paul wheaton is fucking awesome!

 I was pretty keen that I only wanted forums for talking about stuff I like the way I like to talk about stuff.  

William Bronson wrote:It seems you did not eject them.
I think I would have.

paul wheaton wrote:

joe pacelli wrote:That video they posted says more about their judgment than anything else.  Some people just have to play the victim role in order to justify their own irrational and contradictory behavior.

I would speculate, and I am no psychologist, that they:

1)  hornswaggled me and felt some shame about that.  In the end, they did come up with a solution that goes back to being fair, but it did leave me screwed because it was presented during the pdc instead of months earlier.  I think they felt some shame about not being good communicators earlier.

2)  that lead to them showing up a day late and not videoing the tour.  Compounding shame.

3)  Then there was the big blow up.  The volume knob was a few notches past "too crazy."  All in the face of me that did not respond in kind.   More shame.

4)  Shame leads to resentments and now everything that they see about me and my place is through shit colored glasses.  Which lead to weird demands.  Which lead to their powerful need of activating "might makes right" to the best of their ability.

Again - just some speculation on my part.

joe pacelli wrote:  I was watching the feeds during the talent show debates and saw it forming (versions 1.0, 1.1, and 1.3-- i missed the off-camera ones).  I would humbly suggest that they do not represent all eco level 2-3 folks.  

Oh, speaking of red flags, when 1 non-leader, non-teacher person in a group makes statements that they are speaking for everyone, that's a red flag.  It is a boundary violation of the course norm.  Maybe there could be a "big red flag" award

M Johnson wrote:I will be waiting for their PDC on their land ...

Ben Gore wrote:Who else wants a "F~(k the Fouches" t-shirt? I'm just kidding folks.... I don't want other people with the same shirt as me.

Kerry Ceilidh wrote:

Ben Gore wrote:Who else wants a "F~(k the Fouches" t-shirt? I'm just kidding folks.... I don't want other people with the same shirt as me.

My t-shirt will have superhero crime fighting duo Douche-o-matic Boy and Integrity Girl fighting to rid Permieland of the evil that is The Wheaton.  

You know you want one Paul 😋

paul wheaton wrote:

That was a part of all this that seemed pretty odd to me:  I was offering a PDC, after having taken a PDC and taught at many PDCs.  And a student was very insistent that I have to modify my standards for a PDC.  I thought my standards were already really good, and the suggestions didn't even make sense to me.   So then the student thought the best form of persuasion was many different forms of fallacy.  

Dear student:  you are attending a PDC.  You are welcome to enjoy the parts of the pdc you like best.   You are welcome to skip a bit if that is what makes you comfortable.  Of course, if you skip a critical bit, then you won't get a certificate with my name and signature on it.  But, I would guess that at that point, a certificate with my name and signature is of very low value.  So it all works out.  

Apparently, this student thinks ....  after never having completed a PDC or been involved in the discussions of how one might offer a PDC ...   that I absolutely must comply with his PDC vision rather than my own.  

In the end, this student stuck to his values and did not get a PDC certificate from me.  He thinks that was wrong.  Or, more specifically, that I was wrong for not obeying a student.

paul wheaton wrote:

joe pacelli wrote:  I was watching the feeds during the talent show debates and saw it forming (versions 1.0, 1.1, and 1.3-- i missed the off-camera ones).  I would humbly suggest that they do not represent all eco level 2-3 folks.  

Oh, speaking of red flags, when 1 non-leader, non-teacher person in a group makes statements that they are speaking for everyone, that's a red flag.  It is a boundary violation of the course norm.  Maybe there could be a "big red flag" award

I think I handled myself extremely well in face of ...   a poorly presented "suggestion"?    How did it look from your professional perspective?

K Putnam wrote:Everyone here has lost due to thankless arguing on the internet.  What a disservice to the instructors for your course and the people who participated in your Kickstarter.  And the comments both on this thread and the YouTube thread just make everything worse for everyone.  

What's probably the most sad is whether this will affect how people view in the information from your instructors because they are now affected by this brouhaha.  What a waste.

Paul, I've unsubscribed from Patreon not because of the video but because of how it was handled here.  I am 100% sure neither party is blameless in this meltdown and I don't find interpersonal train wrecks educational nor entertaining.

Bill Crim wrote:
A "Fuck the Fouches" sentiment and mean-spirited limericks don't do anything but stir up an us-vs-them bitterness that doesn't have to happen.

Kerry Ceilidh wrote:

Bill Crim wrote:
Having watched some of the Kickstarter for the PDC it was evident to me that Paul was absent at times .  He appeared stressed and had a lot of stuff to deal with. I might also add the atmosphere has now changed and the ATC seems to be a much better environment for all.  

I agree Kerry (is that your name, it is my location!), the atmosphere is very different on the ATC. I watched some of the tour that Josiah kindly uploaded yesterday. Paul was so much lighter and happier during this than by the end of the PDC.

Scott Martucci wrote: the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Tyler Ludens wrote:

Scott Martucci wrote: the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Though in general I agree with that sentiment, in this case I don't.  Paul goes to a lot of trouble to repeat, over and over in different ways, that his goal is to do things his way at his place.  Not to meet people halfway between their way and his way.  He has said, over and over for literally years, if you don't like things done his way at his place, don't go there.  Period.  So if people don't like what he does at his place, it is 100% on them.  Unlike out in the rest of the world, he is not obligated to meet anyone half way.

In my opinion.

(Paul groupie)

Scott Martucci wrote:They seem to have been reasonable enough to wait until after the event then release a video explaining to their audience in their space that they do not endorse Wheaton Labs.  

Todd Parr wrote:

Scott Martucci wrote:They seem to have been reasonable enough to wait until after the event then release a video explaining to their audience in their space that they do not endorse Wheaton Labs.  

I understand the point you are trying to make, and they absolutely have the right to endorse, or not, anyone they see fit.  Were their actions actually reasonable?  Having not been there, I don't feel qualified to have an opinion on the specifics, but if the conditions were as horrific, unsanitary, and unsafe as they say, was it wise to stay, with their children no less?  Personally, if I went to a class, a camp, a getaway, of any kind, and I was feeling emotionally abused and in danger, I would hop my happy ass in my car and leave.  If it was a paid event, I would pursue getting my money back after leaving and getting my family to safety.  The fact that they say how horrid the conditions were, but stayed, makes me think they may be exaggerating the situation just a tad.

Judith Browning wrote: ...

Scott Martucci wrote:

Judith Browning wrote: ...

Love bee balm!! We moved late this spring and don't have any blooming at the new place yet, I miss it.