Why the outpouring for Powazek?
Derek Powazek one of the founders of JPG magazine recently posted an article on his website detailing the resons for his recent departure from the publication. Derek and his wife Heather Champ started the magazine as a small labour of love and it quickly grew into something much larger. The reaction to Derek’s post has been quick and intense with a swell of support and sympathy all of which may well be deserved however there’s been virtually no response from the other party involved in the matter - Paul Cloutier ; save a brief post by his wife.
Having read Derek’s post there is certainly a feeling that there was some naivete on his part but beyond that there was a picture painted of an innocent who simply had his creation taken from him. Again this could very well be the complete truth but there’s yet to be any kind of real response from Cloutier. In his wife’s post she states that the reason there will be no response from Paul is that, “It’s not going to get any of us anywhere. I think he’s been the target of enough insults this week, and detailed posts will only continue this.” Not sure how well this sort of response plays frankly, but that seems to be the end of things as far as the Cloutier camp is concerened.
What’s interesting about all of this is the community’s response. There seems to have been a mass grieving for Powazek and Champ with very little to go on. One has to imagine this is mostly due to Cloutier being pretty much faceless while Powazek and Champ are an internet power couple.
As the full story gets out, it is clear that Derek is more than a little arrogant and full of himself. He should stop talking about this publicly; he’s making a fool of himself.
The outpouring of support for Derek is not because he wrote a good blog entry, it’s because he has literally been the heart and soul of the a *community* service. People participate in JPG not just to get a photo printed, but to be part of a happy thriving community of like-minded people. If their inspiration has been shown the door, of course they are going to show an outpouring.
Communication and community are not a commodity you simply buy or hire to add to a website. It’s really quite a special thing. And when it gets f*cked with people get hurt.
hello-
thanks for linking to me, (after this i’m going to have to start blogging more often!) athough i didn’t say we wouldn’t hear anything from paul, what i said is that you won’t get a post that goes into too many details, because that is not productive, and fingerpointing isn’t his style.
in fact, late last night paul did post in the flickr jpg group. go on over and check it out. also, a number of other people involved, specifically employees of 8020 have spent a lot of the last day chiming in as well.
-alana
@ Ted: We’re huge fans of JPG and think Derek and Heather have done a fantastic job of brining it to where it is today. There’s no disputing the thriving community you mention and it’s only right and proper that members of that community would want some answers when the founders are no longer associated with that community. All we’re asking is why has everyone been so quick to accept without question the one side of the story presented? Perhaps it’s because Derek has fostered a level of trust which prompts this. If so, fair enough but reading his first account of events we were left feeling there was more going on here. It’s understandble that the community feels hurt by all this which is further evidence that it deserves to hear a more detailed account from Paul.
@ Alana: We appreciate that Paul’s not interested in finger pointing, but a little more insight would serve the community well - if not himself.
I do not know if I should comment; this is about the 6th or 7th blog I’ve read about this story… not to mention most of the comments on flickr… Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised by the number of people that are upset… But I am!
I’m quite surprised by the reaction. Do people really believe that Derek and Heather started an altruistic community for artists? And further, because Derek is no longer a participant, that the community will be destroyed by a money grubbing corporation?
If people really believe that, I wish them well on the planet they live; it’s not the same planet I live on. Why do I say that?
Well, let’s get down to the brass tacks… JPGMag.com has always been and will always be about using other people’s egos to get cheap content to generate cash for the creators/editors. It’s a new spin on an old concept (e.g. Who’s Who in America, poetry.com, etc.). And I applaud Derek and Paul. It’s brilliant concept; wish I would have thought of it first.
So if anyone believes JPGMag.com was started to be a benefit to the “community” in an altruistic, philanthropic sense, you’re just fooling yourself.
And yes, I do participate, and submit photos and spend way too much time on both JPGmag.com and flickr.com; but I’m not fooled that either is in any way a charitable, benevolent society for artists; and neither should any one else.