Re: Just Too Fed Up!
- From: "earthpots" <earthpots@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:05:29 -0500
CatNipped wrote:
"earthpots" <earthpots@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:heq8vg$h8m$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
CatNipped wrote:
I finally just got too fed up with the Board of Gulf Coast Mensa!
The were asking 6 impossible things before breakfast each morning,
the next more work intensive than the last. I told them that I was
in constant pain and had set up the web site to be self perpetuating
- allowing users to enter their own calendar events, etc. But they
just kept insisting on more and constantly complaining - TO A
VOLUNTEER!!!! So they wanted a new webmaster, but they wanted me to
remain the webmaster and "teach" someone else to do what I did (I
was a freakin' web architect, fer gawds sake, you don't "teach"
this kind of expertise in a couple of sit-down lessons). So I
pulled the site and here's what's left: http://www.gcmensa.org/.
Now - one less thing in my plate that I'll no longer have to work
with!
Hugs,
CatNipped
I understand how you feel, but I think taking the site down may have
been going too far. Why not walk away and leave it at that? Your
actions aren't hurting Board of Gulf Coast Mensa, they already made
up their mind that they wanted somebody else. But your actions are
impacting users of that website, which had nothing to do with the
decision(s) of the Board of Gulf Coast Mensa. Because you chose to
take the content down and replace the site content with that
message, this could really turn around and bite you on the a** in
the future. Just for that reason alone, I'd take down that messagge
ASAP. Unless of course, you never plan on using your work on that
site; and for the Board of Gulf Coast Mensa, on your resume for
employment purposes.
I *USED* to work as a web architect. Now, I'm an administrative
assistant because big business in America has decided to "offshore"
those types of jobs to India and China and I can now, literally, make
more as an administrative assistant than as a web architect. The ISP
I deal with that hosts this site sold the company to someone in India
and now, every time they screw something up, I get a person on the
line with an accent I can't understand who knows absolutely nothing
about fixing what they just screwed up.
So, the site has nothing to do with my work any more, except that it
adds to my work every time the Board want a change made to suit their
"tastes". They act like petty little tyrants - the last request was,
on the event submission form they wanted a new field, "Title of the
Event" because "Event Name" was not descriptive of where the event
took place. I explained to them that, because of the versatility of
the event calendar, coding it took 146 hours of my time. *RE*coding
was not a small matter because it would involve changing the database
as well as the code to add the extra field and they didn't want to
use up *THEIR* time by testing it for me. Then they complained that
the calendar didn't look nice because all the little squares weren't
the same size. I tried to explain that you couldn't keep all the
little squares the same size and still have a good description of the
event.
That was when they decided they wanted a new, more "cooperative"
webmaster - they wanted things like "Tweet" and "Twitter" and all the
latest electronic gadgets on their web site.
The thing is, most Mensa web sites look like this:
http://www.neworleans.us.mensa.org/
and
http://www.batonrouge.us.mensa.org/
and
http://newmexico.us.mensa.org/
and
http://etx-mensa.org/
and
http://www.lsm.us.mensa.org/index.html
And those are some of the BETTER ones.
Their boards and communities don't complain that they don't have
automated event calendars and Tweet alerts - they're done by
VOLUNTEERS amd the boards and communities are GRATEFFUL that they
have someone who bothers to spend ANY time at all on them.
I actually had put the site back up again, but after this note I'm
thinking of taking it right back down again. But before I do, go
take a look at the site that they're not satisfied with:
http://www.gcmensa.org/ and then tell me that I should take their
shit any longer than I have to. And remember, while you're there,
you're only seeing the public side of the site, not the private side
that has an interactive calendar of events (all the events you see on
the calendar page are put there by the hosts themselves and if you're
a member send automated reminders, give you mapped directions to
events, and alerts if the event is changed or cancelled), a chat
room, a message board, etc.
I never suggested you should have to take their shit, I was concerned that
taking it down could backfire on you in other ways. You are obviously quite
upset and angry, justifiably so. And I can't blame you, they have placed
unrealistic demands on you. But sometimes (often?) when we are upset or
angry, we act in haste, or do things we later regret. I wanted you to take a
second look perhaps when you were a bit calmer, and re-evaluate your
decision to take the site down. I'm glad you put it back up, and that the
time it was down was most likely not even noticed by the majority. But now
it's time to leave it up and walk away with your head held high. What they
do, or don't do from this point forward is _their_ problem. Take the higher
road, and leave them to their petty, egotistical selves. It looks like a
really nice website, and I can bet when they can't find anyone else to take
over, they will be grovelling on the floor begging you to come back. That's
when you get your satisfaction by emphatically saying "No, no and no!"
