Where's the Love for Russ?

[PeePantz]

As most know (actually, I'm sure most don't), Russ Pitts has departed from the Escapist. This is huge news here. Huge. Compared to something larger (I get that it's a small community and that the Escapist doesn't help shape the world), it'd be like a president or prime minister stepping down. Despite this, there hasn't been an uproar or a bunch of threads about this. All we know is that he will take time off and pursue other ventures. Oh, and welcome new head man, Steve Butts.

Russ Pitts had brought this site to the top of the mountain and went out with a small peep. Hell, his announcement is buried below huge ads and more "important stories" like sexy Mass Effect statues. I'd expect there to be a huge deal with the story dominating the top of the site, accompanied by thank you letters and reflection stories.

I feel like this is being buried and I really would like to know why, and what led to his departure.

Thoughts, fellow Escapists?

 

[Blunderboy]

Yeah, where is the love for me?
Oh Russ Pitts? Yeah I'm sorry to see him go, I've been lurking here for ages, but if he feels it's time to move on, good luck to him.
Also, Steve Butts is a funny name.
Yes I'm a child.

 

[MercurySteam]

Wait a second. Russ left? Why am I always the last to know?!

Well will truely miss you Mr. Pits, thank you for all your contributions.

 

[T8B95]

Right now it's the third highest commented news (at least according to the little box at the bottom there), and the comments are full of people expressing their best wishes.

Why make a bunch of new threads when there's already a perfectly good place to go?

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Well, if I was him I probably wouldn't want people to be making a huge deal about my departure, but he has a 'so long, and good luck' from me at least.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

A lot of the more vocal forum members during what I guess you'd term the mountain climbing have since left and/or been banned. There's no-one left here from those days, and hence no-one to really comment on it.
Ah well. Shame to see him go, but if he wants to move on, good for him. And change is usually good.

 

[Susan Arendt]

As most know (actually, I'm sure most don't), Russ Pitts has departed from the Escapist. This is huge news here. Huge. Compared to something larger (I get that it's a small community and that the Escapist doesn't help shape the world), it'd be like a president or prime minister stepping down. Despite this, there hasn't been an uproar or a bunch of threads about this. All we know is that he will take time off and pursue other ventures. Oh, and welcome new head man, Steve Butts.

Russ Pitts had brought this site to the top of the mountain and went out with a small peep. Hell, his announcement is buried below huge ads and more "important stories" like sexy Mass Effect statues. I'd expect there to be a huge deal with the story dominating the top of the site, accompanied by thank you letters and reflection stories.

I feel like this is being buried and I really would like to know why, and what led to his departure.

Thoughts, fellow Escapists?

Um...http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/editors_note/9107-Goodbye-is-Still-Goodbye

 

[Baby Tea]

While all of us Escapists who know of, and are fond of, Mr. Pitts would indeed like to see a bang of a send off in his honour for what he's done for this website, I think Mr. Pitts himself has a bit more class then that. He's said his goodbye in a normal, eloquent way. Not in some show-y, ego-centered send-off, and I think that says a lot about Russ and how he works.

While his work here at the Escapist deserves recognition, I think the state of the website under his care already speaks volumes. The site is bigger then ever, he saw some of his own ideas come to life here, and now he's ready to move on to the next project.

The website owes him much, but it still must continue even after he's gone.
So let the man take his bow, and let the world keep spinning.

 

[Cyanin]

Ah here, you'd figure the site would have a bit more respect for a departing member, particularly one with such an important role in the community. It's a shame they didn't have a lot of recognition for it.

However, it is possible that he asked them to keep it relatively quiet to prevent what you mentioned with a load of threads and probably some protests coming up.

Also, inevitably, someone would tie his departure with the whole Extra Credits debacle, whether it is or isn't related to the reason he's off.

 

[Breaker deGodot]

A lot of the more vocal forum members during what I guess you'd term the mountain climbing have since left and/or been banned. There's no-one left here from those days, and hence no-one to really comment on it.
Ah well. Shame to see him go, but if he wants to move on, good for him. And change is usually good.

Time for a n00b question. What do you mean by the "mountain climbing"?

 

[PeePantz]

As most know (actually, I'm sure most don't), Russ Pitts has departed from the Escapist. This is huge news here. Huge. Compared to something larger (I get that it's a small community and that the Escapist doesn't help shape the world), it'd be like a president or prime minister stepping down. Despite this, there hasn't been an uproar or a bunch of threads about this. All we know is that he will take time off and pursue other ventures. Oh, and welcome new head man, Steve Butts.

Russ Pitts had brought this site to the top of the mountain and went out with a small peep. Hell, his announcement is buried below huge ads and more "important stories" like sexy Mass Effect statues. I'd expect there to be a huge deal with the story dominating the top of the site, accompanied by thank you letters and reflection stories.

I feel like this is being buried and I really would like to know why, and what led to his departure.

Thoughts, fellow Escapists?

