The Problems of GTPlanet

[JMoney]

GTPlanet.net is a website I have spent many, many hours on over the past few years. During that time I've mostly been debating the coolness of cars, debating the existence of God and creation, and toiled away running text-based simulation games that ultimately fail. I've spent very little time using this site for what it was for: discussing Gran Turismo. Over this time it is undebatable that I have made dozens of enemies on this site, and I'm not sure how but at this point it doesn't matter. I managed to win the 2014 Darwin award because of that. Shortly after, I quit the site for a couple of months because, rightfully so, I simply felt unwelcome. I briefly returned to see how things we going on a website that had previously been my home page, only to find I had been generously gifted a premium subscription by @Blood Eagle, who I've had the pleasure of learning is a kind, intelligent individual who saw past the hate I recieved from most of the rest of this site. He simply wanted someone who felt excluded to feel included. I've also come to know @Ken Koios, who very accurately won the 2014 Friendliest Award on GTP. He too outstreatched his vitual hand in a motion of friendship to me. These experiences taught me that some users on GTP did enjoy having me around.

However, after much thought on the matter I have decided it is too late for me to be accepted on this website. I will now outline the problems this website has, which I am sure will result in the banning of my account. As a result of banter with other users I'm a mere 10 warning points from 30. It will be impossible for me to convey my true feelings while staying true to the AUP.

Problem 1: Moderators.

In all of my experience here, I only hold a positive opinion of three members of this site's staff: @Jordan, the founder of the site, and moderators @Omnis and @niky. The other moderators, I'm afraid, can generally be best described as ***holes. The lead ***hole, of course, is none other than @Famine. Famine is someone who each time they posts takes the time to type in the code to make their text purple and then boldfaces it. Not just for important posts, but for ALL OF THEM. Famine, as the site's administrator, desires his words to appear far more important than anyone else's. His avatar is a picture of a book he wrote that we can buy a copy of here on GTPlanet. Rather than showing his favorite car or racetrack, his avatar is essentially an advertisement for GTPlanet, the very website we are already on. It boggles my mind that this website's founder is very polite and helpful while the administrator is a narcisistic egomaniac, who refuses to lock useless threads on the Rumble Strip just because the owner posted a request to lock it rather than changing the title! "No." Famine said, "I can't lock your thread because doing so would remove your embarassing posts as well as my public assertion of power. There are also moderators on this site (@Scaff) that seem to spend more time debating on the Opinions forum than actually performing their moderator duties.

Problem 2: Double Standards

I suppose this could be merged into problem one because it is moderator-related, but whatever. About a year or so ago @Roger the Horse and I were in some sort of debate when he intentionally misquoted me to make fun of what I was saying. I reported the post, claiming it was a clear violation of the AUP. As I expected, a moderator stepped in (I believe it was @daan) and edited the post to remove the misquote, saying it was indeed a violation of the AUP. I want to clarify I am no longer angry with Roger over this incident, as we have since moved on and seem to be on fairly good terms now. I am, however, rightfully angry at @SlipZtrEm, a moderator who, during a coolness debate last fall, intentionally misquoted me in a clear effort to insult me. I reported the post, but not to my surprise, nothing happened. I guess Slipstream checked the report himself and deleted it before any of the other mods could see it. That incident told me that that some on this site's staff are very immature and undeserving of their postion.

Problem 3: Mob Hate

Here on GTP we have an annual awards thread to give superlatives to deserving members of our site. One award, however, is definitely not a superlative. The "Darwin Award", as I have already mentioned, is the award given to what amounts to the most disliked member on GTP, as it is determined by popular vote. Why does this award exist? All it is is the greatest an AUP-compliant insult one could recieve on GTPlanet. Is there as "Worst in Picture" academy award? Is there a "Worst Director"? No. Anyone who would recieve such an award may end their life in suicide, would they not? Why should such a device be present on GTPlanet, a forum dedicated to Gran Turismo? Since I recieved the award, and later a Premium upgrade, I had made it my goal to improve myself and win the "Most Improved" award for 2015. However, in short time I realized that would be an impossible task when @Jahgee1124 made my truck a cool wall post as an April Fool's joke. When I saw then what GTP's opinion of me was, I started to think it would be a waste of time to improve myself. After several days of thought, I've realised that I barely need improvement at all: GTP needs improvement.

