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Change of staff, Releases and some other explanations screenshot
I want to apologize for bringing this to your attention, but certain events that made some members very worried, force me give an official explanation of what is going on.

In short: Everything is great and will be even better

But if that is not satisfactory enough for you, then below i will be explaining things such as:
why Catalyst got demoted;
is tyranny over?
who is responsible;
what's going on at AudioZ;
rumors regarding scene releases.

As much as i'd like to this post won't be brief, so before i begin i want to clear something out:
I am the only owner and creator of AudioZ and AudioSEX;
I am responsible for everything that's happening on both projects;
I am the only person that can give official statements related to these web-sites,
and if you don't believe to what i say, please don't bother arguing as i'm only doing this in interests of my members.

1. Why Catalyst has been demoted from Moderators to Residents.
History: Catalyst has been assigned as a general moderator at AudioSEX forum by me, later on he complained about trash-talks in comments at AudioZ and asked me to become a mod there as well.
His official status at AudioZ was "moderator responsible for polite-correctness in comments". In regards to AudioZ he was not officially responsible for anything else and did not have the rights to manage anything but comments.
At AudioSEX forum, with time he became my right hand and his official status was "Vice-Administrator" with general responsibilities to support and moderate the forum.

Reasons for his demotion in short: we could not reach an agreement in AudioZ policy regarding members management.

For about a year I have been receiving multiple reports regarding tyranny created by Catalyst on both projects;
I did knew that he sometimes were obsessed with the power i gave him, but tried to ignore the few complaints i have received in the beginning.

Lately i was pretty confident that my moderators were doing good job and i could afford to concentrate on new projects for musicians. I wasn't always fully aware of what's going on in comments and were relaying on words of those responsible for that part of the site.
However, somewhere around august 2015 Catalyst's behavior raised my suspicions (mildly put).
Ever since the beginning of our relationship he wanted to make my projects private allowing access only to chosen people, which was completely against my beliefs about free internet.
He misguided me into limiting the forum registration and give him control over accounts approval, because as he said forum got flooded with bad people and spam;
I was highly against those limits because i myself wouldn't want to become a member of my own forum anymore; which forced me to move forum engine from IPB to XenForo, set word filters and multiple spam protection tools to be assured that nothing of that kind can be repeated again and AudioSEX could once again be free for everybody.

Despite all that, i kept hearing complaints from Catalyst who demanded to set the limits once again, only now it sounded rather paranoid because there were clearly no reason for such critical measures.

I began to moderate both projects once again to understand what is going on and what makes Catalyst so paranoid. I've integrated even more spam filters to both AudioZ and AudioSEX, making it almost impossible to register an account using so called "1-minute-email";

Many times i've asked him not to remove anything before i see it, or in worst case make screenshots to show me the proof of at least some of those horrible things that he described, but he continued.

At the end of august 2015 i had to order him to temporarily step out of his duties at AudioZ so i could take situation back under control, but what i saw then was a lot more horrible than what he misguided me into.

Change of staff, Releases and some other explanations screenshot Change of staff, Releases and some other explanations screenshot Change of staff, Releases and some other explanations screenshot
The only negativity that i saw in comments were coming from Catalyst himself.
Diving deeper into this shit i've come to realize that he was actually sabotaging my own projects:
  • turning members against each other, the scene and release groups,

  • spreading unconfirmed rumors about releases and the scene, acting like Noah, the only one who can speak to God,

  • creating virtual "social layers" among members - personally chosen by him users that supposedly received some benefits at AudioZ or from him personally:
    Change of staff, Releases and some other explanations screenshot
    btw, he never did sent me his comments

  • inability to solve problems with members any other way but banning, which brought a lot of problems to AudioZ and AudioSEX like Ddos attacs, spam and flood attacts (involving self-made pictures of crap) and many negative impressions to my members,

  • dictatorship and tyranny resulting in many members who disagreed with him being banned and removed;
    just last week i was completely astonished when he complained to me on a newly assigned moderator at AudioSEX for downrating his one comment. he removed that downrating using his moderator abilities because in his understanding moderator cannot show a sign of disagreement with him.......

