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RussTCB Stepping Down


RussTCB

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18 hours ago, RussTCB said:

Hello MyGNR Fam ;)

I've made a very hard decision that I'm going to share with all of you now: as of this post, I am leaving the MyGNR forum staff.

I have a lot of things I'd like to share with everyone as part of this process-

My GN'R-online story started back on a forum called newgnr and I moved over to a forum called GNRevolution after newgnr went away. I was part of the staff at GNRevo from quite some time before I ended up leaving that site in a very bad way which was due in great part to my own faults. The staff and majority of users were always very good to me during my time there. To this day, I remain ashamed of myself for the way I handled things with that situation. That really has nothing to do with MyGNR, I just wanted to say that in public.

I continued to read MyGNR, mostly My World in the weeks that passed and I really had no intent on joining leadership of any GN'R forum ever again. However, I kept seeing little things that I thought could improve and kept getting the itch to help out. I reached out to High Voltage with a random PM and asked if he'd be intersted in me joining. We went back and forth a bit and he ended up deciding it was a good idea. No matter what's happened since, I'm glad that he did. 

I won't bore everyone with stories of what's gone on here since. There's a long history that many of you know. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Always with the best intentions. I've never claimed to be perfect and I hope I've never given anyone the impression that I thought I was. My intention was always just to hopefully build a medium place for fans of all opinions to meet up. I believe I had varying degrees of success with that in my time on the staff here. I am now and will continue to be proud of my work here.

So why is this happening? This is happening now because to be honest, my heart hasn't been in the band for a very long time. My heart was with the forum though, so I stayed on the staff much longer than I probably should have. I relayed my thoughts to Downzy earlier today and he's understandably upset but supportive of my decision. Downzy's handling of my decision is another in a long line of great things that add to my time on the staff here. I am extremely grateful for the friends I've made through the GN'R community both online and in real life. 

So what happens now? I am *NOT* leaving the forum but I am leaving the staff and mostly likely any GN'R discussion. As I said before, my heart just isn't in this band so I would most likely only contribute negative things to the D&N section that I worked so hard to help rid of negativity. It's best for me to hang out in My World & Seen That Movie Too when I stop by. I'll be posting in the usual threads in those sections, so you can look for me there and/or shoot me a PM whenever anyone would like.

I want to say THANK YOU to the entire GN'R online community for all the memories. Thank you to the online and real life friends I have and I'll even say thank you to the people who are probably celebrating right now haha. Every person I've interacted with has made me a better person in some way, whether they liked me or not. Being made a better person through this whole experience is something I'll never forget, so as I said many times; I'm grateful for this whole experience. 

This isn't goodbye, it's just "I'm stepping down and I won't be giving anyone warning points anymore" haha. 

I truly hope for the best in the future for this forum, the online community and even this band who seems to disappoint us so much, but connects us all in some way. 

Thanks for everything and see you in the non-GN'R sections!

-RussTCB

Welcome back to the common people. Hope you stay around man! ;) And obviously thank you for all the effort and honesty over the years. 

And to be honest I get (and share) a lot of your sentiments. GnR is a hateful soulless shitstorm and a pisspoor excuse for a band. It's easy to love what they once were. But loving what this band has become is like pouring your energy into a black hole. 

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3 hours ago, downzy said:

To suggest that losing @RussTCB as a staff member is a shot to the gut is a definite understatement.

When I began to take over as owner of this forum back in the winter of 20/142015, the first decision I made was to elevate Russ to the administrator position.  Honestly, I had to beg - he was doing a great job as the forum's main moderator carrying most of the load of moderating duties at the time and understandably didn't want to add to his responsibilities.  While I totally understood his position, I still begged until he did me the huge favour and became an admin at MYGNRFORUM.  It was important to me and to the forum to have Russ represent the forum through a rocky transition period.  Many of active posters then and now loved and respected the job he did as a moderator and I wanted to reassure the community that with Russ taking on a more senior role that things here would only improve.  I can't say I've made a lot of great decisions, and not to give myself too much credit, but having Russ become an Admin at this forum was easily one of the best decisions I have ever made since becoming the forum's owner.

