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Author Topic: An Open Letter to James McMurray  (Read 7813 times)

RPGPundit

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #15 on: December 13, 2006, 10:22:47 AM »
James, you seem to have some very heavy issues with me, whether its due to my "authority" over this board (though one would have to wonder, what authority have I exerted so far?), serious authority issues in general, an "alpha male-beta challenger" thing, or something about my ideology you don't like, or maybe you just saw an internet forum where people are free to slag the admin without reprecussion and decided that somehow that meant that it was your sacred duty in particular to slag the admin as often as possible.  I don't know. But the point is this isn't healthy to the board.  Perhaps you'd like to have me on your ignore list?

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James McMurray

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #16 on: December 13, 2006, 10:31:38 AM »
Again, you're overreacting. If you look at my actual posts you'll see that I agree with you at times, disagree with you at times, and generally post without regard to you at all.

Really, I asked you at one point to make a count of my posts and how many bagged on you. Do it. I think you'll be surprised. Heck, do it just on the posts since we declared a truce. You'll find that my only attack on you (the nonsense statement) came after you effectively said that a game I really like isn't a real game. Hell, you even started an entire thread to attack the game. Are you sure its me that has it out for you?

Honestly, why start a thread in response to my post, attacking a game I'd said I liked. Is that not a violation of a truce? If I were to start a thread saying that amber or Forward... To Adventure aren't real games you would certainly say that I had broken my end of the deal.

There was certainly a spike in their frequency in the last two days (prior to the truce), and I both admitted to that and explained it. But in general, you're just another poster. You're a lot more prolific then everyone else, and tend to be a lot more acerbic and offensive then most as well. And, when you attack the things I care about, in direct reponse to my posts, and creating completely new threads for that sole purpose, does it really surprise you that I defend them?

James McMurray

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #17 on: December 13, 2006, 11:08:18 AM »
I'll also point out that I've been ruder to Dominus Nox in the last day then I have with you. It's not proof, but I think it's evidence that I'm not out to "prove myself over the other alpha males" or something similar. He said something worthy of ridicule and he got it (he likened people that don't like smoking to Nazis). However, since Nox is everyone's whipping boy, my treatment of him doesn't even get a second glance.

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #18 on: December 13, 2006, 11:16:49 AM »
No, if you'd just attacked a game I liked, that would not have been an issue.

If you'd done it while saying "The RPGPundit is ignorant, he never read the rulebooks he's talking about, he isn't able to be "sensical" and he's a liar", then that's where the problems come in.

I mean seriously, do you perhaps not even understand what it is that's the nature of the problem here?
I mean, do you get, fundamentally, what's the difference between how you're "arguing" with me and how, say, John Kim is arguing with me?

Because I'm really starting to get the sense that you don't see how that's different...

Also, I'm not going to go over 888 posts to give you the exact percentage. Its enough to note that your every fucking interaction with me has you engaging in ad hominem attacks, and that you seem to dedicate a SPECTACULAR amount of your time on here to responding to me.  Even in posts directed at others, you end up "warning" them about me. I mean, your level of obsession seems to be about on par with Nox's level of obsession about Steve Jackson, and that's a thing of wonder.

So I think that sadly, at this point the best answer would be to help remove the source of temptation for you.

RPGPundit
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James McMurray

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #19 on: December 13, 2006, 11:26:54 AM »
Did I say you were ignorant? No.

Did I say you'd never read the rulebooks? No. I asked if you had, because your account of the games being almost identical didn't jibe with my experiences of the two. But that's already being discussed elsewhere.

I haven't read John Kims arguments with you. But I do know that the tact I take with you is much more friendly in tone then the tact you take with others. Vastly more in many cases.

Quote
Its enough to note that your every fucking interaction with me has you engaging in ad hominem attacks


This is completely untrue. Just look around, honestly, and with eyes not blinded by your misconception of my goals. I'm agreeing with you left and right. Asking questions about your game because it interests me, and generally just enjoying myself on these boards. I've said exactly one thing harsh to you (the nonsense statement). I also asked a question that you took as an attack but which wasn't.

Those were in response to you going out of your way to ridicule a game that I mentioned in a post that had absolutely nothing to do with you.

Other than that one post, how have I been so horrible this last day?

James McMurray

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #20 on: December 13, 2006, 11:38:59 AM »
Here's another question for you: why start a thread to proclaim Hackmaster as nothing but a joke? I was the only one who had mentioned the game in more than just passing for a month, and not in any relation to you until you specifically mentioned it and I replied.

Is it really me who has some sort of compulsion here?

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #21 on: December 13, 2006, 01:33:37 PM »
Quote from: James McMurray
Here's another question for you: why start a thread to proclaim Hackmaster as nothing but a joke? I was the only one who had mentioned the game in more than just passing for a month, and not in any relation to you until you specifically mentioned it and I replied.

Is it really me who has some sort of compulsion here?


That wasn't what the thread was about; it was about people who interpreted Hackmaster as something serious and tried to claim it was NOT a joke; there's a difference.

And that's all still irrelevant. None of it was a personal attack on you, shit, it wasn't even an attack on Hackmaster.

RPGPundit
LION & DRAGON: Medieval-Authentic OSR Roleplaying is available now! You only THINK you've played 'medieval fantasy' until you play L&D.


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The most famous uruguayan gaming blog on the planet!

