Eve Online is a shared narrative that has lasted for over two decades now. You can be someone who has experienced that narrative since the beginning, or someone who jumped into the pool somewhere along the way. But eventually you will become exposed to some threads that might confuse you or make you wonder about the history of this shared narrative. Because the Eve narrative is horribly complex, multi-faceted, and full of meta gaming, in-game, and out of game perspectives that can often get tangled up and regurgitated as fact.
I spend time during our roams answering questions and telling stories of Eve history as I know it. I enjoy that and I think it is important for newer players to hear them, often from someone who was there or who experienced them first hand. But even I have to admit that my telling of these narratives, to various degrees, is only from my own perspective. And that can often be a rather limited perspective, depending on the story. But I freely admit to those limitations.
Some people are not so self-aware. For example, there are a few people here and there that believe I am a scammer and that somehow I once scammed the Eve community. These people often pop up on Reddit or a Discord thread as if they know what they are talking about. But they don't. They use "facts" that have become confused by years and years of re-telling and myth, as if they are fresh facts that everyone knows for the truth. But they aren't. I've never scammed anyone in my entire life, much less here in this community that I value so highly. I do sometimes, but only in-game, ransom pods or do other nefarious acts as a Pirate. That is true. And sometimes those two worlds do get confusing for some people. Especially a few people in a very specific group of Eve players. But they have their own agendas and perpetuating un-truths serve a purpose for them.
They are trying to build a narrative about me. To serve their own purpose. This, at least, is something I can understand. Someone donates a Hel to me, which I can't fly, and I give it back is a boring story. But what if I somehow scammed that Hel? Then that is a much more compelling story. And one I can't easily counter. This is how that works. And, as long as it stays in-game, they are free to do whatever they want. I think it's weird that I take up so much of their head space, our play styles rarely cross. But to each their own.
Years and years ago the Eve community helped me when I needed help. They did so voluntarily and I was extremely appreciative. I shared evidence of their help and assistance with them. And everyone was fine with it. Except certain people, who at the time had meta and in-game reasons to be upset with me, and those people DOX'd me (twice) over on Reddit. My personal information, bank information, social security information, everything was exposed. And my wife's. Luckily several Reddit Mods acted quickly to bring that information down for us. (Thank you) But since then a new narrative has been created around those facts that somehow puts me in the center of them.
Now I will be the first person to admit that, back then, I did not always respond in a positive manner to being outed publicly. I suspect most of you reading this might not do so well in that situation either. But I have apologized many times for my own actions during that extremely stressful time. I'm certainly not perfect. But I am also not a scammer.
It reminds us all that we are all human beings. And deserving of consideration. Narratives are being created every single day inside and outside of Eve Online. Sometimes those are true and sometimes they are - if not lies - then bent in one person or another's favor. It is important to remember this. And to treat each other as fairly as we can. Outside of the game we are all players.
My own record speaks for itself.
Onward & Upward.