Lifetime Achievement Awards Summer 2013

[Queen Award, First of Her Name]

It’s that time of year when we recognize the contribution of some members who have helped build and shape EoFF, not over the past 6 months, but over the course of their entire membership – which in some cases is over a decade. Some of these members no longer post very much, but they are still remembered.

Which means I have the great honor of presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award to none other than:

RSL

RSL was one of the original moderating team back when EoFF was first started, all the way back in 1999. He remained on staff for years after that, as a moderator and then as an admin. EoFF’s anniversary (December 5) is called RSL Day in his honor, and to this day for every Ciddies one mysterious member continues to cast a vote for RSL in every category.

Here are what some members had to say about RSL:

When I was a newbie, I found RSL to be very scary. I am not entirely sure why - perhaps a combination of the admin title and the evil looking pirate for his avatar. I learned how absolutely and monumentally wrong I was. It is an over-used word, but this is one of the very rare cases where it is justified to say that the one word to describe RSL is nice. He is a genuinely warm and personable man, and would happily make conversation to everyone, with the brand new newbie to the grouchiest of the oldbies, from the chatters of #eoff to the FF fans of the lower forums. I don't think it is possible to underestimate the importance of having such a welcoming and inclusive person on EoFF, and the good he has done for the place by simply being himself.

RSL was one of the original Cid’s Knights, who came to be one of the most well-liked staff members of his time. He was good-natured and pleasant to talk to for nearly everyone; he even put up with me when I was giving most of the staff a hard time! I’m not sure there has ever been someone so respected by all types of EoFFers, from the embittered oldbies who hated basically everyone else to hyperactive newbies who nobody else could tolerate. He was a faithful companion to EoFF for many years, second only to his undying loyalty to the oft-maligned Detroit Lions. I certainly miss having him around to talk to, especially in the fantasy football league.

RSL, you are missed, but still appreciated.

Okay RSL is pretty much the nicest guy in the entire world at EoFF at least and he never did anything wrong ever. He was respected and loved by pretty much everyone. Seriously the guy is golden. And also a teddy bear. I knew him for years and not once ever could I ever say a bad thing about him. I wish I could be a little more like RSL. I love that guy. I miss him.

RSL - he's got a good heart and a good soul, and he's been dearly missed around these parts for a while now. In his time, he did a great job at bridging divides and linking parts of the community together with his sincerity and honesty. I never got to know him terribly well (like many) but I always respected him a lot. Obviously life has taken him in a different direction, but it was nice to see him check back in. It definitely gave me the warm 'n' fuzzies seeing his name back on the Users List.

Congratulations, RSL. It’s a bit late, but has been warranted for a long time. EoFF wouldn’t have been the same without you.

[Queen Award, First of Her Name]

The next Lifetime Award was meant to go to Del Murder. But when I solicited quotes about Del to put in this award, I found that, well, nobody had a single good thing to say about him. I almost just scrapped the whole idea out of embarrassment for Del, but then I decided that the rest of you really should be aware of who Del Murder really is. And so I made up a new Lifetime Award just for this occasion.

Thus, I reluctantly present EoFF’s first ever:

Lifetime Loser Award: Del Murder

Del Murder has been around for over a decade, and been on staff for most of that. It sounds like he’s done a lot for EoFF, right? Wrong. It turns out that the only thing he does is sit around making one-line posts that he thinks are witty and pretending that he has any real authority.

Here is a sample of what people had to say about Del Murder. It isn’t pretty.

There are many ways to qualify as a valuable staff member. Frequent frontsite contributions, technical knowledge, moderating activity, just to name a few. Del Murder is something of a Jack of all trades - he put a whopping three articles on the frontsite this year, and he has been known to ask members what browser they use when they ask for help in Feedback. Looking at his moderator log, he's even stickied and unstickied a few threads this year. Well, maybe you're reading this and thinking his talents lie elsewhere. You're right! He has a great second account which he posts with every other month or so about how much he loves food. Where would be without such contributions? Del Murder, ladies and gentlemen.

My god, Del. He’s made over 30,000 posts on EoFF (not including any purged ones from back in the day), and what does he have to show for it? A title? He’s married for christ sake and still would rather stroke his ego on EoFF by showing how much more clever he is than a bunch of teenagers. It gets him all hot and bothered when someone reps a post of his that makes fun of Psychotic. Hell, that’s probably the only time he can get it up. EoFF doesn’t need Del; Del needs EoFF.

I don't know what Award Pimp hopes to gain from giving Del Murder a new award - he doesn't have any room for it in his home. The man has to store his gigantic ego somewhere... come to think of it, I actually think his self-importance shows up as a landmark on Google maps. Still, given how much he will gladly strip to his panties and grind on anyone who gives the slightest suggestion of voting him for Best Admin, maybe this even more prestigious award will finally make him stop telling us how amazing he is... well, a man can dream.

But no, seriously, Tony is a great guy and I do so love to read his posts, because it's always refreshing to read Miriel's opinion twice. I jest, of course, his lovely wife does let him think for himself every now and then. At least, I assume the famously ban-happy Miriel is not the kind who would require a member to post six snow penises, murder Cid's Wife and be Loony BoB's grandmother before possibly considering sending them a sternly worded PM asking them if they would like to think about what they've done.

