No Secret Santa next year.

Preface:

I tend to lurk around MUGEN Guild sometimes, when looking something to read, or study sprite-making tips, or see the latest release. There's one quote on an account I saw though, and it felt like... the most brilliant quote ever produced. If you've seen my signature here on dA, it's from that. It's just pure, unbridled, common sense.

"If there is no reason to post or the person is apparently being dumb it is NOT your responsibility to point out that they are dumb. You either need to make an effort to correct them, or ignore them. Not ridicule them."

Words to live by. It's not my job to single you out, label you, and call you the lesser of any human being. I can simply tell you what's up, and help you, or, let it go. No matter what age you are, you are still going to grow up to be an adult... and you have to act as such. Online. Offline.

The events I just saw, however brief, whatever happened, I did not like. As such, I sent my feelings out, and I think this experience have made me decide not to host next year's SS. This account will be in hibernation after KUWT Issue 13. I'll still talk, visit a page or two, take some time to chillax with some pals, but my webcomic will move to Jigsy. 2014 is ending on a very rough, rough note... and I don't want to ride this train anymore.

===

It's come to my attention that there have been issues lately with some of the Secret Santa participants. I thought it was just two users, now it's four.

I'm not going to choose a side. He-said-she-said never gets anyone anywhere. My blood pressure results are getting higher from a doctor's appointment that ended on a so-so manner, I just had money taken away from me (presumably stolen), and I played a long note-tag over an evern larger commission that could've costed me even more.

So, I'm just going to say a few points for future reference:

- If you have a problem about the person you got... come to me about it. Those that had been paying some attention might have known that I had to be the official host after the original couldn't do it, and all other replacements didn't want to do it either. That I had to take on more responsibilities than normal, aside from the countless others I have to do, isn't exactly my ideal form of 'fun'. What I could not do is deliberately tell you what the person wants, or decide for you, but I can at least try to solve simple disagreements between the two of you, before things got worse.
- If you don't like what you got, I'm sorry, but that's what a Secret Santa is. It's a Secret until the end; better to have something rather than nothing. It's the thought that counts.
- Communication is key. Users had one month to try and interact with the person they got to find out what they would like. If not, find something and try to work with that, but still try to be in touch as the person you're going to be giving gifts to still matters.
- Act like an adult. Yes, this is a free internet. I don't care. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't act like an idiot in the public or curse like a drunk sailor. This was meant to be a fun group community project, the third of it's kind, and it makes little sense to start calling out other users and treat them like junk. Regardless of what they did to you, handle it responsibly and appropriately.

I am not going to listen to sides and I am not going to play the deciding factor in who's right over who's wrong. As far as I'm concerned, four users so far are involved and thus share the responsibility. The Secret Santa will continue as planned - if you decide to return next year, if it's any compensation I will make sure you four do not get paired up in the next Secret Santa in December 2015.

I think this journal has been respectfuly explained, hasn't it? If you intend to reply to this journal , , , , I expect the same.