Note: The links no long work. It appears that the entire Transparency thread has been deleted. However, I have previously made a copy of the entire thread.
I am going to interrupt revisiting the Transparency thread because I have just read something that helps make sense of what happened. Dyebat has posted on her own blog.
SB : Our Story
This part is very enlightening:
The level of distrust was incredible. The staff of susan-boyle.com did not want member ownership of the site for fear that the “DJG’ers” would seize control and take down the site. They demanded that we accept no loans from any “DJG’er” lest they renege on the loans and leave us holding the bag. Once the site was won at auction they were going to “clean out” all the troublemakers/DJG’ers and prevent any more from joining.
Hmmm………. after the auction, staff were going to get rid of the DJGers? How could they do that? They couldn’t just ban them for no reason, could they? No, they would need a reason.......
Hmmm………. and what about Citroenlady? She was not a member of DJG’s. She would have to be a special case…………
I had thought the Dementor was the source of the lies about the supposed takeover. Now I am beginning to wonder…….
Something to think about while I get back to the Transparency thread.
Page 28 07-18-2010 11:02 PM
Truus returned after having been away a few days. Someone must have caught her up on the supposed plot. Truus laid it out with unfortunate candor, considering that is was not true. She said it was a “planned takeover”. She claimed that Dyebat, lchris and Tweek led members the wrong way and were not honest. She said lchris had decided to “wipe all the staff out”. (#1083)
In fact, about a half hour before that, lchris had temporarily blocked staff access. She started a thread and explained that it was because “one or more mods and/or others with access are causing mischief”. She noted that it was all recorded in logs.
Heads up to all members
It was suggested that Hulapig may not have been the one posting in her name. (#1087) (She was.)
Judyokla resigned in post #1092. A member had posted about having to choose between staying or going to a new site. Danileo answered her that they would “inform those interested” when the doors were open. Then Danileo also resigned. (#1093, #1094)
In post # 1095, Truus offered Tweek some valuable advice, which she herself does not appear to have taken. She told Tweek that if she made a mistake or got carried away, she should admit it. She told Tweek if she cared about the site, she should tell the truth.
Members were still confused and didn’t know what to believe. Sadly, this is still the case for many.
In post #1100, lchris expressed surprise at the rumors of a “planned takeover” because the staff was to be given more seats on the Board than non-staff.
Truus repeated her allegations of a “planned takeover”. (#1104) It was never true, but someone had done a good job convincing her. Was it other staff members?
Members expressed concern over the upheavals and staff resignations.
Page 29 07-19-2010 12:08 AM
BrooklynBlessings posted a couple times about reconciliation. No one was listening, though things seemed to have calmed down a bit. But MartyPA posted to remind people that being polite and calm didn’t mean one was telling the truth.(#1139)
Mirrim posted to support that there was a “takeover”.(#1147)
Page 30 07-19-2010 02:52 AM
In post #1163, Pickled Tink resigned. She addressed communication problems, differences of opinion and management styles, and some lingering questions about the auction and Kalua’s identity. There were issues of mutual distrust.
Most members still didn’t know what to think.
Page 31 07-19-2010 07:34 AM
Members were waiting to hear from Dyebat. Meanwhile, Lonni claimed that the small minority (the takeover group, I suppose) were “happy campers”, having accomplished their mission. (#1223)
In post #1227, MartyPA said that members had to decide who to believe, without all the information. Unfortunately, that is still true today. She asked if the entire staff lied.
Lonni still believed she knew who “they” were.(#1233)
Page 32 07-19-2010 11:16 AM
Some members thought that the problems were part of the normal growing pains of setting up a corporation. That was not true. That would have been workable. Instead, lies were deliberately spread about people. Those lies were believed and spread farther.
Members had been waiting for Dyebat to post. She finally did and said she thought mods were being misled. (#1278) She did not seem to understand why the uproar had ensued over the need to identify prospective board members as real people. Frankly, I don’t either, because as Dyebat notes, the first two mods to resign could already be verified as real people.
Dyebat said that she had no independent verification of Kalua’s identity. She said he refused to speak on the phone or provide any information to Dyebat or lchris regarding his identity. Dyebat mentioned that Mirrim went to staff meetings, even though she was not staff. And Dyebat said that members were in the middle of a mystery. And unfortunately, we still are.
Page 33 07-19-2010 02:50 PM
Members debated whether Kalua should receive special treatment or be required to provide identifying information. Monkeytech noted that such a disagreement did seem reason enough to tear the whole forum apart. She said it was obvious there was more involved and was disappointed Dyebat did not reveal more in her post. (1289)
UKSusanfanAnn agreed that there must be something “more” to what was going on. (#1294, #1295) In hindsight, I believe she was correct about that.
Lonni posted that she had spoken to Kalua regularly, so she thought the claim that he would not speak to Dyebat and lchris was ridiculous. (#1308)
There were questions about who donated the money for the auction. In #1316, WAMcKinley posted about the return of the banned members:
"Well, the new site owners hadn't given them entry,--------so who did?? It could only have been someone on staff with access to the right place, the knowledge of how to do this,-----and, it would seem to me, a desire to cause mischief on this forum. Now just who would do something like that?? Certainly none of our former "trusted" moderators or tech staff! WOULD they?? Naw. That would be too conniving and petty."
(Quote posted with permission of the author)