Fix these problems, GTPlanet. I see potential in this site to acheive greatness, but for me the boat will already have sailed.

Of course, it is very likely that this post will be edited by a moderator to be less harsh and AUP compliant, so take whatever you see above with a pile of salt.

Goodbye, this time for good.

 

[Vince]

Goodbye.

 

[ildd]

I agree with some points and disagree with others. But I know you've been really trying to advance yourself on here and gain respect. I want to see you back on here.

 

[Omnis]

Just for clarification: the Darwin Award is an award of love. It says to the winner, "Hey, man, we love ya, but everyone agrees that you're a bit of an amplifier tube." If we hated you, we'd probably just ban you.

 

[miata13B]

@JMoney no reason for a send off. Just like any place in society your going to have hate and your going to have love. Nothing will be fair and sometimes your going to feel isolated. Now my history in the past here is not peaches and cream, and I was probably involved in some GTP hate towards certain members that no longer come here to GTP.

You got friends here no reason to make them go through a loss of you because others are bullying you around. Kick 'em in the nads if need be or don't discuss with them. Not responding to their horse manure will piss them off more eventually leading to a catastrophic blow out by them leaving us all with great memories of laughing at a banning.

Take some time away from GTP if you must, but make sure you come back ;-)

 

[Wolfe]

GTPlanet.net is a website I have spent many, many hours on over the past few years. During that time I've mostly been debating the coolness of cars, debating the existence of God and creation...

...Over this time it is undebatable that I have made dozens of enemies on this site, and I'm not sure how...

I think I found your problem.

No joke; if you'd rather not ruffle feathers or encourage others to get under your skin, I would suggest spending more time on lighter subjects that aren't so contentious. There's a lot of other stuff on GTP that falls between debating subjectivity/religion and talking about Gran Turismo. There are boundless opportunities to chat without even having a debate at all.

I'm not telling you to not express yourself or debate anything, but it does no good to sow dissent if the blowback is stressful to you.

 

[Dan]

Seeya.

 

[Tornado]

Famine is someone who each time they posts takes the time to type in the code to make their text purple and then boldfaces it. Not just for important posts, but for ALL OF THEM.

That's because it increases legibility, I believe.

Famine, as the site's administrator, desires his words to appear far more important than anyone else's.

It's interesting that you take him to task for this, yet niky, who does the same, is on the list of awesome dudes. There was about a year and a half where I did the same, mostly because I liked the color no matter how unreadable my posts were.

His avatar is a picture of a book he wrote that we can buy a copy of here on GTPlanet. Rather than showing his favorite car or racetrack, his avatar is essentially an advertisement for GTPlanet, the very website we are already on. It boggles my mind that this website's founder is very polite and helpful while the administrator is a narcisistic egomaniac,

How does advertising an encyclopedia whose proceeds go towards supporting the site make him an egomaniac?




More seriously:

There are also moderators on this site (@Scaff) that seem to spend more time debating on the Opinions forum than actually performing their moderator duties.

Which is something you cannot even begin to know, since not all moderation action is done in public. Along those lines, I'm not a moderator on this board, nor am I a moderator on a board that uses the forum software GTP uses; but knowing how the moderation tools work on an IPB-based forum:

I guess Slipstream checked the report himself and deleted it before any of the other mods could see it.

I would be amazed if the tools Jordan provided moderators to police the site also allowed them the ability to do this, since it would essentially mean that they have no oversight. Honestly, neither of these complaints have any logical merit to them.

