Are you still Professor? See my last post and be warned.

[DaytonGymLeader]

The first thing we'll do, let's kill all the lawyers.

- no malicious intent, just some degree of levity

Yes it could be taken that way, but this being a non-official communication channel, it should NOT be taken that way. Resignation from a program such as this should be in writing (snail mail not email, as I see W9's in all our futures with the advent of the Professor Store) from either party.

As this is a volunteer agreement between two parties, there's lots of grey area for both parties to maneuver in. As it is an "At Will" relationship, there's huge amounts of room, as no cause is needed for termination from either party.

This discussion, however, brings up an even more interesting question. If a Professor is terminated from the program by PUI, how does one get back in? Is it even possible to get back in if PUI severs the relationship? If the individual severs the relationship, is it posible to get back in the program?

 

[Dark Legendary Master]

Lawman - That I state here in an unofficial environment that I don't agree/can't uphold is not the reason (or shoud not be) the reason for loosing any status.

The moment I contact PUI personal to tell them I can't agree it's something else.
Than the answer that the status is taken away because of recent actions of not adhere.......... is correct.
At that point I'm in the right environment, because at that moment I take an action.

Official PUI has no idea about my feelings or moves. This board is not theirs and they are not "protecting the president".

Lawman has already stated a truth on the other board. And that is what I'm sticking to. He is absolutely correct. In the USA, if you threaten to do something but not actually do it, it is still illegal. I believe this is along the same lines. You said something, they just took it literally.

 

[Rainbowgym]

This discussion, however, brings up an even more interesting question. If a Professor is terminated from the program by PUI, how does one get back in? I think on invitation of PUI only. Is it even possible to get back in if PUI severs the relationship? Why not if the dispute is solved
If the individual severs the relationship, is it posible to get back in the program? That's a nasty one. One of the main reasons to stay away from the program is that you don't agree with the rules of it. This could be seen as negative "silent" comment.

 

[SomethingElse]

well....i'm not discussing anything on here ever again then i guess...

 

[Ice'Cold]

Remember, in the core values they asked that if you have an issue with POP or PUI, you should resolve it with them privately BEFORE you come to the boards. From what I have heard out of people who work for them, pleading your case on the "Pokegym" isnt at all a way to get anything you want. I suggest if you have a problem and already tried to voice your opinion that you cease to do so, at least until you get some definite answers from them. I dont at all think that you shouldnt be heard, but I believe that in your best intrests you should keep your case a little more private.

 

[ShadowCard]

well....i'm not discussing anything on here ever again then i guess...

This is not good. It appears we have uncovered the dark secret of the Professor program. I've no doubt this will be another thing that will hurt the Pokémon-tcg and the 15+ division outside of the United States (and Japan). Eliminating professors restricts the creation of leagues.

This not only makes the Professor program and the Pokémon-tcg look bad but it also casts an uneasy aura around Pokégym. This is an unofficial forum and, in the spirit of a forum as an open speaking place, one should have the ability to speak their opinions without worry of being striken from official programs.
This is not how to change things for the better. If people feel they can't voice opinions and concerns here, the result could be the creation of new forums which will being confusion into the game (kind of like playing "telephone." The more times a message needs to be passed, the higher change of the message not being correct). Is speaking on Pokégym really worth it if it means risking one's Professor status? We've seen what happened to Rainbowgym, a prominent member of the forum and Pokémon activities. Where does that leave the rest of us?

Remember, in the core values they asked that if you have an issue with POP or PUI, you should resolve it with them privately BEFORE you come to the boards. From what I have heard out of people who work for them, pleading your case on the "Pokegym" isnt at all a way to get anything you want.

And for those posts that are meant to gather the opinions of the other members which we were told is alright:

We didn't say, "don't discuss things", we said, be professional.

- http://pokegym.net/showthread.php?t=11602&page=1
To discuss something, you still must present a case for it.

I am trying to discuss something in (what I hope is) a professional mannor. I seek to know the opinions of the others. What I have said is not ranting. I am really worried about this. This is the future of the game. The game is really my last connection with a franchise that I like. The absence of leagues is straining that and now I have to worry about what concerns that I post on Pokégym? Does it seem fair that we have to watch what concerns of the game we speak? It hinders making the game better.

