Post by whetherskipper on Sept 2, 2010 23:33:07 GMT -5
Most of you will not like this post (cue Dannerzz). But it needs to be said, because before we sympathize with Dan and give him excuse upon excuse, be honest: this is what we're all thinking.
I am extremely disappointed in Dan 3.0 so far. I was super excited for the project - putting his life in the hands of his viewers? incredible! - and the way it was first introduced raised my expectations. Dan, I thought this project was supposed to be inspirational. It was supposed to be about stepping outside your comfort zone, learning about yourself, growing within the community, and taking advantage of the time and resources available to you. I thought it was about exposing yourself to experiences you might not have pursued on your own and turning that challenge into something beautiful. It was supposed to open our eyes to the possibilities that life offers us if only we choose to see the opportunity in every decision, lifestyle, and situation.
Unfortunately, none of this has happened. Forget for a moment (if you can) Dan's decisions not to finish or even do tasks. What was supposed to be posting videos every day became every weekday, which became MWF, and finally became...when he feels like it. Ask yourself the very simple question: is there even an unbiased method by which tasks reach the to-do list, or is it based on Dan's preferences? This is not putting his life in the hands of his viewers. It's making his decisions based on the input of his viewers, which is no different than before the project began.
I'm sure he didn't mean for it to turn out this way. Most likely he, like us, was super excited and blinded by his wishful thinking, unable to anticipate the long hours of planning or editing before him. So the first month of Dan 3.0 has become an extremely stressful preparation month that, let's face it, has been pretty disappointing. But what's happened has happened, and all we can do is step forward. So hey Dan, if you're reading this, don't be too down on yourself. Accept responsibility that this project just isn't turning out the way you planned. But you have the power to make it better. You're already (hopefully) taking steps to do so: hiring an editor, putting together a task calendar, and experimenting with the easiest way to deal with the stresses involved with the project.
All I ask is that you take a step back and honestly ask yourself if you're ready for a project like this. I for one would not blame you if you aren't - if you're easily stressed out, why volunteer for a stressful project? Stepping down is a better option than disappointing your followers further. But if you are willing to continue trying to make this project work, please don't make and break promises. If you say you're going to post a video, do it. If you say you're going to let your viewers make decisions for you, let them! It's all or nothing, and this half-assed, whiny bullshit is getting on our nerves. You're getting paid to take walks, to write songs with Hank Green, to fly to visit your girlfriend! I know it's hard to hear, but any one of us would be overjoyed by the opportunity to do any one of those things, and all you can do is complain about how stressful it all is. I get that it's not all about doing fun tasks and there's a lot of planning and editing and worrying - but let's face it, that's a small price to pay for so much awesome, and it's frustrating to see this project fail where it has so much potential to succeed.
And hey Dan, if you need some help? Just ask. You have thousands upon thousands of viewers who are interested in you and your life and I'm sure any one of us (myself included) would be happy to lend a hand if you tell us where you need it.
I am extremely disappointed in Dan 3.0 so far. I was super excited for the project - putting his life in the hands of his viewers? incredible! - and the way it was first introduced raised my expectations. Dan, I thought this project was supposed to be inspirational. It was supposed to be about stepping outside your comfort zone, learning about yourself, growing within the community, and taking advantage of the time and resources available to you. I thought it was about exposing yourself to experiences you might not have pursued on your own and turning that challenge into something beautiful. It was supposed to open our eyes to the possibilities that life offers us if only we choose to see the opportunity in every decision, lifestyle, and situation.
Unfortunately, none of this has happened. Forget for a moment (if you can) Dan's decisions not to finish or even do tasks. What was supposed to be posting videos every day became every weekday, which became MWF, and finally became...when he feels like it. Ask yourself the very simple question: is there even an unbiased method by which tasks reach the to-do list, or is it based on Dan's preferences? This is not putting his life in the hands of his viewers. It's making his decisions based on the input of his viewers, which is no different than before the project began.
I'm sure he didn't mean for it to turn out this way. Most likely he, like us, was super excited and blinded by his wishful thinking, unable to anticipate the long hours of planning or editing before him. So the first month of Dan 3.0 has become an extremely stressful preparation month that, let's face it, has been pretty disappointing. But what's happened has happened, and all we can do is step forward. So hey Dan, if you're reading this, don't be too down on yourself. Accept responsibility that this project just isn't turning out the way you planned. But you have the power to make it better. You're already (hopefully) taking steps to do so: hiring an editor, putting together a task calendar, and experimenting with the easiest way to deal with the stresses involved with the project.
All I ask is that you take a step back and honestly ask yourself if you're ready for a project like this. I for one would not blame you if you aren't - if you're easily stressed out, why volunteer for a stressful project? Stepping down is a better option than disappointing your followers further. But if you are willing to continue trying to make this project work, please don't make and break promises. If you say you're going to post a video, do it. If you say you're going to let your viewers make decisions for you, let them! It's all or nothing, and this half-assed, whiny bullshit is getting on our nerves. You're getting paid to take walks, to write songs with Hank Green, to fly to visit your girlfriend! I know it's hard to hear, but any one of us would be overjoyed by the opportunity to do any one of those things, and all you can do is complain about how stressful it all is. I get that it's not all about doing fun tasks and there's a lot of planning and editing and worrying - but let's face it, that's a small price to pay for so much awesome, and it's frustrating to see this project fail where it has so much potential to succeed.
And hey Dan, if you need some help? Just ask. You have thousands upon thousands of viewers who are interested in you and your life and I'm sure any one of us (myself included) would be happy to lend a hand if you tell us where you need it.