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Saw some thread explosions. Hey all you paizo mods. You ever make it over to this side of the pond (England specifically). Give me a yell and I owe you a drink and a bite. After the past few months looks like you need one.
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:(
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KC, pretty sure that TMM meant 'bite to eat' as in 'will buy you dinner' not 'bite your kneecaps off'.
:>
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Afternoon, I have been around Pathfinder in the UK for many a year but very rarely frequent the Forums. I have just read through many of the threads and am saddened that people are feeling attacked and marginalised.
I echo TMMs sentiments two post up, in fact I hope to be at Paizocon (If it runs) in 2022 so if somebody points them out to me I can thank them in person as well as get the drink, of their choice, in.
I would also like to share with certain members such as, Kobold Cleaver, Cori Marie and any others who are women, something my sister showed me which made me think of you:
'She was never prepared for half of what she went through, but she got through it, she always will -- She is YOU' the empowered woman'
Keep being strong ladies, you have a friend in me whether you want it or not :-)
Fat bald Cis male.
Maca
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While the entire Customer Service team has my deep appreciation, I wanted to give a special shoutout to Heather and Raychael, who have been super visible lately in moderating these forums over the last couple months. I already thanked Heather in the OP, and everything there stands--Heather, you're awesome, we'd be lost without you, and I like your avatar!
Raychael, every post I've seen from you has been professional, incisive, and transparent. I really appreciated you honestly acknowledging the other day that you just didn't have the bandwidth to go in-depth on a moderation action, and as difficult as that whole incident ended up being, I know none of us blamed you--you were already going above and beyond the call of duty. It was a tough situation and you did more than anyone could have asked of you, and you and the rest of the team followed up immediately the next day with plans to try to keep a situation like that from happening again. I am so glad we have you on the team.
Both of you, as well as the whole team (thanks to Logan, I just saw that she's keeping an eye on the Trans Awareness blog thread and wanted to acknowledge her explicitly even though I don't think we've properly interacted before!), have shown such a fundamental dedication to making these forums safe for everyone to take part in, and that's meant so, so so much as we've struggled through these last few months together. I am sure that once things have settled down a bit, the future "Apologize to Raychael/Heather" threads will be bustling with gamers who realize, after a fair act of moderation by one of you, that maybe they didn't need to go implying that theorycrafting fans all have halitosis or whatever. :P
Aaron Shanks, you have been consistently so gracious, kind, empathetic, and clear at a time where being the public face of Paizo has to be, um, a bit anxiety-inducing at the least. You've been one of the people who's really made me feel like Paizo as a whole still cared. You've spoken frankly and honestly about how difficult things are right now behind the scenes. Being honest about that sort of stuff has to be difficult. Even so, you always made sure to validate the pain of the communities who've been hurting, never, ever making us feel like you wanted to sweep us under a rug. That kind of care and honest is an impossibly difficult line to straddle, and it's the kind of line I slip off of every day. We are so lucky to have you around. Thank you.
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I also want to thank Mark Moreland and James Case, who I heard helped draft up the latest Trans Awareness blog post, along with all the trans employees who were involved behind the scenes. It's a beautiful and incredibly respectful post. <3
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I get really emotional with some of these from time to time. This was one of those times. Sometimes I forget how intensely important these communities are to me, and then something happens, or someone condemns them, or I take a step back to think about what we've lost or what we've found or what we've had all along and... Honestly, I really hope I do manage to get to thanking everyone at some point. All of y'all who work at Paizo or used to work at Paizo are important and valuable, now more than ever.
Oh, gosh, this is big "my aunt getting drunk at 10pm and sending out a chain email reminding us to go to church more because of how much she loves us" vibes, isn't it? Or at least, I assume it is. I don't have an aunt who does stuff like that.
... oh, god, if any of my siblings have kids, I'll be the aunt who does that, won't I?
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I want to thank to KC for her great post here.
This is a really careful, thoughtful, and genuinely helpful response to a really tricky and hard to answer question (at least one that I'd struggle to offer an informative answer to). I think having something like this spelled out in the forum guidelines would be fantastic. But in the meantime, I've added it to my list of "to remember" posts, so I can link to it next time this question comes up!
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'-'
*'-'*
I'll pass it on to her.
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Cats Update
They haven't done this before. I literally couldn't get them to move enough to look at me, by the way. I have a ten-second video of them just lying there, as relaxed as anything.
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At least your cats hang out in cat appropriate places. One of ours uses my pull up bar as a bed...oddest place to sleep I have seen, but Wagashi likes it so...who am I to judge his relaxation choices.
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Cats are indeed awesome….
Go to kitties
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Cats are indeed awesome….
Go to kitties
Do I detect some Maine Coon in those kitties?
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Nope, Kurillian Bobtail. But indeed their hairiness, look and size is quite similar .
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Nice!. I guess seeing the tails would have said allot there :). That is a breed we have never had the pleasure to own or foster yet, very fine looking kitties indeed.
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LOL!!! I will state for the record all breeds, sizes, colors, patterns, and markings of feline are equally awesome and deserving of being called fine looking kitties.
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We are spreading kindness, otherwise I would have made a snarky comment about non-felines not being equal to lovely kitties …
Customer Service Representative
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As a self-proclaimed cat-apologist, everyone's cats are perfect angels who deserve love, consensual scritches, and treats in their flavor of choice.
*Post approved by my own cats, Willow, Ripley, and Nadja, who further claim they are starving and never get any treats ever. <.<
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I may not have a sweet little kitty floof anymore but I do have a large cat-like greyhound who will also tell you she doesn't receive enough scritches and treats, does that count? :P
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I may not have a sweet little kitty floof anymore but I do have a large cat-like greyhound who will also tell you she doesn't receive enough scritches and treats, does that count? :P
Amber is an Italian Greyhound Chihuahua mix. So stinking cute.
And yes, that counts.
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Appreciating the good cat vibes. We have four cats, and the only one that hasn't had major dental problems in the last couple of years is the diabetic potato we call Charlotte. Fern and Templeton have no teeth at all by this point. Wilbur just had a few pulled and we're struggling to get him excited about eating right now, though he chowed down this morning at least.
At least they're real cute when they're stoned out of their little minds.
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I mostly lurk on the forums these days and am not that active, but I love this thread, so I'm jumping in! :-) In addition to the excellent shout-outs already in here, I want to spotlight a few more people whom I've had the pleasure of working with over the last few years:
Jenny Jarzabski is an incredibly creative, fun person with a knack for taking off-the-wall adventure premises and making them work, whether as a writer or a dev. Not everyone could have pulled off managing something like "time-travel linked GenCon special," but she and Thursty pulled it off admirably.
Speaking of Thurston Hillman, he's always someone I look forward to working with. He cares deeply about his co-workers, the freelancers he works with, and the game, and it shows. I also understand, although I've never been fortunate enough to be in a game of his as of yet, that he's a top-notch GM with a knack for making his players cry in the best way possible. ;-)
Michael Sayre has been mentioned before, but in addition to being a talented designer, he's handled the whole upheaval in the past few months admirably. Without getting into specifics, he's been a class act throughout all this, and I want to express my appreciation for that. Michael, you're always great to work with.
Likewise, Mark Seifter has also been mentioned, but I'd like to second the comments about his forum presence being consistently helpful and positive--even when others aren't returning the favor. And, as someone who can barely multiply, his math knowledge awes and alarms me. :-) Like the others I've mentioned above, I always look forward to seeing an email in my inbox from him.
Jessica Catalan joined Paizo at a tumultuous time, and it can't have been easy starting the new job in the midst of everything. In spite of that, I'm sure she's been hard at work, and I can't wait to see what she's cooking up next! Jessica, it was awesome to work with you on the specials this year!
Jason Tondro is witty, fearless, and one of the most principled people I've ever met, and his Twitter (@doctorcomics) is a delight to follow. He's been incredibly helpful in getting information about United Paizo Workers and the union's formation out to the community at large, both on Twitter and in his many, many interviews. Seriously, when does this man sleep? :-)
John Compton is a great dev and a genuinely nice guy who's always been an advocate both for his co-workers and for freelancers. He also seems to have a wry sense of humor which I'm always fond of spotting on any mutual Discords we end up on.
Finally, Andrew White has written probably the best description of a Starfinder adventure--and the adventure itself--of all time, in talking about the Great Grav-Train Robbery. I read this tweet to my game group a couple weeks ago and they were instantly sold. Tech doesn't always get the attention of devs or editors, but it's definitely a vital part of the company!
Devs, editors, customer service, everyone I've worked with: if I didn't name you individually, you are also awesome! I just only have so much time on my lunch break. ^^;
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I may not have a sweet little kitty floof anymore but I do have a large cat-like greyhound who will also tell you she doesn't receive enough scritches and treats, does that count? :P
My barber has a greyhound which she often has hang out in her front window, and it was doing donuts on it's bed recently during a haircut. Which lead to me asking and discovering that sighthounds, like foxes are effectively cat software running on dog hardware.
So more reason than ever to have a cute long-pup!
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Thanks for writing this. Not to diminish the validity of anyone's feelings or understandable anger but, as someone who has been taking a break from the forums for my own mental health, I admire the effort at positivity and kindness.
Contributor
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I want this thread back. I want it very, very badly. I want to shout out the tireless Heather F, who found something in my cart subscriptions that had somehow become stuck. She took the time to write me and ask me if it was still wanted.
I (alright, it was my boyfriend) did a quick inventory and we realized it was missing. We told Heather, and she got the order rolling again.
She and every other member of the CS team are endlessly professional and kind.
I'd like for us to call out other members of the community here. Did a post make your day? Perhaps their attitude is always good and helpful?
Let's send kindness around again.
Hmm
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I want to say thank you to Cori Marie, who has not only been a stalwart advocate for justice all throughout these painful months, she's done it while being ceaselessly civil and fair, even when it was obviously exhausting for her. She's the best paladin the forums could ask for. She also encouraged me to take a break from the forums, and to not think of myself as a somehow critical piece who had to keep posting at all times, just when I needed to hear it. I really appreciated that, and it's helped my mental health considerably.
I want to to say thank you to the wonderful Steve Geddes, who left the forums early in the midst of this but hasn't ceased to be a voice of encouragement for those still able to stay in the fight. Geddes was closer to this than just about everyone not working at Paizo, and I know all of this was very painful for them--including leaving. I appreciate them.
I want to say thank you to keftiu, who has basically never backed down from trying to make these forums a better place. I know she doesn't enjoy these arguments one bit, but I appreciate her constant presence here.
I want to say thank you to Sanityfaerie, Nerve-Eater and themetricsystem, who are three people I can remember arguing with who have also actively attempted to oppose transphobia and bigotry when it's surfaced and who have made a genuine effort to be civil and good-faith.
I want to say thank you to Oppsylum, who managed to thread the delicate needle of disagreeing with Erik Mona's decision while still validating the motivations behind it and acknowledging the serious problems that existed. It was a breath of fresh air, and offered a degree of nuance that I really appreciated. sorry I keep misspelling your name
I want to say thank you to Hmm, who puts together graceful, thoughtful posts every time she pops up and always helps remind me to try to add a little kindness to the forums.
I want to say thank you to Owen KC Stephens, who, while he did steal my initials, is still a great designer and a brave advocate for those with a smaller platform than himself. What he did wasn't easy, and he received a lot of hurt for it, but I am grateful to him.
I want to say thank you to Totally Not Gorbacz, who has honestly made my day with every other post he makes. I'm really glad we have our Chaotic Neutral murderbag here to help advocate for what he thinks is right while still making us laugh. The same goes for TOZ, honestly, aside from him being a murderbag. Although... hm, you know, has anyone ever seen those two in the same room together?
I want to say thank you to Rysky, who has basically been one of the most effective people on the forums or off at making me smile lately. I'm so glad they're here. It helps that basically every time they speak up, it's to say something clear and incisive that moves the conversation forward.
I want to say thank you to Yoshua and The Black Raven, who have been really active on the forums as allies lately and whose support and empathy I've really appreciated. (I am loosely remembering that they've self-described as cis, if I'm misremembering, haha, ignore the "allies" thing.)
I want to say thank you to Grankless, who has been a dedicated advocate for what's right and tends to post really insightful comments. These months have been a frustrating and painful time to be trans on the forums, but she hasn't wavered. Also I like her avatar and profile.
I want to say thank you to RexAliquid for just posting really helpful, effective comments. They're really good at being concise and still saying things of real weight.
I want to say thank you to Diego Valdez, for sticking up for his friends and for what's right.
I want to say thank you to Heather and Logan and Keith, for the same reasons as ever.
