Monday, May 5, 2008

Letter of Resignation to Support for Healing

Dear folks,

I have given this whole matter a great deal of thought. To write these words hurts deeply, and to actually need to write them hurts even more.

The fact is, Zafu Diamond has stopped communicating with the management team. In fact, except for Industria Dowler who has been landed with the unenviable task of trying to hold things together, I haven't heard from ANY of the other management team members in a while. Despite Twickle Rosebud's recent notice, there is no evidence that the island will continue beyond the end of June, especially given that there is no way for Zafu to collect donations directly to keep the island going.

As anyone who has been monitoring Jira Ticket MISC-1154 is aware, the island tier has to be paid by the account holder only, Linden Labs won't talk to anyone else about it. This means that we're stuck in a perpetual cycle of sending money to a paypal address apparently owned by Zafu without any feedback, and just hoping that the money will eventually receive LL on time. In addition, since the closure of supportforhealing.com this address is apparently a private one and it is NOT paypal verified.

I am sure other members would feel very upset if they sent donations only to find the island vanished anyway. They would most likely want their money back, and I wouldn't blame them for that, which leaves poor Industria Dowler stuck in the middle, as the in-world person who collects the money she is likely to be crtiticised by angry members wanting their money back, but if she's already sent it to Zafu she won't have the money to refund.

This is not the way to run a support island, and my patience is finally at an end.

I therefore am left with no option but to resign my positions at Supportforhealing, effective immediately.

I shall be shutting down the vendors, removing my prims from the island and cleaning up. This unfortunately will mean the upcoming events sign, the fundraising vendors and the teleporters will shortly vanish. I apologise for this, but do not feel that I can continue without some solid evidence that the founder is behind us.

Also effective immediately, Listening Ear will no longer operate from the island. I have my own land now, and it will operate from there. IM me if you need further details on this.

Very shortly, a new website - supportforhealing.org - will become available, on which forums and other details will hopefully be posted.

Blessings to you all, and thank you for the friendships and contacts I have had over the period I've been at Support for Healing.

Untameable Wildcat
5 May 2008

1 comment:

Aki Shichiroji said...

I'm sorry to hear this :(

I had to leave the SFH group a while ago due to the max group limit and have not had the time to rejoin since. As such, I was unaware things had continued to degenerate to this level.

While I was never able to discuss my own problems, listening and being involved in providing advice to others helped give me a perspective about my own situation. It's distressing to hear that support like this is endangered because the original owner of the sim can no longer be contacted.

While I don't disparage the SFH team in any way, perhaps it is for the best that these services be moved to a different venue that can be managed easier and with less expense.

In any case, I know you've mentioned having some land to continue from. I've got some extra tier I'd be willing to donate for a concerted effort towards providing the same level of support that SFH was intended provided to its members if needed. It's not a lot, but I would be willing to share it.