Forum name change!

[squirmydad]

Hey everybody!

I have, for a long time wanted to unlink the forum from the Onemonk name. The reason is because the focus of the forum is no longer my work, but the work of the community, and I'd rather promote the work of all of our efforts than mine alone, especially now that I am a bit unproductive.

With the name change I'll be restructuring the forum a little, like making my personal section lower in the priority list, seeing that I'm no longer doing commercial work, I don't need to be at the top of the publishers categories ,and will just go with a simple board of my own with the member projects category.

I'll be looking to promote some members here to full admin, and even wouldn't mind finding a permanent replacement for myself.

I will be closing down the Onemonk website, but replacing it with a new Cardboard-warriors.com website. This new website will feature news, new releases, free downloads, links and other info about the print and play, and pre-printed card gaming scene. I'll still keep my blog, and try to include everything I have on my current site there. All my model sets will be available from the blog, as well as a new downloads section here, and on the Cardboard-warriors website.

Hopefully this will mean a growth in activity and membership, and more opportunity for other to promote themselves here.
JIM

[Sirrob01]

Sounds like a good plan although it'll be sad to see the Onemonk site disappear

[Parduz]

Jim, don't take me wrong on the means of this post. As i'm mostly a thief here (having produced anything) i don't even know if i have the rights to say what i'm going to say... but you all are so kind and i like so much this community that i feel to have somewhat with a little value to say.

IMHO you're fiddling too much with the site and the forum. It's your home, so you can do what you want, but reading your reasons to do that, i don't see any of them really important.

Even if you plan to leave it all to someone else and to go to smoking a good briar pipe in your backyard, i don't see any reason to remove your "logo" and to remove the references to what started this all.

OneMonk site is beatiful, and relatively new. The forum, to me, is perfect as it is, with the new marvelous "NEW" button. Removing the "One Monk Forum" name will dry it, even if things will go as you hope.

Finally, i don't see how it can make the activity grown up...i may be wrong, but being under your wings (even if only virtually) is the hook of this forum.

Take this all as constructive opinions. As i said, this it still your home, after all.

[squirmydad]

I hear ya. But I believe that the forum has taken on a life bigger than just me. I still plan to have a hand in running the forum and the new site. I am just changing the focus of me promoting my own stuff, to promoting the hobby in general. I'm actually hoping this will free me a little bit.

Since I am good at organizing and displaying info, I can focus on getting all the obscure stuff here in the forum on a website where it can be found and accessed much easier. I can have fun adding and updating the website without having the pressure of creating everything myself. So for me I'll be using all the stuff generated here to build a general hobby website for everyone.

We'll see how it goes....
JIM

[old squirmydad]

Cardboard Warriors...makes me think of Gwindel's original site, which was my starting point for paper miniatures.

[squirmydad]

Mine too! this is why I chose that name, as a extension of what he started. Gwindel is the original designer which inspired me to get into the figure designing hobby.

I do believe our hobby is ready for a resource website dedicated to all print and play miniature gaming. I know I'm looking forward to building on this forum and what I have already done with tutorials and files so more people can design and modify figures for their own use and to share with the community.
JIM

[josedominguez]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

I fear change.

I wouldn't have discovered this if it wasn't for you, stumbling on an image of your minis in Harbinger magazine two years back got me back into tabletop wargaming and started me drawing. The speech and language department at my school love me for it.

I love being part of this and I think being attached to the onemonk website gives it a certain legitimacy. The 'one monk' brand name means something, in my mind it makes the figures real... your own, slicks, dave, Jabbro and the others.

But, the site has become what it is through your work and ideas, I'm sure the name change will continue this

[enpeze]

I think the name "onemonk" is a well known trademark in the rpg community. Even if you intend not to be so active anymore, it has developed its own personality, its own distinct style. Except if you have a good reason for it, IMO you should not "throw it away". Everybody knows what the name stands for (ok, not everybody, but everybody who likes paperminis).

