New Year's Resolution

I've got a new New Year's Resolution, only 24 days late.

As it has become quite clear that the game is winding down (in scope if not relative activity), I think it's important to try to archive what we've accomplished in our time in this game for posterity. I, for one, can't forsee myself heading up GCW for another seven years, but seven years from now I fully intend to have gcwonline.net up and operational. I want to make sure to get everything we've ever done archived and online so that anyone, at any point in the future, can come back and see what they've done.

But why stop there?

Obviously, getting GCW in order will be step one. But after that, I think it would be really great to create some sort of general archive where absolutely anyone can enter their information and their writings to be saved for good. PTCpedia is a step in that direction, but I'd like something that goes even deeper.

Of course, I have no clue how to make such a thing practical, so I'm open to suggestions. But with people beginning to transition towards other goals and interests, I think it would be nice to have a place for everyone to stash their writing online so that, when we each leave the game, we'll have left a little bit of ourselves behind.

Just a random thought here at 2:51 AM.

Quick Hits

Just some random ramblings from a frenetic mind.

-As some of you might know, I went to New Orleans this weekend to see the BCS Title Game. As a Buckeye, I'm rather bummed about the result, but I won't delve into that here. I do, however, want to comment on the city itself. One doesn't hear much about post-Katrina New Orleans any more, but we wanted to check it out. So we had a private car take us through the 9th ward. It looked like a third-world country, and was no doubt the most ruinous place I've ever been to (and I've been to Peru, Haiti and Jamaica). The issue is by no means so cut-and-dry that I can make a sound-byte summation of it, but it will suffice to say that I was saddened by how bad things still are. However, most of the residents of the ruined homes have set up shop in other cities and won't be coming back. Though the ruins remain, the people do not, and most of the residents I spoke to seemed to think New Orleans is destined to become little more than a tourist town. There were signs of progress, but mostly as a result of the action of non-profits and volunteer groups. I'm not making any sweeping statements here, but it would have been nice to have seen some sort of government presence in the area making an attempt to help put the city back together.

-On a less serious note, I'm fairly positive about the overall state of the game at the moment. In particular, I love how successful Dave's Creative Writing Tournament has been. I plan on writing a full review of the event after a couple of rounds and at its conclusion, but for now I'll just make some preliminary comments. I noted in a previous post that I felt the tournament would reshape the game, but I feel that's a good thing. People will inevitably seek other outlets for their creative juices when e-wrestling has runs its course for them, and I'm really pleased that people are stepping up to provide such an outlet within the community. So while stalwarts like Ryan might be dropping out of the game, it is my hope that PTC will remain in operation to house our joint efforts under our common thread, a love of writing. That's the destiny of this game. I remain a committed and energized fedder, but I'd rather see us blaze a new trail rather than simply fade away.

-With regards to fedding itself, with Global gone, PTC is down to four feds. Anyone out there know what the story is with XUW currently? I know they were nearing their last match, and it was my impression that they were closing at the end of 2007. I wish I'd followed it more through the years, because the talent there is quite good. But with XUW meeting its inevitable end, the game will be down to three feds.

But GCW, FUSE and PRIME appear to be in good health. It's been said that three feds might not be enough for all the fedders left in the game. And it's fair to say that, as all three are reality-based feds, the fantasy characters of the Global/UWF tree might not have homes. But I'd suggest that three feds is a good number given the current state of the community. One must consider not only the population of the roster pool, but also the number of potential leaders out there. This isn't intended as a knock on the guys who ran Global or any other fed that's closed down, but there's a definite lack of leadership in the game today. Even FUSE and PRIME have shuffled fedheads quite a bit in the past several months. So, while there might be some need for another fed, the fact that such a fed doesn't exist speaks volumes to the current capacity of the game.

I won't speak for FUSE and PRIME, but I think GCW has the structure in place to be able to handle a larger roster. I think condensing and consolidating the game a bit could be good for it. But the fact remains that it's extremely difficult to maintain a stable fed, and I think the game is going to have to make do with the three feds it's got left.

-I've been asked about the wisdom of seeking out new connections with other communities such as EWZine. The game is certainly still thriving in parts. But personally, I'm quite content to remain part of our smaller, "elitist" community. PTC is home to the best people and the best writers in the game, and even as a fedder I'm still concerned with the pure writing we do. I'm not taking any personal swipes here because I don't know any of the EWZine leaders, but nothing I've seen there can compare to what we do in an average week at PTC.

