--lock the thread. All business majors should be required to bookmark the "New Merchant Forum Policies" thread, then write a thousand-word essay on "What Not to Do," or "How to Make Enemies and Alienate People."

So, why was that thread locked? I didn't see the usual "closing message" on it from an admin (like, "This is going nowhere. I'm locking the thread.") Was the thread going nowhere?

It was going someplace uncomfortable. Somehow, I just can't get the image of rats leaving a sinking ship out of my head...

Went someplace they didn't want it to go? Rats. And I was about to pick back up with Quagnon and ask him: "usted tienen gusto de una orden de chalupas con su mierda del toro? " ;]

Was it something I said?

Cumulative effect, no doubt. It became clear they'd underestimated the issue (and the intelligence, outrage and determination of those on the other side). They'll withdraw for awhile and regroup. They hate it when things get a little out of control.

Damn. I was hoping it was something I said.;)

Mosca, Your statement implies something very critical; however I fear it to be wrong. That they have control, or even grouped to start with. If they had really grouped, or listened to people (instead of ignoring them) this fit storm wouldn't even have occurred and no one on the outside of the marketeer's place would have known... Okay maybe just not as many. Tom

You're confusing "control" (power) with "sense."

I just nabbed a copy of that thread, just in case it disapears suddenly

Okay, I'll give you that. Thanks for the correction :)

"usted tienen gusto de una orden de chalupas con su mierda del toro? " Just a guess, but my Espanola is a little weak after, um, just somewhere shy of 20 years: Translation: Would you like an order of chalupas with your BS? Do I win a prize? (The chalupas, not the BS! I have more than enough of my own to spread around!) ;0)

I don't know much about trade secrets but fancy the management revealing how incompetent they are to their rivals!, or was that ever a trade secret? If LadySilverMage tunes into this thread, I take my hat off to you for showing great dignity in the face of the snide petulance you have been subjected to by a so called Moderator.

Snide petulance? Sounds like admin material to me...

Heh heh. Sure, Cyber... I'll have to wrap up a suitable "no-prize" for you. ;]

Still lurking.

"Snide petulance? Sounds like admin material to me... " Okay, this actually did make me laugh out loud. Lordy...

Interesting that we have admins who aren't even listed on "The Team" page popping up to do damage control. http://www.renderosity.com/index.ez?viewLink=318

Maybe tutone is an admin clone...

IB, if that's what passes for damage control these days, they're in worse shape than I thought!

another thing that is making them extremely uncomfortable is now they are hearing more from customers in support for the vendors and merchants. Fancy that, I actually posted to a locked thread.

"LIBERTE, EGALITE, FRATERNITE!!!" "Off With Their Heads!" "Let Them Eat Cake!" hrm, chit, all the good revolutionary battlecries and catchphrases have been taken. ;0)

Seems like most of the threads I post to end up getting locked...

[LOCKED]

lol

Dang,stretch--scared me...

The locking of that last thread surprised me in the fact that it looked almost like what was seen after certain members were banned from the Merchants Forum, and upon complaints of said banning, were banned from the site entirely...hmmm coincedence? Snickers @ Cyber... that lil lock thingy was funny hehe

A tad bit o' HTML code wrks wonders! (And if anyone cares: Wrk is one of the "dirty little four letter words I was told never to say in public; hence the *. lol)

(Too bad I could not use HTML to edit posts for typos, like leaving off the " at the end of "words".) ;0)

I realize that I am facing and speaking into the wind, but I repeat here exactly what I said in another thread:

The fact that we are all allowed to post harsh criticisms of Renderosity, on Renderosity's forums, using Renderosity's bandwidth, for the entire membership to see -- and that the critical posts are not deleted immediately by Renderosity's staff--

I think this says something about the management.

If the administration is as dictatorial as some claim, then why don't all critical posts simply vanish within seconds?

This is not the behavior of tyrants and dictators.

Within reason, everyone seems to be allowed to speak their mind here.

I like that. I hope that others do, also.