Problem 3: Mob Hate

Here on GTP we have an annual awards thread to give superlatives to deserving members of our site. One award, however, is definitely not a superlative. The "Darwin Award", as I have already mentioned, is the award given to what amounts to the most disliked member on GTP, as it is determined by popular vote. Why does this award exist? All it is is the greatest an AUP-compliant insult one could recieve on GTPlanet. Is there as "Worst in Picture" academy award? Is there a "Worst Director"? No. Anyone who would recieve such an award may end their life in suicide, would they not? Why should such a device be present on GTPlanet, a forum dedicated to Gran Turismo? Since I recieved the award, and later a Premium upgrade, I had made it my goal to improve myself and win the "Most Improved" award for 2015. However, in short time I realized that would be an impossible task when @Jahgee1124 made my truck a cool wall post as an April Fool's joke. When I saw then what GTP's opinion of me was, I started to think it would be a waste of time to improve myself. After several days of thought, I've realised that I barely need improvement at all: GTP needs improvement.

There's certainly instances of pack mentality on GTP (especially when one of the "cool" members of one of the subforums, particularly the Cars in General and GT6 ones, says something and people fall into place behind them with no thought of the validity of the original idea), and I daresay that you've certainly unfairly been on the receiving end of it just like Slash continues to be; but that's not the point of the Darwin Award and you're dramatically overestimating how many people actually take part in the voting process. GTP isn't out to get you, and you were already on the way to realizing the real intended goal behind it.

 

[TB]

The other moderators, I'm afraid, can generally be best described as ***holes.

That's Mr. Asshole to you.

I guess Slipstream checked the report himself and deleted it before any of the other mods could see it.

One, that's not possible as even after a matter is resolved, it remains visible to the staff. Two, when a member of staff has a complaint against them, they let one of the others handle it. Same goes for if they have a headed discussion or a history with another member. That way, there's no argument that one of the staff is on a personal vendetta.

That incident told me that that some on this site's staff are very immature and undeserving of their postion.

Then that should be brought up with Jordan, not slapped in the middle of a rant thread where it is all too easy for him to miss. He can't read every thread on the site. Which is, ironically, why the Moderators even need to exist in the first place.

Of course, it is very likely that this post will be edited by a moderator to be less harsh and AUP compliant, so take whatever you see above with a pile of salt.

It's significantly easier to simply delete a thread than bother with editing, but you'll notice that we've done neither.

 

[Ken]

Ugh. What to say. @JMoney. You've still got me on your side no matter the outcome of this thread. I know for a fact you tried your ass off. I have a lot of respect for you because of that. But in the end, if this is the end, I'll see you on the other side. If it isn't, then that Darwin award did it's job.

 

[W3H5]

I'm not sure whether to be happy or not that I didn't get a mention.

To be honest, I feel bad whenever somebody feels like this. GTP can be quite cliqy at times but if a weirdo like me can fit in here, anyone can.

Sorry your experience was a poor one, @JMoney, but see Rule 5 (a couple of people here will get that reference)

If it makes you feel any better I just got soaked by a fire hose.

 

[Grandea GTR]

Alright, seeing how everyone above here that made a post has a title (premium, moderator, etc.) I just hope I don't come off the wrong way.

Sure, the forum has it's ups and downs, as I have experienced it (as well as many, MANY others), and there are "those people", but I have noticed the clear effort in you trying to change, while it seems like many people around here are pulling you back down.

As I can infer (and as @Omnis has stated earlier) , the darwin award is given as a sign of affection in a way. Just kind of a message that says "sure, you have had your moments, but we still love ya."

You are better than some people think you are, bud. Don't let those doubts run your show.


So, so long for now, but if you do come again, I don't know how this forum will react.

 

[W3H5]

Am I the only one that chuckled at Omnis getting a free pass on this one?

 

[FoRiZon]

I think I found your problem.

No joke; if you'd rather not ruffle feathers or encourage others to get under your skin, I would suggest spending more time on lighter subjects that aren't so contentious. There's a lot of other stuff on GTP that falls between debating subjectivity/religion and talking about Gran Turismo. There are boundless opportunities to chat without even having a debate at all.

I'm not telling you to not express yourself or debate anything, but it does no good to sow dissent if the blowback is stressful to you.

Golden rule of the internet.

Dont debate both religion and politics unless you and the forum really do have balls of steel.

