figured if I start the thread out with something positive, it might just get read :p

This is a plea, from me, not from anyone else, but me. I honestly hope it's all taken in the context and mood it's given. There are no ulterior motives, no threats, nothing of that sort. I am trying my best to be critical without being overly judgmental and just offering the facts as I see them. So hopefully it's taken at face value and not perceived value. Oh and if you're expecting something short, I suggest you stop reading now, it's not even remotely short :p

Sigh, I just don't get it. The attitude I am seeing now, from just about all staff members is NOTHING like what made me want to join the group back in December when there was literally only a handful of us in group(when I first joined there were only 20 something people, if even, in the group) :(
Now I know you've been through the wringer and back, I get it. Crap has happened to the entire community. I also understand that sometimes customers are a royal pain in the butt, it's true, we can be lil jerks when we want to be. No one would ever deny that. But I think you're quickly losing sight of what was once an awesome idea, that's now come to fruition. Perhaps it's the stress, or whatever, but you need to grab hold of the ideals that make up the foundation of this community again. You really need to think long and hard about why you decided to go forth with the roos, especially since you've got at least a little bit of experience with breedables on your side. You saw with your very own eyes what NOT to do-and even as we progress, you find examples of what your customers don't like. You made promises, months ago, NOT to do those things. You made promises that this would be different, people would be different, the customer service and experience would be different. We are telling you(and have been telling you) that this is NOT different. It's exactly the same on far too many levels. Something really needs to change, and soon.

Sigh. People tell me all the time not to look at life through rose colored glasses. I get told I'm a kiss ass, a lap dog, fan girl(or boy, depending on who says it, since people apparently can't read profiles), and all sorts of other insults each and every time I say anything that even remotely defends the company(or anyone that someone else perceives as doing wrong, for that matter). But I keep doing it. Why? Probably because I have an odd sense of faith in people, despite being shown time and time again, reasons why I shouldn't. I ignore them. I tuck them away for later use, but for the most part, I look past them. I do this because I believe all people need a chance in life, be it something minor, or something major. I tend to not hold grudges, or think too hard on the bad things of my past, because I spent far too much time in my life(for a good long while) caring about the past(it affects the present, and the future, nearly always in a negative way). I learn from the mistakes I've seen, and made, but I don't necessarily worry about them.. usually.

