OK, I've stopped SINergy for now.
But I've dropped by the boards, to see what's up.
Seen two threads:
http://www.xsorbit4.com/users/nails/index.cgi?board=oc&action=display&num=1136377068
http://www.xsorbit4.com/users/nails/index.cgi?board=oc&action=display&num=1135008492
Sadly, these are exactly why I stopped.
Lots of problems. Mostly summarized by 'the ref team suck'.
And 'someone else should do more work'.
Thing is, it remains a 'volunteer' thing. And ... well, there's not been many.
And after 18months of 40 hours a month on SINergy (ok, I admit, it got notably less towards the end) I hit burnout. I think there's other members of the ref team in the same situation.
Burnout, you see, is when you're doing something. And then you realise that you're not enjoying it.
If it's a question of 'just showing up' it's not so bad - fairly easy to get over the resistance.
But if it's a 'quite a few hours a month' kind of thing, it slips.
It doesn't help the activity any at all though.
*shrug* what it _needs_ is a fresh injection of Ref team enthusiasm.
But I've dropped by the boards, to see what's up.
Seen two threads:
http://www.xsorbit4.com/users/nails/index.cgi?board=oc&action=display&num=1136377068
http://www.xsorbit4.com/users/nails/index.cgi?board=oc&action=display&num=1135008492
Sadly, these are exactly why I stopped.
Lots of problems. Mostly summarized by 'the ref team suck'.
And 'someone else should do more work'.
Thing is, it remains a 'volunteer' thing. And ... well, there's not been many.
And after 18months of 40 hours a month on SINergy (ok, I admit, it got notably less towards the end) I hit burnout. I think there's other members of the ref team in the same situation.
Burnout, you see, is when you're doing something. And then you realise that you're not enjoying it.
If it's a question of 'just showing up' it's not so bad - fairly easy to get over the resistance.
But if it's a 'quite a few hours a month' kind of thing, it slips.
It doesn't help the activity any at all though.
*shrug* what it _needs_ is a fresh injection of Ref team enthusiasm.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-04 08:58 pm (UTC)I stopped because I reached a position where I was just slagging off various posters. I don't have the words to clearly write what I want to truely say.
The only realy sentence that I can put together that even comes close to what I feel right now is, "well fuck you all!"
I had so many ideas of things that woul dwork.. but it all just gets dragged down and trodden on..
You have my sympathy
Date: 2006-01-04 09:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-04 09:26 pm (UTC)Pity. When it was good, it was bloody good. Let's hope those days come back sometime soon.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-04 09:31 pm (UTC)And, while it would get me lynched, I'm tempted to say that on the main boards.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-04 09:35 pm (UTC)Rest assured I can if necessary put my moderator hat on and sort out anyone who gets too nasty.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-05 12:02 am (UTC)Not blaming the refs, but there's something in the atmosphere/attitude that annoys me. The last couple of sessions (that I made it to) were better, but... In many ways it hasn't been the same since "the incident" and both Lynn and Matt stopped attending... Not your fault guys as however cool your characters are, a game should be able to survive losing a couple of established players like that. Something else left then and I really can't pin down what it was.
Bleh, it's late and I'm waffleing. I should sleep.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-05 03:44 am (UTC)Whatever else you could say about Ryan, the developing antagonism between Mr Johnson & Faust marked one of the highlights of SINergy for me. Konrad had ended up with a foot in both camps, and was wondering to hell & back how he would get out of it alive...
Do we have anyone since then who'd really count as a fixer, because to my eye we're horribly short on them.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-05 10:42 am (UTC)I'm not trying to be vicious, but saying what I feel. I like the refs as friends, but I feel that the ref team as a whole isn't working. I'm trying to point out where the problems FROM MY POV are, and while I know my writing can be formal, I'm not bitching, I'm stating.
I am NOT just pointing at the refs. I am pointing at the system AS A WHOLE.
The refs are trying to do a job with a system & player base that just aren't enthused any more. Part of this is down to the organisers, i.e. the refs, part of it is down to the players.
I am posting even tho' I'm not attending as both I and Ian would very much LIKE to start playing again, but feel we can't with the system as is - therefore I'm posting the problems _I_ percieve with the intention of getting to the point where we can attend again.
Ian's mentioned he'd be interested in reffing to me... But the ref team is big enough as it is, and they're not exactly advertising for more people.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-05 11:03 am (UTC)SINergy is, and ALWAYS HAS BEEN voluntary.
If something's not right, then feel free do DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
The 'sense of entitlement' that the ref team need to put more effort in, do this, do that, do the other and entertain offends me. The Ref team also do it for fun. The fact that this is getting less good, to me means that _they're_ not having fun either.
And you know what? Continuous bitching (and yes, I do mean over almost the entire duration of my SINergy reffing) does that.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-05 11:22 pm (UTC)Did you post on the "how can things be improved, what needs changing thread" to say how you felt it could be improved? Where the work needs to be done and how people could help?
the refs put the question up there for everybody to say their piece so who do you feel could do with working harder and what would they need to do and how could they do it? What areas could people improve in?
Maybe the negitive feed back has left you feeling pretty low but it was not all negitive there were plenty positive supportive and constructive comments there which people could take on board to really help things improve. Even though you have left you could offer your own experiance and insight to help those who're still trying to get it back on it's feet, I kow any information advice and ideas would be appreciated.
People posted on the thread the information was requested on, in order to help the ref team and the game in general, complaining else where helps no one but only creates more bad feeling and resentment in more areas.
As an ex ref you can see areas that could be improved and perhaps have your idea how to improve it.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-06 10:01 pm (UTC)The problem hasn't been, "too many refs"
it's been
"too many refs who aren't contributing because they aren't enjoying it any more"
Which means that certain of the rest of us (ie: Me) feel:
"There are half a dozen of us, so why am I doing most of the work?"
no subject
Date: 2006-01-05 11:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-05 07:36 pm (UTC)I am saying this for anyone reading this not just yourself.
H
no subject
Date: 2006-01-05 08:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-05 11:24 pm (UTC)Who would you like to put the effort in and how? what would you like to see happen? put your ideas on the thread then for all to see and between everything they can all be worked on together and things can be sorted out.
SINergy
Date: 2006-01-05 08:24 pm (UTC)Take a proper holiday and find a new hobby. You deserve it.
Re: SINergy
Date: 2006-01-07 01:05 pm (UTC)An LRP weekend can be huge fun but it's not a holiday where you can just chill out and recover from the press of the world.
Holidays all round.