Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Ken Thompson video
On 11/10/20 11:52 AM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Last year I got Ken Thompson to come to VCF East and arranged for Brian to be there too.
The video reached 100,000 views today: https://youtu.be/EY6q5dv_B-o ... no other VCF video is even close.
I'm quite certain that I'm not the only person who wants to say something negative about this post. But, I'm honestly rather tired of being the guy who speaks up and says what everyone else is thinking, and gets a dozen or more private replies in agreement, but not a single public voice of agreement. So, I will keep my mouth shut and let someone else perform the service. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
Ok I’ll do it.... My reaction to Evan’s post is that it is petty and (not so) passive aggressive. With all of planning for Festivus going on without him, he is reliving past misperceptions of being tossed out of VCF. In reality, the group he started had grown with the help of many who he refused to let grow up with it. Once VCF became a non-profit and a board was in place, he was annoyed that he could no longer be “president”. No one ever challenged Evan’s importance and his role as the founder and leader of VCF. However, after years of having suggestions, ideas, and objections fall on deaf ears, the board members came to an agreement to form a committee so that VCF could be operated and developed with a democratic process rather than what often seemed like a dictatorship. Evan, I apologize that this sounds rash, but in person we had conversations while working together in the warehouse where you admitted that you were annoyed at people for not doing things your way and that other members were on your nerves with opposing views. You also admitted that you were extremely stubborn and reluctant to listen to or acknowledge the contributions of others, myself included. I think you are a generally decent guy who like all humans has flaws. Currently, those are coming out in your recent posts. You created something great and when it grew, you continued to work with great people to make it even bigger and better. But when it got big enough that you needed to cooperate more with others, you opted out. In closing: A parent must let their teenager have more freedom to make their own decisions despite their objections to let them grow and thrive. You were a great parent, and still can be, you just need to let your child grow up. You can remain a part of it’s life if you can understand that it is growing up and has its own ideas. Throwing “I told you so” at it will only grow frustration and resentment. Hope all is well with you and that this message is read as the constructive criticism it was meant to be. Best, Laura Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone On Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 12:19 PM, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote: On 11/10/20 11:52 AM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Last year I got Ken Thompson to come to VCF East and arranged for Brian to be there too.
The video reached 100,000 views today: https://youtu.be/EY6q5dv_B-o ... no other VCF video is even close.
I'm quite certain that I'm not the only person who wants to say something negative about this post. But, I'm honestly rather tired of being the guy who speaks up and says what everyone else is thinking, and gets a dozen or more private replies in agreement, but not a single public voice of agreement. So, I will keep my mouth shut and let someone else perform the service. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
On Nov 10, 2020, at 12:13 PM, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
On 11/10/20 11:52 AM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Last year I got Ken Thompson to come to VCF East and arranged for Brian to be there too.
The video reached 100,000 views today: https://youtu.be/EY6q5dv_B-o ... no other VCF video is even close.
I'm quite certain that I'm not the only person who wants to say something negative about this post. But, I'm honestly rather tired of being the guy who speaks up and says what everyone else is thinking, and gets a dozen or more private replies in agreement, but not a single public voice of agreement. So, I will keep my mouth shut and let someone else perform the service.
It's getting a bit old, yeah. Evan, everyone respects what you've done for the organization. But at some point every organization grows too big for one person to manage and either it collapses under its own weight or that person needs to either delegate or hand off their responsibilities in their entirety. It's not a fun process, and I don't envy your position. But you made the decision to stomp out in a huff. No one is going to blame you for that, but you can't expect things to go back to the way they were. Sometimes, things don't work out the way we'd like. I've had PLENTY of that. We all have. The little digs at the current leadership aren't improving your position any. It's OK to let some other folks take the wheel and guide the institution you built, and it's a lot less work! Some times you gotta just let your baby grow and enjoy the results. - Dave
On 11/10/20 9:29 PM, David Riley wrote:
It's getting a bit old, yeah.
Evan, everyone respects what you've done for the organization. But at some point every organization grows too big for one person to manage and either it collapses under its own weight or that person needs to either delegate or hand off their responsibilities in their entirety. It's not a fun process, and I don't envy your position. But you made the decision to stomp out in a huff. No one is going to blame you for that, but you can't expect things to go back to the way they were.
Sometimes, things don't work out the way we'd like. I've had PLENTY of that. We all have. The little digs at the current leadership aren't improving your position any. It's OK to let some other folks take the wheel and guide the institution you built, and it's a lot less work! Some times you gotta just let your baby grow and enjoy the results.
