Seeing the Forest through the Trees

Over the past twenty-four hours, our corporation leadership made a decision which was a bit rash.

Some background - New Jovian Exploration Department has advertised itself as a corporation for teaching pilots in EVE about exploration and wormholes.  We specifically advertise that we are open to brand new members joining the corporation.  This core principle of the corporation is one which I as the CEO overlooked during a conversation with the other director over the weekend.

Recently, A Band Apart. (-ABA-) had war declared upon us by The Bastards.  There was a call to arms by our executor Rixx Javix and specifically a request for all pilots of the alliance to make their way to Ishomilken to defend the alliance and seek out the war targets for combat.

I put out a notice to the corporation that we should all make our way there, and many pilots have made appearances in the system over the course of the war so far.  However, we in the leadership have noticed that the presence of NJED members in the system is not at the same levels in comparison to the other corporations in the alliance.  However, there is a reason for this.

The feedback among corporation members is that they have made themselves available and unfortunately the war targets are either not online when we are, or they will not undock from the station.  So, our corporation members are left spinning ships in the station themselves.  I myself have elected to undock ships and to go searching pvp opportunities in low sec, but I have failed to stick with one of the core concepts of our corporation - "you can do what you want, when you want, where you want".

All of our corporation members are fully in support of this war and participating in the defense of ABA.  What they are not fully in support of is to go searching low sec looking for neutral pilots to engage, where you will incur a security hit as well as possible get a kill right.  Most of our members navigate high security space in times when there is no war, so to mandate that they participate in low sec pvp is not an issue.

Unfortunately, I and the other director of the corporation tied overall participation with low sec pvp together.  I did not seek feedback from corporation members on the war and their involvement so far.  And, I developed a negative opinion of members who did not stay in Ishomilken with me and go seeking pvp in low sec.  For this, I regret my opinions and my subsequent actions.

You see, we currently reside in a C2 wormhole with static exits to high security space and C1 holes.  Many members have enjoyed living in this hole as it has allowed the ability to get your feet wet in wormholes, but also constantly provides the ability to exit into high sec (except for when we get a lame high sec on an Aridia island).  With us recently joining ABA, we now will be cohabitating with another corporation in a C4 wormhole.  We felt we could maintain 2 holes and not have any issues.  However, the perceived lack of participation by corporation members in our war along with the logistical challenges of maintaining 2 holes led me to make a decision to close down the C2 hole.

As you may be able to ascertain, that decision was met with some very informed opinions on the war in general, our decision to close the C2 and some of the basic core concepts behind NJED.  It was pointed out most clearly by Zilzin:

"Also as a last note: Im pretty sure many (newbro) members joined with exploration in mind.  They dont have much SP and experience yet, and they sure didn't sign up for pvp.  You can't just expect them to forfeit usual activities, and join pvp, otherwise they get punished."

It was at this time that I saw the general tide of opinions coming into our forum thread announcing the closure of the C2.  I realized that I had failed to see the forest through the trees.  We have prided ourselves on being a certain type of corporation, and we have allied ourselves with a like-minded alliance which shares many of the same core principles.  I acted rashly and did not fully understand that our members have made efforts only to sit in a station and spin ships.  I also unilaterally decided to close a hole that less than a week earlier we had ensured the membership would remain open.

For this, I am sorry.  It takes a lot to realize that you have made a mistake AND to admit to the mistake and own up to it.

I have attempted to reverse course on the decisions which were made over the weekend and to get myself and our corporation back onto course.  We will still be participating in the war and attempting to keep the name of ABA and NJED in a positive light.  But, I cannot punish members of our corporation for not being in Ishomilken when the war targets are either not online or will not undock.

I suppose, you could say that this goes back to the content with Nashh stated that The Bastards would be providing.  Unfortunately, that content has been lackluster at best and has lef our members wanting.  So, as explorers, when you are left without the ability to fight in the war, what do you do?  You go exploring.

I now can say that I have seen the forest through the trees.