4/12/12, about 8:30pm my time - this came in about 45 minutes ago...regrettably, after waiting for it for so long i was obliged to be out and could not post it as soon as it came in. it is printed exactly as received (i haven't even read it myself yet, lol).
Here's the text. Thanks for your support! :)
-Ron
Hi Everyone,
I'm happy to announce that our deal with the previous owners of FooPets has finally been completed, so I can now tell you all about it.
First, a bit of backstory. FooPets was created by a small startup company called FooMojo back in January of 2008, and launched to the public as a Facebook app called Pokey in February 2008. Pokey was a hit on Facebook, reaching #13 in the app rankings there by May of 2008, so FooMojo was able to raise more money from investors and hire lots more artists and engineers to expand into the full FooPets experience at FooPets.com in December of 2008.
FooPets grew modestly through 2009 and the start of 2010, but the investors wanted even more growth, and decided to hire a new CEO from the gaming industry who could release more social games and grow even faster. In August 2010, that new CEO took over the company, changed the company name from FooMojo to Rivet Games, raised more money from new investors, and nearly doubled the staff from around 25 employees to around 40 to support the production of three new games. I stuck around for nine months during the transition phase, then left Rivet Games in May of 2011.
Unfortunately, the new games did not fare well in the marketplace. With no new investors to be found to keep the company afloat, Rivet Games had no choice but to shut down and lay off all employees in February 2012. The new games were immediately turned off, but FooPets was kept running with a skeleton crew by the investors with the hopes of finding a buyer to keep it going.
This is where I came in, so I'll catch you up on who I am. I'm Ron Hornbaker, or "Dr. Ron" as many of you know me, the original creator of Pokey and FooPets and the Founder/CEO of FooMojo. My dream in creating FooPets started in October of 2007: I wanted to merge my love of animals (I used to be a practicing veterinarian) with my love of tech and create the world's most realistic virtual pets. That dream largely came true, but obviously I’m disappointed in the outcome of FooMojo and Rivet Games.
In February 2012, when I learned Rivet Games was shutting down, I knew I had to do anything in my power to keep FooPets alive. FooPets was "my baby," and I retained a deep personal connection with each of the 45 pets my amazing team of artists and engineers sweated over creating, and more importantly, every remaining FooPets member.
So, I scrambled. I recruited two of my original co-founders of FooMojo, Scott and Eugene, to help out, and recruited a new full-time community manager, Traci. The four of us spent all of March trying to fix bugs, improve site performance, communicate with you members that we were listening and trying to help, all the while negotiating with the investors on the details of the FooPets purchase.
That deal finally closed earlier this week, so I'm happy to be able to tell you now that Startapult, Inc. is the new, official owner of FooPets. Scott, Eugene and I are working part-time on FooPets (as we all have other day jobs now), while Traci is working full-time. If we can get revenue and growth headed the right way, we'll hire more engineers and artists to expand features and new pets and products.
For now, however, our primary focus is on 1) keeping site performance fast, 2) fixing bugs that frustrate you, and 3) ensuring that FooPets continues to be a sustainable business.
I'm optimistic that we can succeed in this challenge, and keep FooPets alive forever.
I appreciate each and every one of you who have stuck with FooPets through the years. I hope you'll give us a chance to prove our dedication to this task. One thing is most important of all: without you, there would be no FooPets. Thank you for being here, and for doing your part to keep FooPets alive. We love you all, and we are listening to you.
-Dr. Ron"
About Me
- GOLD RUSH
- Tabby Road, New Furrsey, Foo S. A.
- i am a seven-year-old virtual Cream Persian FooCat (born on Little Christmas, 1/5/10), the mascot and spokesfurson for FooBA4U, the FooPets members' cooperative service site.
Do the veteran FooPets players, in all honesty, think this will be a good thing or a not so good thing? I'd really love to hear folks' honest thoughts on this.
ReplyDeletemy thoughts exactly...thing is, though, there is no one more motivated to make the site succeed - and i think the Rivet period was a very sobering experience for them as well as the membership, and taught them a great deal about what does NOT work here. thus far, they have made an honest effort to be open and cooperative with membership - and most of the horrorshow aspects occurred out of their control. only time will tell, but my inclination is to say "Welcome home" and give them the benefit of the doubt.
ReplyDeleteI should have said that as well in my post. No matter what happens I am just glad I gave my pets. I am Anonymous below BTW.
DeleteI have reservations. Seeing all of the members that were spewing venom on here not too long ago surrounding the new owners and sucking up makes me nervous. Their smug assumptions all along that they would be able to continue their actions may be true. And frankly I am sick to death of non accredited, non trained, condescending members who are over impressed with their knowledge telling me, an adult what is what or bullying little kids for stumbling once in a while. Or as more recently spending forum time kissing up to each other to the point of nausea. I want there to be control. But I would like it to be along the lines of the low profile a's. Who have maintained a loving and respectful following on Facebook during this whole mess. And I would prefer that friends of a's not be given special license to butt into threads and enforce non existing rules and regulations. On Foo or on the FooPets Facebook page.
ReplyDeleteBut on the whole I doubt that things will be much different. I just hope we can get back to the pets and a more civilized site.
For a long time it has catered to a very young audience both in age and/or mentality. I hope they would understand that many who stayed through all this mess are their older members that were here from day one. We have taken the insults from kids trying to shame us off a "kids" site. We have quietly paid our dues and fed and cared for our pets day after day month after month. And as long as we can care for the pets we love and can afford it I suspect we will stay.
