I'm pretty much disgusted with the whole scene.
Its about integrity.
The wall of anonymity everyone enjoys on this site - in my opinion - does not exclude you from possessing some of it yourself. Nor does it grant you the right to impune the integrity of others - as has been done to me.
I've been on this site 3 years. Not a long time in relation to some people. Not a long time in the hobby as a whole in relation to some people. But I have 63 reviews and over 350 forum posts. I have been active and involved. I have done my part and I have done it with integrity. I challenge any one of you - to go find any one of those 62 reviews - and tell me my information was flawed, or worse yet - untrue. I was always forthcoming and true as much as I could be - even inflecting humor and light-hearted expressions of my visit. The reviews I posted were always complete and gave you everything you needed to know about that particular visit.
I contributed, both in private and in the public forums. If someone asked me a question and I could provide the answer - I did it willingly and I did it often.
Of course - discretion is the other side of the integrity coin. If someone asked me to keep something private - or if a provider knew about this site - or read the reviews and made it a point to ask me to keep silent about certain things - I did it. There is no rule - written or un-written - that says I should break the confidence of a friend or provider. I haven't - and I still won't. That extends to me sharing information, and asking someone else to be discreet. It goes with the territory. Integrity and discretion go hand in hand - you cant define one without utilizing the other.
The fact that one solitary person - can log in to this forum and put forth something
he heard from a provider - and claim it as gospel against someone like myself, who has contributed to no end - is ridiculous. The fact that this particular poster has been around here longer than me - seems to make it OK in the eyes of others. Maybe - but not in mine. Maybe I cant stop it from happening - but I can certainly decide that the integrity level of others doesn't warrant my continued participation. Hell - I know of 40 or 50 places in this town I can go and get what I crave. I dont "need" to participate. But I did because I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the banter and I enjoyed the camaraderie.
Well - all thats gone. The speed with which everyone else jumped on the bandwagon - calling me names, and saying I should be "outed" (for something I didnt do, mind you) - is also ridiculous.
The fact that this particular person has a long and rich history on here - longer than me - seems to over-rule the integrity that I believe I have provided to both the vocal majority here - as well as the vast amount of you who have used what I gave you - and given nothing in return.
I think the worst thing about all this - in my opinion - is the reactions, or lack of them - by people long considered "friends". I have been told I am to blame for this sudden rash of inactivity in the local scene... somehow its MY fault - sitting here minding my own business - that someone decided to lambast me with lies - told to him by some chick (who just got fired, no less) - what kind of things do YOU think she's gonna say? I'm the bad guy - for not letting it go. I'm the bad guy for defending myself. Your fuckin' right I'm gonna defend myself - to an extent... and then I'm done with it. because I dont care anymore. I dont care what people say. i dont care what people think they know. I dont care if certain people who claimed to be my friend - now say that they just want the fun to return - and its my fault its gone.
If dude would have come to me - instead of posting some obscure forum post that could only be me or one other person - I would have told him the truth. Was I around the situation? I absolutely was. Was I involved in the decision to let her go? No I was not. The people involved in that situation - they did their own research - they asked their own questions - and they came to their own conclusions. I watched it unfold - but contrary to what was said - it wasnt the information
he may have said to me in any private message - that led to the end result.
But I dont even care about that situation anymore.... its too bad that it came to this - but Im not at fault - and I refuse to take the blame for anything that happened - or will happen - as a result of that initial post. The fact is people will take sides - people will believe what they want - and people will lie. Its that simple. People will turn their back on you in the interest of "the fun returning" - no matter what the cost to anyones reputation or integrity.
Its true - its sad that one person can bring down an entire community of people. But I'm not that person. And I just dont care anymore.