Um...http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/editors_note/9107-Goodbye-is-Still-Goodbye

Upon entering the site, where exactly is it located? That was announced only yesterday, yet stories that were also announced yesterday (like the NASA one) are presented larger and higher up. Well this might be due to the posting time of the stories, I feel an exception should be made. The departure letter is much more important to this community and I feel that it is puzzling why it isn't getting more attention. Critical Miss has been made a bigger feature, yet the man who brought that here is shooed below.

Look at the mass uproar over EC leaving (i know it was juicier) and the responses to Yahtzee every week, this story, in relation, has just been glossed over.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Wait a second. Russ left? Why am I always the last to know?!

Well will truely miss you Mr. Pits, thank you for all your contributions.

If that's true, you are now the second to last person to know.

Well I have no feelings for him. I love the Escapist, but my most recent memory of his doing is... Game Dogs...

*shivers*

 

[TimeLord]

The love for Russ is all around the site. As Editor in Chief he's influenced every part of the sites development for the last two years and in his entire time of 5 years or so.
It's not like he left without saying anything, he wrote his last article about his departure here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/editors_note/9107-Goodbye-is-Still-Goodbye]. I don't think a big fanfare and banners on the site would have been his thing.

I will always remember him for his great part with Yahtzee in Doomsday Arcade!

 

[JCBFGD]

Who's Russ Pitts? To Wikipedia I go!

*seconds pass*

Oh, that guy? Not a huge fan of him, but that's judging from what little I read about the Extra Credits debacle. Wasn't that him? I dunno...I'm just here for Yahtzee and the awesome forums.

Anyways, goodbye and good luck, Mr Pitts.

 

[FalloutJack]

Russ? Dude, if the cool thing to do when dissatisfied with something here is to blame the man in charge...that makes him responsible for the decline. That's what the average mind is going for here.

 

[Susan Arendt]

As most know (actually, I'm sure most don't), Russ Pitts has departed from the Escapist. This is huge news here. Huge. Compared to something larger (I get that it's a small community and that the Escapist doesn't help shape the world), it'd be like a president or prime minister stepping down. Despite this, there hasn't been an uproar or a bunch of threads about this. All we know is that he will take time off and pursue other ventures. Oh, and welcome new head man, Steve Butts.

Russ Pitts had brought this site to the top of the mountain and went out with a small peep. Hell, his announcement is buried below huge ads and more "important stories" like sexy Mass Effect statues. I'd expect there to be a huge deal with the story dominating the top of the site, accompanied by thank you letters and reflection stories.

I feel like this is being buried and I really would like to know why, and what led to his departure.

Thoughts, fellow Escapists?

Um...http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/editors_note/9107-Goodbye-is-Still-Goodbye

Upon entering the site, where exactly is it located? That was announced only yesterday, yet stories that were also announced yesterday (like the NASA one) are presented larger and higher up. Well this might be due to the posting time of the stories, I feel an exception should be made. The departure letter is much more important to this community and I feel that it is puzzling why it isn't getting more attention. Critical Miss has been made a bigger feature, yet the man who brought that here is shooed below.

Look at the mass uproar over EC leaving (i know it was juicier) and the responses to Yahtzee every week, this story, in relation, has just been glossed over.

Front page.

 

[The Last Nomad]

I did not know this, and am very surprised to hear it. I hope it doesn't have anything to do with the recent money problems surrounding Extra Credits.

Many many thanks to the man for making this site my favorite place on the web and I wish him all the best in his future endevours.

 

[Giest4life]

Didn't know the guy and didn't see him post regular, insightful editorials. Although credit does go to him for managing to nab great entertainers like Yahtzee, Movie Bob, Jim Sterling, and (the late)Extra Creditzzzz team.

I got over him pretty quickly.

 

[PeePantz]

Front page.

The question was meant to be somewhat rhetorical. I'm aware of where the letter is (refer to original post). I'm not sure if you're arguing that the placement is perfectly fine, or are, if fact, answering the question.

If it is the latter, I will reiterate what I've already said. This announcement should dominate other stories or features. It might be the most important story in the past two years. It should supersede ads (maybe that would violate a contract; then no) and all other articles. This should be the first thing people will have a chance to click on for at least three days and be presented on a larger scale than other stories.

If you feel that it has a perfectly acceptable "home" already, well, so be it. You make the decisions around here and I'm not going to tell you or others how to do your job. I merely wanted to discuss why I felt it was strange.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Front page.

The question was meant to be somewhat rhetorical. I'm aware of where the letter is (refer to original post). I'm not sure if you're arguing that the placement is perfectly fine, or are, if fact, answering the question.

If it is the latter, I will reiterate what I've already said. This announcement should dominate other stories or features. It might be the most important story in the past two years. It should supersede ads (maybe that would violate a contract; then no) and all other articles. This should be the first thing people will have a chance to click on for at least three days and be presented on a larger scale than other stories.

If you feel that it has a perfectly acceptable "home" already, well, so be it. You make the decisions around here and I'm not going to tell you or others how to do your job. I merely wanted to discuss why I felt it was strange.

Well, given that Russ himself is perfectly happy with the placement...