DTF Donations Contest: Win prizes and donate to keep the lights on here

[Schurftkut]

well not active enough apparently ;-) 

[Zantera]

This thread is that awkwardly growing elephant in the room of the forum

[MinistroRaven]

Apparently not grown enough 

[Jamesman42]

Mr. Bosk hasn't been on in 12 days, and the other mods might not be in a position to update without him.

[nobloodyname]

Apparently not grown enough 

I think the elephant is actually sat in the middle of the table at this point.

[Schurftkut]

i thought it already obliterated the table and took a shit in the corner

[Wim Kruithof]

Somehow, somewhere Bosk will return to this remarkable thread and when he does, I hope he'll reply my pm as well.

[Schurftkut]

probably just in time to announce the upcoming donations contest 

[MinistroRaven]

[TAC]

probably just in time to announce the upcoming donations contest 

You should probably let it go, man. How many of your 300 posts are complaining?  Why don’t you go and be productive in other parts of the forum instead of being the town crier here?

[MinistroRaven]

So, the message wasn't meant for me, but I guess I'll keep checking until bosk1 spills the beans on what went down.

Look, it's pretty obvious by now that the contest ain't gonna happen. They decided to suspend it for who-knows-what reasons.

I won't speak for the rest of the forum 'cause it seems like a bunch of them couldn't care less. But, you know what? As a donor, I think *I* deserve an explanation.

I ain't gonna bug everyone with my talk, but it's just that I wanna know what's up. A simple heads-up from the admin would do, you know?

Anyway, just had to get that off my chest. Time to wait and see what they come up with.

Cheers,

JP

[MinistroRaven]

I hit up ChatGPT and asked it to write a statement for the forum on behalf of bosk1.

This is what I was looking for, you know, enough to satisfy "us complainers":

Dear forum members,

I hope this message finds you all well. I'm writing this post to address the recent situation with the contest that was expected to take place based on donations. As an admin and a member of this community, I believe transparency is crucial, and it's only fair for all of us to receive an explanation.

It has come to our attention that the contest, unfortunately, won't be happening as initially planned. Despite our excitement and anticipation, circumstances have arisen that led us to the difficult decision to suspend the contest indefinitely. I understand this news might be disappointing, and I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.

As an admin, I take full responsibility for not providing timely updates and leaving the thread unanswered. I deeply regret any frustration or confusion this has caused, and I want to assure you all that it was not intentional. I genuinely appreciate your understanding and patience.

The reasons behind suspending the contest are multifaceted, and I'd like to share some insights into the challenges we encountered. Several unexpected technical and logistical difficulties arose, making it unfeasible to proceed with the contest at this moment. Moreover, we faced unforeseen scheduling conflicts and constraints, which further complicated matters.

While I acknowledge that some of you may feel frustrated, especially the donors who contributed to the contest, please know that your support and generosity are highly valued. Your contributions will be carefully handled, and we are actively exploring alternative options to utilize the funds in a manner that benefits the community. Rest assured, your donations will not go to waste.

As we work through these challenges and reevaluate our approach, I promise to keep you informed of any further developments. Our commitment to this community remains unwavering, and we are dedicated to finding solutions that align with our shared interests.

I want to extend my gratitude to each and every one of you for being part of this community and for your understanding during this difficult time. Your passion, creativity, and camaraderie are what make this forum special.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly through private messages or emails. Your feedback is crucial as we move forward, and I'm here to address any queries you may have.

Thank you for your continued support, and let's look ahead to a future filled with exciting opportunities for us to come together as a community.

Warm regards,

[Your Forum Username] (on behalf of the administration)

 

[Metro]

Yeah a simple “what’s up” from the admin who’s clearly and deliberately ignoring this thread would be nice, but I’ve given up at this point.
And I take back what I said before, and I will not donate to one of these contests if it happens again.

[vtgrad]

Out of curiosity (and to Donate again because I want to support DTF), I clicked on the Donate! link in the Header and received the "This organization's page is broken" response from PP.  I'd be happy to Donate if there is another working link.  Looks like the other Mods awarded stars for the 2022 donations so that was taken care of anyway.

