I say responds in quotations, because he hasn't truly responded, at least on his own. Instead, he's chosen to simply copy-paste a giant ad hominem wall of text written and posted in his blog comments by some other person. That's fine, I love reading! I also love picking apart giant posts and pointing out all the idiotic logical fallacies, pointless personal attacks and irrelevant strawman arguments. Here we go! Derek Smart - "Having said all I wanted to say about this, I have nothing further to add. However, someone else has responded to you in my blog. You should probably read it. Just in case you can't access the blog (you have been blocked there, following your infantile outbursts which was caught during moderation of the comments)" Full disclosure - I submitted three comments to Derek Smart's blog. The first comment was pretty much a word-for-word copy-paste of my first reply to Derek's original response to this petition. The second post delved a bit further into his statement where I pointed out a few more problems with his response. The third comment was a very polite, rational and absolutely un-infantile block of questions where I inquired about his claims of evidence against CIG, for the most part. Had he actually replied to this post, it would have enlightened everybody to Derek's cause and reasoning. I had hoped that his claim to allow rational, un-insulting, non-bullying posts to me made on his blog, but of course the coward chose to never publish the comment, respond to it, and then banned me from his blog (oh noooo! :( ) Yes, that's right Derek, you are a coward. I didn't even ask for you to show us all your "evidence", I merely asked for you to provide more information that would show that you have a legitimate cause for your actions. You have always avoided these inquiries from others from the past, and even now, when revealing more of this supposed evidence, you still choose to ignore and talk down to us and call us the illogical ones. What are you afraid of? Why not simultaneously prove that your cause is righteous as well as convince a lot of us to support you instead of standing against you? Is it because you don't actually have any ground to stand on whatsoever? Is your "evidence" so shaky that any sane person would laugh in your face once you showed it to them? Does it even exist at all? Anyhow, since you've chosen to let somebody else fight your battle for you, I'll address that post and be done with it. (All text in quotations from this point forward is direct quotations from a third party post which Derek copy-pasted as his reply) - "You made a petition and got almost 1000 signatures. Congratulations. Your parents must be very impressed. Give yourself a cookie. I’m sure the PotUS will jump right this very important issue of global importance." Ooh, one sentence in and I can already tell this is going to be a hilarious read! Yes, I did make a petition, and currently it's marching toward 2,000 signatures. It actually is pretty impressive, considering I basically did nothing to promote it, so all signers thus far have perpetuated it themselves as a grassroots petition. Not bad, guys! I haven't told my parents about this petition because they have no idea what Star Citizen is or who Derek Smart is and would probably look at me funny if I blurted out that it's reached nearly 2,000 signatures. And yes, I would like a cookie! Feel free to shoot me an email or something and I'll let you know where you can stick that cookie. - "Meanwhile, marijuana is now legal in 23 states (plus DC). This is because the pot petitioners got a tad more than 1000 signatures for their cause. This creates rather obvious evidence that our nation’s stoners are more rational, organized, motivated and effective than you are." Cool story, bro! It's pretty cool that you consider the Star Citizen fandom to be as large as the group of people who support legalizing marijuana! However, I am sad to inform you that this petition has only garnered ~2,000 signatures thus far for the following reasons: 1) The marijuana legalization supporters have been pushing their cause for longer than you or I have been alive. They've had a lot of time to get to the point that they're at currently. 2) The marijuana supporter base is vastly larger than the Star Citizen fanbase, most likely by at least several dozens of millions of people in the US alone. The last I checked, Star Citizen supporter numbers were nowhere near that large, unless maybe CIG had some crazy new ship sale last night that I'm not yet aware of. 3) You're right - the nation's stoners probably *are* more organized, motivated and effective than I have been with this petition, what with me barely lifting a finger to create it or publicize it. I haven't even spent any money on lobbyists! I bet we'd have at *least* 4,000 signatures by now if I weren't so damn lazy, don't you think? 4) Oh yeah, the most important point - your point is utterly irrelevant as the point of this petition was never to gain a huge amount of signatures. It was created to publicly address Derek Smart, and perhaps somehow convince him that maybe he isn't entirely as brilliant and righteous as he thinks himself to be. I know that second goal was a pipe dream, but the first goal was definitely successful. - "You accuse Mr.Smart of being an attention whore (a point that I won’t contest, by the way) but the reality is that you are, too. The fact that your petition exists in the first place proves it." Aaaactually, I never have addressed Mr. Smart as being an attention whore. Let me fix that now - Mr. Smart, you're the most attention-lusting of all whores. I disagree that I am an attention whore, however. Unlike Mr. Smart, who has a long, long career of being a very public attention whore, I have practically no experience in that field whatsoever. What's more, I specifically chose to stick with an anonymous face rather than push my ugly mug and name in every little nook and cranny I could find, unlike a certain