To all a good night.

Within reason, everyone seems to be allowed to speak their mind here There are a few people that spoke their minds here, within reason, requesting certain things, and were banned because of it. If management wants to be fair in all of this, they need to learn that you take the criticism with the praise. Bad with the good. And learn from it. And become a better business for it. Although we members do not 'own' this site, we are contributors.. for without members this site would cease to function. If this move was 'for the good of all' then 'all' should've been asked their opinion. Feedback was asked for, ignored because it wasnt what was wanted, and then the plan was implemented anyway. Instead of tossing those out that 'do not conform, for whatever reasons' they need to listen.. and respond in a professional way. If management is worried about competition they ought to know that competitors will act upon something of this magnitude.. This would've never gone public if the management had handled the situation differently Im sure. Just MHO..

Looks to me like there was too much common sense and uncomfortable direct questions being thrown at the admins and they just didn't want to answer them.

I don't know who tutone is but he sounds as juvenal as Tim. They just can't seem to wrap their minds around how to act professionally.

My gosh! 99% of the members and merchants are telling them
a) The whole thing was unprofessional
b) This is not how a business is run
c) Quit lying to us and tell us the real truth rather than smoke us with something as stupid as "Trade Secrets".
~and most importantly
d) We want assurance that this isn't going to happen again, in the same unprofessional manner and the same lack of notice.

It's like the whole site is being run by 13 year olds. (no offense to the teenagers) It could all be put to rest if Tim were to appologize for his lack of professionalism and promise that any more of these "policies" will give a reasonable notice and all this crap about locking merchants out of their forum while taking their money is beaten into their heads as being a breach of contract.

I think if you gave it to the 13 year olds, they'd probably do a better job :) I'm simply shocked as a long time customer and member of Renderosity at what is going on. I'm not a vendor, so I don't have access to the Merchants forum, so that doesn't bother me at all. I just am bothered by the fact so many merchants are upset or packing up shop and leaving. I know several merchants here and they are all bothered by the situation, the big and small ones alike. Its bad business. Its bad for me as a customer too, I don't like seeing Renderosity shooting itself in the foot.

Ummm... other than Entropic, I'm not sure if anyone was banned. Three [four?] people were locked out of the Merchant's forum. And some threads have been locked. 'Course that's to date... we'll see what tomorrow brings. ;]

Ok, I stand corrected in stating that those were all banned. Some were 'locked out' of the Forum, some were 'banned' from the site entirely. (2) actually that I know of for two seperate reasons, But ultimately they all came back complaining of their products/galleries still being here and not deleted. And you are right IB, who knows what tomorrow brings ;)

"It's like the whole site is being run by 13 year olds. (no offense to the teenagers)" Lordy. Crack me up.

I see alot of talk about "Professionalism", but I doubt many of those doing that talking know anything about it.

Glass houses?

-JH.

....oooh! that was so cutting. I feel so humbled now.

I guess that means everyone here. As I'm just a concerned outsider that simply surfs your site... guess it doesnt matter that much to me. I'll happily go back to surfing and sucking down your bandwidth since its obvious you don't give a rats backside what I have to say. I'm an outsider, but a customer, and a customer that spends quite a lot here. if you dont like that, I can always change my habits. :)

"....oooh! that was so cutting. I feel so humbled now."

I had a different word in mind and you illustrate it well.

If a vendor merchant is coughing up a percentage of thier sales to the site (something like 30 to 50% depending on who you are) to help pay for bandwidth, storage, administration, and other sundry fees - sounds like a loose limited partnership to me, even if it is a brokerage. Supposedly everyone gets something out of it. On that note, when said brokerage makes boneheaded and discriminatory policy changes based on supposition and then refuses to listen to the people that help them make $ (as well as being snide and rude about it), then it seems like it's time to pull the plug on the same. What makes it worse is the inept attempt at damage control and trying to put people back in thier places. oi vey, such a mess. I'm picking up my toys and going elswhere - so there, NYAH.