So my honest thoughts are: I hope they will continue to be as open and friendly as they have been. It was delightful to get immediate honest answers.
I hope they do some housecleaning and reorganizing.
I hope they simplify the TOS so one cannot be suspended for sneezing on a Sunday or at the whim or wrath of an a.
I hope that they offer different levels for adults and kids. I like the kids I have as friends but they have different needs and wants and they need a safe place.
And one more point. I hope role playing does not come back. It is a breeding ground for predators.
Those come in all sizes and levels so that is why I am still posting as anonymous. And sadly probably always will.
I, for one, am ecstatic. Especially seeing that Scott and Eugene are with Dr. Ron. I knew when things went down with Rivet that the only ones that had an interest to save Foo were one or more of the founders. It had to be someone that loved the game, the game meant more than money, it certainly wasn't making any. I did not expect to see all three of them, but happy, just the same. I hope they found out what handing Foo over to Rivet did to the game. During the latter part of 2009 and most of 2010, when Foo was getting things prepared for the "big change" (Rivet), the spirit that Dr. Ron, Scott, and Eugene had kept throughout the early years was sucked from the game. As hard as they fought to keep Foo from taking the route of Pet Tales, I don't see them giving anything but their best effort to bring back the old spirit. Let's hope for the best! Sorry for the run-on sentences. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI have to say I am very encouraged and happy to welcome Dr. Ron back! I want to thank everyone who has been working so hard to fix the damage Rivet Games inflicted upon this community. It would be awesome if they could bring back some of the features that were taken from us during that time, and lower the price required to play. I think a lot of people would return if the price went back to 39.95 for a year instead of 6 mths, and income from the game would naturally go up as members return. In any case, I am anxiously awaiting the outcome of the New Age of Foo Pets!!
ReplyDeletehummm...i really don't know what to think or say about this latest development.
ReplyDeleteall i can say is at least it isn't rivet.
Thank you for letting us all know :))
ReplyDeleteI am interested (and as a kitty-detective not surprised, am indeed delighted to have my "guesses" confirmed hehe) and willing to give this a go. At least so far the returning team seems willing to communicate -- after such a long time of both non-communication and mis-communication by those in charge and their unpaid staff, this new informative style is a breath of fresh air. Ron says they are listening; Rivet said the same, and it meant nothing... but hopefully in this case they are not simply "listening" but are willing to take on board the worries and ideas of their loyal players.
The Rivet period was certainly the most horrible of fooexperiences, I am a little amazed that I as well as other old-timers are still here to see this re-birth LOL
the truly encouraging thing, to me, is that not only do they indeed appear to be listening...they are ANSWERING, perhaps the biggest and most important change yet. i'm quite sure Rivet "listened" - just not for the benefit of those speaking.
ReplyDeleteSomething that has been puzzling me. Does anyone else think Traci from Support looks an awful lot like Caroline Young, once Director of Product Rivet Games, Inc.? Are they one and the same? It was claimed that she was also Dr Jane?
ReplyDeletei don't believe so - Traci is her "real" name, supposedly, her foo handle is something else - but i will look into it.
Deleteby the way, DrJane was never ANYBODY, lol, just a cheap recolor of Ron when he was shoved out of the Rivet scene. her messages were answered by a 'bot program. if you ever looked at them closely, you can see that they are canned responses to keywords.
Traci is new to FooPets, and I've known her for most of my life. She's awesome.
DeleteThere are no Rivet employees left. GR is right about DrJane just being a persona. That was done by Rivet to minimize my identity with FooPets.
Welcome back, Dr. Ron! Wow, really surprised to see you here but happy just the same. When I first saw DrJane, I decided that you looked really bad in drag. :) Smile! So good to see you guys back and Traci. "Kanpai"(as we say in Japanese) to a new beginning! Have a great weekend!
Deletethis coulds all be very promising. now hopefully they will review all those dreadful rules create during the rivet days and either change or do away with some of those dreadful rules. in my dream is seeing these ole foo people bring foo back to it's ole foo self of back in 2009 to very earlier 2010 ( time before the rivet transfer) it's nice to feel a little foo hope again.
ReplyDeleteplease Dr Ron bring the dream back! :)
Still here..still happy...have heard some negative feedback about this change..and just want to say to Dr Ron and his staff...please prove them all wrong and bring our beloved Foo Pets back!! I would love to see flea medications lowered to a manageable price and I would like to see the caring for "friends only" pets lifted. Though the fosters I loved and cared for so many years are gone, I feel it would show good intentions on the part of management. You say you are listening..I want to believe you are. Please make us ecstatic that we have weathered the bad times, and are here to witness a new beginning!!!
ReplyDeletefrom what i hear - publicly and privately - that is exactly what he, Scott, and Eugene hope to do...we are hoping for a complete rewrite of the Rivet-composed TOS and a new system for site rules, insofar as we even need any - what we would REALLY like is a set of clear, logical guidelines for members, and also for ambassadors, letting us know which are in charge of what and exercising which powers, posted publicly for all to see and refer to.
ReplyDeleteif what you hear is true then this is the best news in a long long long time!!! Super Duper Awesome! :)
DeleteI do wish that certain people that write in their long winded condescending arrogant style would just shut up and let people have their say. The new owners need to hear from these people and they need to be able to feel safe enough to be honest with them on the forums. I still do not feel safe enough to even welcome them back. The a's need to back off and leave people alone. And especially the second bananas that just like to see their own words in bold that are not even a's. I am already sick of the strutting and YELLING.
