We all want the same thing.

We're all suffering from the same problem.

We can no longer TRUST the Management of deviantART.

Even Management is "suffering" from that problem, watching the site and spirit erode beneath.

By extension, we can no longer trust the Administration of deviantART, who are parroting the company line.

The Management says, "Don't worry. Trust us. Be happy."

Well, we'd all like that. Very much.

But we have a very plausible narrative that insists we shouldn't.

Even if it's totally bogus, it's plausible. And nothing more likely has been suggested.

Greed is the most plausible explanation in the world, for suspicious behavior.

Even if Management has done nothing wrong, the plausible narrative makes too much sense to ignore.

All of us would be remiss, to return to "business as usual," until we get better answers.

Someone got stabbed in the back, we all saw it. And we've been given no reason for it.

Reportedly, Scott has been given no reason for it.

Caught between Scott's pleas for the truth, and Management's persistent stonewalling, how can there be TRUST?

With over a dozen damning reports from former staff, how can we give Management the benefit of the doubt?

And the remaining day-to-day administration is caught in the middle.

Following is a theoretical sequence of events that will solve this problem.

It allows all deviants to play a role in demanding this mess get over with.

It solves the Administration's problem with a path toward their own solution.

It illustrates that if Management wishes to benefit from good faith, that they show us good faith.

It is especially feasible if Management has done nothing wrong, and has nothing to hide.

It will resolve this whole mess, without any unreasonable demands, and we can all get back to enjoying deviantART.

This advice below is meant to benefit everyone, from top to bottom.

We can end the erosion of talent, end the disillusion of fledgling artists, end the sitewide strife and confusion.

And restore TRUST.

And not just make the site better than it was two weeks ago, but better than it was two years ago.

And if it can't work, then we will all know something is deeply wrong here.

There's a role for everyone in here, whether you live up to it is your choice.

But if this site wants TRUST back, I'd suggest you take this seriously.

Cause I can't imagine anything else that would work.

We are artists, we should be making dreams come true.



A Theoretical Sequence of Events

Fed-up deviants declare "Enough is Enough," hide their galleries (per example) for an expectation of about one week, as soon as possible, and press for resolution.

"Higher-profile" deviants, in particular, who feel this confusion is inexcusable and expect better from their website, assert their own value by hiding their work.

"Middle-profile" deviants express their solidarity, by showing they too will restrain their work to demand a resolution to this site's crisis.

This creates a sense of urgency.

And this illustrates the practical and monetary value of an art site full of unhappy artists.

"Middle-profile" deviants approach indecisive "higher-profile" deviants and politely ask them to join the cause. Everyone can sacrifice a week. "Please press for the investigation."

All deviants, especially higher-profile deviants, politely and KINDLY approach administration and staffers and ask them to do whatever it takes to solve the problem. "Please mount the investigation."

Administration and staff members, sick of being stuck in the middle, realize whom they are suppose to represent, and gather to mount an internal investigation. They are within the NDA, and therefore can pursue this without restriction.

It's a "good cop/bad cop" scenario. The withholding artists are "the bad cops," they are impatient and no longer content to be ignored. The staffers are "good cops," taking the case to management to resolve this nightmare once and for all, for everyone's benefit.

This dynamic gives the investigation more force, momentum, and conviction.

By this weekend, administration and staffers announce in their journals whether or not they are participating. Staffers known for their integrity get themselves onto the team.

No longer content to simply believe what they are told, the investigation demands "paper" evidence. This evidence is shared freely among all those within the NDA.

The investigation by people within the NDA demands access to financials and records, because TRUST will never be restored so long as that information is hidden even from people on the inside.

Emails are reviewed - if nothing's been done wrong, why hide them? Understandably-confidential emails are at least reviewed by correspondent and subject line. As much is revealed to the investigation as possible.

If the "good ugly reason" Scott was fired is true, where's the evidence?

If there's no financial wrong-doing, where's the evidence?

Why share the financials with staffers? Why not?!?

The investigation effectively becomes the jury, and in the longer term, an informal oversight board that represents the best interests of artists on this site.

This attitude adjustment is essential to restoring TRUST to deviantART.

