Tom's been getting hit hard lately...

[beam]

Man, first the turd shooting and now the wlipp.

Deserved or not, it seems as if Tom is getting attacked a lot lately.

I was just reading around trying to find out how the wlipp went, and it made me sad.

Tom, keep yer chin up and go look at some planets or something....take a break from all of us losers.

[Load SM5]

I agree...

[jurassic]

Keep up the great work Tom!!
Don't let a some spoiled inbred pups make you feel bad. Because it sounds as though alot of the crap that is said on this board affects you personally.
Don't let it!!!! Keep your eye on the prize and soar with the Eagles!! It is sad to say that turkeys and whiners will always be with us!!
On a lighter side:
What did the Gerbil say when Richard Gere walked into the Pet store??? WOOF!! WOOF!!
:p

[spazzed]

I agree w/ load & crew. Tom, you did a helluva job throwing the WLIPP. So did the mods. Mad props to you all!

Also, I just wanna appologize if I seemed pissy to anyone after the cage match. I don't take kindly to losing. I'm not a sore loser, I think I've shown that. I'm just a Very competitive person. Mad props too 2sweet as well. She did a helluva job.

[LoveMyMag]

As a wiser man than myself once said, "Ah, F... it dude. Let's go bowlin."

Just learn from the mistakes and move on.

[Rocp15126]

TK did an awesome job at the WLIPP! (and the Mods) I had a lot of fun, so much in fact that my hysterical laughing (at some of the comments and way people were acting) woke up my wife! This was my first party and first time on/in chat! Not to mention I got to ask a few questions! I'll say it again - I had a great time!

Spazzed/- I don't think you acted pissy nor acted like a sore loser. I thought that you were trying to keep everything fair throughout the contest. (it was kind of hard to follow with everybody flooding the chat and the unusual rules.) and afterwords you just wanted to know who won. (Again hard to find out because of the message flooding) You made a great effort! (Besides the Borg will return! )

[Mossman]

Originally posted by LoveMyMag
As a wiser man than myself once said, "Ah, F... it dude. Let's go bowlin."

Just learn from the mistakes and move on.

Ha! Watched that this morning. Great flick.

[TooDamnSweet]

Originally posted by spazzed
I agree w/ load & crew. Tom, you did a helluva job throwing the WLIPP. So did the mods. Mad props to you all!

Also, I just wanna appologize if I seemed pissy to anyone after the cage match. I don't take kindly to losing. I'm not a sore loser, I think I've shown that. I'm just a Very competitive person. Mad props too 2sweet as well. She did a helluva job.

You didn't seem pissy to me, a little whinny but not pissy. LOL I had a lot of fun and appreciate all the nice things everyone is saying about me. **You like me, you really like me...

I was only at the party for a short time, but I had fun while I was there.

[Croix71]

Your doing a great job Tom! Keep it up!! :D

[bornl33t]

10-4

[SqueegeeKid]

I had a fun time. Nuff said. Only prob was when i was about to type something witty, TK would switch it to "him talking only mode" Me an my too-slow typing.....

It's a pity though that alot of the chatting/chanting was about TK giving "me the emag". Bloody beggars. That's the only thing that got on my nerves.

All in all, Good Job TK!!

[irbodden]

Tom has been doing a good job on these things, it is just alot of people have been taking advantage of his kindness and "ruining" it for the rest of us.

Good job Tom-

[shartley]

Personally, I agree that Tom has been doing way too many things lately, and he should slow down. It is hard to do anything well when trying to do it ALL.

I will not pity him however, nor make excuses. I will also not STOP saying what I feel about things because Tom may get his feelings hurt. Which has been the case lately. But as Beam insinuated, Tom brought much if it on himself.

And how Tom reacted to issues is on Tom, not those bringing the issues up. And I refuse to feel responsible (or be accused of being responsible) for how Tom does business, makes his products, runs his parties, or grossly overreacts and misinterprets peoples genuine concerns and posts about them. After all (as I have said before) it is why Tom stated he purchased the forums.

People now want to say that people are “taking advantage”? Of what exactly? Tom ran a contest. Tom offered prizes. Where does taking advantage come in? And others STILL insinuate that people are upset that people complaining are doing so because they did not win … that is NOT the case. It is because the rules were not clear, and at least one person won multiple prizes.

And to think this would not happen is silly at best. It is like gathering up 100 sharks and putting them in a huge pool. Then you start throwing chum into the shark infested waters. And THEN you blame the sharks because they are in a feeding frenzy. Come on, this is all predictable and all possible outcomes and solutions should have been well thought out… and well in advance. This was not done overnight, and people fail to remember that.

Now any other issues brought up here on AO are a different story. But I have not seen ONE time Tom was personally attacked. I did not see one time that AGD or Tom himself did not have something to do with people’s concerns or comments directly. And now to blame AO for posting what they think, because Tom himself overreacted, is not right. That is unless the actual purpose of AO has now changed…

I don’t know of any other company where the owners or those directly running it would be so coddled for their own actions/inactions. I support AGD, and I support Tom, but I will NOT baby him because he through a tantrum or is overworked. Both of which are his choices in the end. And now people want to confuse issues to make it look like the general AO membership has unfairly attacked Tom.. which did NOT happen.

This thread is disturbing to me for many reasons…. and I can not get into them all, but I sincerely hope others feel as I do. If not, AO will lose all the credibility it has fought to gain.