Thank god this site has one. (A bit barely imho)

 

[Azuremen]

Am I the only one that chuckled at Omnis getting a free pass on this one?

That got a raised eyebrow from me as well.

@JMoney - the persecution complex blended with a bit of stubbornness has made this whole situation thing, whatever it is really, get way out of hand. Mostly just seems to come down to you can't really understand why other people have different views than yours and then you get stuck on some point of view without really acknowledging the other side.

 

[daan]

As I expected, a moderator stepped in (I believe it was @daan) and edited the post to remove the misquote, saying it was indeed a violation of the AUP. I want to clarify I am no longer angry with Roger over this incident, as we have since moved on and seem to be on fairly good terms now. I am, however, rightfully angry at @SlipZtrEm, a moderator who, during a coolness debate last fall, intentionally misquoted me in a clear effort to insult me. I reported the post, but not to my surprise, nothing happened. I guess Slipstream checked the report himself and deleted it before any of the other mods could see it. That incident told me that that some on this site's staff are very immature and undeserving of their postion.

That wasn't me. And @SlipZtrEm has never been reported by you. If you're going to go off on a rant, at least make it factually correct.

But don't let the door hit your "behind" on the way out.

 

[Scaff]

There are also moderators on this site (@Scaff) that seem to spend more time debating on the Opinions forum than actually performing their moderator duties.

I hope that you are able to substantiate that claim or is it a baseless accusation leveled at me due to some perceived slight?

Goodbye, this time for good.

That's your choice. No member of staff has edited your opening post (despite it containing at least one AUP violation) and no one is going to ban you simply to grant you the martyr position you clearly are aiming for.

 

[Lizard]

So what is the count guys? How many times has he 'left for good'?

 

[Scaff]

I've just removed two posts that containing images/gifs only.

Just a quick reminder that if your post isn't adding to the discussion then its not needed and will be removed.

 

[GTP_Ingram]

debating the coolness of cars

The thing that you should see here is that, ultimately those threads are just a bit of fun. Personally I've had disagreements with other members there (several on a regular basis) but I don't have a problem with any of them. Why? Because it really doesn't matter.

Regarding your own car on the cool wall, I'm sure it must be a little hurtful while people were mocking it because it's something you're clearly proud of. But as far as I can tell, to counter the criticism all you did was show frustration rather than offering any sort of meaningful argument, which just makes things worse.

debating the existence of God and creation

This I find highly amusing. Essentially the two members of staff you singled out for most criticism - Famine and Scaff - are two of the more vocal members in that thread. By a strange coincidence, they also happen to disagree with your views on the subject. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never seen either of them insult you, merely question any unsatisfactory arguments you offer - the point of a debate, in other words.

I remember that last time you threatened to quit, I tried to be very reasonable with you and offer some sort of constructive advice on what you could do to make your life easier around here. I'm sure you've been trying which can only be encouraged, but the main thing you need to change is your overwhelming suspicion that the whole site is out to get you.

In life in general (and by extension, on GTP too), people will disagree from time to time. It's your job to take it on the chin and stop getting so offended.

 

[Jet Badger]

Anger and persecution complex never do any god.

Sure, this forum and the occasional bandwagon parties are not perfect, but not everyone is out there to get you. I'd guess JMoney knows that he screwed up in the past and thinks that most of the recent confrontation he faced was a result of him simply being JMoney rather than the content and tone of his posts. Things that, sadly, haven't really improved much from what I see, and I'm not meaning this as an insult.

Oh well.

 

[Com Fox]

I actually didn't know GTP awards were a thing

Debates lead to enemies, that's how it is when people take debates Personally. I know I have a few people here who want to beat me down even though I have nothing against them personally.

 

[1241Penguin]

I've just removed two posts that containing images/gifs only.

Just a quick reminder that if your post isn't adding to the discussion then its not needed and will be removed.

Apologies, Scaff.


