Small Lady: The most important piece of advice that I give new reviewing groups is that, "When it no longer is fun, then you shouldn't be doing it anymore." And like most people who give advice, I often ignore my own. Running The Small Lady is no longer fun for me, so I'm closing it down. I have tried many things to keep the site and myself going, but nothing has worked. I can't give a 100% percent of myself anymore, and it would not be fair to anyone, to myself, my interns, or my visitors, if they were getting half-effort. You deserve full effort and I can't provide it at this time. It's been quite the adventure for the past two years and I learned a great deal from it. I have no regrets. I don't know what I plan to do right now other than a vacation. I may return in the future, I probably will not. I can't promise anything. The Help Desk is being handed over to the AQ to take care of. I still plan to visit occasionally, though I probably will not be posting...we shall see. Thank you to everyone who helped me launch the Help Desk off of the ground. And the last words... Setsuna-Puu: This announcement has shocked me. I feel I've not lived up to what I would have liked to become for this project, but I still felt a bit of sadness when I heard the news. I always took it for granted that I was a part of this thing, this really neat thing that some people can't pull off, and now it's going to disappear. I'd like to stay a part of it, somehow. The Help Desk is staying open, so I do believe I will become more frequent to visiting there. It also puts in to perspective the other projects I want to work on, and getting them into order, and ending everything else I've been hanging in limbo.I want to thank the Small Lady for everything she's taught me both in reviewing and real life. I am ever grateful for her, and I don't think I ever really thanked her for being my friend. Thank you, and goodnight. Small Lady: I do have special people that I would like to thank: Setsuna-Puu for her hard work and friendship. Don't put yourself down: I learned as much from you as you both did from me. If you decide to continue reviewing on your own, you always have my support. To the new intern: I only hired you on Monday and already you're out of work...I am sorry. But thank you for what you have done for me so far. If you decide to review on your own as well, I shall assist you in any way I can. The RPG Busters for their friendship and support, especially through the dark spots in my life. You all know how I feel about you. Evil Hotaru, Evil Teddy Bear and the rest of their evil staff for making me sleep at night with my eyes open. CereCere for tolerating me and my questions about life as a reviewer. Also, to the rest of the Quartet for their help with the Desk and their support. The Quartet is getting the WPR List to take care of; I know they will do a great job with it. Artemis: Thank you. Good luck with your plans! Lastly: anyone who has given me advice and feedback, and who has shown their support. I even thank the three people that flamed me. In over two years of reviewing, I received only three flames. I thought that feat in itself was amazing: when I first started the Small Lady, I expected to be showered in flames the first week. And I have no hard feelings over the flames I did receive. I can still be reached at the_small_lady@angelfire.com, by IM at Spore Review, and by ICQ at 63915917. I am still willing to help anyone who needs assistance, or even if they would just like to chat. I'm taking a break from the web for a while first. That's all I have to say...well, I have one more thing. I started The Small Lady with the premise of being helpful to the Sailormoon Community. When I first started (1998), it was the days when reviewing groups were few in number, and the attitudes, both of the WPRs and of the public towards these groups, were harsher. I have always tried to adopt a kinder and gentler outlook towards reviewing. Even in the worst scenarios, I always presented myself in this fashion, regardless if it meant holding my own tongue and not saying something that I really felt was merited. It was my job to help websites out, and not to use my site as the weapon to vent how I felt. Well, as of several paragraphs ago, I'm no longer a reviewer. So I am speaking my mind about something. This is probably going to ruffle a lot of feathers and make me the target of anger in a couple of places, and I do not care. Zoi and Nightdragon Reviews...I have read Tomoe's e-mail to Nightdragon Reviews that Zoi has posted on the website, and I fully agree with every word that Tomoe said. The only thing that NDR have proven themselves to be is a pompous and poorly done parody that does not choose to be original, but uses a misguided "worship" of the Busters as their excuse for harassing the Busters and ripping them off. Tomoe was not lying when he told NDR that they ruined many of their events as well as our joint one that we had been planning. And I will focus on that joint project since it directly involves me: If it was meant for NDR to get involved in the Pure Heart Crystal presentation, then I would have done what I have done with every single other participant in the event: I would have contacted NDR and asked if they would like to participate. I did not write them. I did not invite them. They took it upon themselves to get involved without my consent and ruin many weeks of hard work and planning...and then they have the gall to state in their forum that I should have contacted them if I _didn't_ want them to participate. After they were rude enough to assume that it was all right for them to do so. You see, just because I put it on my page doesn't mean that it's an open invitation for NDR or anyone to interfere...isn't that right, Jae? Would you like it if I went to your site and start using your game characters and your writing samples in little dramas on my website without your consent, and just presuming that it was all right for me to do so? I mean after all, if you didn't want it used you wouldn't put it on your site, right...you wouldn't like it? I didn't think so. Why do you think that I am exempt from such courtesies then? I dare you or anyone from NDR to have the courage to write me directly and explain that to me. I bet no one ever will. I also feel that NDR is responsible for the Busters closing. And I do not believe the contrite act: I have no doubt that they were fully aware of every single thing they did. What is sad is that NDR could make themselves into something good if they try. My advice to NDR, which is as unsolicited as their interference in our Pure Heart Crystal plans were to me, is to drop the wanna-be Buster act and try originality. Do things that are your own, instead of imitating someone else. Then maybe more people would take you seriously instead of treating NDR as a joke. And to be honest, I can't say that I take anything you say, including Zoi's "apology" seriously, which, by the way, you can consider it as not accepted at this time. You've done nothing to merit my forgiveness. To everyone, take care and best wishes. The Small Lady |
