Open Letter to Apolyton CS and the Greater Civ Community

[DrSpike]

Dan: I understand and agree with your motivations behind this move and wish you the best of luck in whatever comes next.

Doc

[Blaupanzer]

Dan, good letter. You provide a thoughtful explicaqtion of tour decision to move on.

Why did you have to tale the whole staff with you? Ming, rah, Solver, and Locutus are some of the better communicators here especially on the gamer side.

We will miss all of you,
Frank

[DanQ]

Dan: I understand and agree with your motivations behind this move and wish you the best of luck in whatever comes next.

Thanks, Doc.

Dan, good letter. You provide a thoughtful explicaqtion of tour decision to move on.

Thanks -- I'm glad it's coming across as intended.

Why did you have to tale the whole staff with you?

Each of them came to that decision on their own.

We will miss all of you,
Frank

I appreciate that, Frank. We'll all still be around here though!

[PLATO]

This is a sad day for the Civ community. Dan, thanks for all you have done. You will be sorely missed by all.

Whatever you do next...keep on Civin'!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Oh gods, not that line again...

[DanQ]

This is a sad day for the Civ community. Dan, thanks for all you have done. You will be sorely missed by all.

Whatever you do next...keep on Civin'!

It has been my pleasure. Thank you for the kind words.

Oh gods, not that line again...

It's a good line.

[dojoboy]

So, when is the announcement coming concerning you joining Firaxis as project director?

Best of everything, Dan. Thanks!

Old civvers never die,... .

[Sirotnikov]

congrats and thanks for everything.

i was actually about to suggest you do a joke next 1st april about selling the site to me and LOTM and we would put stars of david everywhere. but this is no joke. :O

so good luck, and congrats for the courage to take the needed step.

best wishes to cybershy.

[Drakan]

Dan thanks for creating this wondereful Civ fan site.

I wish you the best of luck in your new life.

[lord of the mark]

Thanks to Dan and Mark for creating this site, best of luck to Dan.

[Hercules]

Thanks to Dan and Mark for creating this site, best of luck to Dan.

I believe that sums it up.

Apolyton continues to be my favorite and first port of call and thanks to you DanQ and MarkG for setting it up and maintaining it for all the years.

And I might eventually get round to hosting a podcast.

Good luck with your life.

[DanQ]

Thanks lotm, Hercules.

So, when is the announcement coming concerning you joining Firaxis as project director?

-- if only!

Best of everything, Dan. Thanks!

Thank you.

Old civvers never die,... .

QFT.

congrats and thanks for everything. [..]

so good luck, and congrats for the courage to take the needed step.

Dan thanks for creating this wondereful Civ fan site.

Much appreciated Siro, Drakan (I co-created Apolyton with MarkG).

[notyoueither]

Dan, is it true that you are moving PolyCast to another site?

[DanQ]

Dan, is it true that you are moving PolyCast to another site?

Yes, PolyCast is to be hosted on the WePlayCiv.com servers on/by June 1st. It is only a hosting arrangement -- the podcast series is not becoming a production of WPC, or any other specific Civilization fansite. This is just as it has no longer been a production of Apolyton as of the start of this month, and has been a hosted site (such as e.g. the Clash of Civilizations). An official announcement to this effect is to be made later this month.

As previously disclosed, I am retaining complete ownership in PolyCast. To expand on what I have stated before along these lines, PC along with Age of Nations have become productions of Civilized Communication, the new umbrella label I have begun for them. (CC's address forwards to PolyCast for now anyway.)

PolyCast remains a Civ community podcast and will continue to be promoted on Apolyton, Civilization Fanatics Center and now WPC too.

[OzzyKP]

Why are you hosting it on another site?

[TCO]

Dan, you effing traitor. Get lost.

[DanQ]

Why are you hosting it on another site?

As I said to Robert and Jeroen, I came to the conclusion that it should be easier for them to establish themselves as Chief Owners/Administrators of Apolyton if I am more "out of the picture" publicly.

[notyoueither]

Dan, did you have any idea how this split would be perceived?

[TCO]

WTF is polycast anyhow? Is that like the radio show you had ages ago? If so, good riddance.

[DanQ]

Dan, did you have any idea how this split would be perceived?

Yes, I did. That said, I can only do what I felt was best for the continuation of Apolyton, as explained above.

As I have said before, my decision to leave the Apolyton staff and administration was personally very difficult given my many years of service to this site. Regardless of how I inevitably separated myself, there would be no way to please everyone because there's no "right" way to leave. Criticism that is not constructive is counterproductive.

They say that 'hindsight is 20/20', but in this case I don't think the correct path to haven taken is any clearer than it was when this entire process began. The decisions I have made involved much discussion and were in no way made lightly.

[TCO]

I'm still mad for the wordy Moo previews.

[notyoueither]

Yes, I did. That said, I can only do what I felt was best for the continuation of Apolyton, as explained above.

As I have said before, my decision to leave the Apolyton staff and administration was personally very difficult given my many years of service to this site. Regardless of how I inevitably separated myself, there would be no way to please everyone because there's no "right" way to leave. Criticism that is not constructive is counterproductive.

They say that 'hindsight is 20/20', but in this case I don't think the correct path to haven taken is any clearer than it was when this entire process began. The decisions I have made involved much discussion and were in no way made lightly.

I want to be honest with you, Dan. There has been some incredibly poor judgement shown by many people recently, but this is the cherry on top.

You decide you want your life back. Fine. Laudable. Few have done more for Poly or the civ community.