ReplyDeleteYes I am glad they are back, Yes, they are doing okay so far. But people need to let them know there are expectations that they will not repeat their actions of the past and they are already being bashed. It is not a good start. I am already done with the forums. I read the first few pages with a positive feeling. But toward the end it was obvious it was sliding right back into same old same old. They better get it straight now or more will leave and many will never come back. The forums are going to be a testing ground for them to prove things are really going to change. And so far they are not cutting it.
Anon#??? Glad someone else feels the same as I do. I really hope they never make that one an 'a'. It seems to be on the cards but I think it will be a big mistake if they do. She only stokes the fire rather than help quell the flames, and you really don't need that at any time and and not at such a time when things are already as volatile as they are now. I find her completely arrogant, condescending and doesn't she like to see her words in print! She is like a rash, not just over Foo's forums but any forum. You just know whenever you check any of them out, she is going to be there with her opinionated assumptions. I used to like her but I have lost a lot of liking and respect for the girl. She has fallen the way one or two a's did sadly, become way too cocky and big for her boots. Already struts around as if she is an 'a', but I just don't think she is made of the right stuff to actually be one, too argumentative for one and speaks more from her own assumptions rather than facts. Anything to suck up. And you only had to compare her attitude and posts on the FB wall in comparison to those of Parrotlady's. While PL posted with a professional, friendly but almost detached attitude, keeping everyone updated but without getting involved in all the drama, that one just continued to add fuel to the fire. And if she is like that now, can you just imagine what she would be like as an 'a' and given a little bit of power? I think she would make Shorty look like a teddy bear. As for her arguments, they have holes big enough you can punch right through them. Foo will be a much worse place if they do give her any position of power at all. She already thinks she can tell members what they can do and what they should or should not say or think. And what she and others seem to forget is, she has no more knowledge or right to do that than any one of us does. I just don't know who she thinks she is. As far as I am concerned she is just another paying member like the rest of us and nothing more. And it is about time that SHE realized that too. On the upside though, I do find some of her comments really amusing, they are so ridiculous and laughable sometimes I just can't help myself but flag funny =o) I will tell you one more thing, if she speaks to me in the manner I have seen her speak to others I will tell her in no uncertain terms where to go. That one needs to learn respect before she starts preaching about it!
DeleteLOL Anon#??? I know exactly the style of arrogance of which you speak. It is people who enjoy the limelight and love to keep others in their place... Such people also have to have the last word... Hopefully Dr Ron and Scott will see past the blether and put-downs into the posts of people who have been patient and hopeful and largely quiet. What amuses me is that those are the same types who, during the Rivet Year, were always assuring us that the techs were constantly working on our behalf (how could they know? Many were not even "a"s, and we know that the "a"s even were often not told the truth) and that we should stop complaining. All the time while it was obvious to anyone with intelligence that nothing was being done except removing things. You'd think that such people would have learned their lesson, wouldn't you, but not a bit of it! LOL...
DeleteI have high hopes that Dr Ron and Scott might bring back more simplicity to the game, as that would surely make it easier to maintain the code.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if they let us have the option for the old square format back again *dreams blissfully*
Well happy Weekend everyone!
And Anonymous, I agree with you -- that particular one would NOT make a good ambassador, if it's the one I think you mean. She prides herself on being able to analyse situations and reply in measured terms but she is clearly someone who will always be biased and incapable of the kind of clear, detached attitude that PL adopts. She suffers from an inability to really see what someone else writes, and that is clear in any responses that she makes. Unfortunately for foo, there have been "a"s in place with a similar blinkered attitude; I do hope that she is not given that kind of power.
DeleteShe used to be a very vulnerable person who needed a lot of help, and maybe she is still vulnerable -- but if so she hides it behind a cloak of ill-concealed arrogance which simply makes her unlikeable.
Our "new" owners would do well to sit back a while before making any new "a"s and take care NOT to promote anyone who loves the sound of their own voice and knows how to "suck up" to authority figures.
I realized today that if they keep Shorti as an ambassador, they'll never be able to gain any kind of trust from me and I may even leave. The woman has caused so much pain to me, personally, and to the site as a whole, that I just can't trust a site that would keep someone like her in any kind of position of power. I'm afraid, for me, simply retraining her or giving her specific guidelines just won't be enough. It's time SHE be punished for HER behavior. So, to "promote" someone just as bad or worse than she is? I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteMe
i agree with you. i've one that has been frozen out of my account for a year now and if "a" like shorti are still around i won't come back where as i've been considering it but that is a deal breaker for me and especially if they make an "a" out of the person that anonymous above was talking about. they need more "a" like ParrotLady
Deletei have been copying relevant comments from here to the guys via email, but what i believe i will do here is just send a link to the post, they need to see the complete picture in order, i think.
ReplyDeleteCarrie, i LOVED the old (for me, original, i came in in Nov 2009) format - the one with the friends on the side? - but i don't know if it can be done with the present 50 pets apiece and extended friends lists...i remember going on record against the first change to the profile page in late 2009/early 2010, as i found the new version more sterile and less pleasant to use. as far as additional changes down the road, the history speaks for itself, lol.
as far as Forums go...the only (partial) answer i can come up with it to limit post size a la Twitter, with a fixed number of characters. another possibility would be to give each person ONE post to state their case in (and possibly take out Edit), which would hopefully encourage them to think carefully before posting, especially in "hot" issues, with long-winded debates either taken to personal message boards (most of them are between specific individuals anyway), or given another place in the Forums to duke it out, separate from the main thread. this would give everyone a chance to have their say on a more level playing field, and give the more reticent posters a better opportunity to be heard.