Based on my off-forum communications with Bosk (just a few times related to my side business), I'd feel confident saying he's a very busy guy both in business and in personal life, so I wouldn't be inclined to sh!t on him too much... TAC makes a good point as well (as tacfully as ever... pun intended).  I'm sure the Mods understand where everyone is coming from regarding the prizes/contest as well, but I'm also sure there is an explanation for it and I would assume that the explanation involves something personal on Bosk's part so he may not feel the need to explain a personal situation here.  I think that we just don't know the whole story and that the other Mods are sharing what they can share (again, if it's something personal, hopefully Jerry's OK).

I'm sure PMs will be sent to everyone that donated in 2022 at some point to explain the situation.

[Wim Kruithof]

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly through private messages or emails. Your feedback is crucial as we move forward, and I'm here to address any queries you may have.

This is basicly what I did a while back, when I red here that you could also pay with an invoice send, since I do not own Paypall. I pm'ed this very question but never received a reply. Still am willing to pay because I learn so much about my favorite band of all here, but when Bosk isn't able to answer my question, does another mod can?

That there ain't any prices, isn't really what I care about.

[Jamesman42]

Yeah, wondering if bosky is okay. If you're reading this (and I know you are ), hope you're good and can pop in here for these fine people.

[Metro]

I admire the optimism, vtgrad (Go Hokies btw, if your username means what I think)
But the fact is that it’s been 236 days since Bosk acknowledged this contest. He hasn’t posted at all in over a month, so I can understand if he’s been too busy for the last couple of months or so. Fair enough. But I don’t believe for a second that he’s been too busy all year to give us an update. If there is a “personal situation” or something, he can say that without giving away specifics. I would understand. But to not say anything for over half a year is just inexcusable at this point and is making this problem bigger than it needs to be.
And as I keep bringing up, this is the second time this contest has happened with no follow up.

Screw the prizes, just explain yourself, Bosk.

[Chino]

Busy is a poor excuse. We all poop. There's been ample time over the last few months where 180 seconds out of just one of those toilet sessions could have been used to drop the board a dime.   

Just my $0.02

[vtgrad]

Hokie, Hokie, Hokie, Hi... I'm a glass half-full kinda guy. 

Chino's point is a good one... butt, perhaps the poop is compacted and there's a struggle going on?  Perhaps Bosk's diet doesn't have enough fiber?

[Jamesman42]

Perhaps Bosk's diet doesn't have enough fiber?

bosk1
fiber one
number 2

[vtgrad]

Terrible how this conversation has turned to sh!t, isn't it...

[Jamesman42]

Well, at least this thread has enough fiber to keep going.

[Wim Kruithof]

Busy is a poor excuse.

I do not think busy is his excuse. Bosk is sixteen years in and very devoted to DTF, at least that what it looks like since I'm around. He might has his reasons that weigh a ton and aren't us' to know about.

But a man can't rule the world by himself right? I hope there are mods that can fill the void. And really hopes he conquer his struggle and will be back any time soon.

[MinistroRaven]

Busy is a poor excuse. We all poop. There's been ample time over the last few months where 180 seconds out of just one of those toilet sessions could have been used to drop the board a dime.   

Just my $0.02

[Skeever]

When it had just been a few weeks of silence I thought, sure people have the right to feel a little annoyed by that.

But it's been over a month since the guy even posted which is extremely uncharacteristic. Rather than continue to operate in bad faith, let's hope he's doing well and that there's not something seriously troubling going on with him.

[Stadler]

When it had just been a few weeks of silence I thought, sure people have the right to feel a little annoyed by that.

But it's been over a month since the guy even posted which is extremely uncharacteristic. Rather than continue to operate in bad faith, let's hope he's doing well and that there's not something seriously troubling going on with him.

This is my take.

[goo-goo]

+1

I'm here for the people, DT and discovering music. The reason I donated was to keep the lights on. The fact that Bosk hasn't been around is a bit troublesome. Been here long enough that this isn't normal for Bosk. Hope he is Ok (and his family as well).

