It's been over three months since Scott (°jark), the founder of deviantART, was forcibly terminated. This entry may initially appear to simply be rehashed anger or sentimentalism or any number of emotional reactions, but such a presumption about what is to follow would be wrongheaded.

We are all given time, inherently, in the fact that we are alive and that one day we will die. As unique individuals, we have the free will to spend our time how we wish, either devoted ourselves to worthy pursuits that have a clear payoff, or squandering our time in the pursuit of selfish concerns. Like many, I have spend countless hours of my life in front of various computers, interacting both online and offline with deviants that I've met in dusty backalleys and through deviations, news articles, et al on deviantART.

Today though, three months after the event that fundamentally changed my view of this website and its leadership, I have come to realize that deviantART is no longer a worthy pursuit. This may not be true for all here, but it is most certainly true in my case, and in that of many other of the old guard deviants, of which even I'm fairly "new", having only joined in 2003.

Where have we come in three months? I tell you now that we've come nowhere. Sure, we can use the search function again. How, though, has devious ART been enhanced or artistic abilities enhanced? Featured chats? Search ability? Soon-to-come Groups? What are any of these things worth when the sum total and core of this website and this community have been neglected, starved, ignored and laughed at by a new group of administration and staff that are among some of the most egotistical, apathetic, poorly reasoned, poorly spoken, unrespectable individuals in the history of deviantART?

Does anyone question this? °Josh called the founder and father of deviantART, without whom we would not have this site in the first place, an "asshat", among other childish things. Was he reprimanded? I could name literally dozens of others whom I regard among the most childish, incompetant and generally vulgarly-spoken, but my point is clear enough: deviantART is not in good hands.

As my good friend `justthorne mentioned in his recent entry, there was always an attitude of "Us versus Them", but that used to mean the "level-headed (the administration and many deviants) versus the hot-headed. Now, "Us versus Them" means "anyone who does not bow down and fully support whatever stance the administration takes". This is not community.

I loved deviantART because even when there was elitism in some cases, the administration and most deviants maintained responsible interaction and made this place one most could call "home". Now, though, egotism and elitism have overthrown responsible thinking.

Look, I could wait it out here like anyone else, for this new feature or that. I could be excited when $lolly, a man whom I respect, says that "deviantART is going to kick ass". The truth is, deviantART did kick ass - that is, before Angelo ($spyed) took prime control. It's not a case of me being anti-establishment or not liking Angelo. I did like him. Honestly, I looked up to him as the model of what I wanted to accomplish in my life. Over time, though, as I've seen more of him in his interaction, both active and passive, I'm come to despite him.

This place isn't about community anymore - it's about a cotorie of administrators living in Los Angeles who have power and those across the globe who fail to think critically in the defense of the average deviant. Why else was °jark desposed of so unceremoniously?

I could go on all night about it (I apologize if it feels like I already have) but in the end I've realized that I could wait for the rest of my life and deviantART would not be what it should. My moral compass pointed away from deviantART on July 28; it just took me longer to listen to it than it should have. I want to be a part of this community, but it's no longer a community grounded in anything I respect or admire or look to for inspiration in any artistic or personal sense. Sooner or later Angelo and his cohorts will see that the community built for them by Scott has left, and when they do it will be a day of reckoning.

This is not a community that I want to be a part of anymore. I feel that way out of my own accord, but must point out that it was largely the lack of morality, responsibility, capable leadership, sensible use of power and lack of communication that drove me to feel the way I do. I am almost brokenhearted that I feel more like an exiled deviant than a freely-leaving one. One day, far sooner and more unexpectedly than any of us hope, we will die. I refuse to spend any more of my life in a place where I am subtley derided, belitted or ignored, let alone the cardinal sin of being neglected.

deviantART has changed. Some will say for the better, but those who have actually been here since the beginning or had the luck be a part of things before the slippery slope of greed and incompetant business "professionalism" ran its course know that nothing about deviantART today qualifies as respectible. The new generation of deviants may belittle ruminations like the ones I've made here, and many staff members and administrators will say "good riddance" to me and others like me.

