Why I resigned as Moderator.
I wanted to take a few days and let the dust settle, and feelings come down (primarily my own), before explaining my rather abrupt resignation.
I can state with complete truth right away that I harbor no bad personal feelings whatsoever towards any member of the Evony staff, nor was my resignation the result of a quarrel.
Rather, I came to the conclusion that a fundamental difference in perception separates me and the "Governing Body" of the Evony Forum. I use the terms Governing Body for the lack of a better analogy, and for reasons which I hope to make clear.
Simply put, the fact that Evony is a company registers only dimly with me. For I see this place primarily as a community. That is, of course, a mistake in one way. There is no escaping the fact that Evony IS a company, an online game and an adjacent forum whose main function is to provide customer support and feedback. That is obviously right.
But in another way, I am not wrong either.
I am convinced the original makers of Evony created something far bigger than originally envisioned. That is true for the game AND the online community that grew out of it. For there is no mistaking the fact that an online community does exist here also. Individuals of all continents, races and creeds regularly gather here and exchange, converse, fight and laugh and make friends together in this place every day. And thus form a community (those of a younger generation do not fully realise what a small miracle this is for a man my age).
Such a thing is to be cherished and preserved, in my opinion. And care must be taken in dealing, indeed in the very approach one takes towards it. But first and foremost, it has to be recognized as such. And given it's concomitant value.
Recent events I have no need to go into have convinced me our community's "Governing Body" has not learned to see us as a community. Further, it has shown repeatedly a willingness to act in a way that provokes convulsions, and subsequent crack-downs (expressing surprise at all the "drama") that may very well kill this community that I have also made mine. I am firmly convinced a different approach could avoid such convulsions. But before such a thing comes, I cannot be a party to such short-sightedness and gross mishandling. I have therefore resigned.
I want to stress that I do NOT believe any malicious intent is involved in the kind of events I described above. Simply, our governing body has not learned how to deal with an online community yet. It probably will come in time.
I hope...
:)
P.S.: To any Moderators, please close this thread at the first sign of flaming.
