And you say, "What the hell is this?"

And I say, "Well, what did you expect?"

If you look back at the websites recent history, you will find all of the effort that Gadreille put into getting this place running again. She ran headfirst into a brick wall again and again and again. Contests that had the same three people showing interest (out of the thirty or so names that would come on!), new role-play sections that had a total of 0 interested players, etc. As you will see, most people simply aren't interested in role-playing. The community that had established themselves here have moved on. A few have come back, and they aren't happy with what they see.

This is your mistake: you think that doing it again, but this time with a different name and a different flavor, might actually work. Well, what do you think FOG is?!?! And this from someone who left several times without a word to explain why until he came back. It isn't going to work, because it never works. It will just be one more dead forum filled with a few good memories... but probably more bad ones. I mean, if there really was an ideal example of a role-play forum where all of this actually worked, wouldn't we be there? Didn't we think that this place was it, once upon a time?

If you want to try this venture, don't let me discourage you. But I won't try blindfold you to the harsh realities of the internet role-playing world. People, in general, are unreliable. People you know over the internet are even more so. But, if you want to do this, then like any business you need to do it. "I'll only start this business if a couple of thousand of people pledge to buy something from me" isn't going to work. Find a niche and fill it, and the people will come. Until they get bored of your product. But if you are going to siphon the remaining life out of this derelict, what was once a shining beacon of the e-literate (to use Kalon's glorious term), I think you've been here long enough. FOG is not a waypoint to trample upon what once was as you guide your new sheep to their next disappointing pasture. You got what you came for, now go create the website and do your business from there. Otherwise, you will NEVER separate yourself from FOG. Ever. And if you don't realize that, then all of your adamant denials that it is a FOG II are just lies.

Oh, and as a side note (perhaps you will take it into consideration in your new home), the poison that really killed this place was the IRC. Why do you think Fate tried to get rid of it? And was her attempt met with understanding and open arms? No, it was not. Like a cigarette, you all inhaled that poison, embraced its noxious fumes, and then left the catasprophe to the truly dedicated, like Gadreille (and as befits those who have committed sin, they now reside in Role-Play Hell). Well, the damage has been done. It was only a matter of time to begin with. Like I said, the original community that came here has moved on in RL. Most of us don't have time for this anymore. I certainly don't. If FOG suddenly revived and became stronger than it ever had before, I still would not, could not, come back. Frivolous writing is a thing of the past for me. If I write now, it has to be for a purpose.

So why am I writing this? Because I loved this community, the good people and the bad. I appreciate what this forum did for me, and how much I learned. Not just in writing (which was tremendous), but also in social interaction. I feel like I owe it to any who read this to explain, even though I know that none of you will listen. Because you never did before.

Love, Ysopet

[Sunwolf007]

I'm sorry you feel that way. It's your opinion. I do agree that I made a major mistake in communication. I should have given you and everyone else a heads up on the last round of major changes so you could have voiced your concerns beforehand. I made a bad decision. That is my fault and I do sincerely apologize for that. I'm not going to make a big deal about this, but I will do better in the future. I've always respected your opinion and looked up to you based on your incredible writing skills. I'm sorry to see you go. I wish you the best and hope your writing takes off.

[Guest]

Wow, some bitterness there. Anyway, I applaud the new direction and the ability to use the ashes of the dead to build something stronger and better. Whether it succeeds or fails, who cares? We'll have a blast along the way and we'll make new memories, meet new people in these hallowed halls. Sounds like an adventure worthy of the place.

[Tartra]

Kinda wish I'd read this earlier. Even if Ysopet was angry, he made a lot of great points, and some of those have kicked in. I get that there's going to be ebbs and flows of activity, but this isn't really a site that can afford an ebb, and that's sort of just happened.

Oh well. This was certainly worth a shot!

[Gadreille]

The ghost of Gadreille appreciates what you and ten were trying to do. Unfortunately, things that happened forced ysopet and I to make a choice, and we chose to let FOG go. We will always miss FOG greatly. In many ways we regret letting the soil be stirred...what's done is done though.

[Tartra]

Ooh - but while you're here, Gadrielle, hi! Hope everything's going well on your end, and tell Ysopet I said hi, too! There's a lot people I wish I could still chat with.

[Gadreille]

We are well I will pass your message along. I know how you feel...I tended FOG for years just in case an old face popped in. It was always exciting to see them, but, they never stayed long. The nostalgia was bittersweet.

I hope you are also well.

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