Dave, I tried to explain precisely this to Evan shortly after he packed up his toys and stomped out. He didn't listen then, and I'd be surprised if he listened now. Evan, it hurts to type this, but I must be honest: It is long past time for you to go. You chose to resign your position in the organization nearly a year ago, but you inexplicably remained on the mailing list. Since then, you've contributed nothing at all to the community here; your only posts have been petty, childish little jabs at the current organization, one after the other, like the one that started this thread. Over the past year the reason you've remained subscribed to this list has become clear: to keep tabs on the goings on here, and occasionally toss little grenades of hate into the community with your holier-than-thou you-idiots-couldn't-possibly-be-as-great-as-me attitude. This, from a grown man who sits on his living room floor playing with Legos. I sure I'm not alone in saying that you've made yourself unwelcome here. Please preserve the little scraps of dignity you may have left and leave. Respectfully, -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
On 11/10/20 10:22 PM, Evan Koblentz wrote:
It is long past time for you to go.
Thanks, "friend".
And here I thought you wanted me to be honest. Didn't you explicitly state that earlier today? Or perhaps you wanted me to say something a bit less, well, true. I'll note that you chose not to take my advice to preserve your last scraps of dignity. Now they're gone. Have fun with that. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
This is an instance where a group forum may not be the best place to air past grievances. I’m glad the other new guy said something. As someone also still just getting to know the group in a lot of ways, threads like this are not going to give a good impression. Evan, I read what others wrote and honestly Dave’s right. Unfortunately the responses only confirmed what others were trying to say kindly while also recognizing your positive qualities and your importance in the organization. Each response fired back was brief and brutal and essentially came off as “Did not! You did! Nu Uh!”.... You’re better than that. You can salvage your relationship with these people and stay connected to the organization you founded and worked so hard to grow. You just need to listen. Really really listen. Take time to think outside your own point of view and then respond. I am hoping that this will get resolved over time as wounds heal and society re-“normalizes” somewhat next year. I can tell that you are angry and hurt but there are always more than one side to any situation. Try to remember that and try to remember that these people, myself included DO consider you a friend. We’re trying! Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone On Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 10:26 PM, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote: On 11/10/20 10:22 PM, Evan Koblentz wrote:
>> It is long past time for you to go.
Thanks, "friend".
And here I thought you wanted me to be honest. Didn't you explicitly state that earlier today? Or perhaps you wanted me to say something a bit less, well, true. I'll note that you chose not to take my advice to preserve your last scraps of dignity. Now they're gone. Have fun with that. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
Ya know, reading through this thread, that started with bragging about a talk recorded at East 2019, I can't help but be reminded of my experience as a relatively new attendee/co-exhibitor that year. That Friday, I made a personal recording of that day's talk since Alexander, whom I co-exhibited with, was a member on that panel. Seemed harmless enough. Nevertheless, Evan felt it necessary to approach, if not confront, me that evening about the recording and made it clear that the idea of posting said recording online was highly frowned upon as VCF has their own social media. It seemed like to him it was more important that VCF got the monopoly on the content of the event than it was that people could share the experience in their own circles. As someone who was relatively new to these events and only just barely acquainted with the showrunners, this rubbed me the wrong way and left a very sour impression. It wasn't until later I was told, what I assume is a common line, "That's just Evan." Not a very good excuse im my opinion. I'm glad to have discovered that the rest of the VCfed are generally very respectful and open minded. I probably wouldn't have brought this up but something something straw that broke the camel's back. Sorry in advance if I'm out of line guys, Joshua "Singularity" Abraham. On Tue, Nov 10, 2020 at 9:29 PM David Riley via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
On Nov 10, 2020, at 12:13 PM, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
On 11/10/20 11:52 AM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Last year I got Ken Thompson to come to VCF East and arranged for Brian to be there too.
The video reached 100,000 views today: https://youtu.be/EY6q5dv_B-o ... no other VCF video is even close.
I'm quite certain that I'm not the only person who wants to say
something negative about this post. But, I'm honestly rather tired of being the guy who speaks up and says what everyone else is thinking, and gets a dozen or more private replies in agreement, but not a single public voice of agreement. So, I will keep my mouth shut and let someone else perform the service.
It's getting a bit old, yeah.
Evan, everyone respects what you've done for the organization. But at some point every organization grows too big for one person to manage and either it collapses under its own weight or that person needs to either delegate or hand off their responsibilities in their entirety. It's not a fun process, and I don't envy your position. But you made the decision to stomp out in a huff. No one is going to blame you for that, but you can't expect things to go back to the way they were.
Sometimes, things don't work out the way we'd like. I've had PLENTY of that. We all have. The little digs at the current leadership aren't improving your position any. It's OK to let some other folks take the wheel and guide the institution you built, and it's a lot less work! Some times you gotta just let your baby grow and enjoy the results.
- Dave
participants (5)
-
Dave McGuire -
David Riley -
Evan Koblentz -
Joshua Abraham -
laurakid