Games

At long last

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My forum account on www.sasclan.org is finally ready op! It was unsuspended a few days ago, once WIZ completed the usual procedures. Kicking the bigger system into obedience, +1 for [SAS] admin power. Last time, I had to respond to a chit chat post via private e-mail.

One thing that I do not miss about being in [SAS], is having to deal with the ‘magic’ behind it, any more than it takes to make a forum post. Although I know my way around blindfolded in spots… I ain’t never gonna miss that code base.

SWAT 4 at it’s finest

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When you creep up behind a suspect and punch him in the back of the head.
Then you suddenly bounce off the floor like you’ve been hit by a grand piano right in the kisser, because he just shot out his backside ;).

An explaination, just for the sake of clarity

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In my previous journal entry, I wrote this in part of it:

the most offensive action that I’ve taken on NTFs forum, was reminding Rouge not to boast without something to boast about, and he wouldn’t be the first person to get that rudeness from me.

I am referring to an incident in the public announcement thingy on NTFs forums, namely the responses I made to Rouges statement regarding  that they could quickly make miracles but quality takes more time. (That was an indirect quote: obviously.)

My words about the effort involved with setting up a forum, were correct. I know, because I’ve managed or moderated several forums in my own tenors0. Like wise, I chose those words because I already knew that NTF had a private forum running for several months or so: Hunter some what leaked it publicly. Normally when placed in a situation like NTFs leadership was, you want to get a moderate website put up quickly, and begin building your forum. That includes a public sector to attract people to your unit. NTF on the other hand, appears to have kept quite secretive about things, not surprising when one considers that they would likely perceive [SAS] as a potential enemy, and even post-[SAS], I may be considered so as well.

Obviously, I have felt a bit uncomfortable that they would run it so close to an underground. As I have always said, I prefer to run things above board whenever possible. Rouges post when parsed, by someone who has dealt in American English since birth as I have, and as ‘technically’ focused as I have in the past lustrum++, implies that NTF having a forum was much newer, then to my knowledge is widely known, and in my eyes is a cline to saying you did in two hours, instead of X weeks below the public radar.

Making a statement about how easy it is to setup a forum, in fact even if it’s hundred times as complex as [SAS]’s was when I left, it still would be a cake walk for NTF to have set it up any time they pleased: in fact it could be automated if it was that big and complex, thus making it even faster. Making what information I have in that regard, known to several NTF members before hand, was my ‘polite’ way of pointing out what I’ve seen. Being in [SAS] uniform at the time, I had to be more nice about saying that, and won’t rule out Rouges comment as potentiality being a fly on a hook ;).

Where I was my ‘most offensive’ on their forums, i.e. I was essentially being rude with the last part: where I made a reference to the admin teams choice of software and their leaderships C31 structure. That single sentence at the end, was for me, borderline on being disrespectful, if not being so.

I also chose to phrase it that way, in order to give Rouge a chance to show that he’s still up to snuff under fire, rather then disappoint me by turning it into a flame, as only an unfit officer would. I would’ve called it to a prompt end if that had happened. Instead (then just a Captain) Timbo took it home with the up most professionalism, exactly as I would expect from him (the sternness included), and exactly as any decent officer should have done when faced with that, and how I expect Rouge would have (minus the sternness). Timbo stepping in however, removed my opportunity to size Rouge up for any change in his usually excellent demeanor. Doing that was no less then satisfying my curiosity for the fly: don’t forget I’ve known NTFs leadership since they were babes in the woods, and know well how their management style tends to take shape. Normally I would not take such an action, even (as I prefer) so overtly, but after Rouges actions of late: I considered taking that target of opportunity justified2. Even better, if properly handled, it would reflect well upon my friends in NTF, something they could seriously have used in formalizing their clans public view. Would you rather face me, or a real prick? :-P.

As I told a dear friend after wards, I’ve no real intention of being rude over there, but I am still one who believes in expressing his opinions honestly. Being blunt rather than overly sugar coating stuff, is also a virtue in my book. Perhaps developing programming skills has had to big an impact on my brains thinking :-o.

Footnotes:
0: DEx, SLDF SF, SAS 22nd EVR, and PC-BSD all come to mind in various capacities.
1: it means “Command, Control, and Communications”. Basically how you issue commands, keep your men under control, and address the issue of communication between components. It is one expansion of the more widely known C2.
2: he has privately admitted to what equates to breaking his word (i.e. lying), in such a way that I won’t stand for it.