Deviants, pleased at progress, enjoy socializing normally, on pages and in forums. But the galleries remain ghost towns for at least a week until initial reports are returned. Eye-witness reports, not based on heresay.

As the investigation continues, other actions are taken to restore TRUST to the community, and respect to the artists.

The draconian Submission Agreement is revised, as soon as a lawyer can possibly draft it. It projects respect to the artists, rather than insisting they bend over.

In particular, corrected to provide easy and unambiguous terminations of individual deviations from the conditions therein, simply by removing work from a gallery. Anything less is ridiculous, unacceptable, and disrespectful to all artists.

This new Submission Agreement explicitly overrides the previous one, as soon as a single deviation is uploaded within it.

History is corrected. A new non-staff deviant status, Founder, is created and assigned to °jark and °matteo. It is effectively senior/former staff status, with no particular access to the inner workings of the site, but meant to state plainly their role in the history of deviantART.

The staff page is brought back online, and °jark and °matteo are put on the top with their Founder status.

A history page is compiled, with fair tellings of the roles of all early players, including $spyed's very important role at the outset.

Somewhere along the way, Scott is forwarded the documentation he's been requesting for months, to which he's been legally entitled as a principle in the company.

By Friday, August 19, the members of the investigation release their initial reports in their journals. These are individual statements, not by committee, and reflect the individual perceptions and concerns of each member of the investigations.

Not what they've been told, what they've seen. What's surprised them? What's reassured them? What's concerned them? What have they learned?

The CEO has complete authority to release those individuals from their NDAs, and figures out a reasonable way to do this without compromising the site or the business, but to the greatest possible latitude for them to re-establish TRUST with the community and talk openly about our site.

Complicities are admitted. Mistakes were made. Staff re-dedicate themselves to the benefit of the community.

Former conscientious staff members are invited back on-board, to add renewed legitimacy to the administration and management itself. They are allowed to review the results of the investigation themselves, to report their satisfaction or concerns.

Management releases journals and statements to plainly state intentions, both abandoned and ongoing. Mistakes are admitted. Motivations are owned up to. Humility is expressed. Controversial positions are expressed plainly, within an even-handed review of pros and cons to life as we've known it.

Hot Topics are released that overtly acknowledge the recent conflict within the site, projecting humility and respect. Propaganda becomes taboo. Good writing remains welcome, corporate spin and doublespeak become institutionally frowned upon.

If there are any intentions or preparations for selling the site, or rights to our artwork, these are stated plainly. We have a right to know.

Administrators as an informal oversight board become the new "business as usual." Once they were pariahs, now they are heroes.

New transparency is achieved.

"Oversight reports" continue as long as necessary or useful.

The banner atop our pages has yellow fireworks add to it, as a sign that the crisis is finally resolved. Art flourishes all over DA with new excitement and passion.

The revised agreement and improved temperment once again make deviantART a destination for all those enthusiastic about art.

Scott and Angelo's legal battle will wage in the courts, but no longer concerns us directly.

Scott remains "out of power," at least until that situation is resolved. But enjoys the leadership potential to the community of his "Founder" status, and benefits the site. He and Matt have finally been shown respect.

Angelo, assuming no evidence is found of illegal conduct, remains IN power. The only change is that all activities that will affect artists on this site are now reviewed by the oversight board, and shared publicly whenever possible.

His office becomes open, but he still has it.

He stills sits in his chair, he still writes the checks.

He works for the benefit of all artists here.

Not the other way around.




_____________________


Does this seem implausible? Wildly unrealistic? Unlikely to happen?

It is only unreasonable if someone does not respect our values.

It is not at all unreasonable...

If we artists stand up for our website.

If Administration realizes who they're supposed to be representing.

If Management has nothing to hide.

If we care about the community here, and our mutual quality of life.

If we don't settle for less.

Than reasonable.

And respect.









______________

If you believe in the cause, please pimp the cause. This is a sitewide concern, with a sitewide solution.

An Example and Short Version has been posted since this longer rational above.

Assessments, previously:

8/10: Lack of Trust Will Ruin Us
8/06: The Phantom Menace
8/03: The Open Letter to Administrators
8/02: DA is Under PROBE-ation
8/01: A Plan for Action
7/29: The Minimum Standard