Originally Posted by LizaJane

ZS, I never knew you of of you before BT2 and these threads, and you're a cool guy and I like you. I can tell you really like John, and feel protective of him, and I can tell that you don't want any of us to get hurt or have unrealistic expectations. You've actually done an incredible job of being tactful, diffusing tension, and reassuring as best you can.

But I'm mad at John. I don't know him, I used to think he was the greatest thing since buttered bread for bringing us braintalk, which helped me through getting diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, and more recently, making a decision for spinal surgery. He brought me something wonderful.

But this is what I'm thinking. Braintalk is a community, a virtual community. John has become an expert in online communities. He LOVES Second Life. I have a friend who is very into it, and she finds it fun and challenging and enjoys the play she gets with it. John clearly loves it and has a group of friends, a life as an avatar, and a really good time being creative with it. So he's actually been able to get a job working for the people who make the product he loves so much, The ______labs. (I don't recall their name). He's been able to market himself to him as an expert in virtual communities and get hired and do something he loves.

But we're not actually a virtual community. We're not avatars with identities we've adopted. We're real people who exist beyond this board. And he's dropped this community cold for his community of avatars and their creators.

So, I'm angry at him for treating us like avatars, for using his work with us as a stepping stone to doing something more fun and more creative, and for having ego involved here which prevents him from just handing the thing over to someone who feels more passionately about it.

I mean, yeah, "anonymous" posts over and over on this thread suggesting we check the flickr sites where John posts his photos of his life. No ill intentions, she/he says. Nothing meant by it. But of course, that's a bit disingenuous. Anonymous has feelings about John blatantly showing how much fun he is having during his summer while he has not been attending to us. And I feel the same.

And it's frustrating that he really doesn't care that much in a personal way. I mean, look, here's Doc John, and he posts, he reads what's happening here himself, and he answers people's questions. He's transparent. John has made his little community of us, and keeps information to himself about the community, shows little empathy, and is treating us like we're no different from the characters in Second Life.

ZS--you've worked with him and you like him, and you're terrific here walking a fine line. But aren't you a bit mad yourself?

I mean, you know, I want to reach the guy and shake him a bit. I imagine an intervention, like one does with an alcoholic family member, where everyone in the family, all the friends, everybody who cares--corners the person and confronts him with the impact of his alcohol use on the people who care. I imagine somehow geting into his office with a bunch of us and letting him know how he's hurt us.

But I've looked at his Second Life profile, and the only way to get an appointment with John, is as an avatar, in the game, in the office he has there.

And that's a bit too much work.

You think there's any way we can have an impact on him and get him to care enough to do the right thing by us?

Also, you know, when he last asked for money, I was not cheap with him. I paypalled over to him $1000. I've never given that much to any one charity--it's huge for me. But you know, Braintalk had done so much for me and was doing so much for others, that I was happy to support it and assure its survival.

I mean what is with the guy?

LizaJane