  • he used his status at AudioZ to get to the scene and because i forwarded my suppliers to Catalyst, he used supplies dedicated exclusively to AudioZ to form his own team. Later after, he would limit access to new releases, and after that he would only share among the people from his "virtual social layer"...
    once again - releases made from supplies of our members that only supposed to be shared free for everyone here, at AudioZ...

  • he took credit for my work. because i trusted him with writing reports about the work that has been done.
    he twisted words so it would look like he is the one who's doing everything, while in reality 98% of the work was done by me. you can see it in almost every report that he made (1, 2).
    not only he lied to the public, he misguided his close friends into thinking that he is responsible for anything more than what he was assigned for:
    Change of staff, Releases and some other explanations screenshot
    there were so many lies... did you know he's not even a musician? nor he's an epic master reverse engineer.


I have demoted Catalyst at AudioZ a few days ago and today i found out that he's conspiring my members at AudioSEX to move to another forum with him, so i had to demote him at AudioSEX as well, although we were still in the process of discussing how to make it work.

I would like to end this story with one of many complaints that i have received from affected members:
Change of staff, Releases and some other explanations screenshot

Like i said to Catalyst in one of my last letters to him, the worst thing for me is that in the end i can't really blame anyone but myself, because it is only my fault that i've blindly trusted him with my own children and this shame will be on my shoulders.


I know it's late, but still i would like to sincerely apologize before all who suffered from Catalyst's actions. I will learn my lesson and try to never repeat the same mistake again. So i hope you can give AudioZ another chance as i were always inspired by individualists and doors of AudioZ are opened for you.
It's never too late to apologize (c) V, from "V for Vendetta"


What's Next
- Everything
no more tyranny, no more hatred in comments, no more false rumors nor social layers. Rules are one and they are the same for everybody, and you can feel safe as long as you follow them


Rumors Related to Scene Releases
Rumors spread by Catalyst regarding scene and R2R releases are false. In a few days I will get an official statement and will update you if i find out anything new, but for now the only official information that R2R wanted to share with us has been in the .nfo file to one of their latest release,
and it said that for some time they will be releasing most of the stuff internally.

However, right now you can put R2R keyword into the search field and see that there have been fresh releases just a few days ago.

When i found out about it I asked PiRAT to make a post with R2R Encryptor The Suppliers Tools to support R2R with some fresh supplies.
on the way, these tools have already been posted two times at AudioZ and both times taken down by Catalyst...


Also reminding that if you want to support AudioZ you can supply your stuff to me directly or to PiRAT. It will be cleaned, prepared and posted under your name, absolutely free for everyone, Exclusively at AudioZ


P.S. I know there will be many, many comments to this post and i will not be able to reply all of them, so i want you to remember that i have a lot of work to do and i will not get into arguments - if you don't believe me, it is your choice and you are free to express it as long as you act within our rules.

Also, you might find it interesting to read related comments in this post. Most questions have already been answered there. Thanks Rico88 for help

I also want to say sincere thank you to all the people that trusted me on this and remained objective. I respect you enormously

comments

  Administrator 1.01.2004 300 1120
+20774
And by using this chance i would like to say hello to Catalyst's friend Hardlock who says he's from Team BEAT (unconfirmed), for sending an abuse to AudioZ:

 screenshot
 screenshot

I hope your friends from the scene will see this

UPD @ october 7, 2015: Hardlock contacted me and said that he obviously didn't do it.
As much as i would love to believe him, i will leave this comment for now, but with one note: Theoretically it is possible that someone would know his email address and register a very similar one to send an abuse and frame Hardlock.
In my understanding, chances for that are very low, but i would like to read your opinion.
  Resident 2.11.2013 79
+15
wow thats lower than low ..... and actually just proves what they were like if they cant have it nobody will
Life is just an Illusion.....
  Banned 16.05.2010 364
+157
even worse, I can't believe I see him over on the chat on AudioSex. This bum has no shame showing up for anything around here. Really, just no shame at all.

