"Freedom is the right to tell people what they don't want to hear."
-- George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier
A lot of discussion around the status of the RPG Bloggers Network has taken place following a disagreement on terms of admission (in flammenkrieg terms not huge but hurtful to those involved). Now the admins have chosen to pursue their own projects.
I wish them the best, they've done great things and left sizable boots to fill. Network members respond in different ways, displaying the Kübler-Ross model behaviours to unexpected changes - denial, negotiation, anger, depression, grief and acceptance.
Yet in what people are already lampooning as the Great RPG Bloggers Network Schism of 2009, it's obvious a couple of things remain true.
First, anger towards the people you're trying to persuade isn't as effective as respect. Insulting your audience will encourage them to stop listening or go elsewhere. Maybe that's what you want? Yet those behaviours limit options and damage your credibility on a personal and professional level. Even if you do them well.
Second, to quote Dale Carnegie: "You don't kick a dead dog." The network is attracting criticism from those worried the sky is falling, disappointed at how the admins were treated or those hoping to develop their own vision. The bug has bitten and the road has called. I plan on continuing for the only way to fail is to give up.
I want the RPG Bloggers Network to move forward regardless. The network is bigger than one individual and if you're part of any network, it's wise to respect it's participants. Word gets around and those who live by mudslinging usually get dirty themselves for with good intentions, the destination remains the same.
I trust (and believe) that the decision of the RPGBN administrators, to pass the torch and move onto other pursuits, was made for sound reasons, broader than the effect of that particular "offending" blog.
ReplyDeleteBeing an outsider to the RPGBN, i'm not in the loop on the blowback to the admins, as a result of their announcements, nor on the lampooning of the results. If true, both are unfortunate, as it's a small community, and people's feelings tend to get hurt easier when you are dealing with text.
Here's hoping they move on other satisfying endeavours. They have made a positive contribution to the growth of the on-line rpg community, including encouraging many people (including myself) to start blogging, for which I am most grateful.
Thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteThe admins have provided various reasons yet all cited the ill feeling from that event as the primary motivator. I'm ashamed to say I've lost respect for one member whose recent actions prompted this post. Here's hoping this blows over so trust and fences can be mended.
I wish the admins well in their future endeavours especially Phil who has got the (well-deserved) opportunity you hoped for. This sentiment is shared by other network members. The network has inspired many RPGers to take up blogging and we agree it's contribution is positive. So let's keep it around...