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What this campaign is about: Zanmato Design---as i'm sure you all know---closed down last year. Later replaced by an IPB forum which eventually lead the community to it's downfall. This compaign is about bringing Zanmato back. To do this, we need a few collective contributions to convince Thom (the owner) to hand over the proboard. My contribution: Zanmato DesignWhat makes Zanmato DESIGN so special? Is it the member count? Or the so called "limitations" that leave us clunge to proboards? No. It's the history. Zanmato was a key factor in my coming into coding and has supported countless others in their pursuits to become better coders or designers. More so it was a place for the members to hang out and converse amongst each other. This was our "escape" from the worries of our lives. This "simple" proboard forum brought together thousands upon thousands of people. The faculty members were friendly, the contests and conversations were a blast and practically everything a young (or old) web surfer craving interaction could want lay open to them. I myself rarely strayed from a single category. Coding. And yet I was STILL able to satisfy my hunger for knowledge and appreciation. I'm sure you're wondering what I mean by "appreciation." Well, it's quite simple. I'm referring to the satisfaction of a simple "thank you" or "nice code" comment left by a member. These posts filled my heart with pride as they did for every other coder, designer, or just plain lovable member. So, what IS WAS Zanmato Design? Zanmato Design was one of the most popular and friendly forums on proboards. So...why the move? The move to IPBBefore I go any further I would like to state: I don't blame the move on anyone. But why exactly DID we move? Well, according to the higher faculty we had to "escape" the limitations of proboards. Worked out well didn't it? Proboards wasn't really the problem nor was it reason enough for such a giant leap. Do you think it was just coincidence that the move took place just days after Zanmato began to fall apart? I'm sure it was in the making for quite some time by why the rush? It took MONTHS after Zanmato CONCEPT was introduced for it to get finished. No wait...it never WAS finished. I'm guessing the sudden transfer without OUR say was because the higher faculty believed Zanmato Design was dying and in need of dire change. Or did they consider our opinions at all? When Zanmato Design came into being EVERY member formed a piece of the puzzle. Then this new IPB forum comes along and we are literally forced to "follow" or "leave." I still remember the arrogance of that message...We either "followed Zanmato to it's future" or "moved on to other things." Not the exact words but quite similar. Again, we all formed a piece of the puzzle that WAS Zanmato. We were the community, we WERE Zanmato. I think we deserved better than to have our opinions second-bested by the ideals of one. Zanmato Concept was just that. A concept. And it failed. So why persist? Zanmato has no future on IPB. Zanmato (the community) doesn't want to become the next "brand name." We just want to hang out, design, code, chat, have FUN. So what does Zanmato want RIGHT NOW? WE, that's right WE want to move back to proboards. Back to the good ole days and back to our pride and joy. I never really answered the question. Why DID Zanmato move? Why were these plans in order BEFORE Zanmato fell to pieces? Why weren't OUR opinions taken into consideration? Very few people can answer these questions. Zanmato started out as a community and flourished as such. How can anyone expect to change that? The ConceptSo, what was this "concept?" Well, the higher faculty believed Zanmato was in need of a more "professional touch." The tutorial boards, coding board, and so on became "modules." The forum became more "generalized" than anything else. What about us coders and designers? Where's that "Appreciation" we crave? Why so biased? Zanmato became less and less of a forum. Still think it was a good idea? Most ALL the Zanmato faculty stopped visiting as did the members. In the end maybe 10 of us were left. Literally hundreds of arguments posted, hours of time thrown to the cause. And for what? Did our "fair" owner, Thom listen to us? No he didn't. Like I said, I don't blame anyone for the move. I do however blame Thom for defying us. For ignoring the opinions of the members. For running and hiding when we needed him most. For "second-besting" our opinions for his folly ideals. Innocent until proven guilty, yes. But where's the defendant? I've said it all before and i'm saying it once AGAIN.
Last Edit: Feb 22, 2006 1:54:12 GMT by Aaron
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Being a member of Zanmato practically since it's upbringing, I feel betrayed. Again, we were FORCED to move to IPB or hit the road. We got NO say in the matter. Pretty unjust if you ask me. And people wonder why barely anyone followed Zanmato. Is it not true that the community MAKES the forum? So WHY didn't we get a say in it? Why is it all these things started happening and we were FORCED to follow along? Why is it when nearly EVERY member takes their leave that the point isn't made? When every last remaining person is fighting AGAINST Thom's ideals? When every last person wants to move BACK to proboards? How much more obvious can it be?
