! I'll PM you your prize.
Vector and Ari, I think you're both amazing and I hate to see an obvious misunderstanding turn into an all-out fight or the source of long-term conflict. Please accept my two cents, then I promise to shush.
Vector, Aristabulus isn't just some kid in college, he's also a dad who's going to school to get his degree a bit late. He's definitely familiar with responsibility and adulthood. Balancing school, a family, and a massive giveaway like this one is a huge amount of pressure, and I think it's understandable that he would get a bit snappy when he thinks people are ignoring him -- even if he's mistaken about that. Under normal circumstances, I've always found him to be incredibly patient, understanding, kind, and generous, and I think what you perceive as rudeness or callousness really just comes down to a misunderstanding and a lot of stress. We all react that way sometimes.
On the other hand, Ari, I'm pretty sure Vector just misunderstood your intentions at the start, and the misunderstanding just escalated as you both got upset about what each of you perceived as an unfounded personal attack. Actually, when you posted "Are you serious?" I honestly thought you were just joking around, not that it was a genuine question. It's totally fair to say that donators are responsible for making sure their games are listed, but really, it was surely an honest mistake, not a lack of respect or care. Vector is also an awesome, positive presence on the forums, and just as you are currently stressed and busy and low on patience for misunderstandings, so is she.
Just look at that list of games on the first page, guys. That's an incredible amount of generosity that people are offering to strangers on the internet. This giveaway is my favorite part of Christmas, because it's proof that people don't have to be jerks online, and that we don't all have to reserve our kindness solely for our closest friends and family. We've got such an awesome community here, it really kills me to see anyone getting angry at each other over misunderstandings. A lot of us are having incredibly difficult and stressful times in our lives right now, and we all have a lot of scars from our pasts that cause us to get defensive or upset in response to certain things. But this is Bay 12, home of the rare and mysterious Toad and his legions of loyal dwarfs, quite possibly the friendliest, safest place on the interwebs. If we can all find it within ourselves to be patient and forgiving when other people make mistakes, it will stay that way for a long, long time.
Cookies for everyone. Christmas cookies, in fact. And hugs, if you want them.
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Topic: XMAS 2014 GIVEAWAY - 25 Days of Scandinavian Heavy Metal Carols (Read 152689 times)