Don't Read This - An Editorial Rant that has nothing to do with this issue

Article by Polson

Maybe I’m being paranoid. Maybe I’m looking for dissention and therefore I find it. Maybe I’m mistaking good intentions for bad. Maybe I’m just crazy.

I thought about leaving it at that and letting you all fill in the blanks, but I realize not everyone has the same amount of time on their hands to devote to overindulgence in their own imagination, so perhaps it’s just wiser if I let you in on my ponderings.

No matter where you go in life there will always be someone who is unhappy with something. This is normal. In fact, if there wasn’t someone somewhere complaining about something, I would highly suspect that I am dead and immediately check the pavement for flecks of gold. Complaining doesn’t really bother me, I am a natural complainer. I’m down right annoying in fact. I start a sentence at least once a day with, “D’yaknow what I hate?” (Canadian’s are bad for running their words together irl) or I say, “When I rule the world…” and then I go on to say what will be different because I will change it because it’s dumb the way it is now. So, I understand the complainers. This is in a sense the pot calling the kettle black.

But this pot is a little frustrated with the complaining. For every complaint I see happening in the chat room, I’m aware there are probably five more just like it floating around on MSN or in email because a complainer is not happy unless they are complaining to as many people as possible. This is what bothers me. Venting happens – I know that, I’m not a moron. I vent frequently. But venting often has the danger of becoming gossip or malicious complaining when it’s done in the wrong company in the wrong location. Which is what I’ve noticed a lot of.

For example…after the awards were given out in August, there were several people who were unhappy with their award, or with someone else’s award. Some people thought they deserved something more, some thought they deserved something less, some people thought someone else deserved something different than they received. A day didn’t go by that I didn’t see someone viciously tearing apart the award decisions. Those people clearly stated for the chat room occupants how they would have done things and how unhappy they were with the outcome. What’s really awesome though is not one of those people took me or Hobbie up on the offer to ask “why.” Especially since we are clearly not above changing the awards after they were given, seeing how we did just that for a deserving team!

That frustrates the hell out of me. You know, whenever I received an award I didn’t think I deserved, I sent an email and asked why it had been given. I received answers. I was given the chance to debate or disagree. When people are given the opportunity to have their concerns addressed but instead they choose to spread malcontent in the chat room, how the hell are we supposed to take them seriously? How can we trust the integrity of their opinions when they’d rather cut us down than confront us?

I really think that I’ve proven my own integrity and intentions within OTF. I can’t help but take it personally when people I consider friends would rather complain about decisions I had a part in than come to me so we can hash it out. I hope those people can get over themselves so we can look toward a stronger community. That is ultimately what I am seeking for OTF.

Now I have come to realize that there are some patrons who will always find something to complain about because if they are not tearing down others, they are not happy. Being constructive has not occurred to these people because that would mean giving another human being respect, which would require a selfless act. My question to the malcontent; what is your motivation behind your chat room complaining? Is it to better OTF? Or to serve your own selfish needs?

If this pisses you off, good! Email me about it. If you don’t, then you proved my point. HA!

I’m just a figment of your imagination,

Polson
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