Today we join with other deviants in saluting the staff that keep this site functioning and growing.

deviantART is the most inclusive and largest art website in existence, bringing together artists from across the world and across almost all artistic disciplines to one central community. Millions of writers, photographers, street artists, painters, designers, tattooists, videographers, artisans - and all breeds of creative people in-between [besides musicians, we clearly don't want anything to do with their kind!]. From every walk of life and with every sort of perspective, mingling together in an environment that ideally is an open and supportive place for each of us to exchange our ideas and our art. That is a big deal, with a potential that should not be underestimated. And that environment is built, maintained, and improved by the staff's constant efforts.

There are almost no barriers to membership on this site, DA's openness is the reason there are so many people here. We do not have, for example; a test of artistic skill anyone needs to pass to be considered a worthy member of the site. You have some people brand new to art who have a long road of learning and training to walk still, on the same network as amazingly skilled and creative artists who have fully matured - that mix makes DA important because with the inspiration and support that the skilled can provide through example and commentary, the less skilled have an easier time becoming the next generation of amazing artists. It's important to remember that when looking at the less-then-excellent newbie art on this site, if you are skilled now then you were a newbie once too and your role now is to help raise others up, not look down on them. That's an example of how with openness and freedom comes some responsibility.

When we have openness, we also let in a lot of bad actors. There is no entrance test for who is going to conduct themselves in a positive way. Some people here sometimes use their energy in unproductive, negative, and generally bad behavior. Behavior which not only reflects badly on them, but on the community, and belittles the vast potential this site has. It's hard to understand why people whine and otherwise waste their time in a petty and vitriolic manner, maybe they have too much time to waste and a cynical perspective on the potential of this community. We are thinking specifically today of people that bash the staff when they are unhappy with some actions, instead of trying to engage in some sort of civil/constructive dialogue to get their concerns across. Showing a lack of respect for the work that the staff, many of which are unpaid volunteers, put into making this a good place to be.

Disrespectful behavior is not only directed at staff of course but to a lot of members on the site. And staff here are, after all, real people, real members of this place like you are. They are not soulless cogs of some corporate machine here only to give you a mud slinging target. Treat staff and other people here in the way you'd want to be treated in there place, that sort of good citizenship does not seem too much to ask. You don't have to stfu if you disagree with someone or something, but you should put forward your feedback in a respectful and constructive way if you really care about positive outcomes. But if all you are going to do is complain and not work for something better, then maybe you should consider shutting tfu after all.

It's probably unavoidable that you are going to have a few people in any large group who lack real interest in the greater whole or have little focus on working together. We are not trying to demonize anyone for their occasional bad behavior or habits, but are trying to point there is an obligation as a member of community to conduct yourself in a respectful way, and that is a responsibility which is often not lived up to. You have to think carefully about how you see the communities you are a part of, how best you behave within those communities, and how you spend your energy. I don't care if it's a real world or online community, if you have a real stake in it and care about making it better, you have a responsibility.

A lot of us that have been members of the site for many years have taken the responsibility of membership seriously, not as a member of a website but as a member of a community, and have put in work to become the positive growth we want to see. We put in years and lord knows how many hours of loving effort for a pretty simple reason, we believe in the potential of this place to give back to us and to give back to others as long as the community is constantly nurtured and supported, so we work at making that potential a reality. It's often through those efforts that we've formed the closest bonds to this site and most of the close friendships we have with other members. Many of those friendships are with current and former staff of this site, because they have the same faith in this place and work together towards the same goals. So we have a good idea what the workforce puts in to this place and how much they care about it, and we appreciate them and what they do for us all,

$spyed $mccann $chix0r $Moonbeam13 $fangedfem $FallenRox $spinegrinder $godofodd $trowlandson $Tachy-on $realitysquared $damphyr $y2jenn $ShadowOrexia $hexentanz $ewm $Stykera $20after4 $agorf $ArtBIT $chris $liquisoft $zilla774 $a-r $starvingartist $Dan14Lev $eStunt $hb $bionikdesign $jekor $kemayo $micahgoulart $MikeyLove $Morris88 $mudimba $pachunka $poopie2929 $randomduck $silvein $jeanpat $Waveswinger $SGonzalez $anna $gorillalure $eriemer $deanedwards $mhalpert $gzobel $lurso $juliepearson $Qulastro $hwetzler $mikea $evafleur $thechick14 $Katurian

^Katerina423 ^zerocomplex ^Ghouldaddy ^arachnid15 ^wynnesome ^RockstarVanity ^opioid ^estudio ^Helewidis ^dandelgrosso ^bQw ^kkart ^FaMz ^cosmosue ^JunkbyJen ^WilderWein77 ^Age2003 ^cmptrwhz ^Platinus ^Ikue ^lemontea ^ArhcamtIlnaad ^Jules1983 ^shebid ^joannastar ^archanN ^allhopeislost ^Grandchild ^mrrste ^Chimpantalones ^jbensch ^Pyrochan-dolls ^yingjunjiu ^stigmatattoo ^oilsoaked ^limnides ^snowmask ^Thebuild ^noxiousone ^Battledress ^StJoan ^lovetodeviate ^LadyLincoln ^Kaotika ^ElectrikPinkPirate ^kmdigital ^InpuUpUaut ^guruubii ^feawen ^misskittyoooo ^znow-white ^LawrenceDeDark ^Hanratty-Stock ^ArtisticAunJuli ^azarath ^Damaged927 ^skifi ^Katmomma ^Nicasus ^Myana ^Kitten-of-Woe ^NunoDias ^pinguino ^PurpelBlur

+ekud ¢cleanup ¢Deimus ¢elusive ¢Fikkoro ¢greatLP ¢keiross ¢mindfuckx ¢mynti ¢nyssi ¢Tola

@ananasjihad @anjules @Comrade-Kelly @diamond281 @FixMeKnow @homedoggieo @karyaazure @kyza @leaf-lover @lenawargo @Little-Vampire @martypunker @mykel @Narfmaster @OpalMist @p-u-r-i-n @quickdraw @rapidograph @realillusions @shuttermonkey @sine-out @Sting1 @summaro @Trapiki @Vayde @Xerces @XgAD @yashachan @youthculture


And to former staffers who in their time carried the load.

Sincerely,

"All the believers in this community and in our staff"

Sign names below.And spread this as far as we can.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~


If you would like to show your respect and support as well, we ask you to post a journal like this. What is it that makes you appreciate deviantART? Why do you care about this community? What makes you come here over and over again? And what are your hopes for the future? We ask you to tell staff how you respect their decisions, how you agree with something they did, but also how you disagree with something. Just be sure to let them know in a constructive and respectful way. Remember they are human beings, they have feelings like everyone else, and are giving their all to make this place the best it could possibly be.








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