relevant Executive Producer we're both familiar with. - "1) He actually has some experience with programming and video game design, and I’ve yet to hear your credentials on the issue. Now if Mr.Roberts himself wants to enter the fray, by all means break out the popcorn: That’s would be an argument worthy of pay-per-view. Yours, however, is not – you are not qualified for such a level of debate." Oh boy, I love this type of strawman argument! I bet you also think that food critics aren't qualified for their jobs because they can't cook amazing meals themselves, movie critics aren't qualified because they can't produce blockbuster films, and nobody better dare criticize a game's flaws if they can't sit down and build a game development company and produce amazing games themselves. But wait! Even if I am disqualified, I know somebody who IS definitely qualified and has already politely told Derek Smart that he has shit for brains - Chris Roberts! Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's made successful games in the past. Dare I say he is even more qualified than Dr. Derek Smart? Yes, I dare. Unfortunately, Chris Roberts has a public face to maintain and a large company to keep on track and he doesn't have time to debate tools like Derek Smart when he has better things to be doing, like making a game. In fact, I'm stunned that Derek Smart bothered to reply to this petition at all! I'm pretty sure he ALSO has a game to be making, and by his own admission, is definitely going to be a Star Citizen killer which has all the same features of SC and more; the only thing that Star Citizen does better than Derek Smart's game is the graphics fidelity, apparently. But yet again, what does this have to do with anything, exactly? I don't believe the ability to program and design video games was ever a factor in the original debate, so please stop trying to take things off track. - "He’s more effective at it… usually. Though he has yet to learn the axiom “The greatest insult one can inflict upon an enemy is to be ignored” when he does defend himself by (predictably) attacking his attacker he will, at least, cite numerous references, use real life examples, and not shy away from technical speak (which is something he knows) if need be. While you both do demonstrate a high level of vocabulary & writing style, you seem to be only propped up by sheer passion, which is hardly a substitute for real substance." You are absolutely correct! I will humbly admit that Derek Smart has years and years more experience at arguing with people online, and it definitely shows. The problem with Derek is that he doesn't only attack his attackers, he attacks everybody that isn't a yesman, all the while claiming that he doesn't do this. And yes, he tends to put some effort into references and examples (or at least has one of his many assistants or lawyers do it for him). Believe me when I say that I was originally planning on directly citing many of his past statements to back up this petition, but in the end I decided that it wouldn't make any difference whatsoever in his eyes, which were the only eyes that mattered at all. I'm sure it would have made my arguments much stronger in the eyes of everybody else, but I'm not seeking the approval of anybody. So yes, you are right in this case. - "Yes, Mr.Smart has his faults (Narcissism easily floats to the top of that list) but ignorance of the subject matter is definitely not one of them. He knows his material, he does his homework and he knows what he’s talking about. You, and your ilk, seem to be suffering from an all-too-common problem of our modern age: The inability to separate an opinion of character from a person’s actions or credentials." I would want to agree with you here but I just can't do it. Derek Smart has shown time and again that he has an extremely outdated way of thinking and a huge problem with coming to terms that things he claims are impossible are definitely possible and have been done before. What's more, even the things that he claims are impossible, he then turns around and boasts about all of his past and current games feature these impossible things. He has done this many times now! What's more, he has also shown a high level of ignorance about Star Citizen, repeatedly referring to something out of context or obviously completely misunderstanding what it is he is waving as proof that Star Citizen is a sham. I could cite many examples of this foolishness, but it'd be a waste of time for me, as you've either already read all of these things he's said and are blind to the errors he's made, or you haven't read them at all and simply don't know what you're talking about while you raise him on a pedestal and criticize me. You say I have an inability to separate a person's actions from his credentials. I feel like you don't know very much about Derek's public credentials. In short, and in my own and many, many other peoples' stated opinions, his games are terrible wrecks. But don't take my word for it - go check out his supposed Star Citizen killer of a game he's working on right now (or should be, rather than arguing with nobodies like myself online). Go play some of his past games and then come back to me and let me hear you praise his abilities. I'll wait here. - "You do not have to like someone to respect their ability or accomplishments. Your opinion of a person does not change their actual IQ, nor does it validate or invalidate their claims. You don’t like Derek Smart. Fine, you’re entitled to your opinion." As I said before, you'd be right that I don't have to like somebody in order to respect their abilities and/or accomplishments. I don't have this problem at all. I simply don't find Derek Smart's accomplishments or abilities to be all that noteworthy. I'm sure if I were so inclined, I could go learn how to build games and crap something out that would be at least as good as the game he's currently working on. And of course my personal opinion doesn't change