Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

no I didn't Joe ... the last 2 posts I read were nick telling me to be nice to the moderators, even the ones I don't like, and newton telling me that if I wanted to be part of the team I had to co-operate with the bossman if we wanted this community to be 'successful'.

I found it funny that someone who had been here for 2.3 minutes was telling me how to behave on the board I helped build, and explaining to me how board business works ... And I realized how much time and energy I wasted on this place for other people's benefit! The last year I was here was only for the friendships, but my back has run out of places to be stabbed so I moved on.

I'd rather keep the old oprano in my memories and not this new edited for tv, mcdonalds training ground, net surprise version ;)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

I was correct in telling you so, as management pulling in all different directions is not useful in any business, especially on a board.

You decided to throw your toys out of the pram, and you no doubt feel slighted for being informed of that .. fair enough ..

I wish you well in your future endeavours CJ and I truly mean that.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Newton,

Please dont take this as a wise ass remark or anything like that. I'm sincere and only voicing a couple of comments as a longtime member of the community....

But what exactly IS the mission statement for new Oprano?

CJ nailed it based on what I've seen so far....it's really the new NetSurprise.

I'll elaborate on that. NetSurprise tried to force it's way into being an active community by having lots and lots of hired help generating lots of posts. But what you ultimately end up with there is the hired help being paid to talk to one another, and not many other folks stop in because of it. The community evolves into a community built around people who are paid to try to build a community.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

I agree with you, HP.

And you want to know one of the reasons why I accepted being the most recent mod here? Simply: because I was posting here anyway.

If it was something where I was "brought in" to a place I didn't know, wasn't already active, I would have declined. The old "hired gun" routine doesn't fly with me and I agree it doesn't fly with online communities either.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Help, Cecil, Help!

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Just an observation, it seems to me the smaller boards try to please EVRYONE and never do

and the larger boards try to please NO ONE and always do

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

What kinda board is this one? (Serious question.)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

That is an altogether brilliant observation.

100% correct.

;-)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Author author !

;-)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

well I would say it is too soon to tell yet.

is my honest answear. I like the direction it is going in, and from my point of veiw as a poster I like it here ( even though not everyone here likes me or agrees with me alot nor should they that is what makes a board a good place and not a kiss ass bullshit place ) and I think some good business is attainable from here . But I think it is a WIP and that time will tell according to the moves that are made, or not made in order to allow the board to determine its course.

you know this of course, as you are a saavy veteran and know how boards have came and went , evolved, and disentigrated or imploded, as you have seen all the above.

and of course nick being a veteran in the board game knows this too. so I will jsut keep posting and watching as long as it is business samrt for me to do so, or entertaining for me to do so....

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

management pulling in different directions is what MADE this place, its what kept things interesting & separated this board from the others.

now what you are left with is a whole group of people facing the same way, but not moving anywhere. lucky you told me to shutup & saved this place!!good job! ;-)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

The members of Oprano will decide it’s fate and it’s direction, as they do on every board.

As for Oprano forcing it’s way into being active by having lots of “hired help”. I’d beg to differ, there is no “hired help” - Oprano DOESN’T pay anyone including the mods.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

I think focussing on the word "hired" in a financial sense display's a certain naivety - unless of course it is meant to deflect from the real issues, when it would display a certain strategy

There are many methods apart from money which can be defined as forms of "payment".

Your first sentence is 100% correct, but the point being made is that there is a quantum difference between the will and whim of "members" and that of "moderators".

Shit, on of the moderators in an earlier post in this thread referred (well at least inferred) that moderators here are part of management.

If the needs and wants of management versus "workers" were that synergistic, where did unionism come from? A bit off topic yes, but a valid analogy to make a point.

My 2c.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

If the moderator referring/inferring that moderators are management is Newton then I must clarify that as Oprano C.E.O he is in fact management and correct in his statement. The rest of the moderators are not management and we all know this.

Something that is being missed is the fact that the moderating team were active posters before they became moderators. No one has been shipped in to help with the running of the board in anyway.

This is definitely the area that needs to be focused on. This is meant to be the members board and that’s the way it should be. Moderators shouldn’t influence it’s day to day running, but they are a necessary evil. As I’ve pointed out though we were posters before becoming moderators, so posting is what we do.

If I’m missing something, I’d appreciate it if you would point me in the right direction.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

cj,
very true.
Our political differences with MikeAI were always on the public display,
but what wasn't-
our heated debates over ICQ about the direction of Oprano.

I can recall at least 2 ocassions when we were looking to buy each other out!
;)

but....
we made thru all of it and so did Oprano.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

If I told you all to kiss my ass would that make anyone happy?

and would I give a good flying fuck ah ha ha

and for those of you naming boards - one of my favorites

ynottoppond

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Wait a minute - so I'm not going to be getting a check for these years of posting??!! Fokkers! :hmm:

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

I stated we didn't pay "anyone" and "mods", you're not just "anyone" nor are you a "mod" ;)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Whew - thanks. I've got bills to pay! :)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

All I know is I miss cj :( and want her back here!! :okthumb:

I'm very happy that she really seems to be enjoying life now, as she most assuredly deserves to, I just hope that she can also again enjoy it here as well! :)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

CJ,
I asked you for a favour , to bear with me for old times sake , and if it jizbiz turned out to be a looney or didn't work out, I'd publicly execute him.

