IT'S TIME WE HUNT TML DOWN!!!!!

[Bboy94]

It's unfortunate, but there are other Zelda sites out there we can go to.

I'd like to point out that no other site really does it like ZB.

[DW]

That's why we should try and find people who can do a suitable job of taking care of it.

[Hi no Seijin]

I'd like to point out that no other site really does it like ZB.

True, but that's not the point.  My point is to move on with life.

And if you want to try to find someone who's willing to take care of TGA and ZB, then go ahead.  But I'm asking JQ not to hassle TML about it, as is Shikamaru.

[TheMissingLink]

I'm going to reply to this in as calm and mild-mannered a mood as I can muster to this topic.  I unfortunately am not going to be brief because this is a topic I want to make sure that some people hear my full opinion about this.

Let's broach the main topic first:  Am I being selfish?  Technically, in a manner of speaking, yes.  I am doing this for my own reasons; I am removing myself as an extremely active member of the community in order to relax a little bit and work on more personal things.  Because of those points, I'm certain that there is some decent argument that I am not selfless by doing so.  Thus, selfish.  Right.

However, off and on for the past six years, I have been running websites and/or forums.  At some point, I was running two websites quite actively.  At the beginning, I will admit that I did so because I thought that Internet fame would be all that and a bag of potato chips; however, as the months strolled on, I found that my true joy for being in the community was contributing to others.  I began replying to EVERY E-mail I received from a fan, no matter how broken their English was.  I would wait for reactions from people, hoping that whatever I did would be pleasing to them, and I would thank those people who did compliment my deeds for taking their time out to read what I had written.  I allowed people a safe haven to share their Zelda pride at both TGA and ZeldaBlog.  I devoted countless hours to both causes.  And I kid you not when I say this statistic, but I have probably written enough in my articles, stories, and and fan-novel to fill a 600- to 700-page paperback novel.  (There are few in the community who have probably reached this level of devotion.)

I mention these not because I take any pride in them directly, not because I wanted to go down in history as the best Zelda webmaster there ever was, but because I wanted people to have fun with Zelda, for people to find joy within the series that everyone in the community liked and appreciated, because it brought smiles to the faces of people who read my works.

Maybe I'm going to be biased in my self-assessment, but I'd like to think that much of those six years compromised an act of selflessness rather than selfishness.  In some regards, if you'll allow the expression, I have been the community's "slave" for six years.  Granted, it has to date been as a willing slave because, honestly, I enjoyed it, but the analogy still is poignant.  I have willingly done what other people in the community have wanted and expected for quite some time.

Instead of closing ZeldaBlog and TGA, what would you have me do?  Would you have me stay in the community forever despite my wishes?  Would you have me generate articles every week for your reading even though it sapped my personal time and energy?  Would you like me to devote every waking moment to making sure that you somehow are entertained because I have managed to do so in the past?  If you answer yes to any of these, I think you need to re-analyse who the selfish one is here.

Finally, what of passing the torch onto someone else?  TGA and ZeldaBlog is nothing special, and before you get the wrong idea about this, let me clarify it.  Technically speaking, TGA and ZeldaBlog are nothing more than frameworks.  At its technical core, ZeldaBlog is nothing but a blog sitting upon a Wordpress engine, PHP, HTML, and a MySQL database with a old-school layout that evokes a sense of nostalgia and memories.  TGA still runs on HTML frames (a horror in today's world) on 1998 web technology with a penchant for JavaScript and a nice medieval theme that identifies with the setting of the Zelda series.  Those frameworks are not why people came to those sites.  Anyone can create that; I mean, look at the nice eye candy of many of the Zelda sites within the community today.  Their graphics skills are far better than mine, and some of them have built their content engines from the ground up, representing a greater technical challenge.  That's not why people came.

Literally, anyone can create what I created.

The only thing that cannot be recreated exactly is my personal touch upon it.  Is that a make or break for a website?  If it is, well, the community was going to be doomed one day regardless of my voluntary closing of TGA and ZB because, one day, I am going to die, and the community would thus die on that day.  But I don't believe I'm a make or break for the community, that the community cannot function without me.  There's bound to be someone out there that is more talented than me, that is better than me, and that is more dedicated to the series than I am.  And I don't believe that the framework of either ZeldaBlog or TGA is make or break for the community either.  There are sites with better fanfiction, better fanart, better timeline discussion, better humour, better media, better news, and better everything else.  All of the elements of what I created are already out there somewhere.  Some ambitious person could theoretically start a TGA 2 or a ZeldaBlog 2 and start up where I left off.

And you know what, to see that happen would be completely awesome in my book; I'd challenge anyone to do it because I'd love to see it--not because of me but because I'd love to see how they would upend the tea table of the Zelda community.

How is that any different from passing the torch?

If you aren't willing to create your own site from scratch, to invest hundreds or thousands of hours into making a Zelda website, to advertising, to generating content, to researching, to everything, how then can you say--in good conscience!--that it isn't fair that I'm not passing the torch on?  Because if you are, it's not exactly selfless of you to say that.

Simply put, if you're targeting me in this whole affair because of what I'm doing, you don't get the community; if you're targeting me, you don't know what running a website should be about.  The community will not be a better place if you spam my E-mailbox or if you send nasty letters to my address.  It certainly won't fill the void you perceive to be my departure of the community either.  In short, it's a meaningless action.  However, you're welcome to do as you like, and I cannot stop you more than I can leap over tall buildings or run faster than a speeding bullet.

I can ask, though, that you seriously ponder this post.

And I can ask the moderators to lock at this topic at any time because I know the staff here, and the staff knows me.  Please don't give me a reason to be the "bad guy" here and do so.

