Wargamer.com sob story on Boardgamegeek

[Zulu1966]

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[LongBlade]

I thought the articles, reviews, aar's and other content at wargamer.com had improved since Curt had taken over - so in that sense I'm sorry to see him go.  I thought the forums award thing was a little odd - but basically harmless. 

I'm curious why Curtis was let go given the improvements he made. Was he given the opportunity to correct whatever perceived shortcomings he had with Slitherine management?

As for his forum style, not everyone likes every mod's style. That's the way it goes. Some folks don't like how we run things here. Fine. I get it. Most of the problem WG had was because their forum software didn't work. It took Slitherine months to get some software that at least mostly worked. That's hardly Curtis' fault.

[Zulu1966]

I thought the articles, reviews, aar's and other content at wargamer.com had improved since Curt had taken over - so in that sense I'm sorry to see him go.  I thought the forums award thing was a little odd - but basically harmless. 

I'm curious why Curtis was let go given the improvements he made. Was he given the opportunity to correct whatever perceived shortcomings he had with Slitherine management?

As for his forum style, not everyone likes every mod's style. That's the way it goes. Some folks don't like how we run things here. Fine. I get it. Most of the problem WG had was because their forum software didn't work. It took Slitherine months to get some software that at least mostly worked. That's hardly Curtis' fault.

Dont ever go there much. But had been frequenting more often lately as there were some interesting articles appearing on a regular basis. Seems odd they would want to get rid if he was actually making the place better. Guess it was a people thing then. the world would be a great place if it wernt for all the people in it.

[Steelgrave]

As for Curtis I read the piece posted by jarhead and not knowing the guy I would have said its a great piece of editorial satire worthy of the Onion. For those of you who know him do you think this essay really reflects his personality?
Con

Con, in all seriousness, I am one of the easiest persons to get along with you will ever know. That's not just coming from me, I've heard that for years. In a successful management career, one of my trademarks was that I almost always had the lowest turnover of any unit or division in the company I was working for. There were reasons for that and I'm proud of that record.

I loved the WG'er and had been on the board since '06. I will state plainly that I left the Wargamer as a writer, as a contributor and as a moderator for one reason and one reason only: Curtis. He was insufferable, impossible to work with, and his ego wrote checks that his ability couldn't cash. Even if you ignore his resignation letter, go back and read what he wrote about the Grognard medal. The guy was so full of himself, it's incredible! From the way he talked, you would think that he molded the Wargamer from clay, then breathed life into it. Everything about the Wargamer was about him. Sorry, I meant to write HIM, because that's how he came off. I can deal with a lot of personality types, but condescending is not one of them. To take the Biblical analogy a step further, ever notice that he was the only admin/moderator ever who felt the need for large red script whenever he spoke?

I'm being frank here, and please understand that this is my opinion and is not intended to reflect any position of Grogheads or anyone else. But that's my take on it, unfiltered.

[LongBlade]

As for Curtis I read the piece posted by jarhead and not knowing the guy I would have said its a great piece of editorial satire worthy of the Onion. For those of you who know him do you think this essay really reflects his personality?
Con

Con, in all seriousness, I am one of the easiest to get along with people you will ever know. That's not just coming from me, I've heard that for years. In a successful management career, one of my trademarks was that I almost always had the lowest turnover of any unit or division in the company I was working for. There were reasons for that and I'm proud of that record.

I loved the WG'er and had been on the board since '06. I will state plainly that I left the Wargamer as a writer, as a contributor and as a moderator for one reason and one reason only: Curtis. He was insufferable, impossible to work with, and his ego wrote checks that his ability couldn't cash. Even if you ignore his resignation letter, go back and read what he wrote about the Grognard medal. The guy was so full of himself, it's incredible! From the way he talked, you would think that he molded the Wargamer from clay, then breathed life into it. Everything about the Wargamer was about him. Sorry, I meant to write HIM, because that's how he came off. I can deal with a lot of personality types, but condescending is not one of them. To take the Biblical analogy a step further, ever notice that he was the only admin/moderator ever who felt the need for large red script whenever he spoke?

I'm being frank here, and please understand that this is my opinion and is not intended to reflect any position of Grogheads or anyone else. But that's my take on it, unfiltered.

Steelie, you and I have had discussions privately and I was aware of your feelings on this.

What I'm not clear on is whether Slitherine ever gave Curtis a chance to course correct. In speaking with him earlier this week it seemed as though this came out of the blue. Basic management principles dictate that he should have been given clear goals and the chance to correct any inability to meet them. I'm not sure if Curtis was given that chance.

[Arctic Blast]

This whole thing is just bizarre.