Congratulations on your award!

Del Murder is a dick and he is far more get-in-the-way Shinra tha anyone I have ever known on staff. That little four eyed smurfer just lives to say "I disagree with Nick", I swear it. He's all rich and he still won't even buy a bloody decent PC for FFXIV, I mean, I'm tight but this guy may as well be a hanging noose. Guy's bad news every day.

(no, I have no idea what half of that means either)

So, um, congratulations, I guess, Del Murder, on your award. Can you do us all a favor and shut up now?

[Pike]

Ahahahaha "Lifetime Loser Award"

Congrats to RSL and also to Murd

[Formalhaut]

I want to find out who that mysterious member is who votes for RSL. Great selection Pimp! And I'm laughing at Del's award.

Roll on Saturday! YEAH!

[Faris]

RSL RSL RSL RSL

Congrats to Del Murder for somehow surviving all those years.

[Agent Proto]

Ah, poor Del.

Congrats to both him and RSL.

[Pumpkin]

[Shorty]

Congratulations, Murder! You're awesome and you deserve this.

[Sephex]

Inb4 Sam complains about not getting either award.

[Queen Award, First of Her Name]

Ok, as you probably guessed (unless you’re Shorty), the last “award” was a little joking fun at Del’s expense. We can’t go letting his ego get too big, can we?

But Del really has done a lot for EoFF, so here’s the real post for the actual Lifetime Achievement Award.

Del Murder

Del Murder really has been around for a long time, and is one of the longest-running staff members in EoFF history. He was made a Cid’s Knight something like a decade ago, and has been an admin for years.

Here is what some other members have had to say about Del.

Del does what he want. You have problem?

Before I joined staff, I used to think Del was just some old fogey staffer. 4-5 years later, however long it's been, I know better. It's not always apparent outwardly and he's not one to boast, but he's a real driving force on staff - you could call him BoB's good twin. He always keeps things moving forward when they threaten to stagnate, provides good sense in any discussion (a function that is often sorely needed), and is always there to remind us not to take ourselves too seriously, which is perhaps the most vital task of all. In other words, throughout the years he's spent countless hours behind the scenes keeping us all above water, and even sane to some degree (ha, as if), which is a duty I wouldn't wish on anyone, but Del makes it all look like a breeze. Thanks, dude!

When Del Murder first registered, “Del” referred to Del Snizz. Considering what a major personality Snizz was, it speaks to Del’s own personality that “Del” quickly started referring to Murder instead. Del has been on staff for around a decade, and unlike Shlup some other losers, has not temporarily stepped down from his position at some point. He is a force in the staff forum as well as in public, and has had a massive impact on EoFF during his tenure. Even now, he is an active contact with Square-Enix and helps to get and organize many of the giveaways EoFF has held, and he remains a consistently active poster. There are not many people who have had the influence over EoFF that Del has had, and certainly not for that length of time.

At least I can beat him in fantasy football (you got lucky last year, chump!).

I don't doubt many people will comment on Tony's dry sense of humour and his ability to effortlessly switch between serious and facetious, qualities that he most definitely has in abundance and I admire. There are other things that make him great that perhaps don't get attention. I've always found it ironic that he sports the hot-headed Sonny for an avatar, because he is the most calm and rational person on this damn website. He never loses his temper, he never rages... I think if you were to hold a gun to his head, he would still remain as calm as a Hindu cow.

He is also a tireless worker for this forum, the obvious recent area he has worked on being liasing with DE and arranging contests and giveaways, but he also maintains a high level of activity across every area of EoFF, combining both quality and quantity. As a person, in addition to his aforementioned zen level of calm, he possesses a real raw intelligence and an intuitive feel for turning issues that have been complex into the very simple. It has been a pleasure to work with the man for the past seven years.

Murd and I haven't always seen eye to eye on things and sometimes it might seem we're at loggerheads, but I have always respected that bugger. I made him my co-admin at Aiyon for a good reason and that reasoning hasn't changed one bit. I always knew the guy was right for admin roles and he hasn't let EoFF down, ever. Guy's class, for any kind of situation. Deserves this award a lot.

Raistlin nudged me about writing a little blurb for the member up for the Lifetime Achievement Ciddie this year and I couldn't say no.

This member is someone I look up to both on the forums and as a member of staff. He's done an unbelievably incredible job of coordinating conferences and giveaways, not to mention trying to build a stronger rapport between Eyes on Final Fantasy and Square Enix in general which has without a doubt had a phenomenal impact on our little forum here. This member has written some great articles in the past few months (check out the frontsite, nerds!), he comes up with great ideas and feedback for other members' ideas and I find myself considering how he might mediate a conflict or issue that might come up on the forums and how he would handle it (and sometimes I don't, as are some recent examples in staff). And I don't think there's anyone here who doesn't appreciate his little one-liners and quips jabbing at various members when they deserve it (myself included).

The person receiving this award truly deserves it. He's put an awful lot of work into our community not only this past six months, but during the entirety of his time here at Eyes on FF. He's a great poster, a good member and overall a delight to work with. I can safely and confidently say that Eyes on FF would not be the same without him.