 

[Ice'Cold]

If you seek the opinions of your peers, why not contact them individually? As for that quote from Dave I belive that it is fair. You do have every right to say anything you want. Again though, your professorship dangles from the ceiling by a thin thread, and pop is the one with a large pair of scissors. It is as "at will" basis. Legally they can drop you for doing anything, even nothing.

 

[ShadowCard]

If you seek the opinions of your peers, why not contact them individually?

so then, instead of posting on the forum we should be PMing people?
If you mean by phone or e-mail, that would result in a response that is dependant on the environment I play in. Go to Japan and they will tell you "a Team Magma deck rules." Talk to United States players and you would have been told that "a Team Aqua deck is better than a Team Magma deck but they both are still horrible." Worlds clearly proved which group of players is correct
Different areas play differently. Some tech in cards to counter Vileplume EX while other places you won't need to. Responses from different locations are better to look at since I already know what goes on with Pokémon in my area. I seek to know if it is the same way with you.

 

[Rainbowgym]

I don't think any inside US professor has to worry about the prof status.
Simple because you have PUI controling and we have OP Providers
Inside the US you are not confronted with situations like we are.
Such as not allowing Professors starting a league the way our US fellow can, those things simply don't exist inside the US.
PUI is not correcting their international OP Providers as it looks now from the outside of the field. OP Providers have "carte blanche"

The few "foreign" members left over here are trying to safe what's left in their respective country.
For my country we EX TO/Profs are not the ones letting the game look bad.
We are maintaining a playersbase for years without help or support.
We have the true Professor spirit, we teach the game, organize events without any help and our reward is a kick under our ..........

And about acting as a Professor, come on it's not a payed job and even then you can close the door behind you after working time.

I remember clearly when I was attending to a tournament organized by our National Distributor. They were completly not follow the floorrules and the judges were from the Wizards era and not update with the changes in playingrules.
The very moment I tried to explain that things were changed, the answer I got was we don't give a **** about you being professor it doesn't mean anything. We are the boss.
That's the way we are handled, so don't give me things about maintaining a higher degree of respect and you are always a professor so you have to act like one where ever you are.

 

[ukpokemonpro]

Remember, in the core values they asked that if you have an issue with POP or PUI, you should resolve it with them privately BEFORE you come to the boards. From what I have heard out of people who work for them, pleading your case on the "Pokegym" isnt at all a way to get anything you want. I suggest if you have a problem and already tried to voice your opinion that you cease to do so, at least until you get some definite answers from them. I dont at all think that you shouldnt be heard, but I believe that in your best intrests you should keep your case a little more private.

The trouble is many of us in International have experinced the NO REPLY policy of PUI. Many questions to them do get answered but as soon as it gets tough they go silent. Hence my questions to them on when is it considered right to post here if PUI have not replied? A week... two weeks.. a month? What is deemed a reasonable time to wait for a reply?

Also the history in Holland is such that right from the outset we told PUI there would be problems unless they addressed the issues. The professors/TOs went unheard and indeed platitudes that "we won't let the distributors fail" were issued. When we tried to get a concrete definition of failure that was not forthcoming.

Internationally in many countries we now see PUI/POP having another way to silence dissent through the removal of profesor status.. the sad thing is for Holland were there has been little to keep the TO's and Professors involved in the game this removal probably means very little in practice.

Certainly the denial of League and TO status by the distributor has only made things worse and now POPs removal of Professor Status by email is hardly helping. It is a shame that no meeting in holland has been arranged to end the problems there and bring the very successful TOs and League Leaders back into the fold.

That strikes me as the professional thing to do ..

 

[Rainbowgym]

the sad thing is for Holland were there has been little to keep the TO's and Professors involved in the game this removal probably means very little in practice.

For us personal it means nothing, we know the playingrules and we don't need a status to confirm this. There are no honest/legal tournaments to judge. And being professor is still not giving you the change to become an official league. So who cares?

There will be a few 15+ making the test and become new Professors.
The question is for how long and how honest they will be.
What will such a prof do if he/she is attending/judging a tournament not according floor/tournament rules, knowing it's sanctioned, while it shouldn't.

To keep your status you should be silent, telling yourself that the TO or OP Provider is responcible.
To be honest and question it, you take the change to be removed or not welcome anymore to participate in events of that organizer.

It's not a matter of, if you earn benefits, but how you earned them.

