You may have noticed that I haven't been posting on EC as often as I have in the past. It was originally my intent to simply stop posting, but I feel there are some things I need to get off my chest before I'm gone for good. Today will be my last day here at Empty Closets. While I did have some fun while here, and I think I managed to offer a bit of help from time to time, there simply have been too many issues with the website as of late. Individually, they're not all that bad, but taking them all together, they simply have made this website a place that I don't want to visit very often. I've argued with the staff several times about the utter lack of respect that us advisors get from ECers. I don't expect to be treated like God or anything - I just would like to see a teeny amount of respect from the people I'm talking with here. Instead, they run roughshod over me, with absolutely no concern for my feelings whatsoever. To which the rest of the staff always tells me to "walk it off". "It comes with the territory, Lex. These are teenagers who are facing some real problems." As if all of MY problems don't matter at all. Just last week, I got a wall message. I'm very tempted to say who it was, but I think I'll be the bigger person and not reveal their name. In any event, they apparently saw my picture in my profile of me wearing the lacrosse helmet and jersey. And then wrote "Hey, I didn't know you were an indoor lacrosse fan! How are the Mammoth doing this year?" Seriously?! How are the Mammoth doing this year?! They're sucking rocks is how they're doing. They're 2-9, and haven't won a single game at home all year. Every home game, I pull out my jersey, get my game face on, drag myself out to the stadium, and shout myself hoarse. And every game, they suck. They were winning by FOUR at the start of the second half last weekend...and then fell behind just five minutes later. And I go home dejected and demoralized. And then THIS ECer goes and says "How are the Mammoth doing?" Yeah, thanks a lot, asshole. Rub salt in THAT wound, why don't you. That's just the tip of the iceberg, though. I got this one on not one but TWO wall posts. "Hey, Lexington! I used to watch Gargoyles, too! I always thought Brooklyn was cute!" Brooklyn. Why am I not surprised - it's such a typical gay thing to do. There's a perfectly good (and very cute) gay gargoyle in the clan, but no - he's bypassed for the big, strong, STRAIGHT one. Why get chummy with the gay one when you can pine after the one who isn't interested in you. Geez, some people. And don't get me started on the online petition. What - you don't think I saw it? I'm not BLIND, people. I DO have a computer, and I DO have an internet connection, and I DO know how Google works. I may be forty, but I'm not a friggin' Luddite. And for the record... Yes - I did post in the "Is it on your iPod?" game. And yes, the song offered was "Poker Face". And, no - I don't have it on my iPod. Really? That's REALLY deserved an online petition demanding I not only resign as an advisor, but be demoted from full to regular member? Just because I don't have some dumb pop song on my iPod? Yes, I KNOW it's Lady Gaga, but STILL. I'm assuming it's the Lady Gaga fans (or fanatics, as they should be called) who are responsible for degrading my taste in music. Yes, I'm old. And as such, I've heard a lot more music than you. I've learned that music goes a lot deeper than infantile pop melodies and single-entendre lyrics. I've tried opening some eyes, ears and minds here on EC. I've posted links and videos to tons of different genres. Brilliant renditions of jazz standards. Underground rock hits. I've even tried to go a step beyond - linking to a thought-provoking poem about alternative lifestyles, set to an electronic backing. And what do I get for it? Blank stares. Derision. And petty commentary. Then it's back to the Gaga. This sort of behavior is actually quite kind considering the way I'm treated in the chat room. You can all but hear the groans when "Lexington has entered the room" pops up on the screen. Why is that? Yeah, I'm forty, but that doesn't mean I'm not fun! In fact, each time I'm in the chat room, I work on getting people to have more fun. And always, my suggestion is met with resistance. "Gee, I don't know, Lex..." What's wrong with a little fun? Have any of you even TRIED playing IM Twister? It's a BLAST! But no - everybody just wants to "talk". Even when I propose a fun game of States and Capitols, people give me some half-assed reason why they won't play. "None of us are from America, Lex." Pfft - whatever, losers. I could almost put up with the abuse - there's really no other word for it - except I'm getting it double from the other staff members. For instance, as some of you know, I celebrated my fortieth birthday back in January. And apparently, one staff member took it upon herself to send me a present. Well, that's thoughtful, isn't it? And guess what she sent me - a robot. "So?" you're asking. "I thought you liked