Cardboard warriors OTOH is good and maybe even more accurate as name for the things a visitor can find here, but it is also unspectacular. a common name for a great and uncommon project.

[brynbrenainn]

I too agree, onemonk is more than the name of a person nowdays.

Just like oversoul is more of an 'umbrella' under witch a couple of guys sits and draw, rather than the name of one person.

But by all means, do what you feel is right.
If it feels right, it is right.

/Bryn, PJ at www.oversoul-games.com

[Floyd]

:thumbs up:

~Floyd

[Reivaj]

I don´t know what can i write in my poor english but i feel a little sad, but if Jim and all the people here will continue with their excelente work i know that i´ll be ok like always. I´m relatively new here, and sometimes i understand the half of the thinks that everybody talks but i feel real good becuase i got a group that make the same that i like. Jim i hope that all continue like until now, with or without the same name because you did a great work here.

[enpeze]

Reivaj, your English is really good. I am also a non-native english speaker, so I am in the same position like you. But one of the reasons I love to post (in addition to the great folks) on english forums is that it becomes better and better. I see it like a kind of free language course. Sometimes I am struggling to remember the german word for something and suddenly I know it in English. (I never thought that this could happen 2 years before)

[algoesnext]

This site is like a cumfy pair of slippers that you put on at the end of the day or the armchair you snuggle into to watch your favourite TV show, but time dosen't stand still and those that do get left behind, so onward and upward ... Cry Havoc let loose the dogs of war! (even if they are cardboard or paper or cardstock)

[glennwilliams]

Let me also add that I don't think the change was necessary--or even good. After all, how many tavern's out there are named "Ed's" or "Pat's"? After a while, the name becomes as brand. OneMonk is a brand with recognition and respect.

So there . . . nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah.

Of course, it's your forum (and I still think you ought not to leave the industry, just cut back), so you call the plays.

[WaffleM]

Forgive me if you mentioned this already, but will you be automatically forwarding traffic from Onemonk.com to cardboard-warriors.com?

Personally, I really like the cardboard-warriors as it nicely describes what the website holds. I have gotten really good at typing onemonk without thinking though... It will take a while to retrain my brain! ;D

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

While I've not been very active in the community since the demise of PaperWorlds.com (is that domain available again?) I think it would be a shame for you to make such a switch at a time when your own name carries so much traction, online.

Your name carries a lot of reputation and credibility with it. Set up your new site, if you like, but please do not do the hobby such a disservice as to discontinue onemonk.com.

[squirmydad]

I know some of you guys are unhappy with these changes, but I am under a lot of pressure from my boss to take my hobby offline. There seems to be this notion that employers do not want their employees to be active online in the field of their profession. In this case hobby gaming. I can't really think of any gaming publisher or manufacturer that allows their employees to be active online within the hobby. I suppose if I got into model railroading, it would be different. My job is working out very well for me, so I need to keep my head down and focus my hobby related efforts on products and accessories where I work.

I have already gotten rid of my BBG account, and have deleted all of my private accounts from the various news sites and blogs. This transfer of control of this forum, and de-linking it from me, and taking down my own site is all part of this process. In short, if I continue wanting to work in the games industry, I need to keep a low profile online. I have tried to be subtle about it, but I guess I just need to lay low. This will also help with finding work with other publishers and manufacturers in the future, which I am better off working for that trying to make it on my own.

If someone wants to take over the Onemonk brand from me, I'd be happy to sell you all the assets, original designs and files, the website, and the domain name. I'd sell it all off for $500.00 and you can do whatever you want with the assets, you can even take them commercial again and sell them if you please.

This also means I cannot pursue the Cardboard-warriors.com website like I want. I can have no vested interest in any online forum, blog or website if I have any hope of continuing my career in this field. I know it sounds weird, but that's how the owners of these companies prefer it. They don't want any unsupervised activities going on in the field they are involved in.

