I fInd it hard to believe in my heart that he meant to be cruel

This? Does not salve the wound. I was casually a fucking prick, I didn't mean to be a fucking prick, just switches around some of the qualifiers on what flavour of fucking prick he was.

The prickness is still up front and centre.

I don't think there's anything about this situation that would be fixed by revealing the public story (security by obscurity--gotta love it), but then again, there's honesty, and I quite like that. Even if it's a case of volunteering the info, instead of being asked.

I was speaking only for myself there. I'm sorry I failed to get that across. Good luck, everyone. Take care.

I'm speaking for myself as well, and I think this whole matter should have been allowed to die a long time ago. It's being touted as "the right thing" or "they deserve to know," but a lot of it sounds to me like a simple desire for revenge and "somebody got away with something!/someone is wrong on the internet!"

I don't think it deserves the amount of attention it receives.

For me, as horrible as this is going to sound, I guess if the story was out there, I'd feel some sort of closure and feel like I wasn't constantly biting my tongue when the Wiki comes up.

Because DAMN, I hate not saying, "BUT YOU KNOW THE BACKSTORY HERE, RIGHT? RIGHT? HAVE SOME ASSCAP CONTEXT!!!" And, also, feeling like he's managed to get away with Crimes of Doucheyness and come out ahead. Rubs my warped sense of fair the wrong way.

I was speaking only for myself there. I'm sorry I failed to get that across.

Cindy, I think you have some valuable things to say. While I am sort of in favor of spreadign the word about Gus, I also agree it's worthwhile examining (a) the point of doing so--what would it achieve? and (b) the possible consequences to us here.

In favor of spreading the word is our knowledge that Gus is a lying liar who lies: he cannot be relied upon to tell the truth, and that certainly colors my perception of what's going on over at TV Tropes right now. Do the Tropers know he's a complete fabulist? Would it affect their community and its decisions? I dunno.

But I know that my desire to share that information is more than a little tainted by malice: Gus fucked with us and never paid for it.

Additionally, what form would such an attempt take? Who would do it? How? What proof would be considered sufficient? Do we even have sufficient proof, given that some of it was found over on the TV Tropes site itself and might have been edited away by now.

And what if the Tropers take against us? To them, we're foreigners casting aspersions on their host/moderator. The might just pull together and turn on us, and there appear to be some very unpleasant people over there.

Cindy, I appreciate that you have forgiven Gus. Me, I guess I haven't, in part because he's never expressed any penitence: and even if he has, does that mean we pass up the opportunity to help another community that he might be taking advantage of? I don't know.

Because DAMN, I hate not saying, "BUT YOU KNOW THE BACKSTORY HERE, RIGHT? RIGHT? HAVE SOME ASSCAP CONTEXT!!!"

I have had multiple occasions IRL to relate the tale, when friends have asked me if I've ever heard of this TV Tropes thing.

That being said, I'm really on the fence about whether it's worth revealing the info in this case. My wound isn't particularly closed either, but I'm not sure outing the story will do anything about that, or about Gus/Fast Eddie being who he is.

Do we even have sufficient proof, given that some of it was found over on the TV Tropes site itself and might have been edited away by now.

I haven't really explored in depth, but I suspect this is probably the case.

And what if the Tropers take against us?

I really worry about this.

It appears that the Tropers also think there was a Gus who died. I'm not sure whether they'd turn on Fast Eddie or on us as the messenger.

What I want is an acknowledgement and an explanation, however lame.

I'm for tell the story and for approving subsequent registration.

While I am sort of in favor of spreadign the word about Gus, I also agree it's worthwhile examining (a) the point of doing so--what would it achieve? and (b) the possible consequences to us here.

I don't forgive Gus. I am blackhearted that way. However, while I generally think payback is a fine thing (see above, re: blackhearted), I also wonder what it would actually achieve (other than being an end unto itself) and worry that the possible consequences to us wouldn't be worth it.

I feel maybe more proprietary about this than I should, because in re-reading the whole ordeal, it is quite clear I led the charge. I did so willingly, but I did so willingly, only for the Buffistas. I didn't even do it to show up Guy Straley.

I twigged to Gus's fakery from the beginning. I bit my tongue for 3 or 4 years, because I saw nothing more than tall tales from an otherwise pleasant board presence. He was certainly more pleasant than I.

I knew Kimi's death announcement was bogus. I still held my tongue until dcp found concrete evidence that Gus posted on his wiki after death. Then I realized I couldn't let you all mourn and donate your grocery money for the sake of a lie.

But I don't want to be involved in a vengeance quest. I don't want the work I did and the tears I cried for you all, used to harm this person. I did it for one purpose only and that was finished more than five years ago.

I'm an archivist by nature, but right now, I'm seriously considering deleting all my posts from that discussion, because I want no part of this.