After "recent events" of the past six months or so, it's become rather clear to me that herd leaders need to be told what to expect of me as a member of their herd. I thusly offer up this open letter to all my past, present, and future herd leaders:
Dear Herd Leader,
Whatever the reason for my joining your herd, I thank you for allowing me to participate in your herd/simply see what it's about. The following are things you can expect regarding my HP habits as well as my attitudes toward certain herd policies:
1) I roam.
This notion of "herd loyalty" is utterly absurd to me. What I mean by that is simply this; my time is precious. As such, when I log onto Human Pets, don't expect me to sit for hours in your dead herd in the vain hope that someone else might actually show up out of the insane notion that I owe some sort of "loyalty" to a dead herd. It won't happen. I will check in, I will see if people are around, but I simply do not stay in empty herds
2) What happens in the herd, stays in the herd.
If you have an issue with the leader of another herd I'm a member of, that's fine. Frankly, I don't care as I am not involved. That being said, you have no right to tell me that I cannot be a member of any other herd because of your issues with that herd. I have no interest in being a part of your drama, and what I say or do in a particular herd I will never speak of outside that herd.
3) Unless you heard it from me, I didn't say it.
I don't gossip. If you have heard from a third party that I have slandered you in some way, it's more than likely a lie and thusly I encourage you to contact me to get the full story. If I have a problem with something you have said or done, I will tell *you*
4) I lurk. Deal with it.
Yes, the vast majority of the time i'm in a herd it's to get thumbs. That's what everyone's there for to some degree, and to believe different is incredibly naive. Yes, I will also sit in your herd for vast amounts of time without saying or doing anything. The simple fact is, when i'm on my laptop, I'm not focused on one little thing. I probably have at least three other windows open, or I've forgotten to log out as I am want to do.
5) I don't recruit. Don't ask me to.
The simple fact is, the vast majority of people who were my true friends on HP are no longer ON Human Pets. In all likelyhood, my current HP friends are already members of your herd. This makes asking me to recruit a complete waste of everyone's time. Also, once you ask me to recruit people, you immediately waive the right to complain about people being "poached" from your herd. The only difference between "poaching" and "recruiting" is ... well, there isn't one really.
6) Don't take my schedule personally
It's very possible that once I join your herd I'll usually be leaving as your coming in. This is a coincidence and is not meant to be anything more than that.
7) Your drama does not interest me
My drama is my drama, your drama is yours. I will do everything in my power to keep you out of my drama and I ask to be shown the same courtesy.
8) All good things must come to an end.
If you feel that you must exile me from your herd, so be it. I ask only that you contact me and explain to me your reasons for the exiling. I would much prefer to discuss any problems that may have arisen than be summarily banned, blocked, and left wondering why.
9) I'm the most absentminded thumber you'll ever meet.
I admit that my worst habit on hp is forgetting to thumb. Keeping in mind that my thumbs start from the point where I came into the herd, if you believe I have been slack with my thumbing, please don't hesitate to say so. I'm happy to make up for the lack of thumbs.
Finally, please be aware that my "herd member code of conduct" is very much a fluid thing and subject to change at my discretion.
I thank you for your time,
Mike Montgomery
Hannibal Smith "Darks naughty bo" Lazy
- 14 years, 10 months, 21 days ago
