What a bunch of CRAP! Piled on top of another load of CRAP!
Do y'all think this is the first time this same old, same old, story has been "told"? If you do...you just fell off the turnip truck.
Some day it "may" be true...not much lasts FOREVER.
BUT don't let it be because somebody tossed a stink bomb into the office on their way out, and YOU were too Chicken-Sh*t to stand UP and stand BEHIND the people you claimed to support...the day BEFORE!
Seriously! What has changed for YOU? This is NOT the first time this has happened at Active Rain. I can't say more because I know all at once too much and too little. But really. WHAT has changed for you?
I didn't start blogging here on AR. I have other loyalties to the places where I started blogging.
BUT I'll tell you this. If BOB STEWART said: "ARDELL, I need you to write on Active Rain EVERY FREAKING DAY to help keep my (HIS) head afloat", I WOULD DO IT! ...and I don't have as much reason to as most of you here! Don't let this CRAP become "a self-fulfilling prophesy!"
Bob himself said it best:
To Jorgen in the comments on his "Eulogy" post:
"I'm a little surprised you decided to go out like this Jorgen. I suppose you were destined for a career of working for yourself, but you've pretty much ensured that now.
Obviously your dealings with the 'corporate overlords' didnt go very well and your loyalty to Jon is quite impressive. I have a family to provide for and a community here that I truly love so I have to take a slightly different route with my approach. At the first sign that I see that the corporate overlords are running this place into the ground, I'll be out of here. Probably with less fan fare because I will rely on this industry and my reputation long after ActiveRain is in my past.
I will say that I believe Nikesh when he says that the technical stability of ActiveRain is his first priority. I wish you were on board to make that a reality. Since you are not, I wish you well in whatever you have going on next.
I have no question you'll be successful but wish you would have thought about the people and families of the 25 of us who are still here when you decided to try to light a match to things on your way out the door."
To which I respond to Bob, Call me if you need me to do anything...if there is anything I can do. Cause I'll Stand By You...if you need me to.
I appreciate your thoughts Ardell, "If there's only one man on board, and that one man is Bob Stewart, the place still has a fighting chance." AGREED
Bob has always been the one who truly cared the most about the AR Members. If the new owners push Bob out...well, I might be writing the Eulogy Post. But until then, Bob truly does deserve everyone's support. He's been here through thick and thin. AGREED
Let's hope the new management/owners see the truth in those statements.
Honestly, I'm not sure they do. But, I know the members do.
May 29, 2011 01:24 AM
Ardell, I have seen people saying they are cancelling their accounts on FB over the last several days, because they are fed up with the downtime. Honestly, where can they go to recreate this community? Answer: nowhere. There is nothing like it, so why would you leave on a whim when they are working to make the platform stable? They sound lika a bunch of spoiled brats - 'I can't get on at my usual time.' Then write your post, save it somewhere and come back later! I have not experienced any downtime at all in the last week and I have been on every day at different times throughout the day.
I just don't get it, and Bob may write about how smart his son is, but he got that from somewhere and right now, Bob is the heart and soul of AR from my viewpoint and I support him 100% and hope and pray the new management/owners do as well.
May 30, 2011 05:36 AM
Change will have its fallout. Also facebook and twitter have both given agents the false impression that saying "I have a new listing" in 140 characters or less, is all they need.
The evolution of Social Media does change the world of blogging, and that's OK.
Like you, I have seen the platform with a lot more glitches than I am seeing now.
I think of Bob as The Captain. Some people jump out of the boat at the first sight of a storm brewing. Some who were nearby, swim out to the boat and jump in and say "Captain...what can we do for you? How can we help you weather this storm?"
Well I am one of the ones swimming to the boat. I think Frank and I are going to fly out for the 5th Anniversary and RainCamp. My business would be nowhere what it is today without ActiveRain coming into my life 4 years ago. Thanks for the shout out in support of Bob.
May 30, 2011 07:02 AM
Let me know if you do. I will likely be at the party. :)
Will do, Ardell!
On occasion I've probably been as frustrated as anyone when the site was down. Yet, my concerns didn't lead me to jump ship. AR is a very interesting experiment and much of its vision and the tough part of making it happen day in and day out has certainly been Bob Stewart.