NTF: Bad Omens Prove Right?

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Earlier this morning, I logged into the NTF forum and made a reply to this thread. Wishing to be cordial, and great the person fairly, I said something like this:

Nice to meat you, hope to catch you on [SAS] Proving Grounds, and the NTF servers later icon_wink.gif.

I think he means this Rouge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postdoctoral_research but I’m not familiar with such.

Being an ex [SAS] member and someone who still plays regularly there, I felt it most respectful of both clans to reference each of their servers equally. Those are the servers where I tend to play (and thus likely to meet anyone), and as I am not in-line for NTF recruitment, so I feel demonstrating that fact by referencing both clans servers, is all the more justified for a man in my position: as opposed to saying nothing at all about wanting to game with the chap! I do however admit that I could have placed the NTF server first, but I feel that the one at the end of the sentence gains the greater impact, and thus should belong to NTF in their own forum.

After waking up from a short nap, I again checked the forum: and noticed I had received a PM. Upon opening it, I was informed by NTF_CPT_Medic that although his clan does not like censorship, he removed my “Promoting” of the SAS PGs. Maybe it’s ‘promoting’ if the other clan has been ten servers to your three?.

For the more astute reader, I will also point out that my routine is to check both public clans forums, and that my SAS account is experiencing technical difficulties, hence my silence on sasclan.org. I try to treat them equally in that regard, so any silence on that forum should not be taken as a reflection my regards for [SAS].

In essence, Medics edit was converting my sentence to a sole reference to NTF. Which I specifically choice not to do for the aforementioned reasons. My personal code of conduct, dictates that I show a certain measure of due respect towards NTF, even more so as a guest when posting in their forums, and much more so that several of my friends now call the place ‘home’. Like wise my personal code of conduct, dictates that I be respectful toward the [SAS], who I have called home for nearly a quarter of my life longer than NTF has existed. People who have known me well for the past 4-6 years, will not be surprised that I feel such a way.

Maybe it is the American in me, coming from a land where we believe that freedom of speech is worth fighting for, or perhaps the old fashioned blood in my veins that says be tactful of both and any clans when posting in such a situation, but I found this moderation to be silly. It would be like allowing a guest to come into your home, and forbade him from acknowledging that any other home exists. Of course, unless this only applies to servers owned by [SAS], which I sincerely doubt, knowing NTFs founders for as long as I have.

This is the assertion that makes me find fault in this behaviour:

If I wanted to create my own clan, and call it the 7th Sabre for example, and walk into the NTF or [SAS] servers as 7S_Spidey01 or something like that, it should be my right to do so unless published server rules prevent the clan tags (or I am banned). The way my forum post on NTF was moderated by NTF_CPT_Medic, would mean that on my way out of their server, saying:

“7S_Spidey01: ggs y’all I’m going to 7th Sabres server, hf”

would constitute the same the same level of ‘promotion’ as my original forum post did, in fact, it would be doubly so, unless NTF instituted a server rule forcing all members of all other clans to remove their tags upon joining the NTF servers. I.e. the 7S_ in my name on it’s very own would be greater advertisement of another clans servers than my forum post was.

In my book, you cannot dis-allow someone saying “Nice to meat you, hope to catch you on XXX clans server, and the NTF servers later ;).” in the forums, and not disallow saying “AnyPlayer: ggs y’all I’m going to XXX clans server, hf” and every similar choice of words, form ever being uttered in your game server. Disallowing one without the other, and not publishing separate rules for each (forum and server) that state those separate rules, in my opinion would be promoting a form of hypocrisy. The difference between those statements would be further distanced, making the second a greater “Promotion” if said by a 7S_Spidey01 rather than AnyPlayer. In which case moderating the forum post and not banning such a statement as I’ve used as an exampled above, would be a demonstration of seriously flawed logic. Like wise to ban those, would obviously imply that just saying what “7S” means would be promoting another clan. Bullshit?

Perhaps being a young clan makes the NATO Task Force more aware of such things, or fearful of unwanted competition, but in my honest opinion, is just down right fool hearty. I know that the documents and chats leading up to NTFs creation suggested that it could trivially become like a military dictatorship with strong safe guards against abuse, but I did not expect it to so quickly demonstrate more draconian views then the SAS 22nd Elite Virtual Regiment! Something that makes me chuckle even more, is that Sniper had a regular tendency to shoot himself in the foot with how his moderator actions appear.