Russ was instrumental in shifting the tone of this forum; away from constant negativity that drove many people away and towards a more respectful attitude that still accepted differences of opinions and criticisms of the band and all things GNR.  We both agreed that the forum needed to change in order for it to survive but it was largely through Russ's commitment, along with great help from every other staff member, that this strategy came to fruition.  There was a time when the forum was receiving numerous complaints a day because of nonsense and disrespect, Russ and fellow staff have transformed this forum where we receive very few complaints about other posters or posts.  Russ is largely deserving of that credit.  It has made this forum much easier and enjoyable to moderate and administer.  

Quite simply, Russ has been the heart and soul of this forum for the past five years. 

I cannot imagine this forum surviving and remain as popular as it has without his fair and measured watch.  

The entire fan community, members of this forum, the staff, the band itself, and myself all owe Russ a massive thank you for his contribution to the GNR fan community.  Being a staff member here is largely a thankless job, without much in the way of perks all the while shouldering endless frustrations and personal dramas between forum members.  That is to say nothing about the amount of bullshit staff members have to manage in terms of this forum's attempts to bridge the divide between the band/management and the fans.  This is not an easy job and wears on anyone who has joined the staff.  

It is testament to Russ as a person that he has stuck around for as long as he has despite everything.

So a big thank you to Russ from myself for being the kind of Admin/Moderator and friend this forum needed these past many years.  I can never repay the debt I owe you in terms of your contribution to this space on the web.  I truly believe this forum means a lot to many people who have enjoyed discussing a band they love in an environment free from assholes, egos, and bullies.  You are owed a world of debt from people who visit this forum and myself.  

I would also like to congratulate Russ on moving forward with something that brings him a lot of joy and drives his passion for music.  It's not easy to walk away from something you have devoted a lot of time and energy towards for years on end.  Life is short and it's great to see Russ direct his talents and passion for music towards something constructive like his fantastic podcast (Infectious Groove Podcast; it's a great listen and everyone should check it out).  I'm always inspired by people who choose to build, create and act in a positive way despite the challenges and difficulties.  So congratulations on your new direction and I look forward to hearing more from you on that front.  I'm also glad to hear that Russ will still be around to contribute his thoughts on music and other topics.  He's an opinionated guy with a lot of great insights so I'm glad we're still going to benefit from having him around.  If GNR is finally able to get over the hump and release new music I'm sure we'll see Russ back in the D&N section again. 

Thanks Russ!

 

Wow. Thank you for saying all of that. I think I said this to someone earlier in the thread, but for a long time it didn't feel like work. Partly because I was trying to help turn the place into somewhere everyone could have a respectful discussion and partly because I still had hope that GN'R would give us something positive to discuss eventually.

I really appreciate you saying that I was successful in my goal. I'm glad some others have said they think so too. That's thanks enough for the work I put in :)

I know I mentioned this before, but man, I really hope GN'R does give their fans something to be positive about some day. 

Edited by RussTCB
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That's a real shame to hear. I've always thought your even-handed and sensible approach to handling the forum has kept it as bullshit free as it's possible to keep a GNR forum. 

I think these are tough times for any sane fan of the band, and I'm sure most of us often question whether the band are still important to us or not. 

I can confidently say though that visiting the forum, for me and I'm sure others, has been somewhat of a sanity aid, not least at the moment. I think the way you've handled and managed it has been a big part of that, and for every nonsense, lame move the band pull off, I can always guarantee some laughs because of the mood that has been cultivated. 

I know you're sticking around and still going to post, but I'll definitely miss your overseeing of fair comments and your handling of those that would try to drag the place down. 

So....thanks for all the time and effort you've put in. 

 

Edited by allwaystired
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5 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

Great poster/mod. Glad he is sticking around.

I suppose he has reached his breaking point which many of us have experienced with this band (me, circa 2011, yellow rain jacket Ashba horror show). Everyone snaps eventually haha. Even the biggest nut swinger will eventually snap. Fernando will find a way. 