Total lowlife.
"It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken"
  Resident 11.05.2011 172
+4
You must be Catalyst...or Hy2ro maybe? Your post made me chuckle though, thanks

PS: you kind of contradicted yourself with that last comment about Catalyst, thought you should know.
Keep it simple
  Banned 8.11.2014 8 2704
+1194
the Comment has been Removed
greetings to the good people & always monster thank you to all release groups and people

and pls :
don't forget to SPAY AND/OR NEUTER YOUR PETS!!!
  Member 6.10.2015 1
0
I'm new here but I use this website since 2011. Never registered but always used it. I own a lot to AUDIOZ but it's very hard to believe in all of this. Sorry but I don't byte it. Will this make me stop using Audioz? No. But time passes by and I always regret to come here.

All this exposure is not good for two reasons:


[ 1 ]
First off he drama. Jeeezzzz so much drama in this website that one always asks if this is even real? For what? I have alot of access in alot of websites, from private to public. Possibly (i'm not a convinced person) I have more access than most of you, excluding horsemen (hats off to him by the way, for being an exemplar releaser/poster/contributor. After so many years coming here he his the ONLY one here that has the word I would ever trust. With all other users I always catch something that leaves a bad smell)...

... and in all those websites doesn't have any of this drama. I repeat none of them has even a small of fraction of all this drama.


[ 2 ]
I never thought you SAINT/PIRAT would ever do something like this. Saint I'm sorry if I'm offending you, really. But I always took you up there right aside horsemen, as an intelligent person. All this drama (the drama again) coming from you is very desapointing.

If this is like you're saying, you should had a direct talk with the responsible persons, try to understand what and why has happened. Waiting for someone coming to speak with you is not always the answer. Sometimes we need to go after the answer ourselves.

I really think you should indeed make a post explaining the situations but you should expose the situation like a grand, intelligent and superior person if you were like that. You could simply exposed something like this: "I had disagreements with Cat so he has been removed from the duty, and everything will go back to normal or whatever..."

Ranting, exposing, humiliating like this in public only makes you in the same level in my point of view, if not lower (my sincere point of view with respect of course, we are here to speak our minds aren't we?). Statements like "he doesn't even produce" makes no sense. Do you have any music Saint (it's a rhetoric question I know the answer)? Some of you top contributors doesn't compose music do you know that? I know. Right now Cat is being the smartest person in all of this because he is not fomenting any of this drama himself. It will be hard for me to have back the old image I had from you. Sorry.


[ My conclusion ]

I read a lot of the comments in AudioZ since 2011 (later not so much since I started to use audioforum) but one thing I'm sure Saint, Cat liked you alot. He defended you alot and he helped alot of persons here for the better or for the worse.

Did he acted extremelly desapointing sometimes? FUCK YES! But that comes with the job man and even if I was always in the corner, and didn't liked alot of what he said or did, it always make sense for me later on.

I strongly believe it was always with good intention to make the place he wanted this to be. I think he didn't want to be a nazi like all of you say, he just wanted people to follow rules and when you see kids that are here for two years and start provoking with little things everyday like not following rules, he had to do something.

This post is being talked in alot of places (other forums) and if it's a stratgic move like some say, or if it's real, it shouldn't be like this.

Like Einstein said: "It's all relative..."