NEW!
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Dark Albion: The Rose War! The OSR fantasy setting of the history that inspired Shakespeare and Martin alike.
Also available in Variant Cover form!
Also, now with the CULTS OF CHAOS cult-generation sourcebook

ARROWS OF INDRA
Arrows of Indra: The Old-School Epic Indian RPG!
NOW AVAILABLE: AoI in print form

LORDS OF OLYMPUS
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James McMurray

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #22 on: December 13, 2006, 02:17:27 PM »
Ok. I saw it differently. We do that a lot it seems. I tend to think that calling someone's game a joke and saying it can't be used seriously is an attack on that game. You disagree.

You don't think it odd that I say people sometimes play serious games in Hackmaster and you immediately start a thread whose sole purpose is to proclaim that Hackmaster is a joke, and not even a real game in its own right?

Ok, perhaps you don't. But I certainly did, as would I think most people in my shoes.

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #23 on: December 13, 2006, 03:04:32 PM »
Quote from: James McMurray
Ok. I saw it differently. We do that a lot it seems. I tend to think that calling someone's game a joke and saying it can't be used seriously is an attack on that game. You disagree.

You don't think it odd that I say people sometimes play serious games in Hackmaster and you immediately start a thread whose sole purpose is to proclaim that Hackmaster is a joke, and not even a real game in its own right?

Ok, perhaps you don't. But I certainly did, as would I think most people in my shoes.

Yes, maybe its a total failure on your part to intepret me, and you think I'm somehow "gunning" for you.
Maybe its even true that I am failing to interpret you, and you're really not trying to seriously attack me, you're just really bad at communicating your tone in your posts...

But you know, the fact is we have a problem of communication.
And the fact is also true that, unfortunately for you, I'm the Admin and you aren't.  I don't say this to lord it over you, i say it to mean that its not realistic for me to either put you on ignore or just let this disruption of the site pass, its part of my responsibilities.

Since my repeated requests that you tone it down fell on deaf ears (either intentionally or through no fault of your own), and since you cannot seem to willingly follow my suggestion that you simply STOP responding to my posts since you can't seem to help doing so in a belligerent way, it falls to me as the Admin to do something about all this.

Its unfortunate, but that's life.

RPGPundit
LION & DRAGON: Medieval-Authentic OSR Roleplaying is available now! You only THINK you've played 'medieval fantasy' until you play L&D.


My Blog:  http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/
The most famous uruguayan gaming blog on the planet!

NEW!
Check out my short OSR supplements series; The RPGPundit Presents!


Dark Albion: The Rose War! The OSR fantasy setting of the history that inspired Shakespeare and Martin alike.
Also available in Variant Cover form!
Also, now with the CULTS OF CHAOS cult-generation sourcebook

ARROWS OF INDRA
Arrows of Indra: The Old-School Epic Indian RPG!
NOW AVAILABLE: AoI in print form

LORDS OF OLYMPUS
The new Diceless RPG of multiversal power, adventure and intrigue, now available.

James McMurray

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #24 on: December 13, 2006, 03:06:50 PM »
Ummm.... Ok. Again, you're not actually reading what I'm writing I think. But like I said, take whatever measures you must. It's not like I can stop you.

And to everyone watching, if this means I'm banned ya'll keep having fun here. I know I did. :)

James McMurray

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #25 on: December 13, 2006, 03:24:23 PM »
Also, if I may, I'd like to make one (parting?) request before whatever hammer drops on me. Since it's obvious that my way of phrasing myself is taken as insulting by you, can you point out to me in my posts since the truce exactly what I've said that you take as an insult?

I know there's the nonsense comment, and I admitted that was an insult. I reacted poorly to what I viewed as nonsensivcal statements.

There's also the question about whether you had actually read the books. It was not intended as an insult, as the comment I responded to really is a common misconception amongst people that have never read the books. I suppose I can see how it would be taken as one, although I'd never interpret it as such.

Wher else has there been where I've inadvertently insulted you?

HinterWelt

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #26 on: December 13, 2006, 03:59:09 PM »
O.k. I can't take it anymore. This sure sounds like rule 2 to me. I just never thought I would see it enforced here.
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=90683

Personally, I haven't found anything James said all that offensive. If anything, Pundit is far more offensive than any poster (including Nox) on this site.

I find it interesting that the first implementation of Rule 2 is not in defense of someone like Nox but in defense of Pundit.

I somehow think I just made it on a list somewhere. :)

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #27 on: December 13, 2006, 04:03:53 PM »
Thanks for the link. I'd never actually seen those rules, although it seems to me like Rule 2 is nonexistent here, as is Guideline #1.

HinterWelt

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An Open Letter to James McMurray
« Reply #28 on: December 13, 2006, 04:10:37 PM »
Quote from: James McMurray
Thanks for the link. I'd never actually seen those rules, although it seems to me like Rule 2 is nonexistent here, as is Guideline #1.

Well. it depends. You may be the first person to experince the "No personal attacks" aspect of rule 2.

Obviously, you said something that got under pundit's skin.

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James McMurray

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« Reply #29 on: December 13, 2006, 04:14:06 PM »
To be fair, I said a lot of things that got under Pundit's skin. We had a blowout, declared a truce, and then I learned that I was again saying a lot of things that got under Pundit's skin, although only one was intentional. I'm still hoping I'll get an explanation about what the others actually were, since only two things I've said have been pointed to.