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:
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.
Each action results in an equal and opposite reaction.
Our paths are chosen by us, as are the destination.
Everything that we are, everything happens to us, is because of the choices we make along the way.
Try to kill yourself at home when the only people who are there are your kids, expect to have them taken away.
Pretty simple, isn’t it? When you make a choice, you have to expect repercussions of that choice somewhere down the line. Whether they are good or bad, is purely based on the choice you make. Lets look at an example.
Example 1 (the good): You truly love someone, and they want to spend their life with you. So, when you tell them you love them, they smile.
Cause -> Effect. The cause is the words you say to them, the effect is the most beautiful sight you have ever seen.
Example 2 (the bad): You take a bunch of pills then drink some alcohol, and leave a suicide note sitting next to you while your kids are sleeping upstairs. This results in you being put into a hospital and your kids taken away.
Again… Cause -> Effect. The cause is being a selfish child not thinking of your kids while you try to kill yourself, and the effect is loosing the only people who would have loved you unconditionally if you had only never tried to abandon them.
Not too difficult to wrap ones head around, is it? So why then, do some people still choose to blame the rest of the World for the way their own life is turning out? Especially people who are thousands of miles away at the time? Is there some sort of hidden message that the rest of us aren’t receiving?
Victim complex is a serious issue. Go ahead and Google it, it’ll actually have results. Some people are insistent that they can do no wrong, and every screw-up in their life is the not the result of their choices or actions, but of everyone Else’s. Those people need to grab a clue. Your life is the way it is because of YOU, not because of us. Daddy didn’t pour the booze down your throat and make you an alcoholic behind the wheel. You not getting hugged by your mother as a child didn’t turn you into a child molester. The fact that your dad hit your mom when you were a kid does not give you any excuse to hit your wife or girlfriend when your upset (or anyone, for that matter). And sorry, but that ex-boyfriend/husband/whatever didn’t pop the top off that bottle of pills and hold a gun to your head while you ate them.
When it comes time to make choices, where is the difficulty in simply reviewing the potential results of those choices? How long would it have taken someone to consider the fact that if they tried to off themselves while their kids slept, that possibly if they failed in the attempt, the kids might be taken away from them? That’s not even hard to fathom… it’s basic logic (which obviously escapes some more than others).
Its time that some people stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility for their own actions. And the first step in that is to stop blaming the World because you proverbially fucked up (or who knows, maybe not proverbially…. I could care less what you do in your personal time). Are you a closet case of victim complex? How often do you blame others when your own life goes to shit? Accept responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them. You learn SFA if you don’t admit they were your screw-ups in the first place.
This is my angry post. Feel free to file it under “rant” and not bother reading it again… it might not even survive the week. But damn, blogs are a great venting point, aren’t they?
Drama. What is the deal exactly with some people going to such extremes just as a cry for extra attention? I spent 7 years living a very dramatic life… the person I was with was overly emotional, attention hungry, and overall just not quite all there. Harsh? Perhaps, but if you knew what I know about the person, you’d understand.
My relationship with that person did not end well. She had cheated on me several times (two of which are confirmable, but likely there were others), and with what she put me through, I don’t think it’s possible to dislike someone any more (I know of at least one person who can relate to that, and he remains active on my myspace blog, so he’ll probably check this one sooner or later anyway… so HIYA!!). I left with pretty much nothing… I had been emotionally broken down and most of my possessions were “claimed”… even objects that were never hers to begin with… things I have had since I was a teenager, and pictures of my now dead grandfather. All things that suddenly were no longer mine. I was lost, and damaged. Then someone found me, and fixed me (you can read about her all over this place).
Today, I came home from work to a message waiting for me on Messenger. This woman who cheated on me, used me, lied to me, and took advantage of me for years decided it was time for an attention grab. Mind you, she wasn’t targeting me this time… no, she was targeting the guy she was cheating on me with (whom she continued a relationship with after I left). As the story goes, she took a number of pills and mixed them with some alcohol, after writing a letter. See where this is going?
I don’t know where she is. Honestly, I don’t care. Likely some hospital somewhere, possibly even one with nice white jackets and padded rooms. Again, harsh, but whatever. After so long, it’s easy to stop caring about someone who chooses to self-destruct continuously without actually accepting help from anyone. I know that my children, as well as her son from a previous marriage, are looked after. That is what counts… obviously, it’s not something she took into consideration at the time. I am only left in awe of how far someone will go just to get the attention of someone else… after speaking with a few people this evening, it comes out that she had broken up with “the guy” shortly before taking the pills. She did this to her first husband (prior to their marriage), trying to kill herself to get his attention. She told me just before our relationship ended that she had considered suicide… I even found the letter she wrote.
Seriously. Is the only way to get someone’s attention to do something extreme (and in this case, extremely stupid)? What ever happened to “Hey, we need to talk”? This was ultimately the reason my relationship with her failed, and why I am so happy where I am now. I no longer have to put up with “do as I say or I’ll try to kill myself”. I suppose it all comes down to maturity. Yes, there are days when I wonder if I’m really loved as much as I originally thought I was, or how important I really am to people… but I don’t see killing myself (or attempting) as being a very productive way of solving the problem. Communication means a lot, and so does spending time just thinking. Hell, thinking about it is what leads me to discover that most of my insecurities are inside my own head, and are only there because of how I was treated in the past… my mind is clouded by that, and makes it hard sometimes to see how I am really treated now. Doesn’t justify trying to kill myself over. Just takes logic and effort to see through it.
Anyway, not sure where I was going with all this… I suppose I just wanted to vent, and didn’t want to annoy or bother Tami with stupid things. I know that this is probably the most insensitive thing any of you have ever seen me type or say, but sometimes stupid acts don’t need to be buried or sugar-coated to make the person seem a victim of their own choices in life. To my 2 or 3 readers, take a minute to tell someone that you care. It won’t kill you, and I doubt it would kill them… unless they’re mentally unbalanced and try to pop some pills or something, in which case, well… whatever. I hear they make those jackets in all sizes, and yes, the sleeves are SUPPOSED to be too long. Otherwise, where would the challenge have been for Houdini?
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.
So vancouver was nixed to be a host city? You’re kidding! They really did do a lot of damage. That just pisses me off! Hopefully you guys can get their attention again soon.