I think that limiting the size of posts is an excellent idea. For those who wish to write a short story or a novella expounding their knowledge or just posting to interfere (which seems to be the case of the bold poster we all know and love) then let them start their own blog.
DeleteThe forums are already a drain on the real purpose of the game. You remember? Oh yeah the pets. Not role playing, or all the other crap - yes crap that the kidlets are demanding again.
I also think that if they do not defang i.e. retire shorti and muzzle her minions (starting with the "bold" one) now they will be making a tragic judgement error. I am already regretting my decision to renew several accounts before they revealed themselves. And if she continues her triumphant strutting behind their reveal I will go back to feed and leaving. Believe me if they stop quickly there will be a nasty brown mess all over Fooville.
Seriously she is toxic. She has already made snide comments about her "biting" punishment style of her children and insinuated she could do it to the kids on Foo. She was kidding but that is not, I repeat NOT ever appropriate. I mean ever. It should never be encouraged to think that physical punishment or action is ever acceptable. Especially in these times of rampant bullying.
I forgot, yes I too love the old format. It was so intimate. I still use as many of the older backgrounds as I can. For my Pokeys and my other pets. I do that more to avoid the scruff and dump action I so despise though. I wish there were more available. Sigh. Some of the wide scenes are so beautiful but they really do not do all that much for me. It takes forever to get a cute photo and they never sleep on the bed you lovingly place for them. On the whole I rather hate them LOL.
DeleteI strongly disagree with implementing ANY character limit in the forums. That would make the purpose of the forums redundant. And while you might not visit them or be active in them...a lot of other people are and do enjoy posting in the forums. Right now, those who do not like forums, have a choice of not visiting them or even turning everything off except for Announcement thread.
ReplyDelete@Anon who said "The forums are already a drain on the real purpose of the game"
what is the purpose of the game? To feed, water, play with pets. Decorate scenes and that's it? I met my best friend in Sanctuary. That was almost 3 years ago. We still talk daily. Without forums, I doubt we would have ever met. I for once, find it great that we can also socialize by choice if we wish.
Karlia - I never said anything about making them that small. But I have seen posts that take up more than half of an entire page of a thread. Or people who go from thread to thread saying the same thing over and over. That is not a conversation. That is a rant. Or a person who is looking for attention and self aggrandizement. A conversation such as you describe is a flow of give and take. I know that many forever friendships have been solidified on Foo. I have many myself. I have taken them into real life.
DeleteI probably could have worded it better. But yes right now the forums are a drain on the precious resources the technicians have to perform the primary function of FooPets. That being feeding and caring for your pets. If we do not allow them the time to build the site back up to capacity to add more options there may be no Foopets at all. And I for one do not want to see that happen. That is all I was trying to say. I would never ever diminish the importance of the people I have met on Foo. I can honestly say they have saved my sanity and quite possible my life.
i believe there is - or was, at any rate - something about multiposting the same thing on multiple threads/Forums in the Rules as they stood, but enforcement, if any, of that clause, appears to be lacking and/or uneven.
Deletei made the lion's share of my finest friends long before i even knew what the Forums were, lol - and never found that quantity trumps quality verbally any more than it does in any other area. a 250 (to pull a number completely out of a hat) word limit is not THAT limiting...if you genuinely have something to say, you could certainly put it in that many words.
Karlia: I'm with you on that, although I don't go into the forum often anymore...I don't think there should be character limits to it. Instead all they really need to do is delete threads more then 6 months old (just a random number to use as example). Meaning a thread that hasn't been posted on in 6 months.
DeleteAnon#???: They are a drain, but I think that has to do with cut backs...this is my own assumption due to public knowledge from a while ago. There was an issue with the forums before and instead of them cutting them down and deleting things to make room, they bought another server to host them. Since DrRon took back foo (Thank God in my opinion) I think they had to make some choices due to cost till they start making money again. Going back to a more limited server to me, would be one of them.
Personally I made most of my friends in the forum and some from my wall *smiles at Karlia*. I'm hoping I'll always have those great friendships...but it is hard to say, it is so easy to loose touch with people over the internet.
I would not like to see length of postings limited; I also do not like to see threads getting de-railed and locked. If there is a persistent de-railer, the mild measure of limiting their ability to post for a day or so is already in place -- one of the very few good things that Rivet did, in my opinion, was to make gameplay-suspensions rare and replace most with posting-suspensions.
DeleteIt seems to be proven that the forums are a drain on the site, because while the team were testing it by removing some forum threads from active use, we found a corresponding change in pet-care.
Kaylina, as regards the matter of flagging... I saw FurmamaJules once say that nothing could be done to trace individual flaggers. From your experience, is this true? If so, something does need to be done to minimise the effect of guru-level flagging-fairies. In my opinion that is disgraceful behaviour, and a problem at the moment. Since the forums cannot be largely changed without a lot of work, would it be possible simply to change the deletion on 15 points to just seeing the points, as with other flaggings?
As for me personally, I don't mind much about the forums. I hardly ever post, am not a great poster, and my friends on-site were mostly made during care of pets.
idk about the locking, I personally would rather the person/s that are causing the trouble given a time out from the forums with a canned message on their wall letting them know why they are given the time out from forum posting. If after their time out they are still going on in the forums then a time out for 3 days from the site. I think that forum locking should only be done in extreme cases. I had a forum locked last year and it was a big "A" that did it. I wasn't to impressed at all...
