Requiem for a Dark Queen

[Mikayla]

The age of my dominion over ALFA is at an end!

Or, in simpler language, I am not going to run for re-election as Player Admin. I am sure that many will be singing "ding dong, the witch is dead" upon reading that, if they did not already know.

My reason is simple - I am tired, and I believe someone else could do a better job than me right now. I have been the Player Admin now for almost 2 years, through 4 elections, and four lead Admin, and I am tired. I am tired of combing through logs, I am tired mediating quarrels, I am tired of banning people and I am tired of fighting against ALFA's would-be-petty-dictators. And my fatigue has caused me to be less and less of a PA. A lot happened on my watch, to be sure - the PA's decision making process got cleaned up, the whole thing was made transparent, we revamped the entire application department, we built a new OAS. Some of those things I can take a lot of credit for, like making ALFA's discipline system transparent, and thus more trusted. Some of those things I barely had anything to do with, like the new OAS. But they all happened on my watch, and even if all I did was let good people do their thing, well, at least I didn't get in the way.

Still, I am tired and the good things of my administration will soon be outweighed by the bad if I don't get going, so, it is time for someone with fresh ideas, lots of energy and boundless enthusiasm to step into the job. Its time for new blood.

That said, I have a few thoughts to share - you did not think I would go quietly into the dark did you? I think not. Its simply not my way.

ALFA is a community, and a community is nothing more than a group of people with a common interest. We have attempted to express our common interest through the Pillars of ALFA. The Pillars are not perfect, but they are the common ground that we share - they are the backbone of the community. They are something we can all agree on, or at least tolerate.

From there, however, our perspectives and our interests diverge. No two people see things the same way, no matter how close they stand to each other. No two people want exactly the same thing in the same way, no matter much alike they are. And therein lies ALFA's greatest obstacle, greater than all the technical problems put together. It was the greatest obstacle when I took over 2 years ago, it was the greatest obstacle when I joined some 5 years ago, it is the greatest obstacle today and it will be tomorrow as well - and that obstacle is us. Each of us. Because each of us has our own perspective and our own wants and our own needs, and though we share the Pillars in common, and likely many other things, none of us sees, wants or needs exactly the same thing as anyone else in ALFA.

And the friction that arises from those differences is the problem that time and again threatens to rip ALFA asunder.

So I ask each of you, think when you post. Think when you chat. Think when you take a position or react to someone else's. They are ALFAns too, and they most likely see just as sharply as you do, feel just as strongly, and need just as much - they just do it from a different point of view. Too often in ALFA we condemn those who disagree with us rather than work with them to find common ground. To often we say 'my way or the highway' rather than sharing the road. But that is the path to failure - we have builders here, we have DMs here, we have Players and we have technical experts. No one is more important than the other. The best built module in the world is nothing but dead space on a hard drive without a DM to run it. The most intriguing story, best balanced campaign and most convincing NPCs are nothing more than one person's day-dream if that DM doesn't have players. And neither the players, DMs or builders are going to be able to reach each other without our tech experts setting up our vault, our ACR, and all the other bits that go into this.

You need each other. All of you, big and small, DM and Player, Host and Builder, new and old. I ask you to stop drawing us vs them lines in the sand and start building bridges across what separates you. I think you will find the gulf between is not as far as you think.

I have read through almost every thread in every forum ALFA had to offer, and at one time, we neared 130 different forums. I have read through all of ALFA's dirty secrets in our deepest legal and admin archive threads, and I have read through the shallowest of the shallow in our Off Topics. What depresses me the most is to see the animosity and bitterness and hatred expressed between people working on a common project, ultimately with a common goal, but with different perspectives on how to reach that goal and no ability or willingness to tolerate or accept that other person's opinion.

But that other person's opinion, though different, maybe and likely is, just as valid as our own - its just different.

ALFA is full of pretty smart people, but there is a phenomenon I have noticed that I like to call the 'trap of the pretty smart.' Pretty smart people are right more often than they are wrong. But this can lead them to believe that they are always right, and that those that disagree with them must be dumb, since they are pretty smart, and probably right. But its not true - what is true is that two pretty smart people can look at the same problem and come to completely different answers without either of them being dumb. Some problems simply have more than one answer - its the proverbial 'more than one way to skin a cat.' Here in ALFA, all too often we fall into the trap of the pretty smart person - we forget that reasonable, smart people can disagree without anyone being dumb, or stupid, or obstinate, or any of the nasty things so many ALFAns have called so many of their brothers and sisters.

