One Last Speech
Dee
Member Posts: 10,447
Essays and speeches, essays and speeches. Those are the favorite tools of a community manager; to make compelling appeals to the public to join in the latest event, or to be nicer to each other, or to sign up for the company's newsletter, or to check out the blog.
As community manager, it's my job to convince people to care--not just about what Beamdog is doing, but about the community itself, and the people who make this site their home on the internet. The web can be a dark and sometimes vile, toxic place, and any time that I can help a group of people set the bar just a little bit higher, that's time well spent.
For those of you who have taken the time to get to know me, you (hopefully) know that everything I do on this site is in service to the community; I get paid by Beamdog to advocate for the company, and as a Beamdog team member I do care about Beamdog's success, but for me the goal has always been this: to make these forums a positive and healthy environment for everyone who loves Baldur's Gate.
Over the last four years, we've weathered a number of storms, been on different sides of several debates, both local and global, political and personal. I won't go into them here; the people who remember them don't need reminding, and the people who forgot are probably better off. The point is, this community always rallies, always bounces back, always comes out of the scuffle bigger and stronger than it was before. This community is resilient, and I'm proud to have been a part of that.
Four paragraphs in, and you're probably wondering why Dee is getting so wistful. I've been told I have a tendency to meander toward the main point, that I need to get on with it, come out and say it already.
Some things are worth spending a little more time in the delivery. After four years, I owe the community one last speech.
One last speech. There it is, the burning core of it: this is my last post as community manager. I suppose that technically, it even comes a few days late: this past Thursday was my last day working for Beamdog.
This isn't easy news for me to deliver. I have loved working here for the last four years. Whether it was tweaking the Shadowdancer's backstab multiplier with help from the community, or designing the contents of the Siege of Dragonspear Collector's Edition with Alan Miranda, or simply reading discussions on the forums about your favorite vegetables, being a part of the Beamdog family has been immensely valuable and educational for me. As excited as I am for the possibilities that await me, I'm sad to go.
What does this mean for the community? In the short term, it likely means less "blue" sightings--fewer posts from the developers themselves. Other than that, not much will change here. @JuliusBorisov is taking over my duties as interim community manager; you can direct any questions to him that would normally have gone to me.
As for myself... I'll probably spend a little time lurking here, and if people have messages for me I'll try to respond to them, but just as this is a period of transition for the community and for Beamdog, it's a transition for me too. If you don't hear from me immediately, it's probably because I'm getting ready for the next stage of my professional life.
Thank you all for making this a pleasant place to come to work everyday. I haven't billed half the time I've spent moderating these forums, simply because half the time the work itself is enjoyable.
See you 'round the Net.
-Dee Pennyway
Community Manager, 2012-2016
As community manager, it's my job to convince people to care--not just about what Beamdog is doing, but about the community itself, and the people who make this site their home on the internet. The web can be a dark and sometimes vile, toxic place, and any time that I can help a group of people set the bar just a little bit higher, that's time well spent.
For those of you who have taken the time to get to know me, you (hopefully) know that everything I do on this site is in service to the community; I get paid by Beamdog to advocate for the company, and as a Beamdog team member I do care about Beamdog's success, but for me the goal has always been this: to make these forums a positive and healthy environment for everyone who loves Baldur's Gate.
Over the last four years, we've weathered a number of storms, been on different sides of several debates, both local and global, political and personal. I won't go into them here; the people who remember them don't need reminding, and the people who forgot are probably better off. The point is, this community always rallies, always bounces back, always comes out of the scuffle bigger and stronger than it was before. This community is resilient, and I'm proud to have been a part of that.
Four paragraphs in, and you're probably wondering why Dee is getting so wistful. I've been told I have a tendency to meander toward the main point, that I need to get on with it, come out and say it already.
Some things are worth spending a little more time in the delivery. After four years, I owe the community one last speech.
One last speech. There it is, the burning core of it: this is my last post as community manager. I suppose that technically, it even comes a few days late: this past Thursday was my last day working for Beamdog.
