Note: It's my birthday today. I will be out having a life for once, and will not be available. The MN@ know how to get a hold of me by cell should the need arise. Back tomorrow.


Yes, it's true. The much-beloved °jark is no longer on staff. There's no point in speculating, although I'm sure many people by now know the story - or at least a good portion of it.

As a current staffer, I won't comment on the rumors swirling. I am not taking a side in any perceived disputes or imagined confrontations, but I will say this:

Scott, together with °matteo, was the father of deviantART. The vision that he and Matt had was something beautiful; something that was bigger than all of us. Because of his dream, we all have a bit more art in our lives. The living entity that is our community has become a way of life for some of us. We have met lifelong friends, made new contacts, and learned from each other.

In my opinion, the single most important thing to keep is your integrity. Without that, you have nothing. Have the integrity to believe in something, stay true to it, and stand up for it. We are all responsible for the integrity of this community, and we are all responsible for its well-being; from myself, Angelo, or Daniel all the way down to the newest user on the site. We all have a duty to make this place the absolute best place it can be. We all have a duty to give back at least as much as we take.

Scott may be gone, but his vision and his dream are still here, somewhere between the pages. I, for one, will miss him tremendously. He was one of the best bosses I ever worked for in my 31 years. He respected those who worked for him and gave them the freedom and support to do what he knew they could do. I consider him a close friend, and I support him in his future endeavors.

Scott wasn't perfect; indeed, who among us is? He has faults, he has shortcomings, and he had issues at times. But overall, for a very long time he was the backbone of what has become the largest group of artists in the world. That in and of itself is amazing. His loss is tremendous and I feel it deeply, just as I felt it when Eric, Matt, and many other staffers left. I am by default one of the few admins left from 4 years ago. That fact saddens me.

So, farewell, jark. I'm glad we are friends, and I look forward to knowing you as just Scott.

If you're looking for the desktop tutorial thingamabobber, go here.

Note: The opinions expressed on my personal website are my own and do not reflect upon deviantART, Blogcritics, or my freelance writing employers.