DeleteAs for the drain...like I said if a forum isn't posted on for X amount of days/month I think it should automatically be deleted. I also think they are not considering the drain our walls have on the site also...some people have hundreds of pages on their walls, I personally keep a few messages that I love and delete the rest...speaking of I need to prune my messages again. If they asked members to keep their walls under 10 pages and deleted the messages on frozen accounts to that same amount that would free up a lot of the resources. Why stop there, the gift/messaging...we should have the ability to delete them so that also doesn't need to be sitting on the servers. A lot of people do a ton of gift messaging for the privacy factor, but then it is stuck there.
Flagging. What FMJ's said is true, we've asked different admins the same question about being able to see them and they come back with the same answer. Personally I would like to see the flagging gone...there really is no point to it now that there is no points awarded.
Ah! Thanks for that, Kaylina. As I have never been given "time-outs" I am not aware of what it really feels like. I agree then, forum lock-outs should not be done except under extreme conditions. A "cooling off" only for people who seriously and systematically de-rail threads and cause or continue fights.
DeleteAnd, message walls -- I had never thought of that. I sometimes delete and sometimes don't, keeping posts that I feel are interesting or which lead to friends who are no longer active via the name link. Perhaps we should all keep our boards tidier anyway, but as I understand it, actually ACCESSING the pages is what contributes to the overload on the servers. I think that most people would only load the first message page on a profile when they intend to post. Certainly when accessing a friend's messages to reply, I would only look at the first page unless the board is a very busy one, in which case I would flip back a few to see what I said last time. It is actually a bit frustrating not to be able to see what my friend is replying to, as I have a terrible memory for some things and cannot always recall what she or he is referring to.
I do not think that it is a good idea to truncate the boards of those who are frozen, as that means that returnees might lose some messages and links that they find precious. The whole concept of finding your profile entire, as it was left, sould be lost. Also I would imagine that those boards would not be a problem if I am right about what causes the server overload, since they are not being loaded.
I have wondered whether the removal of our ability to feed non-friends' pets might be partially due to a desire to reduce server activity. If you cannot feed the pets, there is no point in loading them.
The gift messages, it is actually frustrating that we cannot delete those. I would love to be able to tidy those up also.
I agree with you that it would be good to see flagging removed entirely. If that is not possible without a lot of work, maybe they could at least pull the teeth of the "inappropriate" flag.
Wow! I asked for honest opinions and I got them! I'm so grateful to you all for sharing your thoughts here! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI hope they don't limit the character count in the forums. When new folks come in with questions and they need help sometimes one or two sentences like Twitter just wouldn't be enough space. The forums have so many rules and limits as it is and the rules change depending on which section you are in, I think more rules would just confuse people more. Or maybe I'm just easily confused- LOL! That's always a distinct possibility! LOLOL!!
I also wanted to say how awed I am that Dr. Ron came here to talk and check in! How amazing and wonderful is that?!? To feel like we have our leader's ear is a lovely thing!
Anon#???, this may sound like a dumb question but the scruff and dump thing you are talking about- is that when we go to pet someone but wind up accidentally picking them up instead? If I'm understanding you correctly, does having them in non-widescreen scenes make that less of a problem? I'd love to be able to pet my guys and not have them flailing wildly with paws in mid-air and landing with a thump!
Yes - that is what I am talking about. The programming is not in the old backgrounds. I found that particular addition disturbing. I have worked with abused animals and tried to teach children the proper way to handle puppies and kittens and that is not the way to do it. So I try to use as many of the old pre-Beta scenes as I can. You can get quite creative with them and I feel much better knowing they will stay curled up on the window sill or the bed or the pillow where I leave them when I tuck them in at night.
Deletenot only do they not have the abominable grab-and-drop feature, they are better to decorate as the "ceilings" are higher - plus they don't truncate in FooStudio photos.
DeleteWow! You guys are spot on right! I tried to lift one of my pets who has an older background and sure enough- not possible! Wonderful!! Yay!! I even posted about it a few weeks ago in the forum and no one had an answer why it happens so bravo to you guys!!
Deletei wasn't thinking of something THAT brief, lol - just less than, say, a quarter-page or so. and no, not more rules - less, actually : if they are clear and sensible, they really shouldn't need that many. No cussing, no fussing, no -er- sexy talk...that sort of thing. Karlia, i don't know any good answer to the issues people have with the forums - as i said, those are the only things that came to mind, and i do not claim they are in any way ideal solutions.
ReplyDeleteand as far as i know, yes, the scruff-grab (which we have been trying to get eliminated since it appeared) does not occur in normal-size scenes.
If people want to rant...let them rant. You have a choice to skip those threads. But limiting the way people can speak out for themselves and/or voice their opinions ( yes, some of which others disagree with ) does more harm than good. What they should do, is take the forums apart completely. And build them on an entirely new code. (or move them into separate server )Or if that is too much of a work, there are good forum hosts out there, very cheap too. That have better organized layout and system that can be linked to the main site. :)
ReplyDeleteamen, Karlia - one good permanent solution beats any stopgaps. and that would not only solve technical issues within the Forums, but their interference with the way the site runs...and now, when they are off to a fresh start more or less, would be an ideal time.
ReplyDeletei think the problem people have is when someone - ranting or otherwise - dominates a significant thread to the point where other comments/viewpoints/suggestions get lost in the dust. no one likes to be shouted down...and it could turn a new poster off to the idea of speaking up at all, losing the site yet another fresh and potentially valuable viewpoint.