This isn't easy news for me to deliver. I have loved working here for the last four years. Whether it was tweaking the Shadowdancer's backstab multiplier with help from the community, or designing the contents of the Siege of Dragonspear Collector's Edition with Alan Miranda, or simply reading discussions on the forums about your favorite vegetables, being a part of the Beamdog family has been immensely valuable and educational for me. As excited as I am for the possibilities that await me, I'm sad to go.
What does this mean for the community? In the short term, it likely means less "blue" sightings--fewer posts from the developers themselves. Other than that, not much will change here. @JuliusBorisov is taking over my duties as interim community manager; you can direct any questions to him that would normally have gone to me.
As for myself... I'll probably spend a little time lurking here, and if people have messages for me I'll try to respond to them, but just as this is a period of transition for the community and for Beamdog, it's a transition for me too. If you don't hear from me immediately, it's probably because I'm getting ready for the next stage of my professional life.
Thank you all for making this a pleasant place to come to work everyday. I haven't billed half the time I've spent moderating these forums, simply because half the time the work itself is enjoyable.
See you 'round the Net.
-Dee Pennyway
Community Manager, 2012-2016
112
Comments
These words could be spoken about you. I’m proud of knowing you and working with you, Dee. Your presence here, on these boards, has always been, and will be, a guidance for me. From the day I had joined this forum, I have always been looking at you as a leader, as someone who indeed strives for a positive and healthy environment for everyone on these boards.
You always took the time to answer questions about the products you’ve been working on, to discuss ideas of improving Baldur’s Gate in different aspects, to help with moderating. You always listened and answered.
It’s very sad to read your last speech, as your posts, your messages have alwyays been so insightful, helpful and supporting. In you, I’ve always seen a hard-working professional, with lots of creative ideas about this forum and Infinity games we all love. The road to beta was one of the best online events I’ve ever seen.
I’m sure you are an example to many people who know you: to your family, to your colleagues, to those people who only know you through this forum and Steam. There’re no words that can express my gratitude, Dee. I will do everything to become a successor you and Beamdog deserve.
No matter what the future holds, you’ll be a gem in whatever project you will choose.
-Trent
For old times sake I will do this one last time (this is the only way I could think of to give you my personal goodbye).:
The community won't be the same without you
I hope you'll find luck and happiness whereever the next path will take you.
(But good luck)
Mad Bee left Beamdog as well
I hope that you keep posting there (and in the forum in general also) so that even if it's no longer Beamdog feedback, we still get your personal feedback
Finding out that you love cauliflower most out of all vegetables was really inspiring...
Discussing whether, Baldurran's underpants should become an in game item was a real high point on the forum for us both.
We fought gnomophobia together.
We both spawned mortal progeny. I think we were most definitely not together at the time, Just that we spawned at the same time... Like salmon... Going up different rivers...
I think you also said that I was your bestest ever forumite and that anyone who did not choose gnomes on character creation were fools...
...
A shame you not being able to confirm this, having written your last post and all...
...
Live long and prosper, although Lichdom is always a good option...
Sweet water and light laughter until next we meet!
Thank you Dee for manning the ship, and hope to see you around back on this side of the fence with the rest of us fans.
We'll miss you, Dee. @JuliusBorisov will do a great job in your stead, but we will always remember you as our almighty wombat of justice.
See you, space cowboy~
And he cared. He truly cared about the community. I lost count of how many times someone posted something that drove the entire moderation crew mad and Dee stepped in to say the poster had the right to post his opinion and we should just watch the thread for forum rules being broken.
If today we have an open community where people may express their opinion without fear of being punished, as long as you don't break a forum rule, just as not offending someone personally, for instance, you may thank Dee for drawing those guidelines and upholding them.
Goodbye Dee. You'll be missed.
Goodbye Dee. I really appreciated how you did here as administrator and moderator, I appreciated it twice because having been myself moderator in an other board I know that is not easy...
Thank you.
This board has been the model of how online communities should operate and a fun place to spend time and you played a massive part in that. A firm presence when required, but without a hint of the "Nurse Ratcheds" that usually define people in your position.
The very best of luck in your future endeavours.