-I still think innovation can unlock some unexplored territory for e-wrestling. If GCW, PRIME and FUSE are to be the last feds standing, the connections in place there can open some new doors. I'm not counting on any sort of resurgence from the game, because that's clearly not in the cards, but I would still like to offer some fun new features to those still playing. Many of the plans we made with regards to PTC a few months ago are being restructured to work on a smaller scale. Don't expect anything earthshattering, but with the growing power of the internet I think we can, at the very least, make the game easier than ever to play and offer new tools for interaction. While it may be on a smaller-than-ever scale, I hope that e-wrestling's latter days can be the most fun any of us have ever had.

-Some GCW notes: Our first show of the year will be up this weekend and it should be a good one. Things are going really, really well right now. As GCW's fedhead, I don't think it's out of bounds to suggest that GCW might reclaim its spot as top dog in PTC. But the chase to be the best isn't so much about gaining a competitive advantage, because such a thing isn't of much value any more. I do hope FUSE and PRIME join in the battle for the unofficial top spot, because that competition will keep things fresh and frisky and ensure that everyone's working to make each fed the best it can possibly be.

-I think PTC's forums need a makeover. Perception is 9/10ths of reality. I think the PTC forums are actually seeing a decent amount of activity, but they're still configured for a community of many hundreds. Let's trim things down a bit: Fed & Character News, E-Wrestling and Advertising can all be one board. Pro Wrestling and Sports can be consolidated. Sure, these are just superficial changes, but I think condensing our activity into fewer categories will make it easier to see that there's a bit of life left. While I may have backed off my chase for a return to e-wrestling glory, I remain hopeful that we can keep making adjustments to our expectations to match the flow of the game.

-I'm giving some thought to doing weekly show reviews for GCW, PRIME and FUSE. I'd really like to give all three feds equal coverage. Still, that's a tall task. Anyone interested in helping with such a project can get in touch with me.

That's about all I've got for now. I'll be back with some more news and thoughts in a few days.

Pete

As you might have seen over on the PTC forums, the game has lost a giant. Pete has made his farewell post, effectively ending an impressive stay in the game of e-wrestling. As someone who has worked closely with Pete over the years, I feel I’m reasonably equipped to run down his career in honor of his departure. Now, as anyone in GCW will tell you, I have difficulty remembering things that happened ten minutes ago, much less seven years ago. So consider this fair warning that this post will likely contain glaring omissions, factual errors, and liberal use of creative license. Oh, and it wouldn’t be a post about Pete if I didn’t unabashedly slander him (actually, it would be libel, but slander sounds better).

I first encountered Pete some time in 2001. I don’t recall the exact date, though I quite fondly remember the character. Pete initially joined GCW as the Ticking Timebomb JNightmare. The character had a nervous “tick” that Pete would implement when writing him. I searched long and hard for a JNightmare promo but was unable to find one, much to my disappointment. The character was ludicrous, but Pete did bring with him a few friends. Jeff Wylde, Bryan Mayhem, The Almighty Kippo (and perhaps others) were all part of a former fed that had closed, a fed I remember very little about and will leave Pete to describe to you.

It didn’t take very long for Pete to retool himself. Come to think of it, Pete could have used a few more retoolings in his career. But he transformed himself into The Dark Messiah Jason O’Neil, and a star was born. During 2001 O’Neil captured the Tag Titles twice, but that’s all the gold he’d see in GCW.

It wasn’t for lack of talent. Pete simply stood out among the roster as a leader, a guy who was never suited for life among the masses. I had been searching for a right-hand-man for a long time, privately to train as a replacement for my impending retirement in 2002 (ha!). Pete was it. As O’Neil Pete took part in some memorable feuds, including one of my all-time favorites that saw O’Neil have sex with NBK’s mother and then throw him off the roof of an arena. God, that’s good stuff. He also (mercifully) ended the Tag Team reign of terror (and by terror, I mean complete, unadulterated crap) of Double Cool.

But Pete really distinguished himself as my partner, and without his service GCW would not have been as good as it was in 2002. He did a ton of work during this time in GCW, as much if not more than I. Pete was there for all of our initial successes, and fondly remembers all my greatest leadership miscues (yeah, I’m still haunted by the Ghost of Register).