I agree GR. There are so many hard feelings associated with certain authority figures and their "friends" and some of the forums and it seems to be falling back into the old patterns. A clean slate and a new approach would be a great way to level the field. It would also signal to those who are still on the fence about coming back or staying that things are really changing.
DeleteAnd I am not advocating they throw all the a's out with the bath water either. I know of two a's that have been exemplary through all this. ParrotLady and Remsie have been stellar is remaining calm and have resolved every issue with grace and dignity. They have proven to be excellent representatives of Foopets. Just a little plug for who I like to see everyday at Foo.
Those who are interested, I suggest to take a peek in latest thread in Announcements. Pretty clear how people get struck over the head with a verbal stick, for having different opinions. Over and over again.
ReplyDeleteInstead of locking the thread why don't shorti and Rozzy and the other followers of their ilk follow the example of the new owners? Allow that there are going to be changes. Admit that we were treated badly and we have a right to complain until they prove things will be different. But no we get the same snotty "shut up or else" attitude further pouring salt into already tender wounds. Great PR. And it is all over the Forums. If the Forums are not contained I so not see much hope of there ever being any peace at Foo.
DeleteI am sick of the fighting and the nastiness on both sides. The ones in the middle that have been trying to express real concerns in a mature and calm manner are treated with the same disrespect as the fist swinging "mad as hell" posters by shorti et.al and are recognized and praised by ParrtoLady. The whole thing is crazy. What one a does to calm the waters the other stirs up and sets fire to. I still say the Forums need to be addressed now or there will never be peace ever.
The forum threads that I can see in announcements all seem benign today. I'm wondering if a bunch of posts got deleted or if I'm just somehow missing the right thread? Which one is it? There is an interesting post from Dr. Ron which is under
ReplyDelete"Thanks to our awesome FooAmbassadors" and I'll post it. It struck me that I don't see shorti mentioned...hmmm... "Hi FooPets Members!
Now that you know who we are, we wanted to take the time to let you know about some very special people here at Foo. We have five Ambassadors we would like to recognize for their dedication to FooPets and their continued service to our community: Amanda-Jo, Parrotlady, Remsie, Rozzy22, and MissX-tine.
Our Ambassadors have been through a lot in the past few months, and we want to publicly thank them for their service to this community. They spend a TON of time doing things that don’t necessarily make them popular, but are still necessary to keep this site positive and kid-safe. They also serve as a “front-line” QA and support team, letting us know what is broken, and taking a load off our support and engineering teams by helping us focus on what’s important first.
So when you are thinking about how glad you are that things are getting better, send them a nice note and let them know how much they mean to you. We love you FooAmbassadors!
-DrRon
ps. If you are new to the site, you can spot the FAs by the little “a” next to their usernames."
i just checked and shorti no longer has an "a" with her profile anymore. this is a good sign for a new beginning. the locked thread though is a step back but this is two steps forward i do think!!
Deletei just noticed that a new announcement in the forums under the name "Thanks to our awesome FooAmbassadors" just popped up and it thanked these a's : "We have five Ambassadors we would like to recognize for their dedication to FooPets and their continued service to our community: Amanda-Jo, Parrotlady, Remsie, Rozzy22, and MissX-tine."
ReplyDeletetheir is no mention of shorti which i find very thought provoking.
while i think it's 50/50 whether shorti was canned or quit on her own, the net result will probably reassure many who have history with her. ParrotLady especially deserves all praise - she had my vote for a capital A.
ReplyDeletewhat thread was locked? i'd like to take a look at it.
None of the above actually, she didn't get asked to leave and she didn't quit. She is taking a much needed vacation, as she states on her profile.
DeleteDoes this mean you'll be taking that "break" with her?
DeleteOne can dream.
I'm not entirely sure what that is suppose to mean...haven't been a Fa for a year and a half and I barely go on the site...also I'm rarely in the forums...so please...Elaborate??
DeleteGold Rush, the thread in question is Dr.Ron's own thread announcing our new team of owners. http://www.foopets.com/topics/show/2307484?forum_id=6&post_count=348 It got locked by Remsie, after some warnings from Shorti.
DeleteOn page 17 of the thread there is a statement by a player called Dave-C which was very forthright and used the word "hell" -- It may be that the player's posting privileges might have been suspended, but Shorti posted an uncharacteristically mild rebuke on his profile messages http://www.foopets.com/member/18404420
I think it might have been Musu's enthusiasm at Dave-C's posting that caused the thread to be locked, but once again, I cannot be sure. What I find amusing is that it got locked directly after one of GeekPop's typically cryptic comments LOL
For the record....I was not "canned" nor did I quit. I'll leave ya'll to figure out what that means since speculation is the strong suit here. I do want to thank each and every basher here from the bottom of my heart. Without doing what ya'll do I would never have picked my art back up. Thanks to ya'll I'm now making good money at it. I mean that honestly with no malice or anger. I've never posted here before nor will I ever again. Carry on in the only way that ya'll can :)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to you and your artwork, Shorti. No, I am not being sarcastic. It is nice that you are doing something you love.
DeleteSo we are bad folks for speculating when we haven't yet heard facts from the horse's mouth? How does that work? I wonder what, specifically, she considered bashing? We confirmed that she didn't have an 'a' next to her name and someone else made the comment that people who had history with her might feel reassured now. Am I missing something? How are those things bad enough to be called "bashing"? It kind of makes me giddy that when she can't throw her weight around here she chooses to take her ball and go home. That gives me hope for the future. Ok, now that might count as a small bash.
