I originally didn't intend to do a post in regards to last week's events since I felt that I would be beating a dead horse, but I felt the need to address an issue with the community at large. It's my understanding that all of the decisions concerning Jeff's dismissal from the editorial staff were made by CNet executives, or more specifically, Josh Larson.
This shady character, my friends, is the man who is primarily to blame for this mess.
Why am I bringing this up? Because if we, as a community, are going to do anything positive about the current situation, it helps to know where the source of the problem is. Otherwise, we risk destroying everything that we value about this site. I'm talking about the writers who we've become familiar with and the friends that we've made here over the years. In the midst of all the hubbub, we've turned innocent people into victims. They're all paying for the mistakes of one guy, who is probably hamming it up at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco right now sipping glasses of 1787 Chateau d'Yquem and enjoying fine cigars handwrapped with all of the angry letters from people who have unsubscribed.
Maybe I'm overexaggerating, but have you seen a statement from this guy yet? Well, I've seen plenty from the writers of both CNet and GameSpot and it's not even their fault that Jeff was fired in the first place. So why are the wrong people being targeted? Because a huge chunk of the gaming community turned into an ugly mob. Yes, it started with good intentions and I acted in support of Jeff by showing solidarity, but as they say, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Just so we're clear, I am just as much at fault. I got swept up in all of the ruckus and succumbed to the reactionary windstorm as well.
Now that I've mulled it over though, I don't even blame Eidos for this debacle, because what they did was actually nothing new. Videogame review sites get pressure from companies all the time for various different reasons. Remember what Sony did to Kotaku? Hell, I worked for a small website called GamerNode and even there, we faced that type of problem. Of course, this being something of a normal occurrence in the industry doesn't make it right, but ultimately, it was Josh Larson's choice to compromise the integrity of everyone involved. He mortgaged the future of this site for cash and now he's off scott free while everyone else has to pick up the pieces and weather the storm. Meanwhile, members are leaving in droves while others are busy pointing their fingers everywhere. Some people are exploiting the situation in order to disguise their hatred of GameSpot as self-righteous outrage. In any case, the outcome won't be good if it continues on this path. We need to show our support for those who are being unfairly blamed and send our complaints en-masse towards that luxurious corner office where Josh Larson sits. To those who've been around the site for a while and are disgusted with what's happened, I implore you; stay and make a difference if it really means that much to you. Don't leave. Don't lash out blindly. Repress that urge to become part of a destructive force. It may sound corny, but when it comes down to it, it is essentially you, the user, who has made GameSpot what it is. What happens from here on out, whether the site succeeds or folds, is dictated by your actions.
If I come off as a douchebag, I apologize. This entry was certainly not directed towards everybody in the community. However, most of what I've mentioned is consistent with the reactions of many people on this site and outside (Digg, GT, 1up, Kotaku, Destructoid). I also urge you to click the links that I've highlighted, particularly the second one as it perfectly illustrates my point.
Comments
now i know who we should lynch who wants to join me
I'm actually not against the idea of halting payment and I never said I was. If you decide to unsubscribe, then by all means, do so. I think it's a great way to grab the attention of the higher ups at CNet. However, I feel that actually leaving the site and going elsewhere hurts the staff here and it damages the community. We're being flooded with people from outside who are only here to spam the forums about the situation. They don't care about journalistic integrity or Jeff. They just want to see the site go down.
With many good users leaving, it'll be very difficult to make any positive changes if there aren't enough people who are willing to stick around and support the cause. Stay as a free user and, at the very least, show that you have faith in the writers who work here.
Exactly. To be more specific though:
Suits @ Cnet = Bad
Dudes @ Gamespot & CNet = Good!
But canceling your subscriptions is a GOOD thing, it really is one way to show the management you are serious, while still remaining at the site if you want to.
Another, is by never clicking on any ads, or visiting other CNET sites. (Not that anyone ever clicks those anyway... i know i havnt in my entire time here, except by accident, or to get rid of the annoying flash ads)
I absolutely agree with you. I even mentioned this in my reply to Ectomorph earlier.
. Either way, you're totally right. But I'm not sure if we should put so much hate. "Hate is baggage" as a kid at the end of American History X said. We should focus rather on helping Jeff with his farewell, finding out the exact reason for his departure (since the Eidos and CNET don't seem to related as said by Hotspot crew), and building back Gamespot's cred on the streets! 
PS: All this arguing about Jeff leaving made miss Rich for some reason
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Ectomorph
While GameSpot is indeed composed to a large extent of high-quality user content, the core of the site that actually provides such services is insincere. Users have a right to "leave in droves" if they choose not to be part of a corrupt endeavour. This is the only power vested in them for showing outrage and initiating change.