All good things must come to an end

[SonicHawk]

This asf;di sucks. And you know what I mean when I say "asf;di."

 

[Sprfunk]

Totally bummed out.

 

[Hasselbeck]

kearly .. you're a great writer first and foremost. Just to get that out of the way.

Over the past several years of reading your stuff.. I agree and disagree with equality .. and I would say most of the posters here tend to primarily love the points you bring to the table every day.

I guess what I'm trying to say is.. maybe you just need a little thicker skin if a few anonymous monikers being internet tough guys flusters you so much that you're willing to stop sharing your thoughts with so many people that enjoy your work. I mean this in the most constructive way possible by the way, but this isn't the first time you've wrote a long post about ending the RT thread because of a handful of people that .. I don't know.. be asshats basically.

Years ago.. I had the same thing happen to me (not on this board, but in my line of work) ..and basically I hit a point in my life where I finally just said "eff it" and decided I really could not care less if someone disagrees with a stance I have, and I sure as hell do not care if someone's retort to said point is to make it personal. In fact.. that's where it kind of becomes amusing to me.

If you don't have someone in your life that hates what you do.. you're doing something wrong. Don't pay the trolls no mind, and in fact.. smile and laugh at them that your own thoughts over a professional football game can send their life into such an uproar that their last resort is coming at you personally.

You're a smart dude and incredibly gifted writer. Keep on being that.

 

[gargantual]

I'm a bit uncomfortable with the Brett Farve analogy, since you've left signs that this was coming for a long while. In other words it's apparent that this isn't a knee-jerk emotional over-reaction but rather a long, carefully thought out decision. I for one have been dreading that it would come.

Although I'm not comparing this to your situation, the Farve comment brought to mind the SharkHawk blowout that happened a few years ago. When he threw his remote and scared the bejesus out of his kids and wrote a long, impassioned explanation of why he had to leave here forever. The only thing this reminds me of is how I felt sympathy for him making the decision because I was sure he would eventually want to come back and he would unnecessarily feel like he had egg on his face.

I just don't want this to be any sort of impediment to any future contribution you feel like....errr.....contributing ! It was great how everyone jumped in to let SharkHawk know it was alright, and that no one gave him grief but just had open arms welcoming him back into the fold.

Once again, I know both of those situations (Farve and SharkHawk) are vastly different, that you're not saying you're gone forever or anything, but the basic sentiment of at least the SharkHawk thing is very much there. We're like a gigantic family around here (of people who've mostly never met or know what each other even LOOKS like ), and the support system that we provide for each other is a very valuable thing, helping us through a tough loss or difficult stretch of hardships for our beloved team. You have to know you're a gigantic part of that.

I agree with Tical's sentiment that you possess a rare knack for distilling the essence of what happened in a game without the emotional puking far too many of us can't resist doing on Sundays. (Sorry Tical if I distorted your words but I was going for the underlying intent). You almost serve like a political debate moderator, framing the issues with an informed perspective that others ping off of (many of which are incredibly insightful, skilled writers in their own right). Among all these talents, I'm not sure there is someone else that has the skill-set that you bring in this situation. I guess we're going to find out.

Sorry for the wall of text, but hopefully the mods will figure out a suitable venue for you to share your analysis going into the future. In whatever form it ends up taking.

Why do I feel like I did when Sando left to go behind that pay wall?

 

[pehawk]

Kearly has a tao understanding of the game in a climate dominated by numbers and advanced statistics. That's why I like him.

 

[byau]

Wow, I will be sad to see your RT threads go, at the same time, I can understand everything you said (having worked with bloggers and blogs quite a bit).

Sucks because I'm sure a lot of people (like me!) will miss your RT, at the same time, it just makes a lot of sense because your contending with the nature of people who post on forums. There is a lot of vile on every forum because everyone has their own right to speak, even if it's drivel.

Best wishes, I for one really appreciated (not necessarily always agreed with, definitely appreciated) all your stuff!