DeleteAnon#547, I'm pretty sure she is referring to a few pages ago....although there is a few comments on this thread that I personally would consider bashing...but I'm not going to comment on them...
DeleteTam - I am happy that someone gave her well wishes. :)
DeleteI would say there is some earlier unhappiness directed at Shorti and the erm..."bold poster" that shouldn't become an Fa lol. Maybe some stuff that could have been less...openly and merrily mean. Trying to keep this short! (Probably failing lol!)
Very happy for Shorti, she's an awesome artist. Also very relieved to finally be let out of my dark minion cave. ;) Now her friends can just be her friends again because we like her. Nothing to gain, no sucking up, just friendship as it has been all along.
Hello to all and wishing you a pleasant evening. I had a very relaxing day and I hope you all did as well.
Also, you probably read my opinion and may not care, but since it's what the blog seems to be intended for, I'm very happy to see Dr. Ron and crew back. Did you notice the FDs back on the wheel today? Good stuff.
Oops, my well-wishes to you seem to have got separated from this particular sub-thread, Shorti. Sorry about that; I am sincere in what I say there. Well, apart from the Guru star bit LOL
DeleteCuriouser and curiouser, I only just now saw your message, AZ -- and I for one am glad to see your opinion here on the return of the old crew, although I think your joy on the matter was pretty clear in the foo forums LOL...
DeleteI am cautious about wishing any of your little group of friends well, since I got beaten about the ears for it in the Thread That Should Not Be Named, but all the same I do wish you all well. Just not as ambassadors, since I feel that the "a"s need to be chosen with greater care.
Well, I for one am happy to see her go, snide remarks and all. :) I apologize if I seem so negative and vindictive about it, but I have had to put my life with Foo on hold for almost a year, and what I thought was going to be indefinitely. Now, I can actually feel comfortable coming back! Her groupies are easy enough to deal with, they have no authority to make my life there miserable, and that alone is priceless.
DeleteSo, I am glad to say I will be returning to Foo. It's about time! :)
(sigh) i have never personally wished ANYONE ill, shorti included - if person A upsets person B, and person B responds, well, stuff happens...though i am still mortified by the explosion in the Comments here a few posts down. if this all ended up having a positive outcome for all involved, excellent.
Deleteall are, have been, and will be welcome to speak their minds here, bar none. that's part of the point of publishing this whatever-it-is (i don't really consider it a blog - i only used that format because BlogSpot happened to be what i found that would do what i wanted at the time, lol). i DO ask that it's the MIND that speaks, though - not the spleen. my thanks to all who participate here.
I am certainly not wishing her ill, not at all. I have only wanted her removed as an "a" due to a very lengthy list of personal affronts she chose to create for no other reason than she could. I am glad she found some happiness elsewhere, because in all honesty, she was pretty darn miserable. And that level of misery is not pleasent for anyone involved (including herself). I don't care if she's still around Foo, that's her choice and her right. But in a position of power, she literally stripped that right from myself, and others for want of stress management, I guess. I know I did nothing wrong, but I was one of her targets for reasons I will never understand. Now that that power has been removed through her own action or her superiors actions, I can reclaim my right to be back on Foo as a paying member. That means alot, and is seriously a great big weight lifted from the pit of my tummy.
DeleteCarrie - I thank you for your well wishes to us all. I won't bring back up the old conversation on the Unnameable Thread lol, but I didn't have an issue with you wishing me well. I explained myself there, I'm not here to rehash that. Just wanted to speak my thoughts in a more upbeat manner than last time I participated here. ;)
DeleteAs for the "a" thing, no worries. :) Since I am guessing I am the one you guys are referring to with the bold poster comments, (I see myself in some of those comments, though not all) I can only say, those comments were enlightening. Upsetting at first, but I took them to a good place and hope to use the criticism in a positive manner. I have been on a self improvement kick in other parts of my life, so why not Foo too lol? Plus I would hate to make a child feel how some others have made me feel along the way. I don't want to be that type of person.
Gold - Hope our appearance on your blog didn't cause discomfort. I notice you made a Statement of Purpose after we showed up. I hope it was not due to our arrival that you felt the need to explain your motivation for this blog. I'm sure it is evident to all who read it what it is you are doing here. While some posts may have seemed like digs this time around, I was mainly trying to stay upbeat and playful, sorry if I missed the mark.
Bah! Apparently you can't change longwinded in a day. I tried to make that short lol! ;) Oopsie.
DeleteRespect to you, AZ. It is good that you can after all now see things from another's perspective; a painful learning-curve but a good one. "Long-winded" is not bad LOL -- only when it re-hashes the same stuff over and over again. I suffer from the same "disease"...
DeleteAs for me, I always tell the truth, whether others can see that or not. I do not belong to any faction any more than a cat does, so I can see both sides of an argument, but I would HATE to be an "a" -- it must be the hardest unpaid job in the world, and really quite an unhealthy environment. I am very relieved that Shorti is no longer an "a", not from any feeling of hate but from a genuine sense that she has not in fact been able to be unbiased for quite some time now. In the earlier days, she was good. I for one am very glad that she has a passion and talent that she now has the time to pursue. I am sorry, but I have to say that I also do not feel that you should be an ambassador either, AZ, as I do know that you have been through dark places and need to thrive in a healthy environment.
I hope that you can understand what I say, and not find it distressing; I truly do wish you and your close friends well, and I am sincere as always in what I say.
