Conq
Guest
Dear XPOFF community,
A little more than year ago, I departed from XPOFF. I had just moved to Washington, D.C. in an effort to kickstart a career in esports. I was strapped for cash and was made an offer that I could not refuse. The money went directly to my rent. I was upset at the time at having having to sell the site. Over time, my regret only increased.
When I first moved here I thought I knew it all. I quickly learned that was far from true. Going head-first into the industry, I was once again a novice, tripping over my own feet like a fool. But a lot can happen in a year and while I still don't know everything, I do know a lot more about things like organizational management, sponsorships, public relations, business development and marketing. This past year has been such a wild ride.
As I was learning and growing and taking on new projects, I felt something eating me inside. It was the feeling of regret at having abandoned the community that served as a launchpad for everything that I’m doing today. I started twinking when I was just 13-years-old. I’m 26 now. I’ve watched this community grow - starting long before Blizzard ever offered us an ‘XP off’ option. For awhile I tried to deny my regret; I told myself silly things to try to make myself believe I was happy to move on, but that wasn't the case - no matter how much I wanted to believe it. I've kept in contact with some great friends from XPOFF, so in a way a piece of it was always with me. When I heard folks tell me they missed me, I was at first shocked. That rapidly turned into a sense of duty, but also a sense of failure: failure because I had sacrificed a long term effort of mine and others for short-term gain. I let the community down by leaving with so much more to be done.
Today, that changes. As of last night, I have officially re-acquired my ownership of XPOFF.
You all know me. I have very high expectations for myself and the projects I take on. I exceeded what I set out to achieve this past year - beyond my wildest imagination. As a result, this has put me in a much stronger position to provide XPOFF with the tender loving care it deserves.
I want to thank @Ripduck for keeping the website safe while I was away.
Now let's get down to business.
I have a thriving career in esports: as a consultant and in working on a revolutionary esports tech startup that has piqued the interest of investors. This means that XPOFF as a vessel for the community’s growth and my long term goal of fostering thriving esports communities will intersect.
I have relationships with most of the top gaming publishers and I can leverage those to everyone's benefit. However, this means that some things will be changing here. Things that violate blizzards ToS will have to go, as will certain abusive behaviors that are detrimental to the community overall.
Before there was XPOFF, there was TwinkInfo. That was at a time when Blizzard was more hostile to our community. Over the years, Blizzard has made generous concessions including providing the ‘XP off’ option and transmogrification. While we have not always gotten our way, the ‘XP off’ option has created a more competitive environment, which I think is what we all ultimately were looking for.
Being a twink on Azeroth is much different from what it used to be. For that reason, I believe it is time for XPOFF to get with the times.
I hope you can all understand and happily join me on this adventure as I work to push us forward and reach greater heights.
Once @Ripduck approached me, asking if I would be willing to buy back the site, I immediately started thinking about all the cool things I could do now - things that I couldn't before: sponsorships, rapid and effective website upgrades, regular tournaments with prize pools, growth enhancement initiatives, press coverage, giveaways and more.
I'm essentially working four jobs at the moment and I wouldn't have it any other way. So I am incredibly busy. My direct messages will be turned off and you will not be able to reach me through Discord or other means. As such, we are seeking more moderators who are proven to be respectful and respected in the community. We are not seeking admins or developers.
Some updates we can look forward to happening:
There is more in the works that I do not want to disclose until I've finalized things with potential partners and sponsors. Keep your eyes peeled!
I also want to make a few other commitments:
If you have any questions or suggestions, please reply with them here. I cannot promise that they will be implemented, nor can I promise a response from me. But I will read them, give them ample time and consideration, and act accordingly.
I want to also personally thank each and every one of you for sticking by this community for so many years, through the ups and the downs. I hope that you will all join me in bringing our community up to par with modern standards in esports and gaming.
Lastly, I am incredibly happy and humbled to be back and I look forward to seeing a lot more of you guys!
Thank you for your support. I promise I will do everything I can to help XPOFF and its community live up to the potential it has always had.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Rubinstein
A little more than year ago, I departed from XPOFF. I had just moved to Washington, D.C. in an effort to kickstart a career in esports. I was strapped for cash and was made an offer that I could not refuse. The money went directly to my rent. I was upset at the time at having having to sell the site. Over time, my regret only increased.