 

[TriCHawk]

Hey Kearly, bummed you're not going to be doing these anymore. I always have made a point to read & enjoy them. I completely understand you not doing them now, though. It's pretty crappy that some people either type faster than they can think, or fail to understand that there are actual people writing in these forums. I'll never understand people that feel they can be a dick just because they're anonymous on the internet.

 

[Scottemojo]

A few Random Thoughts (trademark violation?)

The internet is what it is, and message boards are what they are. Still, all in all, this an ad free community that has it's flaws, but ends up good anyway. Look in the Lounge, SeahawksFanForever was having a job finding crisis, and the number of people with advice, and maybe even real solutions, well, it is really cool. I have met some of you in person, and all have been good people. I will prefer to think that is the real soul of this site.

Some of you have nice things to say about me. Thanks. No chance I try and do what Kip does, I am a terribly disorganized human, and a hack ta boot. About the only thing Kip and I share is a right brained view of the world. Lefties unite!

I propose this to all of you: If the loss of Random Thoughts bugs you, make up for it. It was a grass roots idea and love for the game that led Kip to do it. Why not you? I don't mean to flood the forum with random thoughts, I mean try to capture the attitude that led to it's creation. Watch the game in the game, and have more than Whoo Hoo we won, or Oh Shit, We Lost and Everybody Must Suck as your game experience.

As far as the snark and stupidity that has contributed to the end of Random Thoughts, I hope those posters grow as people. Maybe we can all get better at seeing a dissenting opinion as an opportunity to gain some perspective and not an opportunity to whip it out and measure internet ...(supply your own word).

 

[kearly]

Thanks for the support everyone. Not really the ego-stroking stuff, but the posts here and there by people who truly understand my thinking on this. Means a lot to me.

You'll be back...

As things are now, not a chance in hell. I'm spent.

It's about more than trolls. There are enough ingredients that led to this decision to make a soup out of. I admit that the campaign of blatant disrespect and venom over many years was the biggest slice of the pie. I am not talking about harsh disagreement, but genuine ill-will. But even that was maybe 40% of the whole reason.

Like I said, i think it's been a good run. Everything about this decision feels right. It feels like a weight is off my shoulders now. Every time I've taken a step back at .net my life has been better for it. I'm just trying to do what I can to avoid quitting .net completely, which I've come extremely close to doing many times in the past. Believe me when I say, based on a great many PMs I've had with others, the long term day in day out effects from the acidity of this place is an issue for many other well liked members of this community too (ever notice how some of the best posters from 5-10 years ago almost never post anymore?). I can't change the world but I can change myself to restore sanity. So that's what I am doing.

 

[kearly]

Or, and I say this with genuine respect, he could just realise the dynamics of a message board and not let the idiots grind you down.

You don't get it. It's about abuse over time. I've been doing these for five or six years. Nobody has had a target on their back during those years like I did.

Yes, it is very small doses which by itself is easy to shrug off. But like body blows, you eventually reach a point where you can't take any more of them.

Also, this aspect is only one of many reasons that factored. The emotional/personal infrastructure of .net is simply not meant for blog type content. I was getting tired of doing the write ups too.

And I was tired of people hating me. And no, I'm not talking about the drunk jackasses, but about people that harbor feelings of ill will andtry to cover it up 99% of the time but do just enough to let you know how they truly feel inside. In fact, there is one such example of this in this very thread.

Of course, I totally understand that everyone is going to have enemies. It's a fact of life. But my stature on .net led to this becoming a pretty big problem and spiking that hate to higher and more personal levels. It especially hurts when it comes from a poster I had previously liked or respected.

And I don't freaking want that.

Anyway, it's a ton of shit to go through. You wonder why so few others want to fill the void, or why the best posters seem to be posting less and less. Because they are smart, and they know. Because they've seen it with their eyes open.

 

[hawknation2014]

Or, and I say this with genuine respect, he could just realise the dynamics of a message board and not let the idiots grind you down.

You don't get it. It's about abuse over time. I've been doing these for five or six years. Nobody has had a target on their back during those years like I did.

Yes, it is very small doses which by itself is easy to shrug off. But like body blows, you eventually reach a point where you can't take any more of them.