So, gradually I'll be taking my hobby offline totally, and anything I have to show will be through official channels with the companies I work with.
JIM

[Parduz]

[jabbro]

Ouch. That hurts, Jim. You've been such a major contributor for so long it will be like a vacuum in the paper miniature world. Sad that you have to take it offline, but I hope that it does not mean you have to quit entirely.

[Parduz]

I wonder if that behaviour from your boss(es) is totally "legal".
I even can't see how can you be seen as a "danger", as you're working on a totally different "media" and material.
Sad, sad, sad.

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

Sept 14, 2010 3:45:12 GMT -9 Parduz said:

I wonder if that behaviour from your boss(es) is totally "legal".
I even can't see how can you be seen as a "danger", as you're working on a totally different "media" and material.
Sad, sad, sad.

It might be, yes. It's not very ethical, though.

It is extremely common for (US) companies to make new employees sign agreements similar to non-competes as well as documents requiring the relinquishment of rights to inventions, etc while employed by said company. Worse, those agreements are almost universally upheld as lawfully binding when challenged in the courts.

While I had thought Litko might have a somewhat more open view to an employee pursuing a hobby, etc, it wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong. They would do better by encouraging it and trying to figure out how to profit by it, but ... not everyone (and especially not managers) are able to think in a logical fashion.

[Floyd]

Hmm...

Maybe Jim's got something more going on than he can mention at this time. I know he had mentioned before when it was simply a "hobby" for Jim then Litko was very cool about it. So maybe Jim's entered into new, more commercial enterprises. At least I hope that is the case.

BBG account? You mean BGG account? That is strange if so because a lot of prominent game designers/company owners have BGG accounts. That's a fairly vital life line to maintain.

I'd give you $500 for the assets but I'd rather you think about that for a while. Why you'd give up ownership of all your work (here at least) strikes me as a bit foreboding. When looking at the whole... you went from a hard work designing and selling figures as a hobby, then to wanting to move into it full time, then to giving them away, then wanting to do new figures then now to wanting to sellall your hard earned work...I hope Jim, that everything is ok.

I don't mind the splitting of OneMonk from Cardboard-Warrirors, I happen to like the new name.

~F

[Sirrob01]

Jim I'm sorry to hear that you wont be able to follow the path you wanted with cardboard-warriors. I hope things workout for you in the long run, it sounds like you have a few projects going .

From your post I'm not sure were it leaves either site or the forum in the future .

I'm happy to help out in anyway

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

Sept 14, 2010 4:01:53 GMT -9 Paraplegic Racehorse said:

While I had thought Litko might have a somewhat more open view to an employee pursuing a hobby, etc, it wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong. They would do better by encouraging it and trying to figure out how to profit by it, but ... not everyone (and especially not managers) are able to think in a logical fashion.

Point-in-case:

This could've been Litko - PaperTerrain Releases Game Accessories - but they chose to stick to plastics. They had (have?) a paper-guy resource in OneMonk and a manager somewhere dropped the ball. It's that simple.

Another useful way Litko could use your continued hobby activities, Jim, is market-watching. Recent trending, particularly in templates and the other fluff that is Litko's stock and trade, tend to first appear in paper and, so, logically that makes you their in-house expert on upcoming trends that they could be first to market in wood or plastic.

Make your hobby activities valuable to them, Jim, and keep your sites up.

[josedominguez]

God, don't sell it for $500, sit on it for a while, it's invaluable and someone could make a killing... retain your intelectual property and hadn over the site to someone else, that way all of the hard work you've done is still your own. (I've just saved around $700 by printing elves rather than painting minis... that's one army, one player, there are five in my regular group).

As for the other aspect of the thread..... I know you know what you are doing and I'd like to add my own look of disbelief to what's going on. But I won't elaborate, it's your livelehood and the people who pay your wages I'd be dissing. I'd hate for our messages of support to affect your rep.

Change is fine when it's for the right reasons

[Christopher Roe]

Not that my opinion matters, but this is a mistake. Don't do it.