[Dehumanizer]

thats alot...

[Hi no Seijin]

Gasp!  No way! :o

I'm wondering if you even took the time to read it all like I did. ::)

Anywho, I hope TML's response is good enough reason for you to leave him alone, JQ.  He pretty much said what I was somewhat trying to say, but couldn't quite get it across your thick head because I'm obviously not The Missing Link himself.

[Darth Wyndisis]

thats alot...

I am considering that spam, as it has nothing to do with this thread other than the previous post being long.  Sarge, that is a warning.

[Gamefreak]

It may be alot, but I read it all.  It'll be sad to see you go TML, but I won't be out there hunting you.  I understand things must be done and you're obliged to do them.

[DW]

I read the whole thing this morning before school, didn't have time to post though...I agree with him wholeheartedly....So I suppose if anybody were willing to fund the site we could get a team together and make a ZB2....

[MagmarFire]

Yes, TML, the circumstances certainly are understandable. There's only so much you can do at once without going insane, and I have heard that video game design requires quite a few hours of devotion (you said that you were into the video game design business in your ZB post, no?), and if you need to lighten the load on your time, then I'll certainly support you in doing so.

While I haven't been a member of ZB, I have indeed read your post at ZB, and it couldn't have been helped of me to be saddened by the news. However, the choice is yours, and I can speak for most everyone when I say that we can't hinder you from making it. I sure as heck won't hunt you down.

I also can't necessarily tell if you're reading this, but I felt I had to say it. Have a good life, TML! Live long and prosper! :)

[darkphantomime]

AHH!!!

I'm ashamed for making this topic now...

I guess I couldn't, heheh, just as many others won't be able to get over it.

So much, so much... I hope that the new generation will develop and grow. I'm sorry at having done this now...

I guess we and I can't really get over the closing of either. I could make an analogy of ending something too soon. but what good will it do? Hah...

I still can't believe he.... actually...

I've caused you enough trouble TML, so from now... I'm going to try and find the next TML to found the next Zeldablog. Hahah...

I guess the argument isn't about selfishness vs. selflessness, but I... You realize that the spirit, the life force is made by what we have done, rather than if one man does all of this for eternity.

I swear to honor the name of Zeldablog. And I will see to it that one day, there  will be another place where people will be able to gather; the hub of the whole community. And then we shall see if the life of the community will become stronger.

I guess I'm more saddened that people are moving on... and there doesn't seem to be anyone to pass the light unto the next generation... I sincerely hope that I'm wrong about this...

[DW]

JQ....I don't think you should be ashamed. You didn't make this out of hostility, if anything, you made it because you respected him so greatly it tore you to see him do this. I think he will be fine. As for making the next Zeldablog...how much would that cost?

[Hi no Seijin]

Fifty million NZD and your soul.

Who said that?  ::)

Anywho, I'm glad you decided to lay off TML, JQ.  Good luck finding the next TML, though.  You're going to need a lot of it.  As was said before, no one can replace what he has done, so trying to create your own legacy would be a better idea, to loosely quote TML.  At least I think I'm quoting TML.  Maybe I'm quoting Alpha.  One of those two.  Maybe both.

I think I'll shut up now. ;)

[Zelda Veteran]

There is no way I could have stopped halfway through. This is major, and anyone who plays at Hyrule Adventures 2 finds this as a standard post. I cannot agree more with what has been said. I see his side of the issue, and I stand by it. I can't stand to see him "targeted" because he's hanging up his sword for a while. He's contributed enough to the community, and I find it only natural that he deserves a break, or even retirement. In retrospect, it wasn't right to call him Selfish at all. If anything he's been gracious to provide us with what we have.

But perhaps these still is something you don't understand TML. We don't go to a site for its fancy artwork, or displays. We don't run to the place with the most beautiful design. Take TDC for example. We don't have the beautiful pages that Exploding Deku Nut has. We have a simple layout, yet we still have members that prefer the colossus over any other site. Do you know why that is TML? We come here for the great management, the members, the activities, the familiar way we enter and post. People feel comfortable and familiar with ZeldaBlog, and they have a great leader. They go because they know the latest news is brought to them in a comical, yet informative manner. Its in that understanding that people flock to your sites. The GossipStones are always bursting with replies, and I would hate to see all those people be turned away.

While I do agree that you could use a break, and even retirement, I also thing that you should come at least once a month to get a brief overlook of everything, and make sure things are running smoothly. Ideally, I expect that the phrase "passing the torch" means you are putting the site under new management. I would take the time to find somebody with good grammar, and a common understanding of how to remain active and run a site. Don't take anything I said the wrong way. You're a greatly appreciated member of the Zelda Community, and respect and stand behind the decisions you make. Its your life, and your choice, and there is nothing we can do to change that. I actually don't expect you to come back to TDC to read all of this, but I knew this had to be said. Also, please don't ever post anything like that again Sarge, we all know that you most likely didn't read any of it, or even what I'm typing. So I'll cut this off before I speak another unseen message.

EDIT: Adding to this, I agree that we can never find another TML. I also agree that I worry about the new generation. As the generations go on, kids are getting lazier, and incompetent. I can't see anyone of the new generation doing what TML and Jack have done. Heck, I couldn't even say I myself would be up for such a task. I can only thank these guys as best I can and hope, hope, hope for more light to shine on the community. At this point, a new game won't solve problems...

[Bboy94]

I didn't know you had an account here TML. :o

Well, see 'ya round TML, I'll miss your articles. :P Your games are gonna have awesome stories if that company is using you to your potential.