So, how much do you know about the people you send your money to? I thought that we knew the producers of The ELANS Awards (formerly The Elan Awards) well enough to trust them to their word.
Wow, was I mistaken. From having to wait for months to get a payment, to lies about the delays, to cancelled meetings at the last minute, to actual insulting emails and threats being sent to us because we do not and have never provided the service they are suddenly demanding from us. Well, I’m sorry to the producers, but I’m not a psychiatrist, so I can’t help you with your problems, any more than I can provide free website management to you, all because you think you’re more important than the rest of the planet.
I had not heard of a boiler room until recently. It’s enlightening that my first experience with the term was when someone else in the local Industry sent me a link to The ELANS own Jack Weatherell being found guilty of operating a Boiler room by the BC Securities Commission, and charged $25,000 ($33,219 total, after including legal fees) in 2000 (links further down). Is this someone we want to be associated with? I am left wondering how much of their thousands and thousands of dollars in sponsorship money is actually being invested into the show, and how much is being skimmed off the top by the producers. It supports that theory when hearing from some of the people involved in last year’s show, who have pointed out that some are still owed money. Let’s not forget the day of the show, when we were told by the Center that we could not even enter the venue to set up for the show, because the Producers had not yet even paid for it’s usage. And, while at a recent networking event in Vancouver (one of many that we attend, as we are friends with most of the people there), we took some time to chat with a friend at another company, only to be notified by Holly later that we had no right to speak with him and that we are not to do so again. That one really bothered me… that they feel that because they pay us for webspace and bandwidth, they also have the right to dictate who we can talk to, and what we can talk about. Sorry your highness, but you do not own us, and we will associate with whomever we so choose… which is likely not going to be either of you.
I sympathize with those whose email addresses were farmed by these two, and added to a non-opt-in emailing list. I apologize especially to Andy Dunn (zman), whose name and address was farmed from linkedin, resulting in spammage from Holly and Jack, and his having to “lock down” his profile on there, potentially blocking out possible legitimate contacts (see below for the link).
To be warned in advance to not work with these two people is one thing, but we made a choice not to listen to those warnings, and now we are stuck with the headache of having these leeches attached to our company. I can only feel relief that all they screwed us out of was $150 contract payment, and our time maintaining a site that they either could not figure out for themselves, or could not be bothered to take the time and learn (yes, we offered on several occasions to show them how to manage their site, only to have them cancel at the last minute every time, yet constantly send us “updates” that they demanded be posted right away… something they could have done for themselves, but decided that it should be a service we provide to them, even though it was never a part of the agreement).
The truth of the matter, plain and simple… these two are scam artists to the core, sucking whatever they can from those who mistakenly get close enough, then throwing them to the side once they are done with them. Jack’s history with the Securities Commission is warning light number one to avoid them… if he was so quick to take thousands and thousands of dollars from innocent people then, how is what he is doing now any different? Simple answer, it’s not. It’s truly a reality check when people you thought that you could trust turn out to be nothing more than manipulative liars. I don’t want anyone else to find out about Jack and Holly the same way we have. Take this advice, do your research, and draw your own conclusions. But let me tell you, it doesn’t take $250 to send a game to 5 people… especially when you have to supply them with a copy of the game in advance. Where is all of this money going, if not to actually pay the people they owe it to for their show? Once you factor in that they also are charging an additional $250 just for a ticket to the show… well, the math doesn’t add up (what one person would go through 350 dollars in seafood and champagne, just to find out if they won a $100 pewter trophy?). Lets not even begin to mention (okay, let’s) the fact that in order to submit your game for “nomination” (seems more like having to buy your way into the awards), you MUST send the producers 7 copies of the game for each category you buy into, so that they can be sent to the 5 judges. Wait a minute, there’s that math again. Where do the other 2 copies go? And do the nominators get their games back when it’s all done? So, lets work some numbers. $250 to enter, plus lets say $45 per game (oh, how I wish new games only cost $45) times the 7 copies you must provide. So right now, we’re at 565 just to enter into a category. Want to watch your game win? That’ll cost you an additional $350… that’s right people, the right to attend the show you just sent your 7 games to in hopes of winning a pewter statue is going to cost you another $350. So, we’re now up to $915 just to win an award. They call this an appreciation towards the gaming industry. To me, it looks more like a financial raping. I haven’t even bothered to factor in the hundreds or thousands of dollars that would have to be spent on airfare/travel fees and hotel rooms, for those who don’t have the convenience of living in the host city of Vancouver.