If I had a different day job and my boss laid the arm on me about my online activities, I would politely point out that so long as I'm not involving the company or its image in it, what I do on my own time is none of his business. By that same token, I don't do my own thing on company time, either. Never, not at all. And this sort of thing is exactly why--when I'm on the clock, I'm 100% on the clock, and I don't give employers a reason to take interest in my personal life. As long as the two are kept separate, the company has no place getting into your personal life.

IIRC, you were doing some of the OneMonk stuff like website updates and forum postings while at your day job. Are you 100% certain that you're not misunderstanding your employer? Maybe he just doesn't want you doing it on the clock, and he doesn't necessarily mean he wants you to give it up completely.

I mean, I'd be exactly the same way--if I saw my imaginary employees goofing around with personal stuff on the clock, you bet your bippy I'd unplug their Internet. I'm not paying them to play Farmville or run a side business of their own, I'm paying them to do their assigned work and nothing but their assigned work.

I'd suggest seeking clarification from your employer. If he doesn't want you updating OneMonk on company time, then don't do it. Do it from home on your own time, where it's more appropriate anyway. If he's actually, literally asking you to drop OneMonk completely for reasons that have nothing to do with misusing company resources on company time, then that's just straight-up Orwellian and I'd walk from that job in a heartbeat. No company is awesome enough to justify that kind of nosy meddling.

You've put too much work into OneMonk to just drop it like this.

-Mel

[okumarts]

I would be inclined to ignore the request as long as a) you are not making a profit and b) you are not doing it on company time.
It is a little naive and short-sighted of your employer to make this kind of demand on what you do outside of work hours. Look into the legality of his request as I do not believe he has a case. Even if you sign a contract, if it is not legal it is not binding.
If I was in your position I would be preparing a resume and contacting other potential employers. I also have issues with authority so maybe that's just me.
Whatever decision you make Jim, it is important that it is not one you will regret later so do what you feel is the right thing for you at this time. It is important to be respectful of employer's wishes, but this is clearly crossing the line between work time and not work time.

[okumarts]

I can't seem to find the article I was using when a publisher tried to put a non-compete clause in a contract when I was doing freelance work. This one is for Ontario. Some googling will reveal more results locally, I'm sure.
www.zvulony.com/non_compete.html

[squirmydad]

Wow, I didn't expect this kind of outpouring. I do appreciate the thought, but I have been on a steady decline in my enthusiasm for pursuing the paper modeling thing for a while. I truly think I am ready to move on to other challenges, paper modeling isn't that challenging to me anymore, just tedious. Having my online presents be in conflict with my employer is just one reason I need to withdraw. I really need to recharge. I am just stuck in the never ending reorganizing mode, and getting very weary of it. This is one of the reasons I was reluctant to even start the forum in the beginning, I knew I'd get totally fried eventually and look for a different challenge later. I didn't want to just close up the forum, as it has a real purpose now, more than just my personal playground.

I do have things I'm working on in the background. I'm going back to the drawing board, and practice sculpting more, with polymer putty rather than the epoxy crap. I have some retailers who'd like to sell my designs as fully fleshed models in their stores, and I can do it in a more removed way.

I want to use the funds from selling the assets to buy into zBrush. The 3D plastics industry is just getting started, and now is my chance to take my design sensibilities and practice into plastics production. I think with my knowledge of anatomy, pose, and detail will get me some nice design jobs, and a chance to break into the plastic model scene as a designer. This is also why I need to learn the fundamentals of sculpture with the hands on modeling.


I do have some sort of reason and plan behind this. It's much better if I can just do it behind the scenes, both from a work conflict thing and a distraction thing.
JIM

[squirmydad]

Sanity Studios will be buying the Onemonk assets, and I think this is a good home for all the designs. I'm sure they can do a lot to expand on my stuff once they get the editable files.

Nothing should change here. I'll still be a member and will be participating in the HOARDS, but there will be a new owner admin. The complete transfer should happen within a couple weeks. We'll be taking our time to make sure there is no disruption to the forum or the website. I'm not going away, just releasing control over this stuff so I can take the burden off my shoulders.
JIM