Exclusive Webchat with Flowers for Jack Protagonists

SPOnG: so you are both in school right now? What is each of you studying?
George: She's got a major. I'm... taking... stuff.
Alyson: Yeah... the turmoil’s of being a Criminal Justice major....
Alyson: lol
George: she's got goals, at least.
George: I said 'screw being a film student' and am trying to just take what sounds interesting.
SPOnG: people have to do stuff... criminal justice is a good open field... any particular long-term plans for that, lawyer? cop? detective? batman?
Alyson: State Trooper
George: Ooh. Batman.
George: I'm Batman.
George: ...no, no, I'm not.
George: that was a lie
Alyson: I'm moving down to the desert to take an internship in 2012
Alyson: ...after my army contract is up
SPOnG: What’s your specialty in the army?
Alyson: I'm a musician... I play in the 338th Det. 1 Army Band
Alyson: But I specialize in Land Navigation in PLDC
SPOnG: So, what sorts of games do both of you like to play? System preferences?
George: Metal Gear.
George: All the way.
Alyson: RESIDENT EVILLLLLL!!!!!
Alyson: w00t!
George: Its true, she got me nuts about Resident Evil
George: We're gamers to the end. We've got our tats, brutha.
George: Alyson and I are the sorts that trade off the controller in 6-hour RE marathons.
SPOnG: really? like what?
George: The day I beat Snake Eater I wanted a FOXHOUND tattoo.
George: And damn it, I went and got it.
SPOnG: So on to the topic at hand, could you give us a little background as to how this whole thing got started?
Alyson: We were having dinner and an interesting conversation had come up... The initial idea was to send pizzas from all over the country to his house...
Alyson: and then we thought that would be bad and illegal
George: Shows gamer unity, though!
George: but, yeah, uh, bad.
SPOnG: tough to deliver fresh though
Alyson: Sooo... I suggested the flowers... nice and legal..
Alyson: like a gift from the gamers
George: At first it was funny.
George: But we both realized it could really, really be done.
Alyson: But then, it was good
Alyson: So, we started a LJ account and opened a PayPal donation Account
SPOnG: so, kind of started as a joke then actually?
Alyson: Yes
George: As in, it’s not a threat.
George: Its silly.
George: He has a sense of humor.
Alyson: Kind of... I hear...lol
George: Well.
George: We've seen it.
George: He didn't show it today...
Alyson: I don't think he actually expected the flowers to arrive
Alyson: I think he thought it was a bluff
George: You may be right.
George: Read his joystiq comments, I think he was having fun.
SPOnG: I like to think he has a good sense of humor... else his game design idea kind of scares me a bit.... so how long was it, roughly, from concept to delivery?
George: It started two weeks ago Saturday.
Alyson: yep
George: the... 21st.
George: We ate at Bennigan's, came up with flowers, started the blog.
George: Busy day.
SPOnG: pretty fast turn around, what was the grand total you guys collected?
George: 1049.99 in four and a half days, I think. We already had 900 or so at the end of day 3, when 'official' donations stopped.
SPOnG: very impressive, always good to see a community coming together behind a worthy cause
Alyson: Yes!!
George: With the way the community came together we NEEDED it to be worthy.
Alyson: That was the initial point... Unity
George: Yeah. We hoped for a few dozen good-natured gamers.
Alyson: That's how we got so many names on our list
George: It was dozens immediately. Hundreds by the end.
George: It got really serious, really fast.
SPOnG: so aside from the flowers, what else did you send him.
George: The letter. That's honestly the meat of it.
Alyson: Yes
George: The message was fun and simple when we thought we'd have one bouquet of flowers.
SPOnG: I read over it, its a very nicely composed question/response, did one of you handle that or was it a collaboration?
Alyson: it was mostly George
George: I wrote it and ran it past everybody.
George: We were afraid of publicity, but by then Jack already knew something was afoot.
George: So I tried to get community input wherever I could.
Alyson: We mostly just made friends only posts
SPOnG: seems he would have better things to do some times....
Alyson: Yeah... than badger gamers on GAMING communities
George: Ha... its unsure if he ever actually FOUND FFJ...
George: His response on Gamepolitics boggled both our minds.
Alyson: Yes
George: Saying that Joystiq did all this?
George: and Take Two made them do it?
Alyson: LMAO
George: I was so confused.
SPOnG: I have read a lot of his writing on the matter and I know some of the things he purports to support are actually pretty worth while... were you at all hopeful that he would take you seriously?
George: I... was, actually. A lot. Too much.
George: Alyson... knew better.
Alyson: exactly... you can't change a fool's mind
George: I really thought we'd hear something coherent... although hurtful... from him.
George: It's true we'll never change his mind. His opinions on the industry are always going to be like that.
George: But 'civility' was in my head the whole time.