This website it's stopping to be an audio related website and any of you aren't seeing it. So in my last sentence here I leave my advise for all you people: We are here for the music not the rest.
  Resident 24.02.2014 190
+61
Meaning no disrespect (and understanding all of your points), we could cut everything else out, and bring it all down to this:
" I strongly believe it was always with good intention to make the place he wanted this to be."
- It was never his site to make 'the way he wanted it to be.'
Few know me, but I've been around a long time.
You know, there is a protocol: if one wishes to make a site as HE wishes it to be, he should start his own site, and be responsible for all of the many headaches that come with it.
BUT if you agree to work for someone else, then above all else, his loyalty should be to the site holder (owner):
1st loyalty: Site operator.
2nd loyalty: carry out the wishes of that person - no more, no less (unless you have discussed it first).
3rd: if this is happening honestly, the site will be fine.
It seems to me, that Catalyst had every chance to talk to Saint about his authority and position, but knowing the answer would be "NO," he took matters into his own hands. This will always create chaos, and if Catalyst couldn't see this, then he should not have chosen to go his own way, regardless of Saint's KNOWN philosophy and wishes.
Catalyst had the responsibility to ask permissions from Saint, not the other way around.
- As to public drama: Public DAMAGE has been done, and hurt us, the end-users, for reasons we did not understand.
So PUBLIC, transparent and open corrections should be made, with no attempts to hide anything.
I appreciate Saint's decision to do this.
This had gone WAY too far to be a "private matter."
_ A dysfunctional family sometimes needs an intervention, to see who is playing the "triangulation" game, and manipulating family members to act against each other, for whatever Machiavellian reasons they have.
My hope for Catalyst is that he will start his own, exclusive, private, invitation-by-Catalyst-only, dues paying, tightly controlled site. It would be interesting to see where the dream goes. Some dreams have a tendency to turn into nightmares, when suddenly you really ARE the only one in charge.
But to attempt to run someone else's site your own way, even when they have TOLD YOU NOT TO?
I don't usually say anything, but I've been around a long time, on many sites, and I hope Audioz can reclaim its former status.
This kind if back-stabbing, social-layer creating, internal sabotage has taken down nearly all of my favorite sites, over the decades.
And on a side note, any of you who've been in bands over decades will see this as a very familiar pattern:
these are the SAME behaviors and personality traits that split bands into pieces, and no one wins as it all collapses. Ego. Pride. Vanity. Self-interest. Struggles for control.
On stage, one member's instrument gets louder, and louder, until to be heard, others try to turn it up - and the result: garbage-in, garbage-out.
Or one member disagrees on song structure, chord changes, etc., and having all others say it just doesn't work, does it anyway.
Result: discordance, confusion and a terribly-performing band.
This situation is NO DIFFERENT.
We must see this as musicians, working together, or a wonderful site will be lost, and scattered to the winds.
Sorry to have stepped on anyone's toes - it's just my opinion.
Peace, brothers and sisters, and openness in our communications .
If it can be fixed, these are the only things that WILL fix it.
Good luck, Saint.
And much love and respect for Scene members, up-loaders, administrators who keep an even temper, and all of this little community of people just trying to keep up with musical tools - and either wish to try them, or simply are too poor to EVER buy them.
[and yes, I know the age of this thread - I've just been holding these comments in] .
I love and thank you all.
Just my 2 cents.
Just one in 7 billion. Here and gone.
  Resident 15.10.2013 3 256
+130
Seriously Hardlock? Wow.
Thank you for all your hard work. I appreciate it.
  Resident 24.05.2015 5 411
+927

"DCMA will be informed as well"???

beware, the Defense Contract Management Agency is after us now.
mining bacon for pixie...
...746 days a year!
  Resident 7.02.2013 190
+39
What a RAT!!!!!!! Scum! I knew he had something to do with R2R, feeding them lies, and taking down the supplier tool twice is beyond lame.
Our Blades Are Sharp!
  Resident 2.08.2015 695
+327
Rico88 was right in the little snitch thread... truly a sore loser. Lame. I bet he isn't who he says he is.
  Banned 16.05.2010 364
+157
thank you, much appreciated.
"It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken"
  Resident 2.11.2013 79
+15
Saint if this is true why have you not deleted his account from AudioSex too.... he is on there now protesting his innocence ... I don't believe u would have posted this unless you where 100% sure ... but then the question still remains what is he dong on Audiosex still ?
Life is just an Illusion.....
  Administrator 1.01.2004 300 1120
+20774
he is a member at AudioSEX as well as here. he haven't directly violated the rules to get his account deleted or banned,
i feel bad enough for being forced to write all this. i hope i won't be forced to in addition ban him

like i said in the post, i do believe that this shame is on my shoulders.
  Resident 2.11.2013 79
+15
But if hardlock did do this he should not have the privilege of using any of your site ? by the way he was on audiosex last night proclaiming his innocence...
Life is just an Illusion.....
  Administrator 1.01.2004 300 1120
+20774
quote by EvilEdBut if hardlock did do this he should not have the privilege of using any of your site ?

