Late last week, two key announcements made by DAZ, a popular 3D production company infamous for the creation of models and props to be used in an equally popular 3D Software program known as Poser owned by Curious Labs, was partially responsible for causing several small brush fires to break out on the Internet Plains. Those small tendrils of flames were further fanned as high winds of paranoia and confusion turned these simple brush fires into a firestorm that now threatens several local area Communities. Wildland Firefighter Officials, responsible for tracking and monitoring conditions in the Internet Plains, seemed completely unprepared for the ensuing firestorm that now threatens several local Community homes and have yet begun to gather in an attempt to combat or contain the swiftly approaching blaze. One Wildland Firefighters who was question as they watched the approaching firestorm, with worry in their face, was quoted as saying: "We were taken completely by surprise by the two lightning strike announcements that touched off these blazes and we have yet to determine how to go about trying to contain this blaze." We now join Jack D. Kammerer, an Internet Plains analyst who has several years experience in monitoring and tracking conditions for potential wildfires and firestorms that could threaten the local area Communities. "Mr. Kammerer, earlier today, you told me that you were not surprised by the storm that is responsible for touching off this blaze, nor were you surprised that this blaze has now become a Community threatening Firestorm, could you please explain?" Of course. The storm responsible for one of the two announcement lightning strikes that touched off the blaze, should not have been much of a surprise to anyone. Had officials and members in the Community now threatened by these blazes looked, they would've clearly seen the signs. For those who have been members of this Community for years should remember that there was a time when DAZ (then Zygote) had discussions in regard to the purchase of Renderosity. So it is easy to believe that just because the sale of that particular local area Community didn't go through, that DAZ would loose interest in the idea of purchasing a home within one. Another telltale sign should've been the Survey that they ran a little over a week ago, which clearly expressed an interest of closer involvement in a forum based website. In fact, if one had paid particular attention, they might've even been able to predict where that lightning strike would occur and had they really been worried about it, prevented it from occurring. It is obvious that no one felt the need too. "Including yourself?" Including myself. I have always supported the decision of DAZ in purchasing a Community Home and had been one of those responsible for the discussions mentioned earlier that never went through. The reasons for the creation of many of these local area Communities has been to bring the user closer to the product ... that product being Curious Lab's: Poser and the company responsible for the majority of Poser content: DAZ. DAZ realized the potential and outcome of doing this and after allot of thought, agreed and did it. "Let's get back to you not being surprised of this becoming a Community threatening Firestorm ... why is that?" Easy. For a while now the Internet Plains that surround the Communities have began to dry up. In many parts of those Plains there has been a lack of direction or change that would keep those areas from drying up or becoming stagnate ponds. Because of this, many who live within those Communities has become irritable and unhappy, granted some have decided to pack up and move, forming their own Community neighborhood in an effort to try and breath some sort of life back into their own and any others that would join them, but for the majority many others have congregated in one place and have been looking for something or someone to take their frustrations out on. For many others, they have remained faithful to the Community that they have lived in and been a part of for a long time now. Some of those individuals feel that their faithfulness has been overlooked or threatened by the purchase of a Community other than theirs. Because of this, they are quick in trying to defend their home and they feel the best way in which to defend that home is by attacking what they view as the "OTHERSIDE". This reaction is one of the most common and has been fostered even before I came on the scene. Then there are what I call the "Warmongers" the individuals who wiggle their way into the Community like snakes and wait for an opportunity to strike and spread their poison. These individual look forward to changes and are the loudest to cry out "conspiracy" every time an announcement of change takes place. They particularly make their homes in places that have a lack of control or direction and are the biggest threat to ANY Community. Some of them may never interact or take part in anything until the opportunity to create a "war" presents itself. While some others who grow tired of waiting for anything to happen, decide to attack the very Community they exist in. Neither have no regard or care for the Community they live in and usually will suck it dry of all life then move on to the next Community they can find a dark hole to hide in. "What do you see happening in future?" I see that if some measures of control and containment of the Firestorm that is making it's way into the Communities doesn't take place. Communities such as Renderosity could end up becoming a burned and charred husk. "Why is that?" Just suppose DAZ became completely and totally frustrated with all of the crap that is being said and in turn said: "All right, fine... From this point forward DAZ is not going to allow the sale of any product based upon the use of their geometry unless it is sold through them." Then the majority of the Community marketplace would suddenly disappear and profits that support those Communities would cease or decline drastically. Personally, I don't see this as happening and despite what anyone may think, the possibility of this happening has always been present even before DAZ's purchase of a Community Home. Currently, right now, Communities such as Renderosity is completely dependent upon the cash-flow that comes in from their online store. This cash-flow is based upon the sales of product that currently is based primarily on products being sold for use with the DAZ Millennium characters. Despite what anyone may think, the ability to sell these products outside of any DAZ store has not only been a smart business move on DAZ's part to further increase the sales of their products that brokered product is based on or for, but also as a COURTESY to the Poser Community. Despite whatever line of BS many individuals may try to feed you, DAZ has ALWAYS had "CONTROL" of the marketplace. This is NOT a NEW DEVELOPMENT!! As long as the majority of product that is released is based upon their own product, that "CONTROL" is always present!! The mere fact that they haven't extorted that "CONTROL" upon the Community is a testament to their desire to not only GROW their OWN COMPANY but also GROW this COMMUNITY. Renderosity is NOT the Community. Renderotica is NOT the Community. The PFO is NOT the Community. RuntimeDNA, 3DCommune, BBay, AniMotions, the Big-I and PoserPros is NOT the Community!! These are merely structures that allows the Community to visit, they are NOT the Community... YOU ARE and that Community is where ever YOU choose to go. YOU have the choice of which of these structures or websites are going to suit YOUR needs. Stop worrying about what someone else's needs are and start focusing on YOUR OWN. If people feel they will get their needs met over at PoserPros, LET THEM. This stupid BSing attitude that you have to fight with other places because they don't meet YOUR needs is STUPID and SELFISH on your part. Who are you to think YOU know what SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS? I had to grow up and face that, it's about time all of you had to do the same!! The only way that DAZ's purchase of PoserPros.com is going to affect Renderosity is if you, the members of Renderosity, LET IT!! By letting your petty bickering tear this site and other sites apart, destroying your friendships and pissing off the people that create the product that you have so fervently use is a sure fire way to turn this site into a twisted mass of charcoal. And rather than me being the smart guy and playing fricken Nero and letting all of you kill yourselves off, I am standing here and telling you to act like the civilized human beings that you all claim you are. Grow up and let's see what DAZ does, let's try and help to make it work because in doing so, you will only be helping to save your beloved website of your choice. 'Nuff said, Jack