I have had virtually no interaction with Curtis whatsoever. By the time he took over on the Wargamer, I had long grown tired of the site and migrated over here. But what does it say about a person that he feels that need to post that...let's go with dramatic...final post on pretty much every forum he could find, complaining of secret cabals out to get him? There are better ways to get attention.

All that this does is stir up another round of BS animosity between this site and Wargamer. Are there people here who don't particularly like that site, and vice versa? Sure. Doesn't mean there needs to be a ridiculous turf war. And all that he's done is stir that up with his rambling nonsense about a shadowy group from here that was out to get him...something that DOES NOT EXIST. Grow up, dude. I understand that it sucks to be let go from a position you enjoy, but that doesn't excuse this ridiculous scapegoating nonsense. Unless you truly believe that this site apparently has the ability to force Slitherine-Matrix to do whatever we want them to do...in which case, could we please get a new Steel Panthers? Now! I demand it at once!

[Steelgrave]

What I'm not clear on is whether Slitherine ever gave Curtis a chance to course correct. In speaking with him earlier this week it seemed as though this came out of the blue. Basic management principles dictate that he should have been given clear goals and the chance to correct any inability to meet them. I'm not sure if Curtis was given that chance.

I have no idea, LB, but I suspect that the turmoil on the board, coupled with the many members who have left was the major impetus for Curtis being fired. You know the numbers. Folks who had been at the WG'er for years, who had tens of thousands of posts between them, left. No doubt some of that was out of frustration over a broken interface, which JH and I struggled with while we were mods (while having no power to fix it). I have no inside knowledge, I just know why I left.

I agree with your assessment; from a management perspective, course corrections were needed and firing a guy out of the blue isn't ideal. In fact, it often speaks of a lack of attention from ownership. But occasionally a business will have an employee or manager who is so destructive that immediate action is demanded. To me, that's Curtis.

[Jarhead0331]

Scott parino is a reasonable guy, and I do not think he would just jump at the opportunity to fire, or play a role in firing curtis without good cause. Afterall, a great deal of scott's reputation hung in the balance of curtis's performance. It was scott who was tasked with finding and selecting his replacement as E-I-C of the wg, and he chose curtis.  Knowing what I know of curtis, I can almost guaranty, that he responded like a total asshole when he was approached with critisism. That is was probably most directly led to his termination.

As far as the Hitler speech goes, if Dorosh made that up and it is in fact not attributable to hitler, then that is EXTREMELY messed up, and I apologize to curtis and anyone else who was offended for reposting it. I do not know Dorosh outside of his battlefront conflict and did not do any research before reposting. Shame on me....

[Steelgrave]

As far as the Hitler speech goes, if Dorosh made that up and it is in fact not attributable to hitler, then that is EXTREMELY messed up, and I apologize to curtis and anyone else who was offended for reposting it. I do not know Dorosh outside of his battlefront conflict and did not do any research before reposting. Shame on me....

If Dorosh made that up....he has way too much time on his hands and frankly is more creative than I would have given him credit for.

On a lighter note, the latest incarnation of Azz has completely hijacked that thread with his psuedo-gay banter between him and Ghostrider. Some things truly never change.

[Knavery]

I had posted in R&P just a few days ago and this Curtis guy went in there and edited it. I didn't attack or slander anyone. He just didn't care what I wrote and stated I couldn't talk about the moderation of the forums. And it was more of a question on my part having been gone for so long.

Then I did some research. I looked at some threads that had been closed by Curtis, as well as some open ones, and noticed the word BANNED under several peoples' names. It was like walking around those lost on a battlefield after a poorly executed operation.

I don't know the guy personally, but I think he needs serious help. He comes across as a loose cannon that someone should really keep an eye on. He may have done a lot of good things for The Wargamer, but they were completely overshadowed by his megalomania within the forums. And that's reason enough to get the axe.

[GDS_Starfury]

curtiss is A grade dips**t.  the cockweasle comes in and thinks he knows how to mod a forum thats done just fine self modding itself thank you very much.  you just dont magicly understand over a decades worth of forum personalities and relationships.  the ass monkeys that have cropped up and the asshats that have always been there are overrunning the place like weeds.  Im particularly pissed that his getting fired happend when Im banned.

oh how I want to throw jet fuel on that fire!

[LongBlade]

I realize some folks may not have liked Curtis' style, but let's please refrain from using personal insults and name calling.

[GDS_Starfury]

I never get to have fun!


.....goes off to pout in a corner.

[GDS_Starfury]

Ive got Opus riding the Space Shuttle dropping bombs.

Im itching for a fight.

[GDS_Starfury]

come to think of it...

if it wasnt for Bloom Country and Monty Python I might have ended up normal.
THANK GOD that didnt happen!