GCW during this first run was a really unique place. Never before have I seen a fed so close-knit, so truly involved with one another. Pete recently related a story on PTC Radio about September 11^th, 2001, and what was perhaps GCW’s defining moment. That day the entire GCW roster, both American and otherwise, came on to the forums to make sure everyone was safe and sound, that their families were safe, and to share in our mourning. One of the first instincts we all had was to jump online and make sure our fedmates were all right. That was special, and that’s the kind of family Pete helped to build.

Around the middle of 2002, when GCW was still riding high thanks is large part to Pete’s efforts, we began to collectively burn out as a fed. We’d been working closely together for a long time and really shared the same journey. Consequently, our torrid pace led to the inevitable end. O’Neil joined The Establishment and Badger Benandanti went heel in an attempt to change things up, but it was not my better work and things slid downhill. I remember very little of what happened during the “dark ages” of 2003-4. I did, however, get the chance to work with Pete in an environment where neither of us was in charge.

We both landed in FSW for a time, along with Jeff and some others. As Kimbusa I got to work with Deville and O’Neil, two guys I still hold in very high regard. Alas, it didn’t last long, as Pete was forced to step away for a time and Jeff promptly wiped the floor with me. Still, for a few weeks we got to work together and I seem to remember having a pretty good time of it.

There was a long stretch where Pete wasn’t around at all. He just up and disappeared, and the game seemed somewhat empty without him. I don’t recall precisely where he went (I’m fairly certain he volunteered for government testing of chemical weapons, resulting in the disfigured face he wears today). Pete and I weren’t always especially close, and there have been times when we’ve been at odds, but it did seem quite strange to participate in the game without Pete out there somewhere.

Pete returned and took part in tSC, and later ran his own fed, RPW. He’s also headed GCW solo, as well as PRIME and, no doubt, others. But other than a two-week stint in RPW, I never worked under Pete. I can’t really speak to his fedheadding abilities, though I do have observations. The results were no doubt mixed; Pete’s initial tries at running GCW were a huge success, but his later attempt in 2006 was a failure (not his fault, the fed sucked). RPW was a runaway success for a while, and the fed itself is deserving of its own biography. But there are those out there with a much better knowledge of the subject, so I leave the telling of that story (and of tSC) to those who were there. I certainly hope you’ll comment below to help fill in these blanks.

But what most of you reading this now will remember is the Pete who helped to run PTC these last few years. In this capacity a new Pete was seemingly born. Pete was always capable of being a complete and total prick (a necessary quality to have as a leader), but PTC Pete made use of this quality early and often. He alienated people and made no apologies for it. But please don’t read that as a criticism; in truth, to effectively run such a large organization one must be willing to be unpopular. Ron was the most hated guy in the game’s history, and also the most successful. That isn’t a coincidence. Pete never reached Ron’s level of megalomaniacism, but he was a major success for a reason.

I won’t speak for him, but I suspect Pete became much like me in the sense that he simply needed to lead. I still fondly remember my days as an active handler, but I cannot imagine myself participating in this game in any capacity other than a fedhead. Pete stood out early and distinguished himself as a man with ideas, ambition and gumption. This is why I am not terribly surprised that his recent return to handling was so short-lived. The game is not as we remember it, and Pete was never meant to just be one of the guys.

Pete is not a smart man. He’s not very charismatic and his radio voice mimics a less enjoyable Gilbert Gottfried. He’s abrasive and reclusive and very difficult to get to know if you don’t know him already. Nobody likes him, and his friends have been plotting his death for the better part of the millennium. That punch to the face from Lindz? Just the beginning.

But despite these obvious truths (read: slight exaggerations) Pete retires as one of the most influential people in the history of the game. Why is that? Ironically, it’s his heart. Despite his rough exterior Pete, I believe, has always had a soft spot in his heart for the game. He wanted it to succeed and he wanted to help other people enjoy themselves. Sure, he’d never admit it, and I’ve no doubt some part of Pete enjoyed the power, but I really think his true motivation was a noble one. He liked this game and he wanted others to like it, too.