i'm sorry, i was talking about Catalyst Hardlock asked for his account to be removed at AudioZ and i followed his request.

quote by EvilEdby the way he was on audiosex last night proclaiming his innocence...

well, he has full right for that. i honestly would want to believe that it wasn't him, but the evidence is too obvious
  Resident 16.06.2013 466
+86
ah well ...we're only human right? ( some of us that is.... )

you can't always control a sick and selfish ego, and they are always
on the prowl for their advantage

it just reflects on them... hey, we believe US !
a 1 ... and a 3 ... and a ching chong potato
  Resident 24.02.2014 190
+61
To be a decent person, struggling to maintain your composure, honesty and philosophy, in a world that does not understand such things, and is often skeptical that these traits are real, is like being a Lion caretaker: you love the animal, but at any time his true nature may assert itself and bite you.
This seems to be what has happened. Shame and blame don't matter, at all - only dressing your wounds, and changing your way of handling the lion, or moving it somewhere where it can't hurt you, will fix what's wrong.
Just hold steady in your principles, your faith in yourself, and your determination to re-capture your dream, and you will be fine.
Sometimes, however, as a side note, SAiNT, it is necessary to put a muzzle on the lion.
There is no shame. You are one of the fairest site Admins/owners I have ever seen. Just don't let that be your downfall. The real world, outside those noble principles, is often breathtakingly brutal, twisted and self-serving, and some will use those qualities against you, even to the point of trying to destroy you and your dreams - through others, by proxy, or directly by their own actions.
Watch around you 360 degrees, and do not be afraid to be abruptly brutal, and final.
Just words of advice from an old man who has been around - and around...and around, in many endeavors, and thinks much the way you seem to.
Respect, love, and the best of
Just one in 7 billion. Here and gone.
  Resident 2.08.2015 695
+327
I just noticed the email adresses don't match. One is gfx2104 the other is gfx2103. What's the deal here?
  Resident 2.11.2013 79
+15
yea thats what he pointed out last night ...
Life is just an Illusion.....
  Administrator 1.01.2004 300 1120
+20774
quote by lpu2nI just noticed the email adresses don't match. One is gfx2104 the other is gfx2103. What's the deal here?

the point is that there is no way anyone would know the exact email Hardlock registered at AudioZ, to register a very similar one to frame him. I mean, think about it...
  Resident 2.08.2015 695
+327
Alright, thanks for clarifying
  Resident 31.01.2015 7 91
+191
wow man I had no idea that catylist was like that..thanks for this it was informative and I hope that all the problems you have been having cease.I REALLY enjoy AudioZ. Ever since I found out about AudioZ it has been the # 1 website that I visit.I will try to contribute even more .
  Member 1.02.2014 130
+22
WOW!!! I'm Lost for words.
  Banned 13.05.2011 801 3875
+23571
Thanks for your statement SAINT.
I can understand your concerns about the staff and your site(s). In the end it's your sites and you have to decide how you want them to be. It's not an easy game to find very good moderators and so often they change their attitudes. Not everything Catalyst tried to impose with "brute force" was liked by me (especially his opinions about *Hex-comparing* R2R-releases) but when he talked about making the site more private, better protected, I found it useful. However, I had a lot of fun during my years as contributor. Take care.
  Member 3.10.2015 4
+1
I remember you.
Something is coming soon...
  Banned 5.10.2015 3
-2
the Comment has been Removed
  Resident 24.02.2014 190
+61
I remember you, Kookaboo! (and I think from some other place as well, a long time ago). Thank you for your contributions. Come back!
The water temperature is improving - you can feel it.
Just one in 7 billion. Here and gone.
  Resident 14.04.2014 162
+125
Can I become your new Vice-admin?? LOL
  Administrator 1.01.2004 300 1120
+20774
anything is possible if you want it badly
"unpossibile possibilis est"

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