I told myself I wouldn't respond to this post but in all honesty, I just don't feel it's fair to allow it to remain unopposed.
GiJoe said:
Hi all... Surprised? :lol:
No this not the admins playing games it's really me... Rob
However, if Rob were to ever register here I would not ban him if you can believe that and I hate the guy as if he were poison (so much for not announcing lol).
I'll hold you to that Duke... :icon_wink:
Well I read through most of the posts in this very long thread... I too was surprised to see fuzzy balls for sale on the WOLFGaming domain today. I did a Google search and found the story and a link to this thread.
Seems there is a ton of anger directed at me. Some I can understand and I definitely don't hold any grudges towards anyone. If asked what we might have fought about I probably wouldn't remember. I don't hold grudges and have a terrible memory...
Maybe I should have explained a bit more on why I sold out to AOWC. I don't always explain what I do and what I think very well.
It was a quick retreat for me. I left it all when I sold WOLFServers. Part of the sale was suppose to keep WOLFGaming site running and one dedicated game server going for a year. The site/forums was set to be available for two years. I've not owned the domain name for years now.
Anywho... I sold because my boys were getting older and I made a promise to my wife when I started it (Westwood Online Forums) with Hobbes that when the boys started to get older and do things, soccer, lacrosse and other things that I would get out. I promised her and when the things above began to occur I knew it was time to get out.
It was happenstance that Art of War came calling. Just a timing thing. As most may have noticed I completely dropped off for a couple of years maybe stopping by the forums to say high at New Years and maybe a couple of other times. AOWC paid off the debt and I wasn't really compensated much. I didn't care really either because
I was also burnt out to boot. I ran WOLFServers for about 8 months after Anubis left with a couple of volunteers (who have gotten some IT experience and even some written job recommendations from me.) and free game servers for their groups.
I know Duke is still mad at me, free reading his posts, but I do take real offense to being called greedy. I certainly don't think I was greedy. I put a lot of my own money into a lot of what went on. I only started asking for subscriptions and donations (which there really were not a ton and that was ok) after my wife got laid off and it was getting harder for me to continue to put money into it as much as I wanted too.
I started WOLFServers.com with Anubis (some may or may not remember that I was very hesitant at first) after EA awarded us a Ranked Server for BF2. I was fine just running it for WGN and that was it. I may have gotten a little carried away when we won that website contest for Soldner and my wife and I got to go to their studios in Germany. That was a fantastic trip and something I will always remember, meeting a lot of people from WOLF in Europe. My wife and I still talk about it (especially when alcohol is involved). What an adventure and lots of GREAT memories....
Sorry I am ranting a little... :lol:
I do believe some of you were treated wrongly by both myself and Anubis. I didn't step in at times and maybe I should have. Sorry for that. I stopped paying attention when I shouldn't have.
PepsiChic Wrote:
So if they dont have wolfservers, or wolfgaming....i wonder what Rob and Joe are doing now?
So... Not totally sure what Joe is up to but I've gotten older and maybe a little wiser? :icon_eek: Certainly greyer in the beard because I am still bald.
I've actually been playing an old WGN classic reborn in Tribes Ascend when I get a chance. A couple of little Facebook games but that's about it.
My boys are now 11 and 8. Doing well in school. Who else thinks they give too much homework? Sesh... When are they suppose to get a break? At least for my oldest.
I coached my oldest sons Soccer team. I hope to do Lacrosse this Spring.
I got another new job. No longer an IT Director. Wanted out of that headache after 4 years and am now back to being a simple SQL Server DBA with a small company in NC.
We're still in NC but moved to be closer to work. I can get to work in 5 minutes! So I put little mileage on the Jeep.
Sorry this is so long but I'll end it by saying I am sorry to all those who have been wronged by some way by me. Sincerely...
Glad too see a lot of old timers found their way to a new community and I hope all goes well here.
To everyone I hope you all can dwell more on the fond memories versus the bad ones. I know I do and it usually still brings a smile to my face.
Thanks for reading this long post and I hope everyone is doing
very well...