Pete remains something of an enigma to me. I must confess that the above paragraph might have completely missed the mark and I’d never know. There are those he’s encountered in this game since his arrival in GCW that he has come to know better than me. We spent quite a long time out of contact and even now don’t speak terribly often. Yet I think, despite our ups and downs, Pete and I have always shared a mutual respect dating back to our first ventures into the larger structures of the game. It’s because of that that I’m disappointed to see him go.

Still, it’s time. Pete’s heart has not been in it for a while now, I fear. This is the comedic inevitability all leaders must face. Pete served PTC with distinction and selflessness, but those are trying traits to have. Eventually they weigh you down and drive all shreds of enjoyment out of you. Leading like Pete has led is certainly the most thankless job imaginable. He sacrificed all personal goals in the game to help maintain PTC, and without him our last ties to the glory days of e-wrestling would have long ago been lost.

I hope you’ll all send Pete your thanks. Even those who are newcomers to the community (if there is such a thing), or those that never worked with him, owe him gratitude. PTC is in a steady state of decline and the game is waning, and I feel this is due, in part, to the lack of strong leadership figures on the landscape. There are few with the drive, the willpower and the wisdom to stand above the rest and affect the direction of an entire community. Pete did that for a long time, and his loss is an ending of an era.

There are many who don’t like Pete and never will. I can certainly understand that; hell, there are times when I didn’t like Pete myself. But I always respected him, and that’s the key. I’m not asking you to like Pete. But if you don’t respect him, you don’t know anything about this game. If you’re one of those who ran off to create the “I HATE PETE” Fed, or if you go to sleep at night dreaming of his gruesome death (well, in all fairness, I do that one), you don’t truly understand the nature of our community. Even in decline PTC remains the best community there is, home of the best writers this game has ever seen, and that world exists due in great part to Pete’s efforts.

Oh, and Pete was a pretty good writer, too. *tick*

Pete hasn’t always been successful in this game. He’s taken some licks and made some decisions many would deem questionable. Yet at the end, looking back on it all, I hope Pete will view his time with us as a success. I know I do. Ultimately I think Pete will be viewed as the greatest caretaker the game has ever seen. He never really had a fed of his own, and he was never the man in charge of PTC. He was always the second guy, or the top guy operating as a stand-in. But that’s to his great credit, because it shows again how selfless he truly was. He was never in it for his own personal glory. He was always willing to help out, to do what was necessary and never spoke a word of anger when the thanks were given to someone else. Much of the credit for GCW belongs to Pete yet I am the one who reaps it. And when PTC goes Pete’s name will never don the list of those who stood at the helm (and, cruelly, mine will). But Pete’s name sits in the background of all those lists of top leaders, and in that respect he has had more to do with the success of this game than most of us will ever dream of. So I hope this serves as an appropriate tribute to one of the game’s great contributors, because I guarantee you that whatever you think Pete did for this game, he did more.

Thanks, Pete, you curmudgeonly asshole.

(Addendum: Pete, I actually found an RP you posted titled “Rivero, we are one and the same.” Ain’t that the truth?)

Breaking News

I've just been informed by an anonymous source (codename: R. Guile) that Global Wrestling is closing its doors.

I haven't officially confirmed this yet, nor do I have the full scoop. I haven't followed Global a whole lot over the years, at least not like it deserved. It turned out some amazing talent and ran for the better part of the decade, which is an amazing feat.

But I gather James has been away for a while, and the instability has caused problems. They've also had issues with their hosting, which I can attest can drive a man insane.

If this is confirmed (I'll follow up on this with more details as I investigate) it'll simply be another step in the inevitable decline in PTC. However, much as I truly am sad to see Global go, it might not be an entirely bad thing. With interest in the game waning it might actually help strengthen the game to consolidate the talent in it into fewer feds. If those still interested in the game move to GCW, PRIME and FUSE, those feds will only benefit and what was a failing fed will have ultimately empowered the game.

Again, I'll try to dig up the full story on Global's passing. It's a shame to see it go as it's been such a big part of the game for a long time, but I suspect this is the sort of thing you'll be seeing in the months to come. Still, I think it's all just one step in the evolution of the community; not a creeping death but a restructuring.

New Year, New Era

I'm baaaaa-aaaack!

The last few months haven't seen any posts, primarily due to a rise in school activity. But I'm proud to say that we've also seen a spike in activity and success in GCW, and that has also drawn my focus away. I'm having a great deal of fun with the fed right now, so much in fact that my interest in doing anything else at all has waned.