I take no offense at what was done to my post, and I have made no public question of the moderators action in the forum (behind the fact that my signature links to this blogs main page: as do most of my forum signatures on the internet), so I do not expect any oppression over it by their administrators. I’ve never felt entirely welcomed on NTFs servers/forums, so it wouldn’t bother me if I end up on someones private shit list. Anyone worthy of my respect will take this post as impersonal as I have taken being moderated. It’s NTFs forum, their property, so they have a right to moderate posts however their clan policy deems fitting. As a friend pointed out, my journal, my grounds: and the most offensive action that I’ve taken on NTFs forum, was reminding Rouge not to boast without something to boast about, and he wouldn’t be the first person to get that rudeness from me. Here, I speak my mind openly.

Best summary of why I resigned from [SAS]

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10:45:42) Malty: Spidey…I gotta ask tho, why didn’t you keep your Tags, and just resign your duties as WO
(10:46:36) Spidey01: My personal code of conduct does not allow me to hold a position that I’m unable to fulfill, even if it is my superiors who make it so.
(10:47:11) Malty: Yeah, but why not remain an SAS member, but just a trooper, or apply to be Vet or something
(10:48:11) Spidey01: That was the original plan drafted several weeks ago, Randoms attempt to stave it off yet still do nothing, changes the equation
(10:48:16) Spidey01: s/changes/changed/
(10:48:45) Malty: Ahh ok..
(10:49:03) Spidey01: and if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to post this little excert on my journal as a summery of my ‘why’, lol
(10:49:51) Malty: yeah sure
(10:49:55) Spidey01: thanks
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The past couple of days, I’ve been thinking about how best to go about writing my memoirs. I’ve known [SAS] since 2004, with my entry to the selection course being 2005-08-07 and my completion of the Selection Course being 2005-09-14. So it has been a long time, lol.

I’ve long planned to write some form of memoir about my times in [SAS], to be published posthumously, after retirement, expulsion, or forced resignation. Both being someone who hears or sees just about everything, and having been placed in positions of power, I know a considerable some about [SAS]. My ethical code on the other hand, ensures that what is trusted secret, remains on until death. People have often told me thngs in confidence, and although I have few secrets of my own, I never will violate those of others. However much of my life and times in [SAS], are not classified material: but instead something you can only learn by having been there, or through someone who was there first hand. That’s what my memoirs will contain: a reminiscence of my experiences there.

What’s weighed on my mind, is more so the effort of writing them then for the contents. I’ve always decided on most of the omissions, for obvious reasons that I’m both morally and honour bound to make about [SAS] internal affairs. The finished materal will of course end up on my journal, in one form or another. Odds are I’ll either write it in gdocs, or I’ll expand my XSL stylesheet for the occasion and mate it with a macro pre processor. I have stylesheets that allow me to write in DocBook, then convert to forum or blog posts as desired; but it doesn’t (at this time) handle interlinked footnotes/references as well as I desire.

Damn it, I feel old….

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So far, I’ve been adjusting well to life outside of [SAS]. The only thing that irks me, is still being unable to access my forum account. It was finally unsuspended a couple days ago, but it is still impossible to log in. I’ve e-mailed the webmaster about it two days ago, and again today since there was no response; just now, I’ve even sent a more detailed debugging analysis to aid the ‘webmaster’.

There’s no way that I can reply to any threads in Chit Chat or Clan Topics, until my account is in proper working order. Unlike certain people (gives Snipe and Ithen the evil eye), I don’t believe in setting up other accounts unless necessary.

Just about everything of real interest on the [SAS] Forum, lives in the NCOs part of the board, but at least the Publicly accessible forum provides an avenue to stay in touch. That’s principally why I registered, and visit NTFs public forum regularly.

Threading upon years of memories

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I’ve just completed the first round of cleaning $HOME, like any chronic organizer / pack rat / cataloger, over the years I have accumulated large quantities of files. ~/Documents/SAS and ~/Projects/SAS alone were over 100 megs, and I had *thinned* them out last year, by purging many old files. I still have almost 5 GB of files saved else wheres but most of it can either be digitally shredded or kept, like the sources to the SAS skins.

