I'm not offended.
For someone looking at the situation "from the outside", there were several issues and factors that led up to the way RAA is being handled this year. For what started out as a way to test software for my other sites, I never thought a circumstance would come up where I'm having to enforce the ownership of a name of an event.
My hope is that someday folks will be able to overcome their "barriers" and enjoy each other's company again. Until then, I'm just doing what is necessary to keep the tradition going until they come back. In a couple years, if nothing changes and Scowherd still enjoys running it, we can discuss whatever options are suggested.
So if someone wants to use the RAA name for a worthwhile project, I believe it would be reasonable for the originators to ask me why I either approved or denied it at some later date. The reason for this is out of respect for their efforts and the community that fostered it.
All online communities change and grow from an initial belief. What is unique about R3Owners.Net is that for me it was purely a software-testing opportunity (I always had backups, but killed this site three times in it's first year during testing efforts); it was your peers who believed in themselves and developed this community. Most of them aren't around now, and I don't do significant testing here any longer, but in general I always guard what they developed or created for a while. In my experience, a significant percentage return, while others move on to other interests. If they do come back, it will likely be to a different community (depends on what the Mods want), which is another hard reality as communities develop.
No one needs to feel any great anxiety over this, there was already too much taking place before the decisions were made public. The bottom line is if there is an idea, please share it with the RAA Committee for discussion.
For someone looking at the situation "from the outside", there were several issues and factors that led up to the way RAA is being handled this year. For what started out as a way to test software for my other sites, I never thought a circumstance would come up where I'm having to enforce the ownership of a name of an event.
My hope is that someday folks will be able to overcome their "barriers" and enjoy each other's company again. Until then, I'm just doing what is necessary to keep the tradition going until they come back. In a couple years, if nothing changes and Scowherd still enjoys running it, we can discuss whatever options are suggested.
So if someone wants to use the RAA name for a worthwhile project, I believe it would be reasonable for the originators to ask me why I either approved or denied it at some later date. The reason for this is out of respect for their efforts and the community that fostered it.
All online communities change and grow from an initial belief. What is unique about R3Owners.Net is that for me it was purely a software-testing opportunity (I always had backups, but killed this site three times in it's first year during testing efforts); it was your peers who believed in themselves and developed this community. Most of them aren't around now, and I don't do significant testing here any longer, but in general I always guard what they developed or created for a while. In my experience, a significant percentage return, while others move on to other interests. If they do come back, it will likely be to a different community (depends on what the Mods want), which is another hard reality as communities develop.
No one needs to feel any great anxiety over this, there was already too much taking place before the decisions were made public. The bottom line is if there is an idea, please share it with the RAA Committee for discussion.
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