[nobloodyname]

I certainly understand the concern over Bosk's absence and of course I hope he's well. However, he was absent from this thread long before he was absent from the forum.

[MinistroRaven]

When it had just been a few weeks of silence I thought, sure people have the right to feel a little annoyed by that.

But it's been over a month since the guy even posted which is extremely uncharacteristic. Rather than continue to operate in bad faith, let's hope he's doing well and that there's not something seriously troubling going on with him.

But he was active 3 days ago.



I too hope he is OK, though

[Nick]

At this point I believe the mod team has done most of what we can do on our end, and I'm sorry we can't really speak more to issues we're not directly involved in.

With that said, Bosk can reply in this thread and/or reopen it at that time, so I'm going to lock this for now. Just no reason for the same stuff to recircle every week. Please note, I'm not saying that I'm happy about the situation or don't understand the frustration, but at this point there is only one person who can get things back on track, so let's wait till that happens and go from there.

[bosk1]

This thread is re-opened.  I'm really sorry for not responding.  I need to go back through and read this.  I haven't been on in awhile and need to catch up (and, yes, I know my stats show that I have logged on--I almost always have a browser tab open to DTF even when I'm not on here).  Just a couple of things BRIEFLY:

1.  Please read this before posting:  https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=58509.0  It helps explain some things a bit, even if I did keep a lot of the specifics to myself.

2.  The contest absolutely IS going to happen.  I need to get on top of that, and I'm REALLY sorry for letting it lag this long.  There's no excuse for that and you all deserve better.

3.  There are some logistics I need to work out.  For instance, everybody who is eligible should get entered.  But I know there were some who wanted to donate that could not because of a broken donations button and some other things.  So people who should have been eligible couldn't even donate.  I need to get that sorted and find a way to reward some folks who wanted to contribute, but could not yet do so.

4.  Please be patient.  It may take me a little while to go back through everything I need to sort this out.

5.  Once again, I'm really sorry guys.

[nobloodyname]

I saw the other post before this one so responded there. Here, I'll just say thank you for the update; it's warmly appreciated.

[MinistroRaven]

Jerry,

First of all, thanks for reaching out and being open about what's been going on. Life can throw some serious curveballs, and it's totally understandable that things can get overwhelming. We're all human, and we've got your back as you work through these tough times.

Regarding the contest, I'm really glad to hear that it's going to happen, and I appreciate your efforts to sort things out, especially for those who couldn't donate due to the button glitch. It's the thought that counts, and your dedication to making things right doesn't go unnoticed.

Take all the time you need to work things out, and don't worry, we're a patient bunch. Thanks for being honest, and I'm sure we all wish you the best in pulling things together. We've built an amazing community, and we're here to support you.

Keep your head up, and let's look forward to a brighter chapter ahead!

Cheers,

JP

[Ben_Jamin]

I have never donated, and even if I did, I did it out of my own volition and I also understand what DONATION means. Do people really expect something out of a donation? We're lucky he's even offering an incentive just to get us to donate to keep this forum, we all love, going.

Props to all the moderators for handling this situation, and a big PROPS to Bosk.

I read the other thread, and honestly, there shouldn't have been an explanation needed because it's a DONATION.

[wolfking]

Jerry,

First of all, thanks for reaching out and being open about what's been going on. Life can throw some serious curveballs, and it's totally understandable that things can get overwhelming. We're all human, and we've got your back as you work through these tough times.

Regarding the contest, I'm really glad to hear that it's going to happen, and I appreciate your efforts to sort things out, especially for those who couldn't donate due to the button glitch. It's the thought that counts, and your dedication to making things right doesn't go unnoticed.

Take all the time you need to work things out, and don't worry, we're a patient bunch. Thanks for being honest, and I'm sure we all wish you the best in pulling things together. We've built an amazing community, and we're here to support you.

Keep your head up, and let's look forward to a brighter chapter ahead!

Cheers,

JP

Lol wut?