When I first moved here I thought I knew it all. I quickly learned that was far from true. Going head-first into the industry, I was once again a novice, tripping over my own feet like a fool. But a lot can happen in a year and while I still don't know everything, I do know a lot more about things like organizational management, sponsorships, public relations, business development and marketing. This past year has been such a wild ride.
As I was learning and growing and taking on new projects, I felt something eating me inside. It was the feeling of regret at having abandoned the community that served as a launchpad for everything that I’m doing today. I started twinking when I was just 13-years-old. I’m 26 now. I’ve watched this community grow - starting long before Blizzard ever offered us an ‘XP off’ option. For awhile I tried to deny my regret; I told myself silly things to try to make myself believe I was happy to move on, but that wasn't the case - no matter how much I wanted to believe it. I've kept in contact with some great friends from XPOFF, so in a way a piece of it was always with me. When I heard folks tell me they missed me, I was at first shocked. That rapidly turned into a sense of duty, but also a sense of failure: failure because I had sacrificed a long term effort of mine and others for short-term gain. I let the community down by leaving with so much more to be done.
Today, that changes. As of last night, I have officially re-acquired my ownership of XPOFF.
You all know me. I have very high expectations for myself and the projects I take on. I exceeded what I set out to achieve this past year - beyond my wildest imagination. As a result, this has put me in a much stronger position to provide XPOFF with the tender loving care it deserves.
I want to thank @Ripduck for keeping the website safe while I was away.
Now let's get down to business.
I have a thriving career in esports: as a consultant and in working on a revolutionary esports tech startup that has piqued the interest of investors. This means that XPOFF as a vessel for the community’s growth and my long term goal of fostering thriving esports communities will intersect.
I have relationships with most of the top gaming publishers and I can leverage those to everyone's benefit. However, this means that some things will be changing here. Things that violate blizzards ToS will have to go, as will certain abusive behaviors that are detrimental to the community overall.
Before there was XPOFF, there was TwinkInfo. That was at a time when Blizzard was more hostile to our community. Over the years, Blizzard has made generous concessions including providing the ‘XP off’ option and transmogrification. While we have not always gotten our way, the ‘XP off’ option has created a more competitive environment, which I think is what we all ultimately were looking for.
Being a twink on Azeroth is much different from what it used to be. For that reason, I believe it is time for XPOFF to get with the times.
I hope you can all understand and happily join me on this adventure as I work to push us forward and reach greater heights.
Once @Ripduck approached me, asking if I would be willing to buy back the site, I immediately started thinking about all the cool things I could do now - things that I couldn't before: sponsorships, rapid and effective website upgrades, regular tournaments with prize pools, growth enhancement initiatives, press coverage, giveaways and more.
I'm essentially working four jobs at the moment and I wouldn't have it any other way. So I am incredibly busy. My direct messages will be turned off and you will not be able to reach me through Discord or other means. As such, we are seeking more moderators who are proven to be respectful and respected in the community. We are not seeking admins or developers.
Some updates we can look forward to happening:
- Upgrade to Xenforo 2 and a new theme.
- XPOFFStats Two and a new arena ladder.
- Partnered streamer program where top and up-and-coming streamers can get paid to stream and grow their brands with our support.
- Better marketing initiatives to drive new traffic to our community.
- Esports style Wargame nights with $50-100 prize pools.
- In-game item giveaways from the GG19 vault.
There is more in the works that I do not want to disclose until I've finalized things with potential partners and sponsors. Keep your eyes peeled!
I also want to make a few other commitments:
- I will not, at any time, add anything to the site that is not related to XPOFF’s original purpose or related to the community. This includes endgame content and other games.
- I will do my best to make you guys happy and hear out your concerns. I know I can't please everybody, but it is my goal to ensure a healthy, happy, and thriving community.
- I will not be using ad serving platforms to generate revenue such as Google adsense.
- I will not ever sell XPOFF to someone who is not a strong participant in our community. The keys will remain in the hands of a capable insider who has proven dedication to our community’s growth.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please reply with them here. I cannot promise that they will be implemented, nor can I promise a response from me. But I will read them, give them ample time and consideration, and act accordingly.
I want to also personally thank each and every one of you for sticking by this community for so many years, through the ups and the downs. I hope that you will all join me in bringing our community up to par with modern standards in esports and gaming.
Lastly, I am incredibly happy and humbled to be back and I look forward to seeing a lot more of you guys!
Thank you for your support. I promise I will do everything I can to help XPOFF and its community live up to the potential it has always had.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Rubinstein