Regrettable.

So `newklear tagged me for 20 things. Fair enough.

1. Penn State, University Park (my school) is facing off against Ohio State this Saturday for the biggest game of the year. It's gonna be huge - we were just ranked #16 in the nation. Awesome.

2. Some people think I'm an egotistical prick, or any variation of such a thing. That's a shame.

3. I love conciseness. Excess words in communication really bothers me. So does bad grammar and poor english (it denotes careless and disregard for those to whom you're speaking).

4. I'm happy together with a girl I love. 10 months on Oct. 22.

5. I really get bothered by about 80% of the current administration, which makes me not want to be around here.

6. I'm living in a house next year with 5 of my friends at Penn State. Should rock.

7. Planning to buy a 44" flat-panel plasma tv this summer.

8. My favorite colors vary.

9. I own a 40gb iPod.

10. I was just told by a girl that I was playing my music too loudly.

11. I really wish my tan hadn't left so quickly.

12. I bought a comfy new desk chair and Madden '06 today. Both are great.

13. I'm going to the gym soon.

14. I haven't been to the movies in a few months, which makes me go

15. I am Conservative but not Republican - an assumption too many make.

16. I'm tired.

Whoa, I haven't been around here in weeks. Not much has changed.

I've been having a great time. Jen came up to visit me last weekend; I was totally surprised, so it was really a nice treat. Classes seem to be going pretty well. I had exams in everything except history this past week, and I hope the results are good next week! I've only got one paper and a speech to give this coming week, so it shouldn't be too terrible, though the speech worries me slightly, as it has to be done rather off-the-cuff.

Penn State football is doing well, and the Minnesota game tomorrow's going to be huge in defining spirits for the rest of the season. Here's to hoping Paterno's boys can whip out another win.



I bought these speakers for myself for my birthday this weekend. I set them up in my dorm and they rock. The subwoofer is amazing, and having your laptop's sound coming out of five speakers mounted on the wall around your room and a subwoofer is incredible; and all I paid for them was $65. I highly recommend them.

Anyway, going to go out tonight. There's a slight chance drinking may be involved on my part, but I doubt it. Big game tomorrow!

Whew, college life seems to mean that 20x more things are bound to happen in a day than anywhere else. I've been enjoying myself (probably a little too much) just about every day. I seriously recommend State College to anyone who is looking for a college that's solid in just about every aspect, both academically and socially. The opportunities out here are more numerous and lucrative than literally thousands of other colleges nationwide, and the price is generally also much less than those other schools.

Anyway, my parents are coming up next weekend for a day, so that should be nice. I'll definitely be happy to see my little brothers again. Then O.A.R. is coming up on Oct. 7, and the biggest game of the year is happening on Oct. 8 when PSU plays Ohio State. I'm actually getting paid to attend that game (I told you - lots of opportunities here).

Some pathetic asshole called me on Saturday night when I was hanging out with Dan at his brother's apartment. The kid was drunk, he had blocked his number and he was going on about how my girlfriend Jen was with him naked; that they were going to get in the closet together, how he was going to fuck her, etc. Trouble was that I knew Jen was away from her college this weekend for a Volleyball tournament, though I forgot that momentarily as I was initially incredibly pissed off at this asshole. Luckily, I got a few quick ones in. When he said they were going to have sex in the closet I said, "Oh, that's cool. So this will be your first experience with a female?".

Anyway, I talked to Jen, and this kid also left a voicemail on my phone, so I'm going to forward that to her and get confirmation of who it is based on his voice. At least now I know there are perverts at her college (in her building apparently, too) that want to get with her drunk. That bothers me in so many ways.

In other news, I'm getting these speakers for my birthday, which is an improvement over my current JBL set. Get ready for some thumpin' bass!

Jen is coming up on the Oct. 7 weekend - I can't wait to see her. We haven't seen each other since she left on Aug. 20. It's been tough sometimes.

On a side note, I'd really like to use Skype and Google Talk more, so if you use either and want to talk to me, note me with your info!

Fun!