AR isn't a startup by Google or Microsoft or any other huge corporation with deep deep pockets. It was originally a startup by a few people that put their money where their idea was in a world that is rapidly evolving, changing, and redefining itself every day. Your analogy of Bob as a captain is a good one. For me it's much like everyone saying the world is flat... "Well, let's find out and set sail for the horizon."
I don't expect (nor demand) this place to be perfect. It's not an object that I purchased. It's a community I decided to get involved with and participate. The very nature of this professional community based within a social media platform is one of forward thinking and accepting change. I found this attractive because I believe in the future. As with any community at large, I don't expect to agree with everything. I appreciate discovering over and over again the special people here like Bob and others that have brought so much to the conversation for the shear benefit of others without hidden agenda. They don't preach, they demonstrate.
I do however expect civil discourse. If you want to leave, do so. If you want to stay, do so. We're all human beings (hopefully adults) and each has a path to follow. Your point is well taken and diss'n the community and dropping a stink bomb in our midst serves no purpose. AR (or we as in all of us here) do not need to be made wrong to justify an exit. A friendly farewell with a sincere wish for favorable winds would go a long way towards demonstrating a better world.
I appreciate you candor Ardell...
May 30, 2011 08:36 AM
Thanks for your thoughts, Rene.
For many years I have known agents who "got their wings to fly away" at AR and also at Real Town, a similar platform where I started blogging and got my wings. They moved on to other things either in whole or in part.
The right way to leave is to NOT burn your bridges.
A few of my friends felt it necessary to write a big "I DON'T WRITE HERE ANYMORE" and why blog post when they start their own blog elsewhere, or choose to write on a different group blog or blog platform. I have ALWAYS felt that was "bad form". It's not "All about Bob" in that regard. I felt it was "bad form" when Bonnie and JonathanD did it "to" Real Town, and I've felt it was bad form for those who did that here as well.
Just because you leave Grade School and end up in College is no reason to dis where you got your start, or discourage others from starting where you started. Yes, there are reasons to leave, and learning and growing is part of the process.
But to USE a platform to grow and then stink bomb it on the way out...well, it says a LOT about the person who does that.
It makes me think less of them more than the place they are dissing on their way out.
The truth of the matter is that most people who are using this "event" as a place to preach that THEY have or THEY know a better place...are pretty much incorrect for most people. Correct for them, maybe. But not for most people. Not everyone has the skills to be their own stand alone blog at the same level and recognition as one that has supoort built in. Few actually. Most people would NOT be better off with ONLY a WordPress blog, for a variety of reasons.
I intend to keep on keeping on. The folks at AR have opened up an entire world for me, full of friends and information. I'm not going anywhere.
May 31, 2011 01:10 AM
Ardell, My day job is corporate world. 'Tis all business for the most part. People come and go, AR is no different. I've got a ton of respect for Bob, I can point to an upcoming closing that is DIRECTLY attributable to some help he gave us. AR as I use it hasn't changed a bit. I post, I interact, that is still there. Anything Bob can use for us to do? You bet, we're there. We'll keep posting every day, at least once :)
Ardell. The one bad apple theory applies here...when you leave, leave. This was a childish exit and I took it as such. I'll keep blogging here and have felt from the beginning this is the best real estate site to be recognized - by my peers and more importantly clients seeking representation (that is why I'm here).
May 31, 2011 01:32 AM
Ardell... I don't have time to read the comments, but well said... for those of us that have been around AR for a long time, this crap is getting old. Yes, it has been frustrating for many when the site goes down... which is why I have my own and write on a few others....and we don't know everything that goes behind closed doors... but it had to be obvious that someone wasn't focusing on one of the main issues... and that AR would go down more often than it should. And Bob said it very well also...
Overall... I am like you.. because AR has helped me in several ways... and because I like and admire Bob, even as a friend... if he needed my help, I would help. In so many ways, this has been an excellent site for so many, even for myself in business and just learning how to blog 4 1/2 years ago.... Good post. ps.// there are always going to be those, the few, that talk smack and or complain, yet have no idea or clue.
Ardell: I don't know you, but I intensely admire people who can speak their mind.
So if Bob tells you he needs you to write every day on AR, and you need more people to do so as well, just send out the call!
May 31, 2011 04:51 AM
"To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction..."
I hope that isn't true when people do something good...but when they do something bad to good people...thank you for all of your "opposite reactions".
Love that you write w such passion! Bob is an amazing man who truley cares about the community & making not just AR better but making it's Members better!
