Hello MCGamer,
In lieu of a traditional farewell message, I decided to share my final message on a livestream with Chad. My final address to the community says everything that I would have written (and more). The speech was given today, August 1st, 2015, at approximately 1:30 PM PST.
The written script can be found below.
An audio recording will likely be posted as soon as it is ready.
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What a Difference We’ve Made
For many of you, this will be the first time you’ve ever seen an Administrator leave from their position. For the rest of you, this will be the first time you’ve seen me leave. But as for myself, in my decade’s worth of community management experience, I’ve been been in this position time and time again, addressing a community I invested so much into one final time. Yet practice does not dull the pains of leaving; it merely makes the speech-making easier.
To the MCGamer community,
players and staff,
friends and folks (for I have no foes),
and to anyone who may find my words today.
When I first joined the network and introduced myself as the newest member of the Administration, I did so with a speech. Now, two and a half years later, it is only fitting that I leave with one as well.
MCGamer, this will be my final address to you all as an Administrator for this great network. In the month since I announced my resignation, I’ve received countless thanks for my contributions here from players and staff, old and new alike. I am truly humbled by all your kind words, and I gladly return the same amount of gratitude that you have all shown me. Being here has been a tremendous opportunity, and I hope I have met- if not exceeded- your expectations. It has never been easy, and it has never been perfect, but it has always been worth it.
We have all come a long way, but I’m afraid that my time as an Admin has come. But before I go, I’d like to share a thought that I’ve held onto during my time here. And this thought has never been more apparent than it is now as I reflect upon my final days here: “what a difference we’ve made”.
What a difference we’ve made in the lives of our players. The MCGamer network is more than just a place for games. It’s a community of players around the globe who share common goals, interests, and a penchant for PvP. Here, friendships are forged between tributes after countless rounds of SG together. Here, relationships bloom between two star-crossed members who first met as waiting buddies, bonding over their anxiety for their approaching mod interview. Here, a haven is found for players escaping the torments of their lives, a place where the neglected are welcomed because of who they are, not in spite of it. We’ve fostered a network that is more than just a place for games; it’s a place where players around the world call home.
What a difference we’ve made in the lives of our staff. For a majority of our staff members, the blood donor rank is the first real responsibility they’ve ever been given. Every person on this team will be tried, trained, and tested in ways that home and school cannot not. They will learn to see the broader picture in life, the added privilege bringing with it an added perspective. And for the first time in their lives, they will experience the burden of authority paired with the responsibility of power. Those who thrive in this position will have accomplished more than they thought they could before, and that is just the beginning of what they will accomplish in the world.
What a difference we’ve made in the history of this network. Two and a half years is a long time, equivalent to a decade of Minecraft years, and in that time we have seen much. We witnessed the evolution from MCSG to MCGamer, and overcame the growing pains along the way. We have climbed to the tallest Summit and endured its biting winds. We have moved mountains of blocks to create brave new worlds to explore and conquer. We have faced down giants and thwarted foreign attacks in equal measure. We have extinguished even the fiercest of firestorms, including one where I had the help of a man in a Holl. We have rewritten laws and dispelled false beliefs, striking a blow against injustices that had existed for far too long. And we have succeeded in founding a new era for our community, one founded on the tenets of equality, activism, transparency, and forgiveness. The individual often feels like they have no power, but history proves them wrong; we have changed fate many times, my friends.
Two and a half years ago, I greeted this great community with a speech. In that speech, I firmly declared that our community was one of survivors, those who are strong and proud, those who faced adversity and never flinched. I still hold by that today, and I will remind you all of what I said that day: “I am proud of you.” I am proud of everything you have endured, overcome, and accomplished. I am proud of everything you have done in the name of the network. Players and staff of MCGamer, I am proud of you… and the difference that we have made, together.
Until today, I have always been there in the background, working tirelessly with projects and paperwork to subtly guide the community towards its full potential. But now, in the waning light of my final day here, I must now pass the torch to you. Now you must decide your own destiny, and what differences you will make in the future.
This is a great power. Change starts with one, but is accomplished by many. The collective actions taken now will shape the future, just as the actions taken in the past have shaped the present. Players and staff, Mods and Devs, Senior Mods and Admins are all integral in everlasting progress; no lasting change can occur without the compromise and cooperation of the others. But with enough devotion, effort, and time, you will be able to accomplish the impossible. I know; I’ve done it before.