You yourself mentioned your fear of your job future due to your
time-off for medical reasons, plus the up-coming merger. You can't
afford to put a stain on your resume, when your job future is
hanging vicariously in the balance. I'm afraid you are hurting
yourself the most, as prospective employers would look at your
actions as immature and even petty. If you can restore the site to
it's prior form, I strongly recommend it. And I sincerely hope not
too many people associated with Gulf Coast Mensa have witnessed the
changeover; being a holiday weekend and a big shopping period,
people aren't exactly visiting websites like that. If I were the
average member, seeing that replacing the normal site content, would
leave a bad taste in my mouth. It's a shame they couldn't have treated
you better, and showed
appreciation for your efforts instead of treating you like a
disposable object. I get that you feel like they walked all over you
and had expectations you couldn't meet. But I think you are
overeacting in this situation, and come the morning, you may find
yourself regretting your haste. Like many high-functiong Autists and
Aspies, I could clearly qualify for Mensa with my IQ, but many I
know have tried and backed out, citing the egotistical and elistists
attitude of many NT (neurotypical) members. Your plate is obviously
overloaded, I don't think you really thought this through, just
reacted in frustration intending to hurt the Board of Gulf Coast
Mensa. And you may be feeling better ATM. But, in the long run do
you think you will really have accomplished anything by doing this?
And what will I have accomplished leaving the site up until they can,
at their leisure, find another webmaster. One they want me to teach
ASP (Active Server Pages which includes: VBScript, Cascading Style
Sheets, SQL Database Administration, Simple Query Language,
JavaScript, HTML, SHMTL, etc.) in all my spare time from a full-time
job and half my time spent in doctors offices and hospitals (and yes,
they do know about my RSD and they really don't care how much it
hurts me to make ridiculous, stupid changes to the site - and they
really don't care, not one of them has offered any help or even a
kind word to me).
Well, you aren't really accomplish anything taking it down. What do you
accomplish leaving it up? First, you are providing that service for the
members using it, who most likely had nothing to do with the egomaniacs on
the Board, demanding more and more from a volunteer. For the sake of the
innocent party, leave it as it is. After all, I bet none of the regular
members utilizing the website have complained, and the fact that they are
using the site features is indirectly a complement to you.
Whatever - *I'M* the one who is petty, huh?
Well, I never used that word nor implied that. Sorry if you saw it that way.
Having read this thread before replying, I do note that that vast majority
agree with me, in that you should leave the website up and just calmly walk
away from the situation. As for the future of the website, let the axe fall
where it will. It's the Board's problem what happens now. Methinks the
members will be pressing the board for answers, when the site fails to work
properly.
Since you are essentially still in control, perhaps you could add a letter
to the website, something along the lines of a "Note from the Webmaster".
Address it to the Gulf Coast Mensa members and state that you are stepping
down from the duties of webmaster, and that the Board is seeking a
replacement. During the transition, the site may not perform as intended, as
you are no longer responsible for it's content or performance. Members
should address their concerns to the members of the Board. IOW, let the
fallout fall on the Board! Revenge is a dish best served cold! (
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006020702473 )
Sit back and watch with satisfaction as things implode, and unless they are
lucky to find a webmaster with your caliber to step into your shoes, things
_will_ implode.
Hugs,--
CatNipped
Carol
Contessa of Consternation
Known to leave foes discombobulated
Autistic Spectrum Code v.1.0
AS? d- s--:+ a+ c+ p+ t-- f S+ p@- e+ h- r- n+(-) i+ P m-() M
http://www32.brinkster.com/ascdecode/
"I have run rings around you logically". Monty Python
Email at clay_pots_47@xxxxxxxxxx, removing the 'nospam' and replacing
with 'msn'.
.
- References:
- Just Too Fed Up!
- From: CatNipped
- Re: Just Too Fed Up!
- From: earthpots
- Re: Just Too Fed Up!
- From: CatNipped
- Just Too Fed Up!
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