Alyson: Yep
George: I thought he'd be a lot more... dignified than this.
George: The Take Two/Joystiq Grand Conspiracy was funny, yes, but also very, very depressing.
George: He didn't read the letter.
Alyson: And the fact that he couldn't find us was just hilarious
George: Actually, yes.
George: That was.
Alyson: If you google flowers for jack... we're the first site
SPOnG: A lot of people feel he has no opinions and rather prefers to just keep him self in the limelight... would you say you subscribe to that group now?
George: ...I don't even know anymore.
George: Like I said, I'm too flaky and optimistic still.
George: Alyson will give you reality.
Alyson: I think he just wants to make us mad enough that we'll slip up... then he'll be all over us
Alyson: like the kid in Houston
George: He was actually excited about that.
George: Houston Kid had it coming to him. That behaviour is ridiculous.
Alyson: He makes general analysis from individual case studies...
Alyson: yeah
George: Heh. That's the single-sentence Jack biography.
SPOnG: now that this has kind of crashed and burned a bit, do you have any future plans in relation to Mr. Thompson or do you think you will focus your community efforts elsewhere?
George: Well, I don't know if it crashed and burned.
George: The community came together.
George: The letter is going around.
George: We WANT to get contact with him, at least once.
George: This brought together unique people, Gamers who support realistic activism and respect.
Alyson: Jack has acknowledged us, so that's a start
George: Like Alyson said, deep down that was something we've wanted for a loooong time.
George: I'm almost done trying with him. Now that the community has gained momentum, I think the two of us have our own interests branching out from this.
Alyson: I'm probably going to go back to my schoolwork and work... I've put my priorities off long enough
George: Oh GOD yes.
George: Two weeks of insomnia and horrible, horrible academics.
George: I want to see a community work towards gamer respect, though.
George: I'll try to devote some time to it.
SPOnG: So now that you have taken on pixelante nation, what plans do you have for it, when you aren't in batman training that is?
Alyson: lol...
George: Pixelante Nation is a very vague, but potent idea.
George: It’s easier for me to be ambitious about it since I have such nonexistent career goals, admittedly...
George: But I've enjoyed writing for this.
George: And I've seen and heard some amazing things from many different kinds of people.
SPOnG: do you have any volunteers to help manage the site while your studying? Do you intend to give some control over to the community to develop it or do you think it should remain more controlled and focused?
George: Well, it’s only a few days old. It was built by “GamerAndy.com” and they're helping me run it. I'm really just a figurehead right now. They're holding it together ;-)
George: But a lot of the faithful from FFJ have taken a liking to it.
George: It’s a silly place right now, but these are people that supported a very simple but serious ideal.
Alyson: Yep
George: I want to see those people take on other things in the name of gamer unity and respect.
George: Jack is just about over.
SPOnG: Well I look forward to seeing how this develops; I’m sure a lot of people would be interested in a good activist gamer site.
George: He gave us this community and some attention, and that's good.
George: (not to mention $500 for Child's Play! Thanks, Jack!)
Alyson: whoo hooo
SPOnG: so not all the money went into flowers? How did you decide how to divide it up?
Alyson: We closed donations for flowers at about 650 and opened them for Child's Play
George: Yeah. We wanted 500 or 600 for flowers. That was already plenty. Alyson found a good scheme of arrangements to make it all add up perfectly.
SPOnG: have you had any contact from the PA guys in regards to this? I know they have had some of their own issues with him in the past.
Alyson: not yet
George: We want to hear from PA.
George: Really, we do.
SPOnG: are donations still coming in?
George: No, we sealed them off for good after five days.
George: No links still exist.
SPOnG: Well I’d like to thank you both for taking the time to talk to us about your interesting endeavors.
SPOnG: is their anything you’d like to say to your fellow Jack Thompson fans or to Mr. Thompson himself? (I’m sure he'll read this, he has nothing else to do)
George: Hmmm.
George: I guess we all owe him one for being a point to rally the community.
Alyson: I'd like to say, "Thanks for giving the gaming community a reason to unite".
George: haha. Please note we both wrote those at identical times.
George: We're both on the same page with this one.
SPOnG: well said and timed. Unity is the point after all.
George: Indeed.
George: Any culture needs a good villain to give it focus
George: from focus comes identity.
Alyson: yep
George: and hooray, we are "pixelantes."
Alyson: .....
Alyson: yeah
George: such a dumb word. I love it.
George: She doesn't agree :-(
SPOnG: individuality is important also ;-)
George: If we get offended by it, then his definition wins.
SPOnG: Well keep fighting the good fight and be sure to let us know when the next grand world-changing scheme is hatched!
Alyson: ok
George: oh yeah. Thanks for your time.
Alyson: yes, thank you very much for the interview
SPOnG: my pleasure, happy to do our part to spread the word.