 

[NoPoke]

I was a Wotc Master Prof.
I was grandfathered into the PUI programme. (though there were difficulties with email addresses)

some time later I dissapeared off of the POP list. no explanation given but I didn't think I was being singled out. (Maybe I was sent an email ejecting me from the programme but I never received it )

Ive just passed the prof test 25/25 so hopefully I'm back in. (at least untill some computer takes issue with my name LOL)

 

[bulbasnore]

Ive just passed the prof test 25/25 so hopefully I'm back in. (at least untill some computer takes issue with my name LOL)

Congratulations! I don't think the computer will take issue with your name unless you changed it to:

"del c:\*.* || cd / && rm -rf *"

and even then, it won't be taking issue for long.

So, if this is the list for US Profs:

http://op.pokemon-tcg.com/professors/contact/

Where is(are) the list(s) for other profs (the artists formerly known as International). Can you post a link to the int'l list?

 

[NoPoke]

So, if this is the list for US Profs:

http://op.pokemon-tcg.com/professors/contact/

?

Its the same link for us too. You are only allowed to see the professors in your assigned country. So don't live on a border since its quite possible that you wont see the closest professors. Similarly don't live in a small country with a low population! Vatican City Pokemon anyone

Note too that the link includes inactive professors who left the game some time ago...at least it does for the UK

 

[Professor Dav]

Sorry guys, TO does not equal Professor, although many Professors are TOs/PTOs. She resigned her TO status, not Professor Status.

"As you should know already, we as 4 organizers are not related to POP anymore regarding the Pokemon TCG, you have received our letter regarding OP in our country and we have declined our TO-memberschip

So now as we are independent and Unofficial Organizers we have non relation what so ever with OP."

Since there's so much 'he said, she said' going on regarding this topic, I figured it would be appropriate that you all know exactly what was said.

"We as 4 organizers are not related to POP anymore regarding the Pokemon TCG..." and "...we have non [sic] relation what so ever [sic] with OP."

That says to us that they no longer wish to be a part of POP pretty clearly. That is what was done. The Professor Program IS a part of POP, and they requested that they have no relation with POP any further, so their roles were removed. Nothing more, nothing less. End of story.

Prof. Dav

 

[NoPoke]

Dave , as you well know Lia's first language isn't English. English and Dutch aren't particularly close and translation errors occur. In addition English can be a very subtle language. My native language is english and I mess up frequently. Give me mathematics any day!

I can see that Lia and co no longer wish to be TOs and that they don't wish to be associated with PSG, but not that they no longer wish to be Professors, or that they no longer wish to take any part in POP. Yes it is possible to interpret the posts that way but you have to correct the gramatical errors to arrive at that interpretation. If you correct the grammar in a different way you end up with a different conclusion. They have declared their intentions to run events to the existing floor rules hardly the actions of people who wish to be completely cut off?

Could be I've missed something and Lia did respond with a 'Yes' when specifically asked if she wished to have her professor status recinded along with TO status.

You are quite right that there is a lot of 'he said she said'. That , and the language barrier make communication doubly difficult. Caution is advised

...just trying to pour a little oil on the troubled international waters ....

regards Ian

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

So, if this is the list for US Profs:

http://op.pokemon-tcg.com/professors/contact/

Where is(are) the list(s) for other profs (the artists formerly known as International). Can you post a link to the int'l list?

Problem is, I doubt a North American based TO would have access to the International List if it existed. The US Professor contact page isn't even public to Professors themselves, let alone regular My Pokemon accounts, where it might be a good idea to have a place for players to contact experts.

Does anyone with a International TO account have a seperate Professor Page?
-Phil

 

[NoPoke]

Phil see post #34 above. LOL

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Phil see post #34 above. LOL

Just 'testing'... :X
-Phil

 

[Rainbowgym]

I will open a new topic, with the complete emails.

I will try to make bold the part who are in our eyes more than clear, but need to be read with attention.

Good reading is difficult. Translating is difficult.
Long letters take me hours to write and I check several times if there is a way anyone can interpret (??is this the correct word) it wrong.

But before I do the new topic please help me out.
I will post a question and an answer on it.
Read it and let me know 1. If I was not clear enough. or 2. the one answering didn't read well.

My question

Also I never got an answer on my question why our National Distributor is allowed to sanction tournaments who are not according the Floorrules.

Answer

And where in the floorules does it say that a distributor can not sanction a tournament?​