robots." And I do. But you don't get it. See - she sent me a FEMALE robot. Even though she knew full well I was a big ol' homo. Thanks heaps, Becky. The final straw came this past week. I made what I thought was a sound, reasonable and (if I do say so myself) brilliant suggestion for our "member system". As most of you are no doubt aware, people need to post for awhile before they're granted full member status. At that point, they need to fill out an application, and the staff reviews it before giving access to the chat room and whatnot. Well, I had this great idea where we have all ECers who want to become full members recite a loyalty pledge. They'd use their webcam to film themselves reciting the pledge (with one hand raised and the other on their Rent CD), and then send us the resulting video. I'd post the text of the pledge here, but honesty, I never finished the thing. It wasn't anything major, and I was TOTALLY open to suggestions on the wording. For instance, I wasn't really sure if we wanted people to vow that EC was the only messageboard they ever visited, or just the one they visited first each day (and for the longest period of time). And I knew that calling the staff "supreme overlords" was a bit haughty, but that was just until I could come up with a better term. And I know I was going to read up on those directions on how to unfold a wire hanger to make a metal "EC" that members could use to brand the back of their hands, but I never did get around to that - I kinda got caught up in designing the required uniforms. I mean, I didn't want you guys to do THAT much sewing - you've got lives to live! But the staff was instantly on me like ugly on an ape. All sorts of closed-minded BS like "unnecessary", "totalitarian" and "dangerous". Hey, think outside the box sometime, people - you'll be amazed at how liberating it is. That simply was the last straw. It's clear I'm not wanted and not needed here at EC. This gargoyle has climbed the tower and is set to glide off into that good night. To the one or two cool people still here, I admire your fortitude. I'll sniff the rest of you jerks later. Lex
Honestly Lex. We understand if you want to leave but it's really immature of you to bitch about it in the middle of the Forum and basically undermine the remaining staff members by making allegations against us. The survey about demoting you and asking you to leave the Staff was talked about at great lengths. But, in the end the majority voted to let you stay around, so I don't even know what problem you have with us.
Signature number TWO on the online petition is YOURS, Little Miss Innocent, so let's not start the "gosh a willakers, Mr Gargoyle" game now. Unless you want some of those posts you made in Mod Tower made public. Yes, the Justin Bieber ones. Try me. Lex
>_> If you really are going: Sorry to see you go, but bye. >_> However, as the first post just seems... off for Lex, and Katie's post doesn't seem like herself, I will probably think it's an April Fool's joke until a few days from now, if this still holds up, not to mean offense. I can't see this as being real, but I couldn't take the chance. >_> EDIT: Then again, Lex could very well have cracked, in which case, God Help Us All.
Seriously Lex, you could have leave without doing your flamming Gargoyle, that's not really classy of you. And I don't think it's wise to threaten Katie... Remember there are still some of your posts in the Mod Tower that you probably don't want to be made public either... Regards, Cécile
Well, Lex. Threateningly to post information from Mod Tower.....and you wonder why I signed the petition. And you think holding Beiber (who is an AWESOME person/singer/guy/entertainer/musician who you just can't appreciate) posts over my head is somehow going to make me.....I don't even know what, that's how inane it is. I honestly don't see what this accomplishes and I'd advise you just to leave EC quietly.
Lex, I am sorry that it has to come to this, but and according to the disucssion and as you are fully aware, I was asked to demote you to full member again. You should be able to see that change already. Given that you have decided to go public, despite the fact we've asked you to post in ATS if you have any grievances, and invited you to talk to us about it, let me be quite frank with you. Your behaviour was unacceptable. We can't agree with you all the time and going on tantrums didn't really help your case.
Ugh, I thought you were serious until about 3/4 of the way down your post it dawned on me that it was April 1st. If it wasn't an April Fools prank then you are super immature Lex, otherwise you got me
I was going right up until he started saying about the uniforms and the pledge... nope April fools... good one though
After the first three sentences, I laughed and knew it was a joke. I couldn't read the rest though. Too long. =P
Agreed. I need a tl;dr on that post. I'll miss ya Lex, but this is the internet. If it isn't 5 lines or less, I'm probably not going to read it. :dry: