After reading the threads that have been posted since earlier today when I resigned my position as moderator here, and seeing the direction things are going, I need to clear this up before it gets more out of hand than it already is.
Mike has known me now for the better part of 11 years, and during that time, he's come to value my opinion on matters regarding the rules of this site and how they are enforced. We have a trust in place. In that regard, he also knows like many of you, that I have a low tolerance for bullshit, and I hate being lied to.
So today when I saw the Blabbermouth article and the PDF regarding the lawsuit, I like many of you, jumped to a concussion that the entire truth was blurred. As Mike trusts me, I trust him as well and trust that he would not lie to me about things. Especially when those things usually involve me sitting in front of the computer for endless hours every day trying to keep his internet home free of messes and negativity every time he posts, says something in an interview, or tweets.
Now, while some of you may think I have the "inside scoop" on everything going on between DT and MP, that is the farthest thing from the truth. Yes, I work(ed) for MP, and yes I am also an employee of Dream Theater as a contracted internet consultant and manager of a few of their internet properties. However, in regards to all the legal actions taking place, neither party has been at liberty to discuss anything involved in the case with me as I am not directly involved and honestly I won't impose on friendships to ask. I, like you all, only know of rumors and speculations and what has been whispered in dark corners of the internet.
Now, being that I am (was) the one responsible for having to spend my time cleaning up the mess, you can understand my displeasure at the revealing of the information that came to light today and the ensuing mess that is still continuing. I also felt that the faith I had in MP to be as truthful with the fans as he has always been in the past wasn't as concrete as I had envisioned.
I only do (did) this job for as long as I did because I respected MP as both a person and a friend. Over the years I have seen him do countless selfless things for his fans. One thing in particular always comes to mind, he spent hours digging through his basement one night to find an original 1996 ACOS Home For The Holidaze shirt for a fan who had been wearing one the night of The Station fire and had had to have the shirt surgically removed from his skin. So you can imagine my feelings of betrayal when I saw this lawsuit information and jumped to the conclusion that Mike had been lying to all of us fans for the last 6 months. I don't like liars, I don't like feeling stabbed in the back as either a friend or a fan, and that is how I felt, plain and simple.
I went so far as lashing out and being quite snarky to Mike in my resignation letter. So much so that I got a call from Marlene after he sent it to her.
Now Marlene can't go into details about the lawsuit, I respect that. That is something that could cost her and Mike hundreds of thousands of dollars and a lawsuit. As a friend, I do not want to see that happen. I have a lot of trust in Marlene, and when she tells me that I'm wrong about judging Mike this way, I can tell from the sincerity in her voice that she's not just standing up for Mike but that she's being honest. I have to admit I was wrong in my feelings that Mike had betrayed my trust and the trust of the fans. My quitting was not intended to do further damage to Mike, and sadly, that is how most of you have taken it as I was rather blunt with my wording. Those of you who know me well know that that is how I am. I don't pull punches, but I will be the first to admit I was wrong. I was wrong (DebraKadaba is currently calling the Guiness Book Of World Records to get them to put it in writing.)
We will never know the full details of the lawsuit, we aren't entitled to know. Mike doesn't deserve the crap he gets around the internet. I know, I clean the majority of it up here and see it everywhere else. He's a good guy, and a great friend, and any single one of you, having the feeling that a friend lied to you would not sit well. That is where I was coming from with my resignation. That thread was closed and I understand why. It was doing more damage to Mike than the actual Blabbermouth article. But in hindsight and after talking to Marlene, I was wrong in my judgement of the situation, and not knowing the facts, did what the rest of you are currently doing.
Let's put an end to this for all parties involved. No one, not Mike, not Dream Theater, is benefiting from it.
Look, I know you post here, but I'm sorry. I can't get on board with any of this.
Maybe there's a secret side to the story I still don't know about, which is always possible. Maybe the members of DT are in fact enormous assholes and are threatening a disproportionately reactive counter-suit. If MP is to be believed (if that's even possible), DT lawyered up before he did. The whole story has yet to be told (although I have to believe Rich Wilson is going bonkers).
But if what we know about the situation is accurate, I don't know what you're seeing that I'm not. I can read a court document. Mike Portnoy sued DT to gain control over their name. In no way can I respect this. He flat out said it wasn't happening when it was. He tried to make it look like DT was blowing him off when he's the one that filed a lawsuit. At some point, no matter what anyone says, actions speak far louder than words, and MP's actions are especially clear.
I know MP is your friend. I know that, like all people, MP thinks he's the good guy. I thought the ACOS tour story was very touching. But as someone who can affirmatively say I used to be a fan, I think MP needs to get his fucking act together.
You mentioned, in his defense, that his family was in danger of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars? What about MP trying to destroy DT's career? What fact we aren't aware of makes his case even remotely sympathetic?
Topic: MP has filed a lawsuit against Dream Theater (Read 102937 times)