Last Edit: Feb 22, 2006 2:05:23 GMT by Aaron
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Sasuke agrees with master moose
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First off, I did say this could be posted. --- Anyways, I wasn't the most active person on ZD.... but I posted occasionally and did my part (with 53 posts ) I was beginning to enjoy ZD though, as a second home since I had lost Hatake a while back and had yet to find SoCal. I agree though, ZD should be brought back, and be given a second chance. ZC was a good attempt, no doubt. It was originally in good intention, but in the end it failed. ZD never failed and was still in good intention with little problems.
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I agree with Mr. Moose all the way!
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Seems to me that the same thing that happened to ZD happened to Hatake Forum. Dumb things. roflz an analogy Good luck, though. I would join and be supportive and all that jazz if design forums were my thing, but I'll just wish you guys luck for now.
Last Edit: Feb 22, 2006 2:27:26 GMT by Ess Ohh
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As previously stated to both moose and Der on MSN as well as the entier Zanmato comunity I support this. More arguments will be posted once I have enough energy to type properly.
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"In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." Martin Luther King
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Thom, I don't mean to pin all this on you. But YOU are the one who holds the key so why are you hiding? There's more to Zanmato than just you. Thousands of members more. I know it's hard but it means the world to us that you bring ZD back. The community, our work, OUR pride. No just yours. Not to sound authoritative but it's called maturity. Show us that you can be a mature and responsible person. Unlock the doors to the promise land.
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I have split feelings. I used to swarm over forums. I was once a member of like 15 forums at the same time. I'm trying to cut back. My main forum is here at SZ where I come for the community and my friends, DGF for the roleplay, and a place called Scholars of Shen Zhou where I can discuss China's history(something I enjoy a TON) and the videogames based off of it. But see, I have a friendly community, I have roleplaying, and I have a place that can satisfy my need for history and learning. Why should I go to Zanmato and help it back?
Seriously, this tears me up because I loved ZD(yes, ZD, not ZC) and I couldn't pry myself away. I remember having like 600 posts or 1000 or something. It was a alot, I became a moderator, etc. I can't bring myself to say no to this, I can't say I won't support it since I'd love to see it make a comeback. But I have prior "commitments" to other sites and I don't know that I can give my full support to this. I'd be happy to help, but I can't guarantee that I'll always be there.
So for the record, I wholeheartedly agree and support this campaign, but I can't promise my services should they be needed. I would honestly love to see ZD restored to it's former glory, but I don't know that I'm able to help it get there. Anyway, you have my support, no matter how miniscule it is.
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Ehh...
As much as I want ZD to return, chances are less likely. Thom closed both ZD AND ZC without listening to us and therefore probably would not be convinced to hand ZD over.
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Romantic and honourable as this is, I don't know if it's enough. We had this going on at ZC, and Thom just closed it without even dignifying it with a response; why should be care for the views of a few members on what is, to him, an irrelevant ProBoard?
Frankly, I've had enough of this. I'm not dancing to Thom's tune in his hall while he plays his violin and expects me to wear a jester costume. Wait just a few days; things are about to change. Patience is a virtue, but after a while it runs out.
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Okay like really people uhhh. What's been done is done. You can't bring it back because Thom have brought down all the images and don't want any large com. anymore. However i think he done a wrong thing I been there for a year and a half. I had 2500 posts! like really . I filled requests so much, I was popular, sexy and nice but than all those things are gone. (of course I'm still sexy) like really .. I wasted all those filling requests and dealing with the crazy people for nothing? it's kind of hard but I got over it real fast. I hope moose that done more than me got over it too I dunno what to say people just better forget about it.
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Romantic and honourable as this is, I don't know if it's enough. We had this going on at ZC, and Thom just closed it without even dignifying it with a response; why should be care for the views of a few members on what is, to him, an irrelevant ProBoard? Frankly, I've had enough of this. I'm not dancing to Thom's tune in his hall while he plays his violin and expects me to wear a jester costume. Wait just a few days; things are about to change. Patience is a virtue, but after a while it runs out. Considering I was 1/3 of those posts, I know full well what Thom did. My eyes are open. I know his ideals, his defiance...his arrogance. Again, I spent weeks debating over ethnicity, mistakes, changes-to-be...And as I clearly stated in a previous message, he didn't want to hear a word of it. Hundreds of posts and he turned a cold shoulder. Even after all his "loyal" followers left and maybe 10 members remained, he couldn't get it through his head. I'm as sick of this as anyone. I still ache when the mere mention of Zanmato is brought up. But if there's even a CHANCE I can do something about it, i'll risk it. I've done it countless times before.
Last Edit: Feb 22, 2006 23:25:03 GMT by Aaron
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