I only had a little personal contact with Dragoneer, pretty much ending when he banned me from FA. Most of it was in relation to my criticisms I published on Flayrah and he was not happy with them or the site. I think I do put less personal blame on him for the troubles of FA. For one thing, it is a major site and it couldn't have been easy to keep it going, especially while being constantly criticised (even if you valid criticism) from all sides.
After spending several years as an admin on a smaller site, I also recognise that it's possible that many of his decisions were forced. A leader sometimes has to make changes due to outside pressure or because the leadership structure is united in a certain view even if it doesn't fit one's own view. Those criticisms are the hardest to take. In one of my recent pieces I quoted Dragoneer as having a past view that was very similar to my own. I don't know whether his views really changed or practical challenges forced him to adopt contrary policies. I guess I'll hope it's the latter.
There is a bit of bitterness when I hear that as long as FA exists, a bit of the former users exists. I had many submissions on FA but I learned that at some point in the last two years or so, they were all deleted. I have no idea why. I doubt it was personal. Perhaps it was an automated action after an account has been suspended for 10 years.
His death came as a huge shock for me as I didn't even know he had been sick. He was too young to die and, for whatever faults he had, he was a huge presence in the fandom that did a lot of good. I didn't wish for him to go the way he did and I think it's terrible how some people celebrate the deaths of others. I wish his friends and family all the best during this time and thank him for the good things that he did do.
PS: For the list of articles, you missed out Doing the FA tango; one step forward, two steps back where I discussed Dragoneer's controversial staff appointments as well as generously donating some of their funds to SoFurry.
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~
I only had a little personal contact with Dragoneer, pretty much ending when he banned me from FA. Most of it was in relation to my criticisms I published on Flayrah and he was not happy with them or the site. I think I do put less personal blame on him for the troubles of FA. For one thing, it is a major site and it couldn't have been easy to keep it going, especially while being constantly criticised (even if you valid criticism) from all sides.
After spending several years as an admin on a smaller site, I also recognise that it's possible that many of his decisions were forced. A leader sometimes has to make changes due to outside pressure or because the leadership structure is united in a certain view even if it doesn't fit one's own view. Those criticisms are the hardest to take. In one of my recent pieces I quoted Dragoneer as having a past view that was very similar to my own. I don't know whether his views really changed or practical challenges forced him to adopt contrary policies. I guess I'll hope it's the latter.
There is a bit of bitterness when I hear that as long as FA exists, a bit of the former users exists. I had many submissions on FA but I learned that at some point in the last two years or so, they were all deleted. I have no idea why. I doubt it was personal. Perhaps it was an automated action after an account has been suspended for 10 years.
His death came as a huge shock for me as I didn't even know he had been sick. He was too young to die and, for whatever faults he had, he was a huge presence in the fandom that did a lot of good. I didn't wish for him to go the way he did and I think it's terrible how some people celebrate the deaths of others. I wish his friends and family all the best during this time and thank him for the good things that he did do.
PS: For the list of articles, you missed out Doing the FA tango; one step forward, two steps back where I discussed Dragoneer's controversial staff appointments as well as generously donating some of their funds to SoFurry.
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~