I’m really not sure what to do with the SAS Skins from SWAT 4:TSS. I have backups of everything from that project: texture sources, installation files, and finished product. That goes for both the old version 2 skin and the current version 3 skins.  The SAS skins were never officially adapted by GCHQ, so in real effect, they effectively go with me… lol. Although the download links will go dead, I’ll gladly give a copy of of the installer to any [SAS] Member or Recruit who requests them. I also have a copy of Dukes skin saved.

My own skin, will likely continue on with the next version of it having the [SAS] elements removed.

Most of the files that I’ve elected to keep, are either moments like Miles’ scorecard, or old software manuals (I never throw out manuals lol). For right now, I still have some of my old lesson plans, even one dated June 2006! That would place it during the June 5th to September 9th period that I held the rank of Lance Corporal. Perhaps I’ll hang on the my lesson plans, or I’ll burn them, not sure just yet.

So many files, so many memories. It has often been my way to keep detailed records, or at least enough to reconstruct ones from memory. With my iron clad memory, or as a friend once posed it, “Dont u forget anything??”, I can remember much about how many of these files came to be. So for me personally, there is a lot of history here… even if now, much of it gets the PC equivalent of a being thrown into a lit fireplace.

A few of the files that I have archived, such as those pertaining to the [SAS] admin team and server management, will be handed over to GCHQ before I shred them: thus giving [SAS] the only versions of those files. Whatever the required level of paranoia about former admins in [SAS] is in the post James situation, I’m a fully ethical one. In however many years I was involved with the [SAS] Admin Team, I have always operated honestly and professionally. The trust that was placed in me, was never miss used: to the point that GCHQ often expressed signs of exasperation over the e-paper work this added into the loop. Things that I was given standing orders for sorting, or that fell upon my own scope, I took care of autonomously and reported the actions as necessary: most things however, being deemed (by me, to be) outside my authority as merely an admin, were first OK’d through GCHQ, except when emergency response required otherwise. I wonder just how many memos I did send… hahaha.

I have a personal code, that dictates the way I conduct myself, and I break it for no one.

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In a couple days, several [SAS] members will find a copy of my various contact data in their email, to help stay in touch.

Resigning My Warrant: Spidey01’s original

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Before dinner, this post was made by me in Clan Topics at approximately 00:29 UTC on www.sasclan.org:

 On March 24th an important issue arose between [SAS]_Maj_WIZ and myself, in regard to his apparent countermanding of established [SAS] SOP and long standing orders of [SAS]_Capt_En4cer. In dealing with both [SAS]_Maj_WIZ and [SAS]_CO_Random, to properly clarify and document the final outcome of this for it’s obvious *immeidate* impact on our training affairs, I have generally been screwed in one ear and out the other, or run around one three and six more blocks trying to resolve this.

For over a month I have been patient, whilst my CO has left my hands tied, unable to furfil my duties as a [SAS] Member, and I’ve met everything from the Major short of threatening my dogs life. Well gentlemen, I believe it is time to call this farce over. [b]If I cannot be allowed to furfil my duties, then I shall not hold my rank[/b].

It is with that in mind, that I hear by resign my Warrant.

I have served this team almost self sacrificially since the very moment that I landed foot on these hollow grounds… only to suffer countless incidences of the same over my years. Random, WIZ, En4cer, Rouge, Valroe, Sniper, Timbo, and Medic have all been apart of doing this to me over my many years, when I’m screwed a month straight by the Commanding Officer, I think it is time for a man to draw the line.

[color=yellow]It is my first ever and my parting order, that this post is not to be edited, nor is this thread to be moved.[/color]

That post was written as a text file on my laptop, and copy/pasted into the forums, just as it has been copy/pasted into this journal entry. What you see in the above quote, is exactly how I wrote it: it is the authoritative copy.

[SAS]_Maj_WIZ has since moved it: but I expect, has not edited it. After dinner, I addressed a private e-mail to [SAS]_CO_Random notifying him accordingly of this action, and putting my effects in order: namely that I expect my forum account returned to me once the locks are changed, and that I explicitly turn over all express legal rights to any code that I’ve contributed to [SAS], to any acting CO of the team past/present/future and for all time. Legally because of the U.S. involvement (on Randoms side), the code in question already belongs to [SAS]’s commanding officer, same as the draft documents Rouge and company submitted before leaving [SAS].