Why? Because he asked me to give him one more chance.

I was willing to , others were willing too,I deleted a couple of threads where basically I ripped into him.

Instead you spat the dummy and freaked out...like you did a year ago , the year before that..oh and the year before that ...and flounced off.

I still publicly executed jizbiz, when ,as most of us suspected , he turned out to be a looney.

HP,

80% of the mods at least on Oprano are / were some of the busiest posters on this board.Its a way of recognising that.

But I am sure Red and Morgan (who was one of the busiest posters on the old netpond before she left the business) really enjoy being referred to as hired guns

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

ummmm.....

I refer you all to my intital post in this thread.

I fucking hate nice!!!!

So every single one of you can suck my fucking tiny white dick.

:)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

This one is and was a "smaller" board.

It will however grow. :)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

A very good morning to one and all, i trust everyone had a pleasant night, as I most certainly did :)

Rather than go into a long diatribe about expansion plans, new innovations and ideas which will benefit everyone, I will just say that we aim to be the best, simple as that.

Folks post here without being paid to do so and thanks for explaining the rationale behind NetSurprise; an interesting concept but wholly inappropriate for the plans ahead.

A very astute observation and in some ways relevant :okthumb:

One that is growing on a daily basis

Incorrect plus I never told you to shutup, you threw a hissy fit and left .. ;)

There is a world of difference between needs and wants.

Excellent post .. thank you ;)

Lets see if you have the pull to make this happen

my icq is 195843696 if there are any pertinent questions.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Newton is in the position I was in when I ran Netpond.

It is thankless job. Decisions have to be made, and adhered too. Coming off as an asshole happens quite frequently.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Gotta have the attitude "its water off a ducks ass". :)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Werd.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Thanks Anthony .. ;) as the saying goes ...you can't please all of the people all of the time ;)

Nick, onwards and upwards mate ;)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Don't sell yourself short, Ant...






you were coming off as an asshole long before you ran Netpond... :yowsa:

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

That burn will no doubt result in a beating...


LOL

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

One thing rings true to me no matter what... that Oprano, whatever was going on at the time, has always been an enjoyable place for me to post because of the people who reside here.

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Fuck off you little bitch!

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

Interesting thread. :)

Not sure what to add. Every time it seems all has been said, more is added.

Basically I agree, it's a medium and growing board, and where it goes will be a combination of management and the posters in general.

As for the past, present and future ... yeah, some will like the way it goes, some won't. Those who didn't, don't, won't are free to go elsewhere or stay and bitch. (We don't mind.)

But yes, where it goes will be a dynamic combination of the community at large. One can be a part of it and help form that destiny or not.

But I will laugh my head off at the one's who leave, come back later on and then bitch a blue streak when they had their chance and it has passed. :)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

I'm with Dravyk on this one. "Interesting thread...have no idea what to add."

Since the connotation of "hired gun" is unpleasant, no, I must definitely would not like to be referred to that way. It's also silly. Who the hell would hire *me* to play "hired gun"? (I may be being to literal here.)

I post a lot because I like to. I've always posted a lot. Anybody who's memory goes back as far as 1997 can attest to that. I'm a writer, for heaven's sake. That's what posting is. Writing. My mod status is basically "thanks for being such a verbose person." :) (Nick might have said "damned big mouth," but he didn't. I couldn't have argued with him if he had, though.)

I didn't realize that those three little letters compelled me to take a stand on the "direction" of anything. I'm glad, because I would have said "uh...thanks...no, I don't do 'directions.'"

It's always been my own personal opinion, based on the obvious, that a board finds it's own direction. OK...I have to stop that here. What the hell *is* a "direction," anyway? It sounds suspiciously like "we all have to be of the same headset and post the same way," which is something I'm thorougly against. I'm nice because I'm actually nice. It's not a board persona. I named the carrot smilie "Kirby" because of the alliteration involved, "Kirby" is my brother's childhood nickname, and I'm just quirky like that. People may find it annoying or childish or whatever...but like I give a flying fuck. (With me, being "nice" is a choice, not a sign of weakness. Nobody so far has elected to piss with me about it, but if someone had, it wouldn't have changed a damned thing. I'm not going to withdraw into a shell and sulk over it. I can piss with the best of them, however, the thrill of that pretty much sailed in the 90's.)

So...to end this, a dance. :cdance: :cdance: :cdance: :cdance:

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

As a total board noob, this has been an interesting read in dynamics. Of course, the total noob state means I have no basis of comparison on how things were vs how things are.

Oh, yes, and...I could apply for the nutter position, if it is still vacant. ;)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

selena...there is a *line* for "nutter position"!!! I do believe we have a couple of openings in "sane and rational," though. :)

To be totally honest, I was out of the business for a long time and I have absolutely no idea what some of these discussions are about, either. I use the phrase "Born Again Newbie" to cover situations like this. :)

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

I fully believe I am the most sane and rational person on this board......

wouldnt EVRYONE agree ?

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

*smooches*
Work on that capitlization, spelling and punctuation thing and you *might* get my vote! :p

Re: CJ , I am sorry!!!!
 

yes, I wouldn't agree :p