[sk8dood]

And how Tom reacted to issues is on Tom, not those bringing the issues up. And I refuse to feel responsible (or be accused of being responsible) for how Tom does business, makes his products, runs his parties, or grossly overreacts and misinterprets peoples genuine concerns and posts about them. After all (as I have said before) it is why Tom stated he purchased the forums.
I totally agree with you Shartley. Also, i think that Tom needed to think about it more before making that thread (it was taken down), he dealt with it in a manner that i thought was not too mature. I am with shartley in when he said that he isnt going to pity him. I dont think we should be trying to kiss his a$$ untill he is not 'pissed off at us.' It is childish and i wont do it.

My $.02

[beam]

Wow Shartley….I didn’t see that coming.

You seem defensive. I assure you that I did not make this post with a finger pointed at anyone. Honest. I simply observed that Tom has been in the hot seat a lot lately. I called it an attack because that is how I view it.

Sure, no one has attacked Tom personally…or have they? With the shooting Turd video, the attack was on Tom’s decision to post it.

To summarize the reaction:
“How could he have been so incompetent?”
“Come on Tom, you’re a leader in the industry, you know better than that!!!”
“You are going to single-handedly destroy our sport if you leave that up.”

I view these as attacks, personal or not. And whether he brought them on himself was not my point.

The WLIPP. I didn’t attend, but late last night, I browsed the boards to see how it went. I was saddened by what I read. Here’s why: We, who are AO, took what Tom had intended to be a fun night filled with prizes, prizes, fun, prizes and more fun, and complained, bickered, swore, and criticized the way it was run.

Deserved or not is not the point I am trying to make. They are attacks. We are a spoiled group, us AO’ers. We have the president of our favorite company right here in the trenches with us. And he goes out of his way to listen to the “Voice of the Customer”. He tried to do something nice, something leading edge, something that most other presidents of companies would scoff at: get down off his presidential pedestal have fun with his customers. Call me naïve, but

And what did we do? Complained. “You ran the contest wrong” “You should have expected this” “Someone cheated” “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH”

I posted this last night to be sympathetic. YES SYMPATHETIC. Tom is human and makes mistakes. And criticism (deserved or not) can sometimes hurt.

Tom doesn't need me to defend him....I was just saying that he should take a step back from us losers.

[beam]

One more thing....can someone enlighten me about this tantrum or reaction Tom had.... I'm in the dark on that one. Did it happen during the chat or here on the boards?

[slayer]

I would also like to see this "tantrum". Furthermore, I think just about everyone with over 100 or so posts has vented at some time. The difference between a company president and someone sitting at their PC making comments is a title. We are all human.

[shartley]

beam
Let me assure you that I was not talking only of your post. That is why I said “thread”. ;) And please do not take my post personally, since it was not aimed directly at you.

I fully understand your points. Believe me, I do.

As for the “tantrum” yes, I am sure you missed it… it is no longer in public view. And had you seen it, I truly believe that you would better understand where I was coming from in my post. It would also shed more light into why it may seem I was defensive, but really was not. It upset a good deal of the core members (long time members who are quite visible here on AO) and devoted AGD supporters. I will not however get into what it said… I am sure you understand why.

As for personal attacks on Tom for things he personally did…. I don’t consider stating genuine concerns about issues an “attack”. Also if you put yourself in the position (as Tom has) of speaking directly to, and receiving directly any comments from, your customers, you had better be able to take the good with the bad. This is also why MOST people in Tom’s position DON’T put themselves in that position.. it is a PR nightmare just waiting to happen…..

So, please understand where I am coming from, and that I was not really defensive at all, just pointing out that Tom deserves no sympathy for things that have happened lately. Does that mean I am “mad” at him? LOL Heck no! But he should at least be held to the same standards as any other member here on AO if not MORE (I say more personally), and he deserves no “slack” for things that are his job, and he is personally responsible for.

And I don’t consider myself a loser OR spoiled in any way. ;)

slayer

I would also like to see this "tantrum". Furthermore, I think just about everyone with over 100 or so posts has vented at some time. The difference between a company president and someone sitting at their PC making comments is a title. We are all human.
That is not entirely true. The title comes with responsibilities, obligations, and believe it or not, restrictions, which when acting AS that title do not make you the same as everyone else. Anyone who has owned a business, been a supervisor, been in any position of authority, or similar position(s) knows this to be true.

Tom is NOT like everyone else on this forum, no matter how much some of the members would like to think so…. I will leave it at that…

[cphilip]

If Tom choses to show you his post he will. But let's all take a break from this and talk about paintball. Thanks the sponsors and Tom for the intent of the thing and let's move onto something more constructive.

Tom is working hard. Perhaps too hard. All day on the new stuff. Then hyping the Shatner ball thing. And then running a big party on top of that. Lets cut everyone some slack. Tom too. Let him catch his breath and regroup a few days. he will talk when he is ready to do so. Speculation is not helping anything. So I am closing this one before we get into a debate on what was said or not.

Sorry but its not the right time to debate all this.

Yes, some of us are spoiled. Some of us are just suck up yes men. And some of us are brutally honest. And some of us are just honest and too tactfull. Soem of us can be both. And so on. Thats what AO is all about. Mixed opinions you can glean some course of action from if you can cut through the BS. Thats all we are. Nothing more.