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FOLLOW-UP: A calmer approach to the Exodus issue...
11 years ago
...and perhaps even on a different tack altogether. I dunno. You be the judge.
Anyway, the reasons why I post journals like this one and the one I made before it include an admittedly unrealistic desire to make a strong impact on the community for the better. In a figurative sense however, such an action would surely be the key to making the community 1% better, would it not? But I digress.
In response to the latest public announcement, which if you need the link is right here, I have a few new things to say about all this, which should give further reason for everyone to forget about Zaush and move on. Now please note that while the announcement never mentions him directly, it IS obvious that it is him. I am also aware that the drama is already starting to burn out, but I have already said a lot about this, and I write this because I want, if nothing more, closure. That said, I would really appreciate it if you took the time to read through this carefully. Unlike the last journal, I have been careful to make sure that it is nothing but tact and diplomacy.
First off, it seems that everyone, including myself, has been INCORRECTLY referring to Zaush as an admin. The announcement, as well as the status tag on his profile page (here's a link to a picture of these in case you don't know what I am talking about) both clearly state that he is not, and he never was. The announcement states that people were getting slapped for 'smearing an official' for the same reason that someone would get slapped for smearing anyone publicly; because the words of these people were going way over the top (surprise surprise), and breaching the ToS. It is correct to refer to Zaush as an official, however he is not an administrator. He is simply on the team behind Project Phoenix. He has no actual administrative privileges in regard towards any of the users on this site.
Which brings me to my second point. I didn't have to do tons of research to know that people didn't want a (rumoured) sexual offender potentially having access to the private data on all the users of the site. Well, not only do we not actually know what private data is collected (although we will soon), but it is directly mentioned that because he's not an actual admin of the site, he doesn't have access to said data. What is everyone worried about, anyway? It's not like we ever entered our RL contact information and home address anywhere on the site. I'm not sure how our email addresses could be used to find and rape someone (unless perhaps they contain your real name, but then again, why would you use it for your social messaging services if you were so worried about things like this?), and we were never required to enter our real names, phone numbers, or any other things like that. Things like your Facebook and Twitter can be removed from your page - you're not required to have them up (and they are not PRIVATE info anyway, so if you put them up, that's your own problem). Pretty much the only thing that zones in on locations is IP addresses, and we all should know how hazy those quite often are.
Finally, I also know (and someone in the last journal directly mentioned) that people were raging about Dragoneer knowingly bringing on someone who had sexual offences floating over their head. There is once again a direct acknowledgement of this, as well as a remark about how these offences are all nothing more than allegations. The remark says that the staff refuses to let mere accusations stop them from hiring someone who could make a very remarkable and significant impact on such a major project (which is one of the things I had been saying all along: Why should we be condemning someone without any proof whatsoever that he did such things?). And even if he WAS an admin, it also says that only TRUSTED admins have access to private data. Despite how supportive they have been of Zaush, I have no doubt in my mind that they would not actually declare him 'trusted', not as long as those allegations are hanging over his head. What's more, even a number of TRUSTED admins are not allowed to see some things, and even those few that ARE allowed are only so under very strict circumstances.
I sometimes wonder why people do the things they do, and cause all the drama they do. I'm certain that's a question that I will never find an absolute answer to. One thing is for certain: While some of it is trolling, most of it is simply self-destruction. People make such stupid decisions and like a grass fire, it spreads rapidly. The general public already has a low opinion of us furries for a number of reasons, and bullpoo like this is one of them. I'm not at all optimistic about people actually becoming any wiser for the wear in the wake of this mass-chaos, but I would very much like to be proven wrong on that note.
In closing, I thank anyone who took the time to read this, and I hope that the things I outlined have made you a lot more enlightened, put your fears to rest, and I also hope that the last thing I said in this journal have got you thinking a bit about this kind of thing in general. Anyway, see you all around, and if you're heading to any upcoming furry conventions, or about to come home from such trips, safe travels!
Anyway, the reasons why I post journals like this one and the one I made before it include an admittedly unrealistic desire to make a strong impact on the community for the better. In a figurative sense however, such an action would surely be the key to making the community 1% better, would it not? But I digress.
In response to the latest public announcement, which if you need the link is right here, I have a few new things to say about all this, which should give further reason for everyone to forget about Zaush and move on. Now please note that while the announcement never mentions him directly, it IS obvious that it is him. I am also aware that the drama is already starting to burn out, but I have already said a lot about this, and I write this because I want, if nothing more, closure. That said, I would really appreciate it if you took the time to read through this carefully. Unlike the last journal, I have been careful to make sure that it is nothing but tact and diplomacy.
First off, it seems that everyone, including myself, has been INCORRECTLY referring to Zaush as an admin. The announcement, as well as the status tag on his profile page (here's a link to a picture of these in case you don't know what I am talking about) both clearly state that he is not, and he never was. The announcement states that people were getting slapped for 'smearing an official' for the same reason that someone would get slapped for smearing anyone publicly; because the words of these people were going way over the top (surprise surprise), and breaching the ToS. It is correct to refer to Zaush as an official, however he is not an administrator. He is simply on the team behind Project Phoenix. He has no actual administrative privileges in regard towards any of the users on this site.
