Pinching a gilded loaf

Published on January 4, 2006 By BlueDev In Misc

Perhaps it is the anonymity.

Perhaps it is the sheer number of people you can meet.

Perhaps I am nuts.

But the internet sure seems to bring out a lot of delusional people. While I have met a number of them in real life, most of the real grandiose ones are at least on medication. On the net, though, it is a different story. The number of people who not only seem to think they are so amazing that their farts smell of roses, but that they also, do in fact, pinch off gilded loaves is truly mind boggling.

I mean, seriously. I know I have an ego problem. Frankly, I think I am, for the most part, a pretty cool guy. But I also know I can be a jerk and I can even be *gasp* wrong. And, yes, my farts stink.

So why write an article about this today? Well, because of my, ahem, dislike of people who cannot admit to every equivocating, who are always right (even when dead wrong), I have completely abandoned some online communities. One in particular comes to mind, one I visited recently.

I had been one of the most regular members of the site, consistently in the top 5 most active members. But the experience soured. A number of members (two very vocal ones in particular) apparently thought they busted gilded grumpies. They could do no wrong, even when they blatantly ignored the community rules by following personal attack with personal attack.

And the few times I tried to stand up to them, the administration decided they needed to put me in my place. I realized it was simply not a place for me to hang out. I moved on. But yesterday I thought I would peak back in and see if things had changed. And they had. Those vocal members had solidified their cadre of sycophants even more, were even more on the offensive, and had soured the community that much more.

Oh well, there are always other communities.

Comments

Moderateman

on Jan 04, 2006

you are welcome here dev, respected and not trashed, what more could you want?

Stanton

on Jan 04, 2006

"pinch off gilded loaves is truly mind boggling."

Comedy gold...

(pun intended)

BlueDev

on Jan 04, 2006

you are welcome here dev, respected and not trashed, what more could you want?

And I am happy here ModMan. This has become a great online community for me. Thanks.

Stanton: Glad you enjoyed it!

MasonM

on Jan 04, 2006

I did pinch off a gilded loaf once. I'd had way too much Goldslagger the night before.

dynamaso

on Jan 05, 2006

Dev,

It is a shame those a*&#holes didn't give you a chance. I don't hate anybody but I have a hard time liking people who think they're right all the time. As for the title, like Whip, I knew exactly what you meant and would further add that while they might think their business don't stink, it doesn't matter how much you polish a turd, it is still a turd

I could engage these fellows in restrained and reasonable debate, and would love a chance to do so.

Let Whip at 'em. I'm certain she'd sort them out in no time.

MasonM

on Jan 05, 2006

Uhmm, what I meant to say is that I'm sure I could engage these fellows in restrained and reasonable debate, and would love a chance to do so.

Wow, that has to be the best piece of fictional writing I have laid my eyes upon in many a moon. How do you do it? Must be a gift.

BlueDev

on Jan 06, 2006

I'd had way too much Goldslagger the night before.

Oh the corn.

LW made me chuckle enough with her reply. . .

Anyway, BD, I'd love a link to the place, you know I've a mean streak and love to stir the pot...gimme names! links! all that jazz! lemme at the bastards! kill! kill! kill!

Next reply, I will fill you in.

It is a shame those a*&#holes didn't give you a chance.

It wasn't so much that they didn't give me a chance. Rather, it was frustrating to be such a long time member, to have contributed so much to the site, and then to be cast aside when bigger egos insisted they were right and I was wrong, even when the evidence was definitive in the other direction. I figured I didn't need to waste my time with them.

BlueDev

on Jan 06, 2006

Ok LW, here is a very brief outline of the story.