Side note to this post; I kid you not, I thought you'd always greatly disliked me for some reason so it's actually very nice to read this haha

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14 minutes ago, James Bond said:

@RussTCB

Don't go. :(

But seriously though, you were (are) among the reasons I still visit here. Yourself and the great community that you helped keep together. Even with not much positive happening in the Guns world these days, it's still fun coming here to have a laugh with some familiar faces.

Totally get it - I feel like I defended the band during arguably their worst period (2011-2014ish), but I just can't anymore. I stopped caring sometime in 2017.

I certainly don't want anyone to leave the site over this. Although I'm not on the staff, I will certainly come back to D&N at some point. There was just a culmination of things with the band and outside the site that made me decide it was time to step down and put GNR on the way back burner for now. 

I'm still posting in My World for now and I'll return to D&N some time in the future :)

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2 hours ago, lukepowell1988 said:

Yeah I feel like there at the point now where even new music wouldn't re gain my intrest.

 

After that whole children's book and line of Cheese at Aldi 

New music would be nice, but it's just not a be-all-end-all for me anymore. I'll still be the first person in line to buy a new studio effort from GNR, but I just don't know when or if that'll ever happen. 

33 minutes ago, Gambit83 said:

Thank you for all your hard work and support. I'm sure I'll grab you to cohost again :) 

I'm always down to come on your show any time. Just let me know when. Plus, I've got a lot better audio equipment, so I'll sound a TON better remotely :)

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3 hours ago, Powerage5 said:

Really sorry to hear you’re stepping down from the staff @RussTCB. It’s been an honor and a blast working with you on here for the last seven or so years. The community really wouldn’t be what it currently is without your work to keep building this place. I am however glad to hear you’ll be sticking around the forum still. I feel very fortunate to have you as a good friend outside the forum as well, and look forward to the next time we can spin some records in your basement ;) 

Thanks man. I'm very glad we're friends outside the forum too. You know you're welcome over any time you're in the area!

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11 hours ago, RussTCB said:

Just as an FYI; no, that's certainly not me in the video that's floating around. 

Some folks have too much time on their hands lol. 

God, that guy is annoying. Obviously finds himself hysterical, oblivious to the fact that he comes off as a complete tool.

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5 hours ago, Towelie said:

God, that guy is annoying. Obviously finds himself hysterical, oblivious to the fact that he comes off as a complete tool.

It's a bummer but it is what it us. To be honest, I was quite surprised anyone had to be told that wasn't me lol 

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With all my years here and great times and not so great times with the band and staff one guy will always stand out to me as a member of the team and that guy is Russ.  Love him or not he is a stand up guy and a genuine fan of Rock N' Roll.  Gonna miss him on the team absolutely.  The great news for me is he has become much more to me than the Admin to mygnrforum.  Thank you Russ for everything you have done for us!  Gonna miss your team spirit!

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17 hours ago, Coma16 said:

You will be missed @RussTCB. Glad you'll still be sticking around!

Thanks for saying that :)

10 hours ago, DurhamGirl said:

Wow, it wont be the same without you, you will be really missed.  Good luck with your podcast and lets hope GnR do something positive to enable you to come back:lol:

Thanks! I'll post in the GN'R section again, most likely well before they do something positive lol, but it'll be a bit. Just need a break :)

10 hours ago, gunsguy said:

With all my years here and great times and not so great times with the band and staff one guy will always stand out to me as a member of the team and that guy is Russ.  Love him or not he is a stand up guy and a genuine fan of Rock N' Roll.  Gonna miss him on the team absolutely.  The great news for me is he has become much more to me than the Admin to mygnrforum.  Thank you Russ for everything you have done for us!  Gonna miss your team spirit!

Right on man, thanks for the kind words. I've had some very disappointing moments (all due to GN'R) over my time here but the real life friends absolutely outweigh all of the bad things!

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Damn, one twitter feud between Axl and a member of the president’s cabinet was all it took to send @RussTCB running for the hills eh?

In all seriousness, thanks for everything man. This place has gone through lots of ups and downs, but your presence has definitely increased the ups. Hope stepping away from the staff role helps you to enjoy the day to day around this nuthouse a little more. 

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