Rob (Formerly xxxGiJoe) :icon_razz:
I don't know if you're aware of this but Joe actually registered here and laid it all on the line. He took complete responsibility for tearing apart a very fine gaming family and essentially got chased out the door.
I've regretted that so much but couldn't really step in because everyone has a right to state their feelings; within reason of course. Nobody really told Joe to go but nobody helped make him feel welcome or even offer a shred of hope that bygones would ever be bygones.
...sometimes there is just too much water under the bridge to ever repair it.
After reading your post above Rob, I feel all that much worse for Joe. It is because of this feeling that I'm even responding to your post as I never intended to.
I do appreciate you taking the time to register and share your thoughts Rob but what I don't appreciate is your horrendous lack of humility.
I realize you took offense to "greed" but the way I see it, greed isn't just a financial matter. I've seen you badger your dedicated Staff behind the scenes more times than I care to remember; people I respect and consider true friends.
You took from people the most valuable of commodities, time, and you NEVER once said thanks for it. You took it for granted that we would put Wolf in front of life and when we didn't you almost always had a hissy fit.
You know the funny thing Rob, the main reason I have no respect for you is you have no respect for anyone other than yourself, and if you do you are incapable of showing it. Your post above is a testament to my thoughts in that you glazed completely over Wolf and started talking about yourself. I don't think you've changed a stitch in the decade or so that I've known you and I find that very sad.
For my part, I came back to Wolf because of Wolf and the fine people that made it Wolf. If it wasn't for the people, Wolf would have been just a website but it became more as it was a culmination of many, passionate and caring people trying to make it more.
Did you ever see any of this, I wonder?
I did my best to help ease the transition between your and Joe's return because I foolishly thought my insight could help everyone find common ground. At the time of your return to Wolf I totally respected your and Joe's need to pursue the business end of Wolf while respecting the passion and feelings of those who were managing the day to day of Wolf in your stead.
I felt that running Lifesupporters gave me all the insight I needed to help everyone find common ground. At the time of your return:
- Lifesupporters hosting was f3cked and cost $70 USD/month in VPS Hosting as well as one backup host on retainer (poor webhosting).
- Lifesupporters had taught me the best way to deflate situations was by finding common ground, informing everyone of the facts, and dealing with the SITUATION, not the person/people.
I felt my insight was unique enough to understand both the business and personal approaches to running a Website or Network which is why I stepped in to mediate.
What a colossal fucking mistake!!!
Neither side wanted to communicate and all h3ll broke loose.
You guys came in, firing, with the "heads are going to roll" mentality and showed no remorse toward ousting the people that helped make Wolf a success.
You shit on them and everyone else that day and you
NEED to know that. Until you can own up to it properly without this "hazy memory" bullshit, you won't get an ounce of respect from me (which I'm sure doesn't matter to you anyway).
We do have very fond memories of our time at Wolf and that is what has brought so many here. Many of us have been aimlessly wandering the net looking for somewhere to call home and have found some common ground here.
That said, you cannot properly move forward until you bury the past which many have endeavored to do so in this thread, myself included.
I did say I would never ban you and in truth, you'd have to be a serial killer or some other complete and obvious deviant personality for me to ever wield the ban stick around here.
I do have options though and the one I'm going with is that I'm finally washing my hands of you in this post.
I thought Wolf disappearing from the net was my closure but as it turns out responding to you one final time is my closure.
At the end of the day I do owe you a thanks for that much at least.
...
PS: My sincerest of apologies to those who feel this topic has run it's course and the fact that I'm the tard essentially bumping it once more.
I ask you all please understand that this thread has done many a great service. It's helped some come to terms with the needless end of what was once a fine gaming family while bringing in some of these valuable people from all corners of the net.
Over 200 posts in and I believe this topic still serves a purpose so it will remain open until Staff believes it's gone stale long enough to finally close it.
Lastly, I want to personally thank you all for the couth you've shown while sharing your insight and point of view. I think we have the start of a really terrific Community here so if that isn't celebrating all that was good with Wolf then I don't know what is.
Thank you all!
Respectfully,
Ken