The site is The Adrenaline Vault, a small hobby site about electronic gaming that really aspired to greatness, but seems to have settled for mediocrity. For years it really was a great site, and when they opened up their forums a few years ago I instantly became very active, being one of the top 5 posters for many years. One of the more prolific posters came across as a very intelligent man, older and more mature than the rest of us (though there were some real inconsistencies in some of his stories, nevertheless he gave the illusion of being somewhere in his late 40's- early 50's). He was a talented writer and his posts were often great to read. But if you were not a hard-core right winger, watch out. That is fine and dandy. Most of the time I agreed with him. But suddenly some people were getting banned from the site for personal attacks (calling this poster racist was enough to get them banned). However, he nearly always retaliated in kind and never received so much as a warning. This didn't sit well with me and I had a number of behind the scenes conversations with staff at the site regarding what appeared to me to be a pretty obvious double standard. The disagreed, denied it, and told me I was being an idiot (in not so many words). I was even threatened with being temporarily banned from the site after having a row with this gentleman, ensuring that I never used any words or tactics that he was not using at the same time. Of course, he got nothing, I got warned. So I chilled out, played it safe and waited for him to go on the attack again. Inevitably it happened and he started tossing around the personal attacks, while never once getting warned about it.

Again I called the admins on the carpet for this, told them I thought they were hypocrites and playing favorites, etc. Finally they decided to temporarily ban him, to which his response was to abandon the site. (This has happened to this gentleman at many other gaming forums as well, do we see a pattern here?). I won't lie, I was quite pleased with the outcome.

But then it happened. The grand flamer of all time came to town. Enter Derek Smart, the founder of 3000AD and creator of some of the most ambitious, most incomprehensible and most ridiculed PC games of all time, the Battlecruiser series. This man is infamous for being one of the biggest jackasses on the internet. For some hilarious light reading on the man, the myth and the legend you can get your fill over here: Flame War Follies. The guy is one of a kind. I mean, no one here even comes close to this guy. Seriously.

Well, since he was a game developer, and this was a (small time) game website, he instantly achieved celebrity status and could do no wrong. The man doesn't know how to type without insulting others, yet is still there, continues to break the boards rules, and just basically is 100% positive that he pinches gilded loaves. I stopped by the other day to see that he had resurrected a 1.5 year old thread for the sole purpose of pissing on other people: Brilliance, no?

I just couldn't take it. I won't be heading back any time soon, especially considering the sycophantic way many of the members their stick up for him. The man is a stain, and I won't be surprised if he shows up here somehow and tells me just how worthless I am, how stupid, how inferior to his superior intellect and so on. Rumor has it, if you say his name three times, he just shows up

.

I would love to see you go at it with him LW. You are one of the few who could certainly stand up to anything he dished out. Sadly, over at the Adrenaline Vault you would be banned before it ever got interesting. But if you do ever engage him, you MUST let me know. It is a show I wouldn't want to miss for anything.

KarmaGirl

on Jan 06, 2006

Avault...it all makes sense.....

BlueDev

on Jan 06, 2006

Avault...it all makes sense.....

?

I would love to know what you mean (the only thing I can think of was the whole blow-up over the accusation of the AI cheating in the Galactic Civlization review). Especially since you have the former publisher(I think that was what Yarlen was) of the site working for Stardock.

BlueDev

on Jan 06, 2006

Since I am TOTALLY not into gaming, (gags) I'm going to have to lurk for a bit to gain enough knowledge to begin commenting at all, but I will certainly let you know when I'm ready to jump into the frey.

I am sure you would be brilliant. I look forward to any possible conflagrations.

BlueDev

on Jan 06, 2006

My gawd, that Derek Smart dude IS an asshole...

He is truly one of the biggest morons I have ever run into. Period. Every argument with him boils down to him asserting he is right and the other person is incredibly stupid. He never has facts, he never makes sense, and he is so full of himself it is laughable.

But he does entertain.

BlueDev

on Jan 06, 2006

Oh my goodnes LW. You are truly a master. I kowtow to you.

BlueDev

on Jan 07, 2006

I wonder if it would get a write-up in Gaming magazines?

I don't know about magazines LW, but if someone gave Derek a good ol' bitch-slaping it would be all over every gaming site on the net: Gamespy, Gamespot/IGN, UGO, HOTU, etc. It would be huge among that certain niche of online geekdom.

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