Which brings me to my second point. I didn't have to do tons of research to know that people didn't want a (rumoured) sexual offender potentially having access to the private data on all the users of the site. Well, not only do we not actually know what private data is collected (although we will soon), but it is directly mentioned that because he's not an actual admin of the site, he doesn't have access to said data. What is everyone worried about, anyway? It's not like we ever entered our RL contact information and home address anywhere on the site. I'm not sure how our email addresses could be used to find and rape someone (unless perhaps they contain your real name, but then again, why would you use it for your social messaging services if you were so worried about things like this?), and we were never required to enter our real names, phone numbers, or any other things like that. Things like your Facebook and Twitter can be removed from your page - you're not required to have them up (and they are not PRIVATE info anyway, so if you put them up, that's your own problem). Pretty much the only thing that zones in on locations is IP addresses, and we all should know how hazy those quite often are.
Finally, I also know (and someone in the last journal directly mentioned) that people were raging about Dragoneer knowingly bringing on someone who had sexual offences floating over their head. There is once again a direct acknowledgement of this, as well as a remark about how these offences are all nothing more than allegations. The remark says that the staff refuses to let mere accusations stop them from hiring someone who could make a very remarkable and significant impact on such a major project (which is one of the things I had been saying all along: Why should we be condemning someone without any proof whatsoever that he did such things?). And even if he WAS an admin, it also says that only TRUSTED admins have access to private data. Despite how supportive they have been of Zaush, I have no doubt in my mind that they would not actually declare him 'trusted', not as long as those allegations are hanging over his head. What's more, even a number of TRUSTED admins are not allowed to see some things, and even those few that ARE allowed are only so under very strict circumstances.
I sometimes wonder why people do the things they do, and cause all the drama they do. I'm certain that's a question that I will never find an absolute answer to. One thing is for certain: While some of it is trolling, most of it is simply self-destruction. People make such stupid decisions and like a grass fire, it spreads rapidly. The general public already has a low opinion of us furries for a number of reasons, and bullpoo like this is one of them. I'm not at all optimistic about people actually becoming any wiser for the wear in the wake of this mass-chaos, but I would very much like to be proven wrong on that note.
In closing, I thank anyone who took the time to read this, and I hope that the things I outlined have made you a lot more enlightened, put your fears to rest, and I also hope that the last thing I said in this journal have got you thinking a bit about this kind of thing in general. Anyway, see you all around, and if you're heading to any upcoming furry conventions, or about to come home from such trips, safe travels!
My main friends:
Daddy!
lead-fang
Grandma!
saintdraconis
Grandpa!:
charizard14
Uncles:
big-wolfen & 
shiron91
Nephew:
jdredxii
Pet & Brother:
atemal99
Another pet, but also all-around good guy and wonderfully awesome friend:
fatkangaroo
Yet another pet:
ralafe98
I am one of the fandom's
ozfurs and 
autisticfurs.
Daddy!
lead-fangGrandma!
saintdraconisGrandpa!:
charizard14Uncles:
big-wolfen & 
shiron91Nephew:
jdredxiiPet & Brother:
atemal99Another pet, but also all-around good guy and wonderfully awesome friend:
fatkangarooYet another pet:
ralafe98I am one of the fandom's
ozfurs and 
autisticfurs. 
"What is everyone worried about, anyway? It's not like we ever entered our RL contact information and home address anywhere on the site. I'm not sure how our email addresses could be used to find and rape someone (unless perhaps they contain your real name, but then again, why would you use it for your social messaging services if you were so worried about things like this?), and we were never required to enter our real names, phone numbers, or any other things like that. Things like your Facebook and Twitter can be removed from your page - you're not required to have them up (and they are not PRIVATE info anyway, so if you put them up, that's your own problem). Pretty much the only thing that zones in on locations is IP addresses, and we all should know how hazy those quite often are."
Most people on FA didn't feel that there was a significant risk before of having their notes read, so they used it to share their full names and phone numbers with friends, arrange for events at their homes or school addresses, or otherwise transmit personal information. Some have used them to share deeply personal information with trusted friends, not imagining that anybody would have the motivation to spy on little ol' them. IPs can be used for rough geographic location, and in some cases to determine a user's specific workplace or school. Session logs can provide clues to a user's home/work/sleep schedule. E-mail addresses and passwords are very sensitive, because a LOT of people make the mistake of sharing passwords across sites. An unscrupulous staff member with access to a person's e-mail address and a password may potentially have access to accounts on Facebook, PayPal, Twitter, forums, other art sites, or maybe even their personal e-mail account, which could potentially increase the list of vulnerabilities to include things like bank accounts. You may be thinking, "well, that's their fault for using the same password," right? If so, tuck that away in the back of your head for a moment and we'll continue. With access to information like this, it is entirely plausible that an unscrupulous staff member could place a vulnerable user in a bad position. For instance, by threatening (via a false identity, most likely) to reveal embarrassing kinks to an employer if the user doesn't send them naked pictures. Or, for another example, to change a person's Facebook password and threaten to post humiliating content unless they agree to perform sexual favors in their dorm room.
Alright, so remember what we suggested earlier, that it's all the users' fault for not protecting their info? I doubt Dragoneer or the gang gives half a damn whether some low-pageview nobody gets raped or humiliated by a staff member, but I think I can comfortably say that good people don't feel that carelessness is an excuse for exploitation or abuse.
(whoops, editing mistake on the first try)
Now, if you're gonna say anything more, do try to say it all in one comment. If you can't, then erase your comment and start again, copy-pasting what you already wrote.
Well, even if you consider my testimony invalid because I'm concerned about being censored, I hope that at least the third post will illuminate you as to why people are uncomfortable and feel that this is about their individual safety being put at risk in the real world, as in they are seriously concerned that they or other users will be literally and not figuratively victimized, and not "wah wah drama."