That's all I got for now, but I do think extending this to forumgoers is a good idea at this point. That said, I still want to pore over my Dragon magazines when I can get them and get some proper freelancer praise together. :)
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I would like give Kobold Catgirl some serious thanks of my own. We haven't always been in agreement on everything, but she's been really helpful for improving my own understanding of things at times when I've been ill-informed, and I know that that hasn't always been free. It's really nice to be able to look at the other side of an argument and see that at least some of the folks over there are reasonable people honestly trying to do good. She's shown that in herself and also helped me see it in others.
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Oh, my eternal thanks to Kalindlara, HMM, Michelle A.J., James Jacobs, Joshua Hennington, and every other contributor or staffer who spoke out over the last week or so on these issues, putting themselves in the line of fire to stand up for what they believed in. Especially Kalindlara, with whom I had a really nice conversation about game design and impostor syndrome and stuff. Kalindlara's really really cool and I am so glad the community has her floating around and occasionally weighing in.
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Yesterday was the solstice, the longest, darkest night of the year. Each day after will be longer, brighter, and warmer, and I feel similarly about this. We all care about this place, these games, and each other, and I hope we can see it build with each passing day.
Thank you, folks. And KC, I hope my grumpiness isn’t coming through /too/ hard :p
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To Kobold Catgirl, for providing perspectives and great insights so tirelessly, and with civility.
To HMM for resurrecting this thread.
To TheMetricSystem for standing by his principles, and argue for reason and nuance with civility, even in the face of adversity.
And to everyone else who is facing adversity, and who feels drained by keeping explaining their concerns and issues.
Hoping that the next weeks will be nice and quiet on these forums, and that both the forum attendees and moderation staff get a well deserved break.
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I want to shout out appreciation to Kobold Catgirl, Cori Marie, TOZ, Totally Not Gorbacz, Rysky, and all the others who have taken on the defense of trans people these last four months. Each time I have gotten angry enough to post a long rant and began working on the words, somebody else got in and said it as well if not better than I could. Thank you all, you are beautiful!
I am working on a long post that will be coming soon. I'm trying to follow HMM's guidelines and make it as positive as I possibly can.
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I want to shout out to all of you reading this who will never be called out by name because you are just here, being part of the community, reading along without posting, and quietly acting to make the community a more inclusive space. That was me for a long time too before I took the plunge and really started posting and I know there's a lot of you out there. You matter even though you don't post a lot, or at all, and the efforts you take matter too!
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I want to shout out a couple of people that aren't super active here but have provided a safe community space when things here have gotten a bit rough and some of us have needed a break.
First, the crew of the Hideous Laughter podcast. To Griffin, Haley, Steve, Emily, Brooks, and Chris; thank you for providing good humor and fun, as well as a discord where I've quickly made several friends.
Likewise, to the crew at Southern Tomfoolery; thank you for providing a great community - AND for finally getting me interested in Starfinder. Thanks there go to Adam, Heath, Emily, Zac, and Josh.
Thank you to both of these groups, you've made the last few months much better.
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Seconding that! At least for Hideous Laughter, which I joined a bit ago. <3
Also to the wonderful people at Arcane Mark, and TOZ for inviting me there, and Mark Seifter for, as with Hideous Laughter, giving us a place to talk about forum drama. I left a bit ago over some RSD/mental health issues, but it's a great community and I liked it there.
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I want to shout out a couple of people that aren't super active here but have provided a safe community space when things here have gotten a bit rough and some of us have needed a break.
First, the crew of the Hideous Laughter podcast. To Griffin, Haley, Steve, Emily, Brooks, and Chris; thank you for providing good humor and fun, as well as a discord where I've quickly made several friends.
Likewise, to the crew at Southern Tomfoolery; thank you for providing a great community - AND for finally getting me interested in Starfinder. Thanks there go to Adam, Heath, Emily, Zac, and Josh.
Thank you to both of these groups, you've made the last few months much better.
Cheers Cori. It is our pleasure to have such wonderful people in our community. Thank YOU for being a part of it
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There are too many to name in specific, but if Kobold Catgirl had not built this thread back in September I'm not sure where I'd be at.
Thank you for doing this, for everyone that's commented here in a positive fashion, and for making us stick to the OP.
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Happy Holidays to all the posters and developers/freelancers/contributors. Cheers!
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Happy Holidays all! Gm, Player, Paizo, Fan, All!
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Best Holiday wishes to all, and to all may you have only good gaming in the year to come!