This doesn't mean I won't continue to strongly voice my opinion on the game, I'm just going to alter my approach (again). It seems quite clear to me that PTC, as an e-fed community, is in its final moments and any attempt to salvage it or create something new is futile. This doesn't mean the game won't continue on, but the day of large-scale superstructures is finished.

So I'll continue to blog, and I'll try to update everyone on the goings-on in e-fedding and e-fedding related areas. So come here for news and opinion on the game; I'm the Bill O'Reilly of e-wrestling, without the fuck.

--First and foremost, Tom Holzerman is stepping away from his blog for a while. It's a shame, as he's the innovator of the e-fed blogs (of which now this appears to be the only one). I feel quite inadequate if I am, in fact, the last blogger standing, because Holzerman's the big dog of this concept and I'm merely a follower. I won't in any way claim to be capable of filling his void in the blogosphere, but I will do my best. Hope to see Holzerman back soon and I wish him all the luck in the world with TEAM.

--Dean has officially, permanently stepped away as fedhead of FUSE, leaving Josh in charge. I have several members on my roster who have worked with Josh in the past and have had complementary things to say about him, so I'm sure the fed is in good hands. But rapid-fire leadership changes tend to harm a fed in the short- and long-run. I still like FUSE and I really don't want to see any fed close its doors right now, because the game is thin enough as it is. However, they've got their work cut out for them, because as of now I struggle to tell you what FUSE's identity is now. I know Rhine and Rhine is awesome, but beyond that I'm lost. I fully plan to get better informed, and I hope this situation galvanizes the roster.

--I have no earthly idea what's happening in PRIME right now. That's probably a good thing.

--Dave's creatively named Creative Writing Tournament is shaping up to be a huge success over at PTC; if you're somehow reading this blog and have never heard of this, hit the PTC forums and check it out. The talent drawn to that event is sensational, and I'm sorry I didn't join in.

And it's also going to kill a chunk of e-wrestling. As people in this game are maturing, more and more I'm finding people who are losing interest in e-fedding and would prefer to simply focus on writing without gimmicks and strings attached. So, while the tournament is going to be a great success, it's also going to shift the landscape of this game of ours.

But that isn't a criticism. In fact, it's the highest compliment I can pay it. Any one tournament that can have that great an effect over such a large group of people must be doing its job. The game is in a state of flux, anyway, and the fact that Dave's had such a great turnout shows that it was both timely and inevitable. Those left in this game who want to remain a part of the community without participating in e-fedding now have the ability to do so. I think it's time to simply call PTC a "writing community" and nothing else, a place now frequented by people with a common interest not in e-wrestling, but writing alone. We e-fedders would therefore continue to have a home there, while the creative writing group could split off without leaving the community entirely. It is my sincere hope that the people who choose to leave the game do not choose to leave the community, because I've had the pleasure of getting to know many of them and I would appreciate the opportunity to continue to read their tremendous work. Here's hoping that whatever Dave's tournament leads to remains a part of PTC.

--NC-17 is posted over at GCW and it was a great show. It is a great sense of sadness I experience right now in knowing that there are few left outside of GCW with the interest to read it. However, I feel GCW is in a unique position right now to update the concept of the e-fed a bit. The fed has some wildly talented writers in its own right, and while they still love e-wrestling they, too, are experiencing a desire to broaden their writing skills. In GCW I'm hoping to emphasize those skills more as this year progresses. Either way, I feel that NC-17 demonstrates how the e-fed can remain relevant at a time when our community is going through a period of progression. GCW is going to have an amazing year in 2008, and I hope that even those of you who are losing interest in e-fedding will check it out... and perhaps join us, because it would be impossible not to have your juices flow again while working with the people on that roster.

That's about all I've got for now, but keep checking in. When I get news stories from around the community I'll fill you all in. In the meantime, thanks for reading this blog, GCW, and everything written by any community member. Let's stop worrying about the logistics of PTC and just focus on trying to keep the group of people that make it up together. We don't all have to be pursuing the same goals to work together and appreciate what we're producing. What a writer wants more than anything else is a reader, and in PTC we have a group of people willing to support everyone in their common goals. I'm done trying to force the issue; let's just reduce our goals to having fun in whatever capacity we desire and go from there.