I've bit my lip for a long time with Brakken, when asked my opinion in irc and asked to add my thoughts to some of his threads I've refused.
I did so because imho, I don't, no didn't want to fan the flames.
This site (Gbafail or whatever people call it) gets bad press, tehskeen gets bad press, waninkoko gets bad press marcan gets bad press, everywhere is full of people giving their "opinions" and tbh no one really cares, except sad individuals that have nothing better to do.
The whole marcan thing, I thought was bad but I never posted. Marcan (for example, sorry to use you as an example m8) is a good guy, and an asshole all at the same time, same as everyone else. He has good and bad points. But so what. I've spoke with the guy several times both chat wise and me asking what he thought to be n00b questions. Every time though he has been really cool with me, this doesn't mean he is cool with everyone. A lot of people never understood what marcan was saying, he knows piracy etc is a grey area and not simply black and white, but he was just a little gutted to see his "baby" raised the wrong way, who wouldn't be? I was dissapointed though to see him having the 6 hour to the darkside, because what does he need to prove to waninkoko or anyone else?
But to be singled out in an "editorial" by Brakken was wrong and I'll tell you why.
Had any member singled out someone and made a whole topic about them, it would be locked and the OP warned if not banned.
Today in this "scene" the problem is that everyone has went mental thinking they hold some kind of power and wanting respect, I regularly see people being banned from various irc channels because the op can ban, not should. People should be patient, help when/if they can and learn when they can't. Brakken imho used his site, no community to single out someone and in other forms of society this would be considered bullying.
Now I like tehskeen, here gbatemp, wiibrew and many other sites. They all have their "useses", but I do try to contribute to things when I can and try to be a member rather than a user. I really wish all these sites and people could get along. I read Bushings latest writings and was dissapointed to see him have another dig at this site (Bushing, c'mon man your better than that), but in all truth he does have a point and in some ways is right. BUT imo, why bother to post it ? It will only keep this whole "war of the web" going and contributes nothing to the scene, actually fanning the flames and making things worse.
All the sites mentioned and a few more have both good and bad members, and of those members, they have good and bad sides, what should be realised is that THIS IS LIFE, deal with it in a mature profesional manner....... if you care about the scene. If the dev of the scene matters we should be able to work along side of those we share different opinions with to further the developments. Not keep things going this same old borring way of tit for tat fighting.
Hell yeah I'm posting loads because Tantrics names come up, and I really, really have huge respect for this guy.
I need to get in touch with him, because I myself was doing something for him, got distracted with some real life crap and let him down. I'll say sorry, he'll say it's ok (even if he thinks I'm a prick) because the guy is a legend, he works so long and gives up his life to people that don't appreciate him in the way they should.
He doesn't try to use others work to make himself a name, he takes time to speak to anyone (even if he personally disagrees with them) to further all his apps for the benefit of others. He helps anyone he can if he has time and all of you that have sat in irc channels with him will know he never throws around his weight, ever.
I saw the whole wiidev channel convo on the day that he was asked about links on wiibrew to his apps and emulators. He didn't really care about who posted links, or about how much credit he got. Brakken had been adding links to tehskeen as the official place to download, and a few people thought the google code site should be the official link. Now both sides have points, google code site is the official site, but posting on a forums gets a lot more feedback for bug reports etc.
Tantric didn't really care either way, and to me seemed like he just wanted to be getting on with the coding, I lost interest in the convo, but I thought google code should be the official site, but others should help the guy by posting it here, tehskeen and all the other wii sites.
My point being, he was very reluctant to take sides on somethings that really came down to him to decide and I'd guess that he just didn't want to cause more inner fightings of the Wii scene.
To see him banned from a site is a disgrace, and missuse of power (even if Brakken is right). Banned ?? omfg Tantric is a VIP in the scene, like a few others we are starting to see treaded as bad users on some sites, VIP in the scene means VIP on all sites associated.
He works his ass off and tries to avoid all these conflicts and it seems to me that he was pushed, pushed and pushed again. When he didn't give an almighty reaction, or blindly obey he is punished. Why ? Who really cares if his apps have a url on them or not ? Waninkoko's have techno's url and I know that most users of his apps are english speaking users that are already stuck in their ways and haven't suddenly stopped going to their usual sites to favour his.
Brakken, and many others need to take a step back from it all and ask themselves do they want to further the progress of the scene, or do they have a different agenda.
Members not involved in this drama need to stop adding to it, and if they do please consider adding a sensible opinion that helps the scene, not one that takes sides. Doing this means devs etc are bogged down and produce less, it hurts the scene. Look at the few great coders to vow never to return because they are sick fed up of it. I still see them doing tihngs though, but maybe they just want to get out of the way of the drama.
We are all right with some things, and we are all wrong with some things. The only way to make things right is to not force your opinions on others or influence those that are easily influenced by reading stuff, shame on you if you do.
So why did I post my opinion on this site ?
Old habits die hard, I've met a lot of people I call friends here and I don't care if it's the best site, the one with most devs or any other reason, even if many here are often wrong, even if some friends were banned.
It's just is because it is.
Gbatemp = dumb but fun and very active and alive.
tehskeen = drama queen central, but some great devs (think back to GC days especially).
wiibrew = elitists but very educational.
All have good and bad points, if we were to try to stop the bad points these sites could work together to be a hugely active and fun set of places for many devs and testers to educate and develop lots more.
What a fooking waste of time it was me typing all that crap. Really who cares......