Ughhhh, Mayhem

I have lots to talk about, but I’m debating the point if there’s even a need to say it. Why bother? People’s attitudes, pre-conceived conceptions of people generally don’t change. I’ve tried not to ever publicly attack folks here. It seems, though, that my name is on the keyboards of a few folks out there. Should I stoop to their level? I think maybe just this time. I have a few things to get off my chest, and I’ll feel better for doing it.

I am member 152 on Model Mayhem meaning I’ve pretty much been there since day 1. I’ve seen my share of drama, site changes, people coming and going, etc etc,. My first year and a half there, I posted a little more than a thousand times. I got into a few heated debates, told Theda she wasn’t nice a few times, but that was pretty much it. Around the end of 2006/beginning of 2007, I noticed MM was changing a bit and not for the better. Folks were beginning to divide into tribes. An influx of new members began posting in the OT forum with no other credentials other than that they could verbally terrorize folks better than others. I was disgusted and thought of leaving, but decided I’d instead stay and engage them. I even sought allies. I’m not ashamed to say I joined the XA site which houses a few banned MM members. Although these folks could be as mean spirited as some of the worst players on MM, I believe they wanted an MM that was fairly credible. They didn’t hesitate to put the smackdown on some of MM’s no talent hacks who have no credibility and shouldn’t have the influence on a forum that they do. Still, when a few of them created fake profiles to screw with some of the bigger asshats on MM, I wasn’t happy. It’s a simple wish, but I like to think the people I’m dealing with on line are actually real. It didn’t help either that some of the bigger debates I was in were colored by drunken posting after coming home from Goth Night every week. This is another sure way to lose credibility. Another bad choice I made in 2007 was to believe the infamous member Tripod was actually who he said he was. I had an agenda, and the whole “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” thing was working for me. He/she/whatever could be a lot more vulgar and wittier in dealing with some of MM’s legends in their own minds than I ever could. Still, reality has a way of becoming apparent sooner or later. When Tripod attacked former MM member Lorelai Oksana publicly, I called him/her on it. I don’t know why I did this in retrospect. Recent history has shown that Tripod isn’t the only former MM member who creates fake profiles solely for the sake of the entertainment of public character assassination. All of this drama and intrigue has led me to being brigged on MM 4 times since a year ago January. I’m tired of playing this tired game.

As much as I bitch about the moderators at MM, I really don’t have issues with them like I do with some of the OT asshats there. My particular observations are that if Ched is going to get his “purge” on, he should be consistent about it. If Iona Lynn is going to be a moderator, her personal grievances with certain photographers need to be settled in fucking private. Brian just needs to explain to me why he seems to be the one to brig me, or in other words: “What did I ever do to you?” I chatted with Mhana last November, and we both agree that MM OT jumped the shark last year. The entertainment value of the forums should never supersede the networking value. The whole Dirty Vegas episode pissed me off mainly because here is Tyler trying to bring some order and credibility back to the site, and then you have someone from off the site trying to escalate the drama on the site to the power of 10. Fuck that. I always thought that Kim von Seidl and I were digging at the issues on MM from different sides of the mountain, and that we could agree to disagree. Her tacit approval of Dirty Vegas, though, left me wondering if she’s just one more person who values the entertainment of a car wreck. I like the new rules on the site, and I like the fact that OT got a makeover. If folks are butthurt that they can’t act like pondscum anymore there anymore, let be the first to admit that I’m overjoyed that your cornflakes are getting peed on.

MM is just an industry community forum, and I really shouldn’t have to write this much to express how I feel. It displays a serious need for a change in my priorities. Unfortunately, some of us try to hard at times to control our environments. I think I’ll let the moderators and Tyler worry about that from now on. If the restructuring is any sign, they’ll do just fine. The sad fuckers who don’t get it can always leave.