It's unfortunate that Jorgen left the company the way he did, but Bob addressed it very professionaly & in a kind manner. As Cindi Lauper sang ... "I see your TRUE COLORS shining through".
May 31, 2011 07:33 AM
Thanks Samantha. I have had the privelege of seeing Bob "working" and getting emotionally involved in member's needs. It's a rare quality, and one all would honor if they had been as fortunate as I have to see him in "working mode".
May 31, 2011 07:45 AM
Ardell: Well, I know that you know that I'm on the Bob wagon too and will always be! I too know Bob outside of AR and can say that with Bob, what you see is what you get--honest, hard-working and committeded to keeping this community going. (OH, and he KNOWS how to land a gem of a wife [and mother-in-law] too!)
Like you, I would do anything in the world for Bob.
There will always be naysayers...let them move on! Let those of us willing to fight to keep this forum alive stay and savor the rewards! John mentioned the employees who have left over the past couple of years. I believe it would be difficult to find any organization the size of AR, have so FEW folks leave during the same period of time! Most left for different reasons but, the last 4 were highly visible staff that made it seem a bit unusual. In my opinion, the one to whom you refer in this post, left for a very foolish reason. Dedication to a friend is NOT a reason to leave a good-paying job--again, just my opinion! But, that's another topic of discussion...
Like Sharon, I have no earthly idea where my business would be today, had it not been for ActiveRain. So, I'm here for the duration--and I'm glad you will be too!
Well said Ardell! My father always taught me that when I left a company I should be careful not to burn any bridges...you never know when you might want to go back.
You know...if it doesn't work out...at least we can say we weren't part of the demise. That's something...and I think something worthwhile.
Even if you don't go back...you should have a friend or two there you don't want to hurt. That was Bob's point. Hey...what are WE? Chopped Liver? :)
I know Jon and I know Brad, not well but I know them. Ultimately they want agents to succeed. So sad when partnerships go south. I do not know Jorgen though. I did note when all the stuff hit the fan that AR was very unstable for a bit. In the end it would be nice to have things working properly for both the relationships and the actual software. I know both these folks are really talented and so I am sorry that the family had this falling out. Time heals all wounds and it ain't over until you are in a box in the ground.
Oct 01, 2011 06:50 AM
What a bunch of CRAP! Piled on top of another load of CRAP!
Do y'all think this is the first time this same old, same old, story has been "told"? If you do...you just fell off the turnip truck.
Some day it "may" be true...not much lasts FOREVER.
BUT don't let it be because somebody tossed a stink bomb into the office on their way out, and YOU were too Chicken-Sh*t to stand UP and stand BEHIND the people you claimed to support...the day BEFORE!
Seriously! What has changed for YOU? This is NOT the first time this has happened at Active Rain. I can't say more because I know all at once too much and too little. But really. WHAT has changed for you?
I didn't start blogging here on AR. I have other loyalties to the places where I started blogging.
BUT I'll tell you this. If BOB STEWART said: "ARDELL, I need you to write on Active Rain EVERY FREAKING DAY to help keep my (HIS) head afloat", I WOULD DO IT! ...and I don't have as much reason to as most of you here! Don't let this CRAP become "a self-fulfilling prophesy!"
Bob himself said it best:
To Jorgen in the comments on his "Eulogy" post:
"I'm a little surprised you decided to go out like this Jorgen. I suppose you were destined for a career of working for yourself, but you've pretty much ensured that now.
Obviously your dealings with the 'corporate overlords' didnt go very well and your loyalty to Jon is quite impressive. I have a family to provide for and a community here that I truly love so I have to take a slightly different route with my approach. At the first sign that I see that the corporate overlords are running this place into the ground, I'll be out of here. Probably with less fan fare because I will rely on this industry and my reputation long after ActiveRain is in my past.
I will say that I believe Nikesh when he says that the technical stability of ActiveRain is his first priority. I wish you were on board to make that a reality. Since you are not, I wish you well in whatever you have going on next.
I have no question you'll be successful but wish you would have thought about the people and families of the 25 of us who are still here when you decided to try to light a match to things on your way out the door."
To which I respond to Bob, Call me if you need me to do anything...if there is anything I can do. Cause I'll Stand By You...if you need me to.
I appreciate your thoughts Ardell, "If there's only one man on board, and that one man is Bob Stewart, the place still has a fighting chance." AGREED
Bob has always been the one who truly cared the most about the AR Members. If the new owners push Bob out...well, I might be writing the Eulogy Post. But until then, Bob truly does deserve everyone's support. He's been here through thick and thin. AGREED
Let's hope the new management/owners see the truth in those statements.