@JMoney, here's some advice I have for you. Not everyone you meet in life is gonna agree with what you might have to say, and certainly not everyone you meet in life is gonna be a nice guy. The first thing to learn is not to take offence from what others have to say, especially if it's only because they don't agree with you. It's not your choice to be insulted (whatever your idea of that may be), but you are most certainly in control of how you respond to that. Don't take everything personally.

My second tip for you is to be a little more willing to accept other's opinions, especially if they challenge your own. Even if you ultimately don't agree with them, at least make an attempt to understand why they might think that way, and perhaps use that understanding to further expand your own ideas about the world.

 

[eran0004]

Well, I'll be sorry to see you leave. I think I only participated in one of your text-based games and although it didn't really work out in the end it was still a lot of fun while it lasted.

 

[Sprite]

Well this is a shocking revelation to me, what you have described above in the first post has never been seen in my 11 years as a member.

The moderators do a fantastic job of keeping control of what could easily turn in to free for all.

 

[Danny]

Ok, since apparently @Scaff is now the arbiter of what constitutes discussion...

These experiences taught me that some users on GTP did enjoy having me around.

Why does it matter what other people think of you? Seriously, the quicker you process that, the happier you'll be.

Famine is someone who each time they posts takes the time to type in the code to make their text purple and then boldfaces it. Not just for important posts, but for ALL OF THEM. Famine, as the site's administrator, desires his words to appear far more important than anyone else's.

I'm pretty sure he's mentioned before that the Indigo on white combo is easier to read in larger paragraphs. I'd imagine it also makes it easier to identify your own posts while skimming.

His avatar is a picture of a book he wrote that we can buy a copy of here on GTPlanet. Rather than showing his favorite car or racetrack, his avatar is essentially an advertisement for GTPlanet, the very website we are already on.

I'm not sure I understand why this is a complaint...? It's not an 'advertisement for GTPlanet', it's an advertisement for GTPedia. You're not issued a copy on signing up. Aside from this, since when are there limitations on your avatar?

I guess Slipstream checked the report himself and deleted it before any of the other mods could see it.

That's not how it works.

The "Darwin Award", as I have already mentioned, is the award given to what amounts to the most disliked member on GTP, as it is determined by popular vote.

That's not what it is. It's the member who's likely to fall to the banhammer if they don't change. They could be the nicest guy in the world but swearing every other post. There's often a lot of crossover with people that are largely disliked, but it is what it is.

Since I recieved the award, and later a Premium upgrade, I had made it my goal to improve myself and win the "Most Improved" award for 2015. However, in short time I realized that would be an impossible task when @@Jahgee1124 made my truck a cool wall post as an April Fool's joke. When I saw then what GTP's opinion of me was, I started to think it would be a waste of time to improve myself.

No-one gets a reputation for no reason. You're taking everything way too personally. In general. No-one's out to get you, it's the way you deal with situations. If you feel like you're the only person being victimised, have you considered looking for what other people don't do that you do, or vice versa?

Fix these problems, GTPlanet. I see potential in this site to acheive greatness, but for me the boat will already have sailed.

Well that's unfortunate. This is strikingly similar to the Praiano incident. You're not banned but you want to leave as though you are to make a statement? That's a little childish, but ok.

Goodbye, this time for good.

I didn't believe it the last time either.

 

[Omnis]

So I've been checking this thread through the night all like this:

And then...

Am I the only one that chuckled at Omnis getting a free pass on this one?

That got a raised eyebrow from me as well.

I Chose... that first gif... for a reeeeeeason.

 

[terminator363]

@OP, At the end of the day, it's just an internet forum. Chill.

 

[R5]

As someone who, at one point, felt like this (with good reason, I'm an ass a lot of the time) I'd like to suggest avoiding people who you feel are gunning for you. Things like the ignore tool work well, and you can still see their content if you want to. Another thing to do would be unwatch any thread you feel cause you problems, and stick to ones you enjoy reading and posting in.

The worst way of going about fixing your personal problems is to create a rant thread, people will pick your post apart and disprove all they can, and others will read those replies and make their opinion on you just from What other members will say in regards to you.

 

[MrUnknown]

Rekt In Pieces: @JMoney ~ 1420-2015

He was a very special boy...