I wish I could tell the World what these two people have to say about those who do NOT “donate” thousands of dollars to buy a sponsorship package… if only there was a way to do so without revealing sources.
And here’s some great reading on Jack’s history with stealing money from people (Anyone who talks with Jack Weatherell, ask him to explain Tech Investments Inc, and who Ross Kain and Rodney Degroot are):
The above links simply show that Jack Weatherell doesn’t care about the people he works with… he only cares about the money they have, and what he has to do in order to get to it from them, even if that risks leaving them with nothing. A true user and manipulator.
So what do I want? I’ve certainly given up on the money they agreed to pay, especially after sending us an NSF cheque, then telling us that we should be happy to have even gotten that (provided a picture for your viewing pleasure, just to show that they were happy enough with the product to send a cheque, but for some reason the thousands that they are bringing in for submissions and sponsorships just doesn’t seem to stay in their account long enough to cover the expenses they are ringing up). Do I want them off our servers? Yes, but they made the choice to pay for the full year (albeit at a VERY discounted rate, and 4 months late), so I will continue to give them the service that they pay for. What I really want, is for the rest of the World to know just who Jack Weatherell and Holly Carinci really are. I hope that soon, they all do… before it ends up costing them thousands of dollars, lost to 2 people well on their way to becoming among Vancouver’s worst scam-artists. In the unstable economy of today, people’s money should go towards legitimate purposes, and not have to be invested in buying your own award when you fully deserve to be given one (its called an award for a reason, after all).
I wonder how much the SpikeTV Video Game Awards cost to enter…? Or The Grammys. Or The Junos. Or The Oscars. The list goes on, but I imagine the result is the same… no matter what you invest into entering, you at least come out with something much better than these two are providing.
Recently, there was a video game tournament held in Vancouver called Vanlan. The ELANS reminds me more and more of that tournament every time I think about it. Even the people that run both events are the same. Take the money and run.
I know that our other customers have not seen what Jack most recently said to us in regards to them, but just the same I apologize for his statements. If it ever comes down to it, you all will of course come first, and he can take his illegal stock selling, email spamming, and bad attitude and find another host who will provide him with the space, bandwidth, and 4000+ outgoing messages per email spam blitz and find another host to take for a ride.
And, for your viewing pleasure, I give you my $150 custom coding payment:
I guess its that time of year again… time to reflect. What I’ve learned, what I *should* have learned, and what I thought I learned yet apparently didn’t.
Lets start with the basics, shall we? Snow sucks. It sucked when I was growing up, it still sucks now. It’s cold, it’s wet, and it fucks things up when you have to work in it. On a plus note though, it does create it’s own work, as I’d probably be bored as fuck at work if not for all the snow removal we get to go through now.
Next up, agreeing to projects without payment in advance. Yeah, I thought I had learned about that earlier in the year, when we had to wait from July 10th (when a price was agreed to) until November 7th (when we actually got paid, after months of “its on it’s way” “its in the mail” “We’ll get it to you tomorrow”) for our last payment, but stupidly I agreed to take on a smaller project from the same people (within days of our company finally being paid) at an agreed to price of $150. This was November 4th. I kept my end of the deal, and delivered to them what was requested. Did I get paid? Not yet, I haven’t. Same excuses as we got before, of course… except for an added bonus. They actually sent me a cheque just before Christmas for the full ammount. And the funny, it bounced worse than a rubber ball. That led to me getting fed the line “We’ll have it to you by Christmas, promise”. Uh huh. You may have noticed that Christmas has come and gone, and I just recently got another email saying that it’ll be in my bank account tomorrow. Funny how I get replies to my money requests ONLY when they have problems with their email. Now, I’m not going to name names here, because that would just be cruel, but I will point out that these people are supposed to be running a “Major” awards show… something that will obviously cost into the tens of thousands… yet they won’t pay their own bills for months at a time? There have been rumours that last years show hasn’t even been fully paid off yet… so I wonder where the sponsor fees are going this year? Again, not gonna name names… of course, it wouldn’t be OVERLY difficult to track down who it is, if you are so interested. To summerize… if you have no intention of actually paying someone for work when you say you are going to, don’t waste that person’s time. Especially if that person has control of a series of buttons that can do terribly nasty things to your website and email hosting. You know, just as a suggestion.