Also, this aspect is only one of many reasons that factored. The emotional/personal infrastructure of .net is simply not meant for blog type content. I was getting tired of doing the write ups. And I was tired of people hating me. And no, I'm not talking about the drunk jackasses, but about people that try to cover it up 99% of the time (there is one such example of this in this very thread!).

50 people say you're awesome while only one or two people say you're arrogant. I don't mean this as a criticism of you personally because I think most people do this to themselves. Why do we ignore the 50 while letting the one or two dissenters get under our skin?

 

[kearly]

50 people say you're awesome while only one or two people say you're arrogant. I don't mean this as a criticism of you personally because I think most people do this to themselves. Why do we ignore the 50 while letting the one or two dissenters get under our skin?

Dissent is totally fine. Dissent helps us get better as thinkers.

I'm talking about hate. Inner nastiness. People with issues who seek to tear down others to elevate themselves. So when you do that, who do you go after? The most respected people in a community. It's gotten to the point now at .net that if you are a .net celebrity you pretty much have to be in full politician mode. And the life of a politician sucks ass.

I didn't do this for a fanbase. Or respect. I did it for the love of the game. All I ask is that people are decent human beings. You're right, it's not a huge percentage, but you are wrong to insinuate there is a cancel out ratio. I can exercise daily and go vegan, take suppliments and do all kinds of things for good health, but if I smoke three packs a day it aint going to cancel out. That's how this works. There is no canceling out the hate and negativity. The obsessive and persistent antipathy.

In fact, the adoration by the majority actually makes it much worse, because it just fuels the haters that much more.

I know most of you can't understand this, but take my word, it's not that anyone in particular is under my skin. It's basically the second hand effect of having people say good things about you. When that happens, there will always be haters. And in my case, I have a lot of them (quite a bit more than 2 in 50), and it's just not worth it.

But like I said, it's not just that and it's not just the drunk A-holes. It's about five or six things, none of which is more than half the pie. It's a personal decision. And I am only expounding on it because it has been asked a lot. Maybe I should have just not said anything, because so few have walked in these shoes, and you would probably have to have walked in them to have any chance of understanding. Those that have been in similar situations, as relayed to me through PM correspondences, understand 100%.

 

[netskier]

Kip,

If angry abuse, blatant disrespect, venom and acidic atmosphere constitute collectively forty percent of the problem, then what additional factors constitute the other sixty percent of the problem? Thanks in advance for the info.

 

[byau]

50 people say you're awesome while only one or two people say you're arrogant. I don't mean this as a criticism of you personally because I think most people do this to themselves. Why do we ignore the 50 while letting the one or two dissenters get under our skin?

Not knowing what happened, if you think of it in general numbers and human nature: have you ever had a day where 50 things go right and 2 things go terribly? Whether it's an insult or whatever, I can picture those 50 good things won't get remembered but the 2 terrible ones will and it could ruin someone's day.

 

[gargantual]

I hope I didn't come across as laying a guilt trip or anything. Of course that wasn't my intent, I was just trying to express what I thought has been the value of what RT has been. Hopefully someone else can step up to offer something that can serve the same purpose. There's no onus on you to keep doing it, someone else should and can pick up the torch.

At times I have to stay away from here the first few days after a game to avoid all the "The Sky is Falling" and "Fire (fill in the blank)" freakout posts that smother the site. I like the new fan-dom that winning has attracted, but the extra attention inevitably has to be accompanied by clueless hyperbole. RT has been a calm eye in that BS-storm.

There have been some pretty amazing threads here at times, especially lately it seems. It's great when someone with high caliber analytical skills can attract the other heavy weights to get at the heart of what's really going on (or spoon feed it to us poor saps that aren't very football savvy). Maybe there's a way to get a formal version (like RT) going so we don't have to wait for it to just randomly happen.

I can envision some sort of rotation system where people take turns "hosting" a postgame "RT" so that one person doesn't have to devote such an inordinate amount of their lives to the task. And that would avoid burnout as well....plus it would be easier for them to throw out a Marshawn salute when the BS gets too high.

