Open Call to SW Fans/Collectors (Slightly Off-Topic)

At this point, I’d like to make an open call to all my fellow Star Wars fans and/or collectors who frequently visit various SW collecting websites. I’m not prone to making such requests, but this is a situation that cries out for it.

From this point forward, I am asking you to permanently boycott Rebelscum.com.

For those of you who aren’t aware of why I’m asking this, here is the reason in a nutshell:

As you may know, Dustin Roberts, a fairly well-connected member of Rebelscum, recently won the honorary Fan Club President contest. Not many people were happy, but oh well. However, affiliate relationships with LFL entities (which should have disqualified Dustin) came to light. Of particular note, here is this direct quote from site owner Philip Wise on the matter of financial perks gained by Hyperspace registrations (the focus of the contest):

"We have an affiliate relationship with Starwarsshop.com and it is possible and even likely some subscriptions to the fan club paid us a commission, generally 5%, or $2.00. ... "

That is a SERIOUS conflict of interest. Not long after this was revealed, discussion ensued among forum members about its ramifications. This was the response from Wise (I’ve placed the most disturbing portion in bold-face font):

“So, I'm done messing with this discussion as it's just running around in circles. I have spent valuable time I did not have messing with this subject.

To those who are ****ed off Dustin won: Whether you showed your cards here or not, leave now. I don't wish you to be using our resources ever again.

I await emails with your user accounts so I may close them.

No more discussion on this topic will be allowed."

Wise then proceeded to lock down the thread and, within an hour, erased the entire thread from public view (except for that final posting).

Essentially, if you didn’t like the outcome but still respected Wise and Dustin enough to keep quiet, PHILIP WISE STILL WANTS YOU GONE!!

I say that we give him exactly what he wants, but I offer these amendments:

Terminate your user accounts and permanently leave Rebelscum IF:

1) If you are self-respecting SW fan and/or collector.
2) If you understand and accept a person’s right to their own opinion.
3) If you understand that a true fan community embraces all members who act with civility and mutual respect.

I still have multiple transactions with several RS.com members, and I will see those through until the end. After the last transaction is finished, I will be submitting my request to have my user account terminated and my collection page permanently deleted from the archive. I am washing my hands of Rebelscum.

Please do the same…whether you’re a casual fan, an established forumite, or even a Rebelscum moderator. There are plenty of hospitable websites out there for us, and it’s time Mr. Wise and company learned that they’re not the only fish in the sea.

Thank you for taking the time to hear me out. If you're on board, please let others know about this inexcusable blemish on the Internet SW fan/collector community.

So whats the big deal about winning this contest?

Well, it is odd this guy won considering how he was dell well over 100 votes when it ended. I think the person who started making the statement that Phillip Wise commented on in your post hit close to home. I also think that because of his realtionship with RS that something might have been up with the whole situation. It's a good bit of publicity something I'm sure RS wanted badly and might do anything for but in the end this is for a position that means absolutely nothing. You get some prizes and a trip to SDCC then bam nothing. The thing that I think is sad is the fact that P.Wise is gonna ban folks who find something odd about the whole situation. In other words if you don't agree with me I'll ban you. I've personally experienced this on another board because of my personal feelings on a subject. He can get away with this though because RS is so huge that those banned members won't even make much of a ripple in things.

It is BS that they're saying we don't want you, essentially. BUT I can't chastise someone winning who has an inside ticket, only because I've done it when I worked at a record store and won many guitars and concert tickets, or rather my wife and family did (wink wink) so it would be hypocriticle of me. Atleast I admit it!

Eh who cares, I've been going to rebelscum for a long long time. I will continue to go. If I sound like an ass, sorry I'm sick and when sick I really don't care what comes out.

So what did he actaully win by becoming honorary Fan Club President? Sounds like a "who cares" honor to me.

well, it doesnt matter to me because i havent visited the site in years anyways. too many offensive people there for my tastes. i like it here much better.

I agree with hairlesswookie that this forum is much more civil. I've had run-ins with several people over at RS that are just complete a**holes, no sugar coating about it. I still go to the site from time to time for information, but I find myself spending a lot more time reading this forum nowadays. Maybe we can get all the good people from RS to come over here and let the inmates keep their asylum over there.

I have not been there in years myself and don't really plan to go back by. I like this forum.

I will say ( without really knowing ) that if the contest was "rigged" then it's crap and why bother even having a "contest" if you're just going to fix it? I am not judging them because I wasn't there and don't know all the facts. I am just going by the inital post here.

hairlesswookiee said:

well, it doesnt matter to me because i havent visited the site in years anyways. too many offensive people there for my tastes. i like it here much better.