Honestly, I'm not sure they do. But, I know the members do.
May 29, 2011 01:24 AM
Ardell, I have seen people saying they are cancelling their accounts on FB over the last several days, because they are fed up with the downtime. Honestly, where can they go to recreate this community? Answer: nowhere. There is nothing like it, so why would you leave on a whim when they are working to make the platform stable? They sound lika a bunch of spoiled brats - 'I can't get on at my usual time.' Then write your post, save it somewhere and come back later! I have not experienced any downtime at all in the last week and I have been on every day at different times throughout the day.
I just don't get it, and Bob may write about how smart his son is, but he got that from somewhere and right now, Bob is the heart and soul of AR from my viewpoint and I support him 100% and hope and pray the new management/owners do as well.
May 30, 2011 05:36 AM
Change will have its fallout. Also facebook and twitter have both given agents the false impression that saying "I have a new listing" in 140 characters or less, is all they need.
The evolution of Social Media does change the world of blogging, and that's OK.
Like you, I have seen the platform with a lot more glitches than I am seeing now.
I think of Bob as The Captain. Some people jump out of the boat at the first sight of a storm brewing. Some who were nearby, swim out to the boat and jump in and say "Captain...what can we do for you? How can we help you weather this storm?"
Well I am one of the ones swimming to the boat. I think Frank and I are going to fly out for the 5th Anniversary and RainCamp. My business would be nowhere what it is today without ActiveRain coming into my life 4 years ago. Thanks for the shout out in support of Bob.
May 30, 2011 07:02 AM
Let me know if you do. I will likely be at the party. :)
Will do, Ardell!
On occasion I've probably been as frustrated as anyone when the site was down. Yet, my concerns didn't lead me to jump ship. AR is a very interesting experiment and much of its vision and the tough part of making it happen day in and day out has certainly been Bob Stewart.
AR isn't a startup by Google or Microsoft or any other huge corporation with deep deep pockets. It was originally a startup by a few people that put their money where their idea was in a world that is rapidly evolving, changing, and redefining itself every day. Your analogy of Bob as a captain is a good one. For me it's much like everyone saying the world is flat... "Well, let's find out and set sail for the horizon."
I don't expect (nor demand) this place to be perfect. It's not an object that I purchased. It's a community I decided to get involved with and participate. The very nature of this professional community based within a social media platform is one of forward thinking and accepting change. I found this attractive because I believe in the future. As with any community at large, I don't expect to agree with everything. I appreciate discovering over and over again the special people here like Bob and others that have brought so much to the conversation for the shear benefit of others without hidden agenda. They don't preach, they demonstrate.
I do however expect civil discourse. If you want to leave, do so. If you want to stay, do so. We're all human beings (hopefully adults) and each has a path to follow. Your point is well taken and diss'n the community and dropping a stink bomb in our midst serves no purpose. AR (or we as in all of us here) do not need to be made wrong to justify an exit. A friendly farewell with a sincere wish for favorable winds would go a long way towards demonstrating a better world.
I appreciate you candor Ardell...
May 30, 2011 08:36 AM
Thanks for your thoughts, Rene.
For many years I have known agents who "got their
 wings to fly away" at AR and also at Real Town, a similar platform where I started blogging and got my wings. They moved on to other things either in whole or in part.
The right way to leave is to NOT burn your bridges.
A few of my friends felt it necessary to write a big "I DON'T WRITE HERE ANYMORE" and why blog post when they start their own blog elsewhere, or choose to write on a different group blog or blog platform. I have ALWAYS felt that was "bad form". It's not "All about Bob" in that regard. I felt it was "bad form" when Bonnie and JonathanD did it "to" Real Town, and I've felt it was bad form for those who did that here as well.
Just because you leave Grade School and end up in College is no reason to dis where you got your start, or discourage others from starting where you started. Yes, there are reasons to leave, and learning and growing is part of the process.
But to USE a platform to grow and then stink bomb it on the way out...well, it says a LOT about the person who does that.
It makes me think less of them more than the place they are dissing on their way out.