Having been sufficiently been further insulted and verbally threatened by the good Major, I’ve placed him on my IM clients temporary block list. I’ll not waste further breath with him on the issue.

Since this is my turf and not [SAS] private property, I will add a few details to my above post. The issue in question, I will explain it here.

In the public view (as of this time of writing, although I wouldn’t be surprised if [SAS] will remove it from public view, or *finally* edit the damn thing in response to this), on www.sasclan.org in the tactics section is an Raven Shield V-Comms SOP page that was authored by [SAS]_Capt_En4cer in 2007.

One of it’s entries says this:

V-4-6 =Objective Reached.

This command is issued by any elemental member. This command is most often heard following a ‘Reform On My Position’ command by the EL or once a member has reached their respective Point Of Domination (POD) during a dynamic entry, and lastly if the elemental member has been assigned to locate a specific location critical to mission success. Most often this location will be beyond the visual scope of the EL and this command acknowledges that the element member is alive, in the correct position for the task at hand and is able to engage threats as required. When the element initially forms up on the EL the only member that MUST say this command would be the Rear Guard for all other members this command is optional during initial form up.

This use of calling “Objective Reached” when taking your Point of Domination, is something that [SAS]_Capt_En4cer pushed down the necks of [SAS]_SSM_Spidey01 and [SAS]_SSM_Rasa years ago, and that we in turn pushed it out to the rest of the clan. In SWAT 4, we have used “On it” IAW the GCHQs approval. You can’t pass by our SWAT server without picking that up.

On the night of March 24th, in a private conversation with [SAS]_Maj_WIZ, the major countermanded this [SAS] SOP, and blatantly refused to notify the membership.

Since then, I have pushed very hard that if the MAJOR has just threw out that SOP, then every one must be informed that it has been null-n-voided. Other wise, the Major is wrong and has failed to keep up to date with [SAS] Tactical matters. My private conversations with the Major on the issue have had very brutal moments: as WIZ has admitted and spoken to me about over the years, what he has done to members (in particular the occasional cracker, people now residing in NTF, and ex SAS members not in good standing with SAS or NTF), I do not consider myself bound by [SAS] CoH in our private chats, any more than he has demonstrated his own obedience to it. As the Major only kept himself CoH bound (in that regard) when using [SAS] forum and VoIP systems, I followed the same conduct, having heard nothing from Random about it: not a peep over 6 years.

During my shoving to have the issue resolved, I also noted that if GCHQ would fail to notify the membership of this important (and sudden) change to active SOP, that as WO1, I must either issue an order of my own, notifying the membership, or I must give up my Warrant.

In doing so, I have had my honour and integrity questioned, accused of being an NTF agent (it’s WIZ’s job to do so in both those cases), and in effect, having my physical person threatened with bodily harm. I have also had to tolerate enumerable “Mind games”, which we all know how highly I consider those a disrespect for my intelligence.

[SAS]_CO_Random was contacted and asked to deal with this, as he is the only one with authority above Major. I was made to wait several weeks to receive so much as a word from Random on the issue, who has since done nothing — I have not been informed. Worse then that, it was only after (as friends rather then colleagues) notifying WIZ with a draft post, issuing the aforementioned order and requesting to GCHQ that I be demoted to [SAS]_Trp_Spidey01 — as that is the most value Randoms inaction has allowed me to contribute. Only after sending WIZ that message, did I hear from Random. I have not received further notification of this since then! This effectively made my position as WO1, totally pointless.

Today, I was notified by a LCpl about training still being conducted with “On it”, and noted this to [SAS]_Maj_WIZ in private: who summery brushed it off, after which I noted either the membership still needs notification or the LCpl in question needs a wuppin’ for the foul up. I was still met with the same run around.

Thus, I have resigned my warrant, and so conclude my responsibility as an [SAS] member.

Most of the past and present members in my Clan Topics post, have also had a huge impact (IMHO) in damaging the [SAS] I joined,  among other things: causing damage to the eliteness (WIZ has fought against this), and something I hear NTF members grip about their leadership over! Every action I’ve taken or planned to curb that problem in [SAS] in the years leading up to the recent falling out of several members, has been met with my superiors tying my hands, or delegating it to incompetents. So this was just the biggest insult of them all.

So at this point: I do not feel, that I have left the [SAS] that I joined, I feel that the team I have loved all these years, is being or has been pushed over the edge of existence.