In the manner in which those in my area speak, and not in whatever other area uses it, I say: Bless you dear soul. Hugs and happiness.
Carrie - I have always seen the other perspective and even understood it at times. I got some wonderful advice offline about this recently. That just because I understood a perspective did not mean I showed that I understood or showed that I respected that person's right to have that opinion. Which is apparently what has been missing from some conversations. Many people I have no issue with and understand me, others I seem to offend. Either way, I will be striving to offend no one as I don't wish to hurt people or make them feel less. I have been made to feel that way at times and it is not a happy feeling, so I wouldn't want to put it on someone else. :)
DeleteI feel the same way, I tell the truth as well, I am a very honest person, I think that there are some misconceptions about what my words mean sometimes. Sometimes I become passionate about a topic, but I don't mean harm to those with a differing opinion, I just need to learn to tone it down apparently lol.
I have no issue with you not wanting me as an "a" Carrie, in fact I really respect your honesty about it. I do wish that earlier when you stated your reasons for it you might have been as polite and constructive about it as you are here, but I do understand, frustration/venting people say what they say. Or maybe you truly feel those things as well. Either way it's fine. It's okay to not want me there. No hard feelings from me. :)
I'm not sure what the whole statement about dark places and healthy environments is in reference to though? :) I find that statement puzzling.
As for bias, I feel as human beings, we are all biased. Unless you are a machine you carry bias. But I still stand by the opinion that Shorti has been an excellent "a". It will always be my opinion. A heartfelt one. :)
I wish happiness for you as well. :)
Thanks, AZ. Well, we agree to differ -- of course. As for That Disgraceful Thread, LOL, I shall say no more about it except this: I cannot answer for others, but I said what I meant and I stated the truth.
DeleteI personally am delighted at what came out of it. I do not intend to elaborate on my statement regarding healthy environments.
Have a great weekend :)
LOL, of course! Much as usual Carrie hehe. But that's okay. No problem there. I don't want to keep rehashing that thread either. Some of what I said might have been too forceful and came off hurtfully which I now regret, but my main points I meant as well, and now I too shall zip my lips on the subject. May the thread rest in peace lol.
DeleteWhich are you delighted about? It seems as though there is a subject change, but I wrote many things, so I'm not sure.
I mean no offense, but if you didn't intend to elaborate on such a vague statement that could be taken in so many ways, I wonder why you made it in the first place? I also wonder if you are referring to my personal life since, to my knowledge, I've only publicly shared a few things in my personal life that could be considered dark. I would categorize more under tragic, but that's me.
Anyhow, I can assure you since you don't wish to elaborate, I am in a happy and healthy place in my life where I am thriving lol. I don't know how to take your comment truly since you won't elaborate, but we have all had dark times or sad times, any I have had are far behind me.
Oh, you had me doing a double take on that one, I was thinking, "Wait, isn't it Friday?" But it's only Thursday lol. But enjoy the end to your week and weekend if you're taking an early one.
"I do want to thank each and every basher here from the bottom of my heart. Without doing what ya'll do I would never have picked my art back up."
ReplyDeleteIn other words, you quit. LOL
YAY!
shorti...you're welcome!
ReplyDeleteI really wish that foopets would go back to the way it used to be. I believe that doing the pay if you would like extra bonuses was a good idea. I have been faithful to Foopets, though i havent been able to play since it went to a members only game. I visited this forum every day or every other day since the time it went that way.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Shorti -- I am so very glad that you are taking a break and following your talent. I wish you well and hope that you have real success with your drawing.
ReplyDeleteIn your unpaid role as ambassador, you were bound to cause real offence to some, simply because you are forthright and strongly committed to the steps that you take.
This break will help you to get things back into perspective. Those who are seen as powerful need to be very careful when making public statements of personal policy, especially on a child-friendly site. Even if they think they are "joking". Take a look at Parrotlady's posts; she manages to be calming whilst still strong and definite about following the site rules.
But *grins* we know you only really chose to take this step so that people could see your shiny guru star *runs away giggling*
Technically speaking, "hell" is not necessarily a "bad word" in my own opinion. Last time I checked or knew, it is written in the Bible, perhaps that's changed since the last time I looked. Also, it's an actual PLACE on earth, I know of one particular place in the Cayman Islands that is named Hell. As for the comments I've read about GoPokey's/FooPets' past as well as the "new" old owners from the New Owner thread, I'm glad I'm not the only one that is weary. I would speak my own mind, opinions and thoughts also, but I know Foo doesn't follow along with the American, and overall human right, to free speech. Thus, I keep my mouth shut and use my voice in more private means. As well as others on the site, I do not chose to have a selective memory from what's gone on with Foo's past. I also chose to remember other things from the past that make me feel the need to keep a close eye on my credit card accounts and/or PayPal account. Again, I'm so glad to know I'm not alone in feeling cautious and weary on Foo. Just wanted to put in my $0.02 USD for whatever it's worth.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Anonymous #26
You all are something else....Maybe you should all get in a great big group hug and forget the past and look to the future...Forget all the "bashing" of other members and deal with your own lives. Besides, it seems like it's all been forgotten, meaning the bad stuff everyone was spouting from their fingers in the past couple of threads...Live and Let Live...go on with life and forgot those that made you miserable and enjoy Foo for what it is now and what it's likely to become. That is all :P
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited that my account was suspended indefinitely because I didn't pay ^_^ /sarcasm/ What a rip off. Maybe I can try making a new account and I'll see if they'll try to screw me over again?
ReplyDelete