(SPOILER)Huh? Del Murder is an okay guy, too, I guess. What? Gobo isn't the one getting this award? Cut. CUT. STOP ROLLING.

T-Money is like a rap game Strom Thurmond cuz he's discriminatin' on the beat.

He got less beef than a Taco Bell meal but he still keep it crunchy.

I once saw him rescue a litter of dumbass puppies who got caught up in a tree. They moms ran off so he breast fed 'em til they was big enough. They went on to star in all them Air Bud movies. And that's a true damn story, you can take it to the bank.

Around here, he's like a rap game tampon dispenser. Cuz you know he pull all the strings.

I ain't ever had to fight him, I mean I prolly wouldn't cuz - you seen his face? He's got a pretty-ass face. I mean, I know I could whoop his ass; I could whoop your ass, too, really I could get anyone here who needs a good ass-whoopin'. But what I'm sayin' here is, is, that I got too much damn RESPECT for him to ever do that.

But he know, and y'all know, and everybody know, you never cross that line with me. Never. Cuz I'm like a rap game pistol. I will shoot you.

If you want to use this as an addendum to what I sent you, I will in total seriousness say that I think he's a great guy. He's done a wonderful job of staying active and taking on a leadership role while leaving the fora to be largely self-governing. I think the landscape of this place would be a lot different in a bad way had he not stayed around all these years and so his achievement award is absolutely justified and well-earned.

Del Murder, a man, who Enforces a plan
To make Eyeson a home for the wayward.
When you see him you'll know, he's has great command
And they say he looks a bit like Ben Stiller
OooOooooOOOOOoooo he Enforces the members of Eyeson.

He works with the Staff, cutting the good from the chaff
He brings drive and sensibility to our table
For the community, he cares and often he bears
Disagreements and devotion to the old ways.

It makes BoB ponder.
It really makes BoB ponder.

If you're a nasty little eel he might make you keel
if you violate our rules egregiously.
But if you're having a laugh he's a reasonable chap
and he's liable to play your game better.

It makes BoB ponder.
It really makes BoB ponder.

You may think him obdurate, rigid, stern, or strict
but I'd have to advise you don't know trout.
In truth, Del takes pause for EoFFers loyal to the cause
He'll hear you out if you're not a douche.

If there's a spammer in your usernotes, from the early aughts
Perhaps it was Del and his old Brigade.
But that time has now passed by, and now, in the long run
Del's made his mark as a great leader

So BoB don't wonder.

Cause if you bring bulltrout to our forums, in case you don't know,
Del will ask you to knock it off.
If you continue your baloney, woe is you-oney
Enforcement will be your fate, you poor Jabroni.

AND AS YOU'RE THROWN IN THE BAN-HOLE
WITH USERS WORSE THAN YOU COULD KNOW
THERE STALKS DEL MURDER ON THE ROW
ENFORCING CHUMPS AND ALL BUTTHOLES
BUT HE HAS A HEART OF GOOOLD
AND IF YOU'RE GOOD AND YOU OBEY
THE RULES OF EYESON DAY TO DAY
HIS CHARMS WILL STAVE OFF HARM'S WAAAAAAAAeeYEA
SO IN HIS GRACES STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

As our Enforcer protects all of Eyeson

From my very first days on EoFF over a decade ago, Del Murder has always stood out as the most consistently witty, intelligent, and just plain interesting posters. I wasn't joking when I said that all his posts are like precious little jewels, because I really do feel like EoFF is elevated every time Del Murder posts, or contributes a rhyme or runs an event. From a behind the scenes perspective, I've personally seen how he approaches nearly everything to do with EoFF with a sense of fun and levity. Everything from his silly post-a-thread-in-every-forum venture, to his side adventures with Quina, to the April Fool's pranks, he's just added so much fun to the culture of EoFF. I think that some of his best attributes were showcased in the staff forum, where his levelheadedness combined with his penchant for mischief and fun could really shine. On a personal level, he is the very best person I know and I am a million times grateful for having gotten to know him as a friend through EoFF and then later exchange mountains of PMs as boyfriend/girlfriend, the little reign we had together as Cid's Knight & Admin, and now I get to call him my husband. That's pretty damn rad, if you ask me. Love you Del Murder. <3

Congratulations, Del. It is well-earned, and we all hope you continue to add to EoFF for a long time to come.

[Pike]

MURD

THIS IS IMPORTANT

THE REASON THEY'RE NOT QUOTING ANYTHING BY ME IS BECAUSE RAISTLIN STRAIGHT UP NEVER ASKED ME

I STILL LOVE YOU BRO

[Madame Adequate]

Yeah same bro Raist was just like "Whatever you're not good enough to talk about Tone" and

[Raistlin]

1. Daniel was the one who asked people to submit quotes, not me.

2. I don't think everyone on staff or who knows a person is ever told ahead of time. That would ruin the surprise! Only 6-10 people are told about it.

[Pike]

1. Daniel was the one who asked people to submit quotes, not me.

BOB

[Shauna]

Congrats guys, you deserve it. :3