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My feelings exactly......RS has a totally different "feel" to it....This board is much more cival..

madden821 said:

So what did he actaully win by becoming honorary Fan Club President? Sounds like a "who cares" honor to me.

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Yeah, It is stupid but I really don't care that much. He owns the site so I suppose that he has the right to run it however he wants (whether we agree or disagree with that doesn't factor into the equation).

There are people there who post at RS that I think are pretty cool (like amir, JediMike, and yes I even like Dooku1 and King_Kong), hopefully they didin't get banned, so I will still visit RS... after all, it was through RS that I found this sideshowfreaks (though after lurking in both I joined here first! ).

I use Rebelscum as my unofficial Gentle Giant discussion home, since there's really not much else out there. Goodness knows GG's blog can't hold a candle to Sideshow's level of interaction with their fans. Now and then I may look around other parts of the site, but I just have the "GG busts and statues" section bookmarked. If I were to state that it seems a little convenient for someone financially connected to Lucasfilm to be winning such a widely publicized and visible honor, it looks like I would be banned. This reminds me of the lockdown at Statue Forum earlier this year. Things like this remind me that while these forums are open to the public, they are privately owned and operated and there are times that we can find ourselves at the mercy of the people that run them.

One more reason that we should appreciate SSF and Dave!!! No major problems, drama, trauma or heavy handed banning or threats around here from "the man"! Somebody get Dave a Malfoy!!!

I have never been a member of Rebelscum and never plan to be. However, Like Tom said the GG discussion over there can be useful at times so I look in on them every once and a while.

For the most part you guys are right this title of honory fan club president probally will not do to much. However, wait untill C4 is done and then lets see if we say the same thing.

tomandshell said:

One more reason that we should appreciate SSF and Dave!!! No major problems, drama, trauma or heavy handed banning or threats around here from "the man"! Somebody get Dave a Malfoy!!!

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100% true....Dave gives us a wonderful board!!! Though I have been edited by Dave before, I have never felt like he was trying to censor or control what was being said on his board....My Crusadeing has gotten a little out of control before and I needed to be put back in my place, so it was ok....I love this board and Dave has done an awesome job running it!!

My favorite thing about this board is the lack of "elitist" attitudes. So many boards have people who act like they OWN the board because they have been posting there and they have to put the "newbs" in their place. That does not happen here.

I will agree everything is more friendly around here, it just sucks they cover a lot more of the collecting scene, but I LUB YOU ALL!! :chew

This board just feels friendly. That is why I've never liked Rebelscum. All they do is complain that the figures suck but they will get them anyway We really seem to like one another here. I don't post at rebelscum, I just lurk their for some info that hasn't made it here yet, and I dislike some of the people over there that have nothing to say that has a point. Over here we are a community. We help each other out. Someone at rebelscum might be able to get you a GG Malfoy or Shocktrooper bust, but you will likely pay a pretty penny for it. For the most part everyone here sells things at cost or at least a very fair market value.

Dave needs Sideshow to make him into a SW military figure, or a LotR military figure, or a zombie for the DEAD! Cheers to Dave

this board is awesome!!! Thanks to Mr. Dave I have never been to Rebelscum and not planning on to. I have heard many "bad" stories about that forum, which makes me not want to even check it out. ...About the Presidential thing, that is just plain wrong. Over here, there are contest held and "real" contestants win. "Nuff" said.

What's with all the hatrid to RS?

They are my favorite SW collecting database.

And not all of us hate figures made by SS. Those are just the "bashers", people who are commonly seen in the forums. And the reason I like RS is because everyone has their own individual opinion. I'll bet it would be pretty boring if it was just:

"oh i love ss" "yeah ss is so great" "everybody luvs ss"

RS is a great place. And Roberts won FAIR AND SQUARE.

KitFisto said:

My favorite thing about this board is the lack of "elitist" attitudes. So many boards have people who act like they OWN the board because they have been posting there and they have to put the "newbs" in their place. That does not happen here.

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Not to rain on the "I Luv SSF" and DAVE too, but there does seem to be a bit of elitism going on in here. I see guys with 1K+ post "put newbs in their place" from time to time. It seems hard to "be in" around here sometimes too, especially if you have some "complaint" about SS. Just my 2 cents.
I too agree with the fact that it's a private site and they can do what they want. The cronyism of the situation does suck though, but Ive always wonder how Steve Sansweet got into LFL too, but it's like everything, it's who you know.