But never forget: this is also a great responsibility. We are all sailing on the same boat, and we are all struck when the storm arrives. It can be all too easy to grow callous in the face of looming clouds. It can be all too easy to become cynical as the winds change their course. And it can be all too easy to simply give up, throw your hands up, and proclaim, “the ship is sinking” when the thunder claps deafen, the churning winds blind, and the waves crash against us on all sides. For everyone, there comes a time when they ask themselves if all is lost.
But I have one thing to say to those who would dare surrender now: we can be better than that. The troubles we face today are different than any we’ve faced before, but we are not powerless against the tide. Find strength in our history, of everything that we have conquered before. Find solace in your peers, those who will accompany you through this journey. And lastly, find faith in our future, for the first step towards achieving a brighter tomorrow is to believe in it today. So, to any who would dare surrender to the storm, those who would jump ship for fear of failure, I say to you once more: we can be better than that. And together, we may steer our ship towards reach calmer waters yet. Doing anything less than our best would be a disservice to those who came before us, to those who stand with us now, and to those who have yet to join us; if you will not do it for yourself, do it for them.
This has always been the network’s challenge to me, one that has guided my actions since day one. And now, it is my challenge for you. Online and in life, always strive to better yourself and the world around you, and never settle for anything less. The journey will be difficult, chaotic, and seemingly perilous at times, but it will always be worth it. For it is in struggle that strength is found.
To the MCGamer community, players and staff, friends and folks, and to anyone who may find my words today: always remember what a difference we have made, but never fear the ones to come. Be strong, be wise. Be brave, be willing. And Soon… you will have made a difference too.
MCGamer, this has been my final address to you all as an Administrator for this great network. Thank you for everything that you and your community have given me over these last two and a half years. My time has come, and I am relieved of duty. Now the torch is now in your hands.
I am Colonel StaR, Community Manager, Administrator, and soon-to-be VIP. It was an honor to have served with you, and I wish you all goodnight, and farewell.
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MCGamer Service Record:
MC Username:
Col_StaR
Previous Name:
starshootr
Forums Account Name:
Most Recent Staff Position:
Administrator
Duration of Service
879 Days (2 years, 4 months, 27 days)
Dates of Interest:
- First inquired about Community Manager position: March 3rd, 2013.
- Interviewed for, and was Accepted for the Community Manager position: March 6th, 2013.
- Technically entered the community: March 10th, 2013.
- Formally Entered the community, First Staff Meeting: May 17th, 2013.
- Approved for full Community Manager status: August 25, 2013.
- Community Manager rank depreciated, changed to Administrator: March 2014 (exact date unknown).
- Formally announced resignation: March 31st, 2015.
- Publicly announced resignation: June 27th, 2015.
- Resigned from Administrator: August 1st, 2015.
- Resignation reason: Accepted into top-choice college and program of study, unlikely to be able to continue Administrative duties alongside academic activity.
Recorded hours of service:
- 2013: 655.50 hours (aprox.)
- 2014: 1060.82 hours (aprox.)
- 2015: 722.62 hours (aprox.)
- Career Total: 2438.94 hours (aprox.)
First Status:
First Thread:
Ask Me Anything Thread:
Special Tasks and Responsibilities
- Briefing and conferring with Chad on numerous Administrative and Community matters.
- Lead Support Team member. Later delegated to Support Team liason.
- Youtube VIP and Twitch VIP applicant processing.
- Deciding upon and granting rewards for official MCGamer events and programs.
Accomplishments
Accomplishments not been approved for public knowledge have been redacted from the list.
- Longest serving Administrator to-date.
- Researched and published the Hacker Recidivism Survey.
- Successfully implemented the "first-offense permanent bans for hackers" policy change.
- Spearheaded the effort to allow previously banned players to successfully apply for staff.
- Introduced a formal forgiveness policy for permanently banned players.
- Worked in favor of implementing a trash talk filter, and later worked to implement a Turkish swear filter as well.
- Founded and lead the first campaigns for Operation Clean Sweep.
- Planned and implemented the Report Abuse Reward program.
- Created and lead the initial Age Exception Process (now depreciated)
- Created the first official PSA's, including writing six of them.
- Revamped and updated FAQ and Rules page for easier access and navigation.
- Diffused many tense, high profile situations, including ones that involved highly influential players, highly popular Youtubers, and foreign networks.
- Was involved in planning, organizing, augmenting, approving, and supporting many projects and events, including:
- The Current Events Publication
- The Clan Staff
- Moderator Quizzes
- Formalized Moderator Training Sessions
- Hacker Identification Training Sessions
- Staff Q&A
- Community Focus Group
- Roundtable Review
- Dragon's Den
- And many others...
Current Status:
Resigned, discharged honorably with VIP rank.
<3
