Things Are Looking Up in Home!

Today feels like the old days of Home. It’s nothing fancy, in fact it's rather simple. We have a new space from Diesel to run around in for some free, easy-to-get swaggarino (copyright lol), in contrast to the extended gouging process which usually comes along with a new space. We also have an actual quest! On the activity board! No seriously go look I’m not kidding =)

Although everything I’ve mentioned above is an essential cog in the Home machine, the point, the REAL point, is that what was intended as a simple quest has people buzzing about the various core spaces in abundance. People are hanging around longer than they may have initially intended in getting a simple reward, because they're making friends; all we needed was a reason to go. It’s a welcome change to see community in the Hub, Sportswalk, Adventure District, and the other core locations, rather than just movement.

You have no idea how much I miss times like this in Home… or maybe you do.

Community.

People will be doing this quest at different times throughout the week, meaning these spaces will be more populated, not simply with more people, but also people with an apparent sense of camaraderie between them. The results speak for themselves: the inclusion of non-third-party content appearing via the Activity Board is a positive contribution that makes Home better and more enjoyable. People are working together towards a common, simple goal; we are meeting, connecting, and having a great time doing it! We're also happily spending money. Are you listening, management?

I will acknowledge this was a particularly good update in terms of content as well, but I feel it's important to note aside from new activities, we’ve seen management take a more hands-on approach in the forums this past week, and I must say that's a huge step in the right direction.

The past few months have been tumultuous at best, and I can understand why replying to a thread full of unhappy people might feel like stepping into a bear trap, but I would like to extend an olive branch, and personally thank you for the most recent wave of changes. I hope we can build upon this level of contact. I’m also very much looking forward to more content from the Home Team IN Home. I truly hope we can take this momentum, and keep things more positive moving forward.

Home is Where My Heart is

Home is where my heart is.

Despite the many bumps in the road I think very fondly about the events, spaces and rewards over the years. More importantly I think of all my friends, past, present, and even future. 

You all make me happy. All of you.  And I feel  so very lucky we are all able to share this place with each other. 

We've tried time and time again to extend the olive branch and usher in some civility and stability by bridging a gap, (a chasm), with management, but it doesn't seem like management cares. It has, in fact, been made abundantly clear through recent events they have no time for this amazing community, which they claim to care for so deeply. 

You speak highly and confidently of your brilliant but hidden efforts to sustain Home, but everything we see, hear, and have been made to feel deeply in our cores is evidence to the contrary. 

If you want to sabotage Home, keep it up. By alienating deeply invested community members, you are only alienating yourself.

We haven’t been petty, not all of us -- not most of us. This has been eating away at the heart of the community for some time now, and we have been very patient, but only through the lens of constant disregard.

You fracture and wound when you act like it's a hassle offer some measure of respectable and timely discourse. You act outraged when the very people you are here to accommodate aren't happy, like butter wouldn't melt in your mouth. 

We love Home, Glasswalls. We love Home more than you, and it is very clear to me now, many of us are more invested than you will ever be.  

I’m sorry to say "your" baby has grown, and a complete disregard for all of us has brought Home into an angsty adolescence desperately in need of guidance. The most troubling thing about this is you've shown us all where your heart is. 

We never asked for lines to be drawn in the sand. There are people here who work harder than the NA Home staff FOR THE COMMUNITY, and have never asked for a dime -- just take one look at page one of the Xi Continuum thread. Our incentive was, and still is, being a community first, and we will remain as such! We all deserve a measure of respect, and your THREAT to take your ball and go home, breaking from professional courtesy under the guise of sitting down to have a chat, just may be the straw that broke the camels back. 

We are not just a paycheck for you to cash. More people are realizing that everyday, and boy are they pissed. I'm not asking for a response anymore, I'm giving it to one you didn't ask for.

If you can't figure out what we want, and what you need to do, bear in mind we will.

There will always be dissenters, but there are clearly some fundamental things on which I think we can all agree. Fighting against all adversity to your point of view without acknowledging how our different perspectives tie together will never bring you any closer to the truth right under your nose.

Every one of us is part of a community, and together we all have a voice. Home is where my heart is, but without all of us, Home is nothing.

A Message From Glasswalls AKA Cade Peterson, Playstation Network's Digital Platforms Community Manager (01-22-2013 05:35 PM)

So you all want me to be more vocal. Here you go. I hope this all makes sense and makes everyone a little more understanding. Unfortunately, I cannot be more like this all the time, but here's a moment I'm sharing with you to provide a little more insight.

The plan was to let everyone in on the major change as early as possible, following up with a global sync of releasing the Patch Notes in full (once they were finalized), which is scheduled for tomorrow. This is all according to plan, regardless of any drama-canes that might result of it. If I have to take one for the team because people want to kill the messenger, or because some community member gets out of line and doesn't like being corrected, it's par for the course in my line of work. It's unfortunate, but I do not have time to waste with pettiness when I aim to deliver a message in good faith for everyone to let them know changes they should know as early as possible.

It was actually *my* idea to share it that early—global community management agreed with me, so you're welcome from my heart to yours (honestly). I could just let things happen, but I do aim to ensure things run as ideally as possible for everyone's satisfaction, but it's mostly behind the scenes work, so you don't have to see or worry about it. I guess a dividend from that is that no one knows how much I work *for* them, so I get little credit or appreciation. I'm not asking for any, but you'll have to trust me on that. Believe it or not, I do love this community and try to serve it the best I can. So if someone feels butt-hurt, I'm sorry, but I refuse to tolerate nastiness. No one is allowed to be a jerk here. So knock it off. I've been saying that since 2008 and won't be stopping anytime soon. I also don't read entire threads of a drama-cane, so you can bet I didn't read the entire recent one either. Nope. Not going to do it. I have far more important things on my plate at all times that require my attention more than a single, ridiculous thread bashing me or us or Home in general. I have a world to run folks, because I can stop working and let things fall apart if you prefer. No more blog posts, we can retire the Home forums, and put this baby to bed...

But I prefer to do Home justice by working my tail off, each and every day. And I'm fond of smiles and hearts, so even when I may not be happy with the way you guys blow things out of proportion and/or blame me for things out of *my* control, or with the way things are at that short moment in time, I stay optimistic and continue to do my best to serve this amazing community.

See the thread here.