Jeff, do you know what it feels like to be ignored? To be told, by actions, that the opinions and feelings of 99% of the members mean nothing? We're basically being told that the PTB feel this site is such the be all end all of communities that they can do whatever the hell they want, treat it's members, and those who've helped support them with their hard work, like crap and get away with it.

We're being told we mean nothing.

Tim and the admins could make this go away very easily. An appology and a promise to act more professionally in the future is all they need to do. Not digs in the forums and not blatently ignoring direct concerns.
If you honestly think the actions of the admins in the last few days is in any way even remotely close to the definition of "professional", then you have a lot to learn. I've lost respect for a lot of people, just as many others have. And they don't seem to be very willing to win that back.

What you don't seem to be able to understand is that those who are the most vocal about this are the ones who want to see it turned around.

well I just got slapped in the face I think too. Oh well. Glass houses, I have a stone. :) Take care all, enjoy the fight.

"I had a different word in mind and you illustrate it well." Well there we have it! Thinking one thing JeffH and saying another will never get your message across.

Kendra - i take it that you have polled the other 114,000 members of renderosity and 112,000 + said that they disagree with this policy? It's really quite simple. None of the admin or mods here at RR go over to PP and bash PP all day. Yet quite a few of you come to RR and bash RR all day. Nor do we bash PP here in our own forums. Yet quite a few of you find time to bash RR in the PP forums. All of the members that you believe disagree with the policy here are seeing first hand why such a policy had to be implemented by the behavior of the PP admin/mods in this forum. There are better things to do with our time than to continue this ridiculous "pick at everything someone says" kind of argument. If a little more attention was given to what is being said instead of the extreme willingness to read between the lines all of the time then the majority of this argument would have been dropped a long time ago.

Hey--I'm bashing PP in the RR forums--do I get a gift certificate or something? "I see alot of talk about "Professionalism", but I doubt many of those doing that talking know anything about it." Well, tere you go. Do they teach bickering with the customers in business school these days? You guys clearly just don't get it. If you don't want the constant critique, try thinking before you type.

Why do you consistently refuse to hear what people are actually saying? Why do you insist on reducing this issue to a spat between two web sites? I am not a broker. I am not affected by this policy. But I am PISSED OFF by this lack of courtesy and consideration on the part of the mangement!

I personally would like everyone to think before they type :-)

Granted, some of the non-management post have ben a bit rude and unproffesional, but there is a heavier burden on the part of the administration here to be professional. They cannot afford to sound unreasonable, or else they lose their credibility. Unfortunately, that has already happened...

I have not reduced this issue to a spat between two web sites. It has been overly demonstrated by those that are posting here that this is the case, whether or not anyone is willing to admit it. The issues cannot be addressed when so many assumptions, accusations, and speculations - which are all unjustified - keep being made to skew the truth on what the policy is about. It's about restricting competing brokers from the merchants forum. Not the site or the marketplace. All known competing brokering merchants have been treated equally, contrary to disillusioned statements that suggest otherwise. The necessary information will be provided to those merchants who have been restricted but continue to operate a store here. But most reacted so drastically to cause a scene rather than to really think about the reasons behind the move to figure that out. Those merchants (that have not reacted hastily) can contact ClintH and he will be happy to work out something that benefits each party, you can be assured of this. So forget all of your conspiracy theories, which have all been given life from one central source, and let's move on. Whether this policy was put in place 30 days from now or as it occured, the same outlashing of disapproval would have occured contrary to what is being said here.

"I personally would like everyone to think before they type :-)" Hi Jeff! Knew you were going to say this. Sure, that would be nice, but it's your JOB to act like a grownup--the rest of us are just here to spend money and pick fights. You ought to be out front, rational and calm, trying to defuse controversy (note I didn't say "stifle discussion"). Instead, you guys seem determined to keep stirring the pot. I'm just a customer, I know, but I really think the admins need to huddle up and think about the tone of your recent forum posts. It's got to hurt, shooting yourselves in the foot every fifteen minutes.