Something else I learned… well, I kind of already knew it, but it’s most definately been confirmed without any shadow of a doubt. UK Rock Bands are awesome. Those of you who have not yet checked out Mendella (who played at our annual Gaming LAN Tournament in August), WHY HAVEN’T YOU??? Tom, Jay, Toby, Sam, Lewis, Luke, Dave (Dad), and Jo (Mom) are absolutely amazing people, and it was an honour and priviledge to host their visit to BC in August… I can not wait to work with them again, or even just visit with them.They’re playing a New Years eve show in Barnstaple UK, so if you are anywhere near there, you better damn well go to the show!
And more. SIGGRAPH rocks.The Vancouver Chapter recently hosted a charity event… all proceeds went towards the food bank. The actual event featured a World Premiere screening of “The Tale Of Despereaux”, over a full week before it was actually shown in theatres. Now, how cool is that? You can read Tami’s review of it atVillage Gamer (yeah, that’s right, I’m lazy… she’s so good at writing, that I could never top it anyway). I’ve been a member of SIGGRAPH for a while, and their events always amaze me, be it the films they show, the speakers they bring in, or just the way they support the industry as a whole. The gaming and movie industry in Vancouver is huge, and SIGGRAPH is always managing to bring in the big names to dazzle us.
Whuzzis? You’re still here? Wow… you must be bored. Anyway, that’s a pretty quick summery of some of the things I learned through 2008… at least half of which I hope to carry on through 2009. I’m certain that there were many more things that I “learned”, but they were likely so common that everyone else in the World already knew it, and I was just slow to figuring it out. So, now that you’ve made it to the end of this little clip, I can feel good knowing that I actually added some content to this graveyard, and can go downstairs to get a drink.
So, I was going to do my annual post last night, but could not seem to concentrate enough to get it done.
Here it is.
Remembrance Day. What does it mean? In simple terms, it’s the chance to say thank you to all those who have helped to make this Country, and even the entire World, a little safer. Many thousands of Canadians have given their lives, just to make sure that we have the right to spend one minute out of our entire year just to say “thank you for your sacrifice”. One little minute doesn’t seem like much, when you compare it to the number of people you are honouring with it, does it? I didn’t think so… unfortunately, a customer I had today didn’t think the same thing.
As the planes flew over head, circling from one Royal Canadian Legion to the next, trying to be near them all when that moment came, I was with a customer at work. Yes, our store does not close for Remembrance Day, even if some of us truly wanted to attend the ceremony at our local Legion. Anyway, 11 AM came around, the radio fell silent, and I shut off my forklift and sat in silence. Less than half a minute later, the customer is asking me why I have stopped. I pointed out that it is 11 o’clock on Remembrance Day, and I am giving my moment of silence. This customer actually scoffed at me. Mind you, he did let me finish the moment… but to even interrupt it, when it’s obvious what I am doing (the same thing as tens of thousands across our Country) was insulting to me. I won’t bother to highlight his apparent nationality, due to the risk of being accused of racial profiling… but just the same, I was deeply disturbed by this brief encounter.
Perhaps it was just a case of bad timing, or maybe he was not aware of what time it actually was… maybe I have taken for granted the knowledge and respect I was raised with. Or maybe this customer just thought that his time is worth more than THEIRS was.
To those who serve, have served, or have family or friends who do or have ever served… thank you.
Amongst the chaos of the past few weeks, we (Tami and I) were given a chance this week to escape for a few hours as we travelled South to Seattle to attend Penny Arcade Expo 2008 (henceforth to be referred to as PAX, because my typing sucks and 3 letters is harder to screw up than 19).
My overall impressions on PAX this year was somewhat of a letdown. Having attended last years event, where the panels included discussions on Penny Arcade’s debut game (which was set to come out on xBox Live) held by Hothead Games, a discussion on the History Of Guild Wars, The Future Of MMOs (which covered a lot of what Guild Wars 2 would be about), and ArenaNet Culture And Origins, I was left with a feeling that something good had happened… I had learned a lot about the gaming industry, and felt confident in it’s future.
This year… where do I start? The PAX staff were, for the most part, a letdown. While some managed to remain civil and polite (even funny in a few cases), the bad seeds ruined the entire event for me. Some of them were rude, obnoxious, and in one case, an outright bitch. “Line up here! No, you can’t line up here, you’re blocking the lane… line up there! NO! DON’T LINE UP WHERE I JUST TOLD YOU TO LINE UP, THERE ARE PEOPLE WALKING NEAR BY! GO THERE INSTEAD!!” Not to mention getting pissed at attendees for, gods forbid, sitting on the beanbag chairs where the staff had put them, only to be told that you can’t sit there, you need to move somewhere else. Hmm… it was fine last year, and I don’t really know why someone coming down an escalator would need a full 40 feet of lane space in order to be herded down the next escalator (there was actually a woman at the event who’s job was to yell at people that the down escalator was the only way down, so that was where you had to go… you know, unless you wanted to attend a panel, or get in line, or go to the OTHER down escalator on the other side of the center…). The general feeling of the panel discussions was that I was being herded like a sheep to slaughter. We had to go and sit exactly where we were told to, no exceptions… if your husband, wife, or partner was in front of you and got told to sit at the end of a chair lane, tough luck for you sitting with them… you’re in the lane behind them now, at the far end of the lane. Argue or question? Get kicked out of the panel discussion. Even the ArenaNet staff were rolling their eyes at the “Enforcers”.
The panel discussions themselves, as well as the booth occupiers, were the only saving grace for this years event. Even some of the people were a prime example of what is wrong with the World (although that is to be expected… rude staff is unacceptable). Attending the panel discussion “Female Gamer Community” this year with Tami, I found myself disgusted with what I was exposed to. Hold on, don’t read into that wrong. I am one of those types that supports girls in gaming, and believes that yep, they are quite capable of kicking the ass of anyone else that faces them in-game, irregardless of gender. What disgusted me was not what was being said on stage or in the general audience… it was what was being said at the back of the group by a few guys who felt it necessary to fall into a typical chauvinistic elitist asshole stereotype… commenting on who in the panel was, and was not “hot”, among other comments best left unpublished. Apparently there are even some on the PAX discussion forum commenting on how they had to get away from the panel quickly, lest they loose their testicles. Idiots like that are a good enough reason for me to not want to visit that community, thanks. I would think those guys would be more concerned with getting their asses kicked repeatedly in-game by these girls, since that is the threat they face. In regards to the actual Panel Discussion, I think I’ll leave Tami to write about that on her site… I unfortunately came into the discussion 15 minutes late due to my need for Tylenol and food).
The Guild Wars panel was umm… short. It was 90% a question/answer session, and didn’t touch GW2 very much due to the “secrecy” they are now operating under. While I focused on what was being said by the Panel, Tami was unfortunately forced to listen to some guy sitting on the sidelines (apparently another wonderfully trained Monkey brought on to be PAX staff) openly commenting on the responses and criticizing the panel as well as how they spoke. Nothing better to do with his time, other than bang on that keyboard hoping for Shakespeare, I guess. Chris (the Marketing Head) mentioned that they have entered into a 3 book deal for Guild Wars, which is set to focus firstly on what takes place immediately after GW1 (basically, the books are meant to fill the void of 250 years between GW1 and GW2). We got to hear a bit about the original concept art for GW (yep, every single thing we see in Guild Wars is started off as concept art), and how ArenaNet supports in-game Guild-hosted events and actually does follow them.
Wandering the floor, I was absolutely blown away by 1 game at the NCSoft booth. This game was phenomenal. Much like Guild Wars in the concept sense (although one of the staff did point out that this game is more story-driven than quest-driven), the graphics were amazing. Initial features of the game that jumped out was, of course, the graphics, but also the ability to customize your character completely. Every single facial and body detail was editable, allowing for you to finally create a full physical avatar of yourself for in game. Now, I must simply wait for release… which can’t happen until they decide HOW they plan to release it, and what sort of subscription system they plan to use, if any. So yeah, the game is amazing, but it could be a long time before we get to actually see it. What’s it called? Aion. Watch for it.
Overall, if not for the PAX staff and long lines for little fulfillment, PAX 2008 could count as a decent event. Unfortunately, those two things really ruined it for me.
And besides, why hold a panel discussion for Hothead Games (the developers of the Penny Arcade video game) 2 hours after all the exhibit booths have closed up and people have been told to get out? Where’s the logic in that?
I started this post by saying we were given the chance to escape. Unfortunately, the only escape we got on this trip was when we got out of Washington and back into our own Country.
On a side-note, I finally started to process some of the video that was shot while the Mendella crew were here visiting… with that, I give you a small sample… Mendella Invades the 2008 Abbotsford International Airshow.
UK Rock Sensation Mendella was given a taste of home yesterday, while playing a free concert to anyone choosing to seek shelter under the big blue tarp at the Aldergrove Band Shelter, next to the Museum. Even the pouring rain and threats of lightning could not keep these rockers off the stage and away from the people listening in, and only those who dared to venture out beyond the reaches of the makeshift shelter felt the fury of the weather falling upon them.
What started off as a wet morning turned rather suddenly into an outright downpour. But, thanks to some quick thinking and creativity of the sound and tech crew (Curtis and Ryan from Sonic Voodoo Productions), promoter and owner of VillageGamer Tami, and “space occupier and video camera person” Scott, a very large tarp was strung out over the field, giving the feeling of watching a concert inside a circus tent. Thus it was born, “Under The Tarp Productions: Always A Unique Show”. While the wind battered at our defenses of black poly from the sides and rear of the stage, the rain tried to bring down our shelter. Still the band played on, and in moments of true creativity, even added it into the act. Lead singer Tom “Butters” occasionally changing around lyrics of their songs to reference “the rain keeps coming down” (and down and down), while “set design and emergency water management” Scott (that’s me, people) scrambled to pop various small holes in the tarp to drain the growing lake forming overhead in the low points of the shelter. Drummer Toby Parker was even supplied some “backup beats” from the thunder in the distance, which simply added to the effect of “Rain or shine, we come to rock your (soaking wet) socks off!”.
All in all, a great time was had by all under the tarp, and the band, while braving the weather during the “breakdown” of the set and packing of the gear, had nothing by wonderful things to say about our lovely province and it’s people… although I think there may have been some mumbling in the background about how the rain finally let up for a few minutes during the very last song, only to start again once the packing started.
I think that it is a very safe bet to say that these boys are destined for super-stardom… and they are well on their way. Thank you Mendella for showing Aldergrove a great time, and we will all be watching for you in the record stores next year. Enjoy the remainder of your stay in Beautiful Sunny British Columbia, and we hope to see you here again real soon.
* NOTE * Mendella will be playing another show in Vancouver, on Wednesday August 13th at the Roxy (932 Granville St). They are set to take the Stage at 8:30 PM, so come out and show your support for this amazing band.
Mendella is: (Bass and Supporting Vocals) Jude Davies (Rhythm Guitar) Green Jay (Vocals) Butters (Lead Guitar) Chappell (Drums) Toby Parker (Tech) Luke Matthews
You can (and SHOULD) check out their music and profile on MYSPACE
It was an honour to work with this band, as well as with Dave and Jo while they were here in BC, and I look forward to the time when I can work with them again. Enjoy the ride to the top, boys… you’ve earned it.