somebodies IQ...what kind of thing is that to even say? It makes no sense. I never claimed Mr. Smart to be mentally dull. Indeed, he's clearly pretty damned smart if he's managed to secure his current status in life, all the while just putting out junk games and being an enormously egotistical, detestable and condescending jackass online to friends and foes alike. That's actually his only accomplishment that I am indeed impressed by. - "However, your little “anti-fan club” idea to give yourself 15 minutes of fame is only going to make you look vapid unless you can support it with something a little more substantial than your personal opinions." This again? I thought we were actually having a relatively level-headed discussion. This has nothing at all to do with "15 minutes of fame". It's all about letting Derek Smart know that there are a lot more of us that are against his meddling than there are in support of it. I know that 2,000 people isn't an enormous number, but coming out of an already small group of people relative to the total number of backers both active and inactive alike, it's not bad. He claims to have over 5,000 people in some database that are in support of him. As you said yourself, though, "unless he can support it with something a little more substantial than your personal opinions" he is just going to look vapid and stupid. Derek Smart has still failed to produce any credible evidence of CIG's supposed mishandling of funds, secret side projects, mysterious marriages, mansions, conniving schemes, etc. Therefore, everything he's been saying for the past two months is literally his personal opinion, nothing more, nothing less. Now please, tell me again that I am any more vapid or stupid than Derek Smart is. - "And what if you do get your wonderful 2500 signatures? What then?" What happens when we reach 2500 signatures? I dunno - I never set any sort of signature goal, that is actually a completely automated goal that Change.org sets in increments. The original petition goal began at 100 signatures, then 200, then 500, etc. So when it hits 2500 signatures, it'll probably bump up to a 3000 or 5000 signature goal. So yes, what then? Nothing of importance, why do you ask? - "What will that accomplish other than giving you that warm fuzzy feeling of the hollow, fleeting attention of internet kiddies? Will it change anything? Will it somehow increase the SC development timeline? Will it make Mr.Roberts come by your house and pose with you for a selfie? Will it make Mr.Smart abandon his own blog and become completely silent & complacent with your worldview?" I don't even know how to respond to this one, heh. You're very bad at trying to insult me, I can tell you that. You're barking up the wrong tree yet again. I could not care less about any "warm fuzzy feelings" or attention from "internet kiddies". Why do you think these things matter to me in the slightest? What exactly am I gaining from whatever weird obsessions it is you're foisting onto my own character? No, it won't change the SC development timeline. What kind of idiotic question is that? No, it won't change anything - Derek Smart's head is too far up his own ass for anyone or anything to stop his crusade, as he's said himself. I'm not an idiot - I knew from the get-go that this petition wouldn't stop Derek, or even make him think twice about his frequent hypocritical actions and statements. That was never the goal (although if those things happened, it would have been fantastic!). The goal was to make some noise to let Derek and others know that he isn't the righteous and valiant person he is painting himself to be, and that a lot of us are tired of his childish and baseless attacks on something that he has no relation to. He has made some valid points about CIG, although none of which plenty of people haven't already stated for the past couple years, so he's nothing special in that regard. My, and others', issue with Derek is his as-of-yet completely unsupported and unproven slanderous claims against CIG and its employees. He absolutely refuses to provide any proof and ignores or belittles those who ask him why, deflecting their questions by screaming about "White Knights and Black Knights" and other idiotic things that ten year olds like to fantasize about. - "The reality is your petition has less impact on reality than a single paper “Earth Day” flyer left on the front fence of a DOW Chemical factory on a rainy day." Yes, I am well aware of that. The only thing that could presumably fix Derek Smart's utter inability to get over his own self would be some pretty damned powerful medications. Thank you for agreeing with me on this point. - "The reality is that if you were to actually print out all 1000 signatures of your petition and mailed them all to Mr.Smart the only thing you would accomplish in doing so would be ensuring that he would not have to buy any more toilet paper for a very long time." Considering 1,000 signatures could easily fit onto a couple sheets of standard 8.5"x11" paper, are you implying that Derek Smart pretty much never wipes his ass? Gross... - "Yet a part of me thinks that you already know that and you just don’t care because, golly, right now people are paying attention to you, and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?" I don't care that Derek Smart apparently wipes his ass only once every couple years because people are paying attention to me? What? You've lost me, bud... - "Also, look up 'Post-Purchase Rationalization'" Oh yes, you got me! It's all about me simply trying to rationalize my decision to financially back a game I'd like to see made! It's definitely that and absolutely has nothing to do with Derek Smart's ridiculous antics whatsoever. So what you're saying is that anybody who hasn't pledged a dime to CIG and has a complete and total understanding of every facet of knowledge regarding Star Citizen, CIG and Derek Smart, they'd see Derek as a totally rational, normal human being? Mind. Blown.