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In lugnet.admin.general, Suzanne Rich Green wrote:
> In lugnet.admin.general, Ross Crawford wrote:
> > In lugnet.admin.general, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
> > > it is my
> > > view that they are not part of the solution to LUGNET's ills, no matter what
> > > they may protest, or how much their supporters may snipe at me
> >
> > So who (in your view) *IS* part of the solution? You've already said you don't
> > think Todd & Suz are,
>
> and if I'm not, why keep kicking me when I'm down? It only makes the little I
> can do harder..
I debated and debated whether to post to this thread. I don't want anyone to
think for a second that any of what I'm about to say applies in any sort of
official, quasi-official, or post-official sorta way. What I'm about to say is
my own personal, private citizen, LEGO fan, LUNGET member #211 thoughts on the
matter...
I've studied, joined, participated, and/or run online communities and community
projects for about 10 years now. (Which makes me a young'un compared to many
here!) I was talking to clients in 1996 about getting involved with their
consumers via the internet. I was helping to moderate mailing lists. I have a
packed bookshelf full of well-worn community/social books, run a blog about
community, and devour anything I can read online about online social connection.
TThere is a general ebb and flow of online communities. Communities that are at
all successful have cultures that change over time, leadership/ownership that
changes over time, and member bases that change over time. Responding to those
changes quickly and appropriately is, in no small part, what drives a community
forward.
I've always assumed that creating online social projects is on a smaller scale
what a parent must feel like. You start something from nothing, put massive
amounts of blood, sweat, and tears into it, only to have success equate to that
creation leaving your control at some point in the future.
But like parenting, the healthiest thing to do for everyone involved is to send
the "kid" off to college so that he can grow into something twice as grand.
Holding on too tightly, or trying to grow it at year 15 in the same way that you
grow it at year 1 just doesn't work.
The truely great community projects almost always start as labors of love. This
creates an emotional connection between project and creator. It's hard to give
up and even harder to hand it to someone else who may or may not give it the
same attention you would, or who may not have exactly the same vision as you do.
I'm currently in discussions about turning over both the Building Instructions
Portal and my BlogFusion side projects to new people who have an enthusiasm that
simply doesn't exist within me anymore. I've realized lately that I love both
those projects because of their potential, and neither will live up to that
potential if it sits on my (busy and distracted) shoulders.
Suz - none of these conversations about the future of LUGNET have anything to do
with you personally. It's not about Suz, it's about LUGNET and how it moves
forward. Many LEGO fans (including me) have shared time and again how much we
all respect and appreciation for you and Todd, both personally and as it relates
to LUGNET. I'm confident that everyone here feels the same about you and your
personal health - do what it takes to get and stay healthy. That's your task #1.
But LUGNET has grown beyond "Todd and/or Suzanne". It's a living breathing
organism now, and it's suffered some hits of late. It's not terminal, but it may
be in a coma (for lack of a better way to say it). In order to pull it out of
that coma, it's going to take some attendence, some attention, and some changes.
Nobody here thinks less of you and/or Todd for not being able to make those
changes happen. It's completely and totally understandable, considering the
amount of time and emotional investment you've put into the project.
At the core of all of these threads like the one we're in is this: People don't
want LUGNET to die, and they're worried that it will. Considering Todd has bowed
out, and you've said even in this very thread that you're able to only do a
little at this time, it's a valid concern. As more and more negativity flows
around the site, as posting quantity drops, and as members flee elsewhere, the
concern is even more valid. And on top of that all, Todd and you are the only
two who have the "keys to the kingdom", which adds even more validity to those
concerns.
We're upset because we're worried. We're worried because we're emotionally
invested. And we're emotionally invested because the LUGNET of days gone by
holds a place in our hearts. We just want LUGNET to be grand again, and it's
clear that the only way to make that happen is help you deliver on your own
personal goal to hand the keys to LUGNET over to someone/some group who can
deliver the time and attention required to get it back on the rails. (Did you
really think I would miss an opportunity for a train pun??)
Jake
---
Jake McKee
Private Citizen
Webmaster - BIP (for now)
DISCLAIMER: again, none of what I just wrote is in any way tied to anything
official. Just Private Jake posting personal thoughts.
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Lugnet: WAKE UP!
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| (...) I agree with this 100%. Suz, despite what I may have said elsewhere, I have immeanse respect for you and especially what you have done with Lugnet. But the time has come to make a choice one way or the other. -Lenny (18 years ago, 2-Apr-06, to lugnet.admin.general)
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