Wow, glad i saw this on here. i was curious to see if i was the only one scammed.
They used and abused me thought college to develop some marketing and revamping there website. Pressured me and “rewarding” me with the opportunity to work for them. Biggest regret of my career. No promised payments or tickets to the show that they stated. So many hours and putting my education in jeopardy.
I made a mistake and didnt have the guts back then, my fault for thinking this would open up doors for me.
Thanks Holly for ignoring me after you got everything you needed.
As your most faithful commenter, I must make my existence known with a post. Yes, you have been keeping your fans in the dark, I daresay. Would be nice to hear from you a bit more often, but hey, I’m not one to speak, as I don’t have the motivation to even start a blog, let alone keep it going.
I think I heard the Olympics were happening in Vancouver, but I didn’t care enough about them to actually check it out. The world is full of idiots, and when a smart person sends the idiots on a mission, you get crap like this. Well, this or the crusades… I think you might be better off with protests.
Finally, congratulations on hitting 32 years of life. I think you are no longer entitled to laugh at Shadow for his age. Happy belated birthday! =)
I concur. The ELANS Awards is nothing more than another glorified Pyramid Scheme by the vampiric scoundrels Holy Carinci and Jack Weatherell . Shame on you Jack and Holy for hiding behind the Video Game Industry and working your secret deals and using the credentials of good people and companies to work your schemes. Get out of town. V is coming for you!
[...] The Elans Awards, a scam awards show founded originally by Holly Carinci and Jack Weatherell, that Vancouver was subjected to for the past 3 years, decided that it was done with Vancouver (and Canada) and moved off to San Diego. Good riddance as far as I’m (and many others are) concerned. She is more than free to take her scamshow and go home. We have dealt with Holly and her antics for some time now (much of it is available here on the site, and more yet will likely be made available soon), and the best thing that can happen to Vancouver and it’s Studios is for The Elans Awards to move as far away as possible, and never come back. The antics of the producer (and her former “partner”) have polluted the industry for years… from bounced cheques, scamming webhosts and site designers, using show funding (provided by local businesses for the purpose of actually helping pay for a show) to pay for their own vices (bikes and partying come to mind), to general lying and badmouthing of companies in the Country that have worked hard to be where they are, only to be slandered for not jumping through hoops for the producers on a whim and bottle of wine. The very idea that she has decided to move the show to another city in a different country shows that she has tapped the resources of this one dry, burning every bridge she has crossed along the way. I sympathize to all the companies that are going to get tied up in this down in the States, but I congratulate Vancouver for managing to survive the worst thing to come to the industry in our Great City. Better things are definitely coming… and none of them will have the name “The Elans” attached to them. Do I sound resentful of this farce of an awards show? You’re damn right I do. I refuse to stand and support any group or event that is only out there to rape the industry in hopes of making a quick buck off the hard work of others. To make a claim of being the elite in gaming awards shows is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to steal hard-earned money from game companies… many of which are struggling right now as it is… all so they can try to win a cheap pewter statue worth less than they had to pay out in order to be “nominated”… all the while stomping on the backs of those with talent and skill to recognize, all because they couldn’t afford to pay the entry fees (and then badmouthing those people behind their backs, calling them cheap and unprofessional). The Spike Awards takes the time to notice what the industry has to provide, and recognizes them for it yearly. Why support a second-rate awards show created by the same people who were busted for illegal trading and fined over $80,000, when you can support a real professional awards show like the one put on by Spike TV? The Spike Awards is everything that The Elans wishes it could be but fails at, as well as everything that The Elans claims to be but lies about. [...]
I hope WCG Wordwide ends up in Vancouver next year; it would be an awesome experience. Maybe I’ll even have some of that money stuff people keep talking about and be able to show up. Hopefully they can see past the ELANS, amazing they’re still up and running for another year after everything that’s happened.
Get the garage done, I bet if you put a little cupboard and a fridge in there you would only see Mike maybe once a week when one of them was empty. :p Though as I’ve been finding out, finding a place for everything isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds.