The truth of the matter is that most people who are using this "event" as a place to preach that THEY have or THEY know a better place...are pretty much incorrect for most people. Correct for them, maybe. But not for most people. Not everyone has the skills to be their own stand alone blog at the same level and recognition as one that has supoort built in. Few actually. Most people would NOT be better off with ONLY a WordPress blog, for a variety of reasons.
I intend to keep on keeping on. The folks at AR have opened up an entire world for me, full of friends and information. I'm not going anywhere.
May 31, 2011 01:10 AM
Ardell, My day job is corporate world. 'Tis all business for the most part. People come and go, AR is no different. I've got a ton of respect for Bob, I can point to an upcoming closing that is DIRECTLY attributable to some help he gave us. AR as I use it hasn't changed a bit. I post, I interact, that is still there. Anything Bob can use for us to do? You bet, we're there. We'll keep posting every day, at least once :)
Ardell. The one bad apple theory applies here...when you leave, leave. This was a childish exit and I took it as such. I'll keep blogging here and have felt from the beginning this is the best real estate site to be recognized - by my peers and more importantly clients seeking representation (that is why I'm here).
May 31, 2011 01:32 AM
Ardell... I don't have time to read the comments, but well said... for those of us that have been around AR for a long time, this crap is getting old. Yes, it has been frustrating for many when the site goes down... which is why I have my own and write on a few others....and we don't know everything that goes behind closed doors... but it had to be obvious that someone wasn't focusing on one of the main issues... and that AR would go down more often than it should. And Bob said it very well also...
Overall... I am like you.. because AR has helped me in several ways... and because I like and admire Bob, even as a friend... if he needed my help, I would help. In so many ways, this has been an excellent site for so many, even for myself in business and just learning how to blog 4 1/2 years ago.... Good post. ps.// there are always going to be those, the few, that talk smack and or complain, yet have no idea or clue.
Ardell: I don't know you, but I intensely admire people who can speak their mind.
So if Bob tells you he needs you to write every day on AR, and you need more people to do so as well, just send out the call!
May 31, 2011 04:51 AM
"To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction..."
I hope that isn't true when people do something good...but when they do something bad to good people...thank you for all of your "opposite reactions".
Love that you write w such passion! Bob is an amazing man who truley cares about the community & making not just AR better but making it's Members better!
It's unfortunate that Jorgen left the company the way he did, but Bob addressed it very professionaly & in a kind manner. As Cindi Lauper sang ... "I see your TRUE COLORS shining through".
May 31, 2011 07:33 AM
Thanks Samantha. I have had the privelege of seeing Bob "working" and getting emotionally involved in member's needs. It's a rare quality, and one all would honor if they had been as fortunate as I have to see him in "working mode".
May 31, 2011 07:45 AM
Ardell: Well, I know that you know that I'm on the Bob wagon too and will always be! I too know Bob outside of AR and can say that with Bob, what you see is what you get--honest, hard-working and committeded to keeping this community going. (OH, and he KNOWS how to land a gem of a wife [and mother-in-law] too!)
Like you, I would do anything in the world for Bob.
There will always be naysayers...let them move on! Let those of us willing to fight to keep this forum alive stay and savor the rewards! John mentioned the employees who have left over the past couple of years. I believe it would be difficult to find any organization the size of AR, have so FEW folks leave during the same period of time! Most left for different reasons but, the last 4 were highly visible staff that made it seem a bit unusual. In my opinion, the one to whom you refer in this post, left for a very foolish reason. Dedication to a friend is NOT a reason to leave a good-paying job--again, just my opinion! But, that's another topic of discussion...
Like Sharon, I have no earthly idea where my business would be today, had it not been for ActiveRain. So, I'm here for the duration--and I'm glad you will be too!
Well said Ardell! My father always taught me that when I left a company I should be careful not to burn any bridges...you never know when you might want to go back.
You know...if it doesn't work out...at least we can say we weren't part of the demise. That's something...and I think something worthwhile.
Even if you don't go back...you should have a friend or two there you don't want to hurt. That was Bob's point. Hey...what are WE? Chopped Liver? :)
I know Jon and I know Brad, not well but I know them. Ultimately they want agents to succeed. So sad when partnerships go south. I do not know Jorgen though. I did note when all the stuff hit the fan that AR was very unstable for a bit. In the end it would be nice to have things working properly for both the relationships and the actual software. I know both these folks are really talented and so I am sorry that the family had this falling out. Time heals all wounds and it ain't over until you are in a box in the ground.
Oct 01, 2011 06:50 AM