 

[cdallan]

Sorry to hear this Kip. I always read your RTs. My Xs and Os knowledge is only intermediate, so I enjoyed in particular your tame on line play. I realise it must have taken a lot of commitment, and you don't owe anyone here anything, so thanks for your efforts and don't allow yourself to be made to feel guilty for stepping back.

 

[hawknation2014]

50 people say you're awesome while only one or two people say you're arrogant. I don't mean this as a criticism of you personally because I think most people do this to themselves. Why do we ignore the 50 while letting the one or two dissenters get under our skin?

Not knowing what happened, if you think of it in general numbers and human nature: have you ever had a day where 50 things go right and 2 things go terribly? Whether it's an insult or whatever, I can picture those 50 good things won't get remembered but the 2 terrible ones will and it could ruin someone's day.

The line between confidence and insecurity is a fine one. When there is a desire to be perfect in everything we do, the few personal criticisms we receive tend to sting a bit more. When rationally, there is little reason to allow negative people's opinions to affect us as much as they do, especially when we know they are wrong.

 

[Sarlacc83]

50 people say you're awesome while only one or two people say you're arrogant. I don't mean this as a criticism of you personally because I think most people do this to themselves. Why do we ignore the 50 while letting the one or two dissenters get under our skin?

Dissent is totally fine. Dissent helps us get better as thinkers.

I'm talking about hate. Inner nastiness. People with issues who seek to tear down others to elevate themselves. So when you do that, who do you go after? The most respected people in a community. It's gotten to the point now at .net that if you are a .net celebrity you pretty much have to be in full politician mode. And the life of a politician sucks ass.

I didn't do this for a fanbase. Or respect. I did it for the love of the game. All I ask is that people are decent human beings. You're right, it's not a huge percentage, but you are wrong to insinuate there is a cancel out ratio. I can exercise daily and go vegan, take suppliments and do all kinds of things for good health, but if I smoke three packs a day it aint going to cancel out. That's how this works. There is no canceling out the hate and negativity. The obsessive and persistent antipathy.

In fact, the adoration by the majority actually makes it much worse, because it just fuels the haters that much more.

I know most of you can't understand this, but take my word, it's not that anyone in particular is under my skin. It's basically the second hand effect of having people say good things about you. When that happens, there will always be haters. And in my case, I have a lot of them (quite a bit more than 2 in 50), and it's just not worth it.

But like I said, it's not just that and it's not just the drunk A-holes. It's about five or six things, none of which is more than half the pie. It's a personal decision. And I am only expounding on it because it has been asked a lot. Maybe I should have just not said anything, because so few have walked in these shoes, and you would probably have to have walked in them to have any chance of understanding. Those that have been in similar situations, as relayed to me through PM correspondences, understand 100%.

Kip, you don't owe anyone an explanation nor should you bother to do so. The people who are going to understand either already do or won't until a few months or years down the road when they have had more time to reflect or experience.

Quit on your own terms and don't bother with excuses or arguments.

 

[byau]

50 people say you're awesome while only one or two people say you're arrogant. I don't mean this as a criticism of you personally because I think most people do this to themselves. Why do we ignore the 50 while letting the one or two dissenters get under our skin?

Not knowing what happened, if you think of it in general numbers and human nature: have you ever had a day where 50 things go right and 2 things go terribly? Whether it's an insult or whatever, I can picture those 50 good things won't get remembered but the 2 terrible ones will and it could ruin someone's day.

The line between confidence and insecurity is a fine one. When there is a desire to be perfect in everything we do, the few personal criticisms we receive tend to sting a bit more. When rationally, there is little reason to allow negative people's opinions to affect us as much as they do, especially when we know they are wrong.

It is a fine one, and what works for one person is different for another because of our unique backgrounds and upbringings which means it's a fine one for everyone, and in a different place for everyone too.

Just me agreeing in general sprinkled in with benefit of the doubt and empathy

 

[morgulon1]

thanks for your contributions and I understand.In the future, I also hope to see some of your thoughts, even if theyre not as random.