All the journal below is from last night, but here's a scoop we've all been waiting for: THE TRUTH, updated

Get this link out, far and wide. And read it carefully, there's so much to learn.

Will revise tomorrow accordingly...

Previously:
The Minimum Standard - the crime that was committed
A Plan for Action - first drafts of discontent

Keep in mind I'm updating the Shoutboard every day or so. If this shows up in your DevWatch again, it's cause I've made some significant update.

Hey! What long-time deviant has the time and skill to do a complex °jark-themed vector piece?!? I've got an awesome vision but I don't have the skillz!

Thanks to ~typewritersandtulips for the excellent new tongue in cheek below!

Please do comment. It makes a useful difference.

______________



Well, $spyed has sure cleared up a lot now, hasn't he?

Notice the attempts to change the subject.
Notice the walking around the topic without addressing it.
Notice the complete stonewalling under the guise of "legal" issues.
Notice the lack of remorse or regret.
Notice the avoidance of even mentioning °matteo (let alone °euphoria ).
Notice the rewriting of history.
Notice the self-importance.

Notice that "°jark's swell, but think about the hard work of all these other staff members that we haven't sacked."

Notice the lack of commitment to the truth.

But what's really itching my skin is the timing of all this, days before the birthday, as if we're all pawns in some game the administration is playing with us. Or some manipulative master plan.

Seems pretty obvious to me that nothing's gonna be revealed until Sunday, unless somehow °jark or some other friendly agent can pop out some truth somehow.

And Sunday is a long way away.

...

One bit of self-pimpage, I'm really proud of my response to $spyed's "Community" journal: [link]

Yes, I got pissed today. Does that surprise you, that it's taken so long?

I piss slowly, constantly second-guessing myself, and examining the evidence, and theoretically understanding the opposition. It takes me a good long time to get pissed, to be so careful about it.

And have been extremely careful in this case. Have bust my mental ass to find a credible defense or rationale for the administration's behavior.

But all I can see is either treachery toward °jark, or that we're all part of some ridiculous birthday spirit exercise, or both.

So once I get pissed, I usually remain that way. Sometimes forever.

And nothing pisses me off like injustice.

But being played a fool is right on up there.

...

I'm not suggesting distrust of °jark. He's clearly a victim, and his persistent voice in all this merely demands "Out with it!" about the truth. That's a cause I can believe in, that I think points to the right side of this conflict.

I'll tell you, though: I've considered distrusting him. I've tried as hard to imagine his potential failing in this affair as I have tried to see $spyed's side. Went through some hard examination but ended up in the same place:

Jark is the one with the knife in his back.

And there's no plausible explanation for the disrespect with which it was put there.

However, stinking up administrator pages and those of neutral strangers clearly isn't going to do any good now. $spyed has started speaking, and it's as useful as a Fox news broadcast about scandals in the White House.

I do admire how you people are deconstructing him, though. Make it your favorite pasttime, if you don't mind the futility of it. But be restrained about excessive rheteoric that makes anyone sound hysterical.

We've got a very strong moral point here, the Golden Rule itself. Almost anyone could be converted, if we can get them to open their eyes to it. It doesn't need to be shouted, just explained firmly.

And I have seen some ASS-KICKING analyses from some of you people, calm, collected, and lacerating. I am sooooo impressed.

But we're probably stuck in the information blackout until Sunday. (Though even that might be a faint hope, but it's the best one that's plausible.)

So the initial battle plan was probably more-or-less the right one. Let's reframe it.

Before, we'd called it "grinding DA to a halt."

Let's think of it now as "putting deviantART on PROBE-ation."

Let's hide our art, in effect saying, "you can't have it back until we're satisfied." This helps our dissatisfaction matter.

Let's make sure our pages display this issue, in our remaining art, our journals, and our avatars. Let's paint this site yellow, either/both literally and metaphorically.

Let's avoid any semblance of "business as usual."

(I continue to believe this is the most important thing to avoid, and I think $spyed's journals have confirmed how badly he wants it.)

(And we're not destroying deviantART merely by "giving it a rest.")

Let's save our comments or faves for those who aren't blowing off the issue, or using them as an excuse to reach those that are. My point is that "idle chit-chat" is what we're trying to minimize.

Let's certainly not inject any new money into DA. Not this week.

Surely, we can take a stand for a week. Until whatever revelation is to come. Even the lack of a revelation would be a revelation, wouldn't it? If they show such indifference to us on DA's special day.

But that's a long ways, so we're gonna have to breathe more slowly. Not stand down, but stand more still.

Murmur, or grumble, rather than play as if nothing is wrong.

A vigil.

To see how °jark will ultimately be treated. Or the truth about how he has been.

And then we can decide whether DA deserves to be relieved of its PROBE-ation.

Then, we can decide if we should bring this place back to life again, or if we should "take our fun" and walk.

And each of us will be able to make our own decision, once we know the facts. Each of us can know if deviantART is a site we want to remain associated with.

For instance, I personally am not optimistic. But as long as we care, there's hope.

But, on the other hand, I'd also suggest cooling it too.

Let's back up, detach, watch, learn, study, observe. Let's try to back away from the divisiveness, certainly cool it on the vitriol, and make sure we're presenting a rational grimace of discontent.

If you're out there fighting the good fight in forums or journals, try to invite people to see our point of view, rather than hammering them with it.

For instance, my central point has been, "Well, if you founded an incredible dream, and poured five years of your life into it only to get ruthlessly sacked, wouldn't you want the community to stand up for you?"

But to suggest "cooling it" is really to look out for our own self-interests too.

If we've got to wait until Sunday for any answers, we are all going to fry our minds if we try to ride our adrenalin until then.

(Have already blown my entire weekend in agitation over this, and really had much more personally important things to do.)

So let's put our own houses in order, trim our yards with yellow, and put deviantART on PROBE-ation.

And see, by next week, if DA lives up to the passion we feel for it.

That's the best advice I've got, at this point.

I share it in case it's useful to you.

Share it further if it is.