Then key staff leave and found their own site, followed by other staff and projects. It comes out that recruiting for the new site among staff and members of the community was ongoing for a bit longer than is supported by 'we decided to rush it.' Oh, oh.

Sure, they rushed the forums, but nothing about this is seeming very rushed now. And now the news of et tu, Danus.

It may come as a shock to you, and some others, but there are people who care about Poly. Some of those people are looking askance at recent developments and can come to few conclusions other than that Poly has been cannibalised. From within. You might forgive some of us if we get a little pissed off about that.

[Dinner]

Shot him~!

[Dinner]

LOL! MarkG I think it was forced that label on me. I protest!

See, Dan, lots of great memories. Thanks.

When duid you come back?

[Ben Kenobi]

I want to be honest with you, Dan. There has been some incredibly poor judgement shown by many people recently, but this is the cherry on top.

You decide you want your life back. Fine. Laudable. Few have done more for Poly or the civ community.

Indeed. My own feelings and understanding is that you are at the junction in your life where you have to move on. I think I have been nothing but accepting of the changes, even though I do not like the changes and would rather have the old adminstration in place.

Dan, you need to do whatever is best for you.

Then key staff leave and found their own site, followed by other staff and projects. It comes out that recruiting for the new site among staff and members of the community was ongoing for a bit longer than is supported by 'we decided to rush it.' Oh, oh.

Yes. I was contacted by numerous members, after which I gave a polite no. Poly has been my home and will continue to be so. It seemed to me that the members had both the approval of the staff here at Poly in their campaign.

I have to agree with NYE is that it's very suspicious that they would conduct such a campaign before going on.

Sure, they rushed the forums, but nothing about this is seeming very rushed now. And now the news of et tu, Danus.

I'm not surprised to be honest. I really am not. I have been speaking with the remainder of the adminstration and it came out to me that people were looking for a way to bail out on Poly, rather then deal with the problems. I had quite a bit more respect for you Dan, before I spoke to the others about your conduct over the past while.

It may come as a shock to you, and some others, but there are people who care about Poly. Some of those people are looking askance at recent developments and can come to few conclusions other than that Poly has been cannibalised. From within. You might forgive some of us if we get a little pissed off about that.

Dan, NYE speaks for me as well. You were always welcome here. Now, I'll be starting up a petition with Cybershy and whatnot, such that 'Polycast' will not be hosted here.

[Asher]

PolyCast isn't going to be hosted here. Don't worry.

[DanQ]

One point I want to clarify in preface: I transferred ownership in Apolyton -- I did not sell it. (If I had sold it, I would have said I sold it.)

As for my retaining ownership in the PolyCast series of podcasts, including its name, this was part of my transfer of ownership agreement with Robert. Not only is PolyCast the series' established name, but the name reflects its roots. Roots that I am proud of. I find it unbelievable that I am now being labeled by some as a "traitor", a deserter, and an all around someone who does not care about Apolyton. That could not be further from the truth; I guess that there will be always be critics who try to find fault with anything that others do.

As Robert or Jeroen would tell you, I have been quietly behind the scenes continuing to make this transition as smooth as possible. I am providing my time, energy and experience, to the extent that they wish, along with sufficient financial support to cover current operating expenses for the next several months. Before this, I put a considerable amount of time and emotional energy into ensuring new, clear ownership was set in place as I stepped aside. I did what I did because I care about ACS. Had I not cared about the continuation of Apolyton, I could have simply shut it down.

If you are disappointed in my decision to move PolyCast off of Apolyton's server, I can understand that. Nonetheless, I find that using that as a basis for calling into question my integrity within the Apolyton community, given my many years of freely devoted service to its development, is unfounded and disheartening to say the least. I believe that my record demonstrates that all I have done has always been in good faith and for the benefit of this community.

I have gone out of my way to explain my position on this matter because I want to impart, to the best of my ability, my reasons for it. It has been an emotional rollercoaster for me for months with regards to my decision to leave the Apolyton staff and administration, while aiming to stay involved in the Civilization community. As I have alluded to before, I would be disappointed if people were not disappointed that I was leaving my leadership position on Apolyton. But I am at a loss to understand why anyone would attack me or anyone else, personally, who made a similar decision.

There's nothing more that I can say to explain further what has been an extremely painful process for me.

[Asher]

One point I want to clarify in preface: I transferred ownership in Apolyton -- I did not sell it. (If I had sold it, I would have said I sold it.)

As for my retaining ownership in the PolyCast series of podcasts, including its name, this was part of my transfer of ownership agreement with Robert. Not only is PolyCast the series' established name, but the name reflects its roots. Roots that I am proud of. I find it unbelievable that I am now being labeled by some as a "traitor", a deserter, and an all around someone who does not care about Apolyton.

It could be a lot farther from the truth.

You are taking Polycast and hosting it on a site most of us view as a rebel/splinter group from the mothersite.

All those names are apt.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I think, Dan, what they are concerned about is using the name "Polycast" when it has nothing to do with Poly anymore. It doesn't sit right with some members of the community.

[DanQ]

I think, Dan, what they are concerned about is using the name "Polycast" when it has nothing to do with Poly anymore. It doesn't sit right with some members of the community.

Yes, I acknowledged and addressed that concern above.

The name "PolyCast" still has something to do with Apolyton. PolyCast is a Civ community podcast, and Apolyton is a member of that community. Further, PolyCast began on and, up until the start of this month was, as an official podcast of Apolyton. To me, changing the name from "PolyCast" would have in great part been trying to restrict, possibly even remove, acknowledgment of that proud association.