So, I once again, I ask you to think. When you find yourself disagreeing with another ALFAn, try not to fall into the trap of the pretty smart person - try to remember that the other person is probably pretty smart too, and that their idea might be just as good as yours, and if you work together, you will accomplish a lot more than if you work against each other.

There are so many good people in ALFA. Let me expand on that - there are so many AMAZING people in ALFA. Smart people, talented people, creative people, dedicated people, clever people, funny people and interesting people. This community has been, mentally, my 'village' for years now. I love this community and its people, even the ones I have fought with. I could not possibly list all my thoughts about ALFAs people here. Someday maybe I will try, but for now, I just want to stress that this is an amazing community, a community worth working for, a community worth fighting for and ... a community worth compromising for.

A community like ALFA can only thrive to the extent that its people get along with each other, and when we all have different perspectives, wants and needs, that means we have to compromise. "My way or the highway" is not compromise, and its the fastest way to breaking the bonds which keep the community together. Respect each other, cooperate with each other, learn to give-in a little even when you think you are right (especially when you think you are right) and compromise with each other. Do that, and ALFA will live another 5 years. Then maybe we can all celebrate our 10 year anniversary together and remember the good old days when every DM knew the rules, players never power-gamed, and ALFA's servers covered the breadth and width of Faerun.

Happy gaming ALFAns, it has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your Player Admin for the last two years. Thank you.

[JaydeMoon]

Thank you, Mikayla!

I'm not fooled, really... I know that you'll still be contributing positively to this community.

So, we'll be seeing you about!

[danielmn]

*shouts from the background OAS*

IZ MY WAY OR ZE HIGHWAY YOU PIECE OF APPLICANT.....

oh...hey... *looks around smoking his pipe*

Just wanted to say thanks Mik. Over the past two years I've worked under you in three seperate positions, and it has really been an honor. Thanks for all of your time and involvement, those that scream Ding Dong the witch is dead obviously never had the privelage.

*buys Mik a brand new state of the art fluffay pillow* Take a rest, and when you're up to it....there is always....

ALFA WARS!
*lets out a Chewey growl*

With respect,
DAniel M Noah

[darrenhfx]

My sincere thanks for your efforts. I hope the next PA can match your intelligence and fair-handedness.

Very fine points you make about the value of compromise and tolerence in our little community as well. Such simple concepts that are practiced daily in our face to face encounters but seem to fade when we communicate online.

D

[coach]

kudos to Mik, for not burning out in 6 months like we do to most of our admin and staying the course for 4 terms

new PA has big shoes to fill

[ç i p h é r]

Thanks for your years of service to this community Mikayla.

[Lusipher]

Best PA we ever had. Sorry to see you go, but I understand.

[dergon darkhelm]

Great work ..... you have my admiration and respect. Sad day.

[hollyfant]

Thank you.

Not much more to say, is there? Just: thank you. Have a cookie. And some love.

[HATEFACE]

Thanks for putting up with us.

[psycho_leo]

Thanks for putting up with us.

Especially with PD.

But seriously, thank you for all the hard work.

[Grand Fromage]

If I understand that post correctly, Mik is dumb and wrong and sucks and destroying ALFA.

[Wynna]

It's no surprise that Mikayla chooses a message about community as her farewell to Admin. Not merely this community, but Community as an ideal has been her defining message throughout her tenure as Admin. For those of us standing in the smoky, candlelit cave of ALFA, we will always have the shadow of a whip-wielding drow matron flickering on the wall ahead of us...a thought that should scare the hoolies out of us in game but which gives us something to strive to emulate out of game.

What Mikayla brought to her role as PA was professionalism, a professionalism that included respect for others and an unflinching intent to see the ideals of this community realized through applied principles. Hers are some big red stilettos to fill for the next PA, but much of her tenure went to ensuring that the shoes would fit successor after successor. She did this by implementing procedures and policy and ensuring that the best staff in PAdom got the best support and training they need to do the best job for ALFA, now and forever.

Although it doesn't seem much, without further ado, may I present a long-service award in the form of this gold watch...complete with the bloody wrist of the elven paladin still wearing it.

Thank you, Mikayla. Go have some fun.

[Electryc]

Mikayla could have held PA 4-ever. You did a superb job and someone of your caliber stepping down will be hard to replace.

[fluffmonster]

You certainly deserve a congratulations. You didn't just participate in the writing of the system, but you also did more than average to help make it work.

Rest well.