This is a bit of a long post, but I think it's worth reading for everyone on this site.I think one element of perhaps a perceived interference by the "staff" on this site is that there is a LOT that goes into this place. Even just listing the very basics of what the three of us do - and I don't even know if this is even the full extent, there's probably more that they do that I am not even aware of:
Justin - Simmer/Admin:
- Books Fights
- Sims Fights
- Monitors an excel document filled with coding he designed for easier execution of tournaments, fights, etc.
- Site aesthetics - champ banner, site banner, background, belt creation, replacing everything photobucket destroyed omg jesus christ and I don't even think that is fully conquered yet.
Austin:
- Monitors FiD
- Monitors Injuries
- Updates excel document
- Updates team standings
- Monitors predictions
Mike:
- Monitors Rankings
- Monitors Fight History
- Monitors points transactions, as well as post-count thresholds for points
- Monitors team belt history
- Processes predictions
The three of us on occasion discuss if a certain rule is clear enough. We explore loop holes that could be exploited, and make sure that the rule is fair across the board.
What I think sometimes is lost among the people that are on this site is this very specific fact:
- This is NOT a Hockey Sim Site.
It's more than just the complication of a PR, or who is a trade mod, and tracking your team's points and negotiating trades.
This site is very complex. And it grew from a tiny seed into a tree with many, many branches. And keeping those branches properly pruned is a difficult task when you're trying to balance the fun vs. too complicated.
One element of this is just looking directly at our points process over the last 7 years:
1. No points for the first few seasons.
2. Introduction of upgrades.
3. Post count thresholds introduced.
4. Post for points introduced.
5. Post for points revisited, adjusted.
6. Introduction of prediction/belt points.
7. Post for points revisited for inflation for casual members.
8. Post for points eliminated.
9. Salaries introduced.
Nothing is static. Rules were changed, and people need to be made aware of them.
But there's so much that can be done on this site, it's crazy, and sometimes people need to be reminded of how things operate, because maybe I had a chat with Austin on the weekend and said "omg, I never realized this until now, but such and such could totally be abused if I did this." And then we look at changing it and updating the site, but nothing is done unless we're doing it for the better.
I know I'm talking about something only minorly discussed in this thread, but I feel it needs to be talked about.
This isn't a hockey sim site with trades and player upgrades. This is a MMA site with upgrades and points and rankings and fight history and predictions and belts and discussions and creating a schedule that a hockey sim site would auto-generate, and doing standings and having fight camps, and exploring fighter attributes, and customizing a fighter through work, and fighters in danger, and weight class changes, and drafts, and introductions of new fighters, and creating new fighters, and making image banners, and ensuring rules are appropriately laid out, and auctions, and new teams entering and donating to teams, and on and on it goes.
This site is pretty fucking incredible. It is basically a living, breathing machine, but that machine is for a long time, one person.
So criticizing
The Sandmen for the insane amount of work he's put into this site for the better part of 7 years, or getting frustrated with
The Texas Rattlesnakes because he's trying to lessen that load by trying to be in command of some part that
The Sandmen doesn't need to deal with while he preps fights, or being upset with
The Rocketmen because I was slow at updating points transactions (which I try very hard to have done every Monday) can at times be understandable, but you really need to pick your battles.
We can only do so much. And in that same breath, we can only tolerate so much.
We love the site as much if not more than you do. The attacks and bizarre perspective of "who is the bully" that a member tends to feel and express on this site is incredibly confusing and strange. But all I can say is next time you're frustrated by something, consider if it really matters in the grand scheme of things, and maybe don't bite the hand that feeds you.
And you will be fed. And you have been fed for years and years.
Let's just enjoy the site and appreciate it for what it is - a place where human error can occur, but where everyone's heart is in the right place (mostly).