Right now, I am worried. I am worried about the past repeating itself so soon. Most of us have had at least one negative experience with a breedable. You had a hell of a lot to contend with going into this. I give props where props are due, always, and I have given you props since the very first day I joined the group. Why? Because you were taking on a pretty monumental task, really. Saving grace of the breedable world? Perhaps so, and perhaps you weren't really prepared to take on that role, but you did. People had/have high hopes for this community. People honestly did, and do believe, the intention was to create an entire experience unlike any other. I'm talking about far beyond the actual roos themselves-or any of the products, but the WHOLE enchilada. I see no reason why it can't be recovered, for most people anyway. Some you've lost for good, and while I know you don't care, the community does, so it's best to treat even those you've lost for good(even those who are gone because of their own actions) with a little bit of respect, if for nothing else, out of respect for the rest of your community.
People being jerks on the forums, does not in any way violate your EULA. If someone owns even ONE of your products, they are a customer. Even if they do not own any roos, they are still your customer. You are as much legally obligated to uphold your own EULA as we are-as customers-to follow it and uphold our end.
I have rarely seen a community where members are literally banned entirely, unless they've done something pretty darn bad that 100% violates the TOS/EULA, or something(fraud comes to mind here). I have seen many cases-hundreds if not thousands at this point, lol-of people who were no longer allowed to use certain services though(forums, group chats, and whatnot). This makes perfect sense to me, perfect. If someone cannot behave in group, on forums, on the sim, whatever, and they've been warned...then you need to do whatever is in the best interest of the community as a whole(*not* the company, or you, yourselves/staff, but the community).
But to take away a customer's products when they've not actually broken ANY part of your own EULA... no, that is not the answer. I'm sorry if you feel you're being attacked by this post, or any others, but you have taken the wrong path on this one. There is nothing you can say that will justify banning someone who did NOT break the EULA they are STILL responsible for upholding. Owning your hud, makes someone a customer. Owning a roo home, makes someone a customer, owning ANYTHING made by you, makes someone a customer. If you've gone to great enough lengths and all the proper channels to the smarts to ensure there is a legal contract between you and your customer base, you would know that you are currently in breech of your own contract. Anyone who owns anything I have ever made, is a customer of mine. And they will remain a customer until they no longer own anything I have ever made. I don't get to pick and choose who my customers are based on how many of my things they own. The thought of that just sounds silly, to be honest. If I sell joe shmoe my reproducing mushrooms, and he gets all jerk-like and harasses people and stuff, I have every right to ban him from my group or my forums. What I don't get to do, is take his shrooms away. Why? Because he didn't break my TOS regarding his shrooms. This is why it's VERY important to clarify(and legalize) a TOS/EULA and break it down, even if it turns into 5 pages, of exactly what happens when... This is vitally important even, not optional. Now if joe decides to copy my shrooms, break them, or do anything spelled out in my TOS that he's not allowed to do.. I can take away his shrooms. But being a jerk, doesn't violate my TOS. Even if he has such low social skills that all he can do is curse and type in l33tsp34k or some other ungodly combination of characters that makes my head hurt..I still don't get to take away his stuff unless my TOS says I do. I also, don't get to change my TOS, without telling them. So if I decide that crap isn't permitted in my forums, or my chat, or my community, it's all on me to make sure it's spelled out clearly in my TOS. If I decide after my legalized TOS was created that I need to add something to it, then I need to notify my community BEFORE doing it, then do it legally, and again inform them AFTER I've done it, and have them resign/accept the contract over. If I were to change my contract, and not tell them, I'd be in total breech and would have absolutely no legal leg to stand on.
Now that's all speaking from a legal point of view.
From an emotional, and familial point of view, we get all sorts of other emotions, thoughts and feelings. Most of which can be summed up as "this sucks". Very few of your customers will look at instances from a legal point of view or a "what was done to cause this" point of view. But rather they will look at things as if they are in that situation, they become the perpetrator, the defendant if you will. They will tie in their emotional responses to what they've seen and heard. Those are the folks you need to worry about. Why? Because word of mouth is the absolute best form of advertisement ever. Unfortunately(or fortunately in some cases) bad word of mouth travels at ludicrous speed and good word of mouth only travels at light speed. Bad word of mouth will win that race every.single.time.

Your community is asking you to be open, honest, upfront, and communicative. That's really not an unheard of request, nor is it unreasonable. You may think you owe no explanation for anything, but I assure you, that stance is incorrect and will only drive you further into the pile o'crap you're likely to get stuck in real soon. You do owe it to your community to talk with them, on their level, hear them out and be honest with them. If you can't do that, then you've gone back on every single thing you've said since before you even began. No one honestly believes that, at this point, I don't think. I know I sure don't. I believe you do want to be, you just perhaps don't know how. I've said it a million times and I will continue saying it too, you need someone experienced with PR to help you, and you need them fast. If you don't want to hire someone, then use someone on your staff, but I suggest protecting them with bullet and fire proof outfit before sending them out to the wolves. They will get a bit roughed up, at this point. Should they? No, they shouldn't, but this is what happens when you fail to communicate and properly train staff. Learn from your mistakes, so you don't continue to repeat them.

The company is not lost, the secondary market is not lost and the community is not really lost. We may be wandering around, spread out all over the place, and not really anywhere near each other... but you do have the power to fix that. If you so choose that is.
You may think one incident isn't enough to warrant this post, or the reactions you're seeing. Again, I will reassure you that, you're not correct in that line of thinking. It IS enough, all on it's own merit, for some, but since it's coupled with all sorts of other stuff folks are unhappy about, it's beyond more than enough. Little stuff only stays little stuff when you work on fixing it. When you ignore it, little stuff becomes medium stuff, and people get real unhappy. When you continue to ignore the glaringly obvious solutions medium stuff becomes big stuff and that's where we stand now. You can let the big stuff get even bigger, or you can work on it all and take it back down a bit, a tier at a time. You can't fix it all in one day, maybe not even one month, who knows. But you can fix things, if you really want to.
Right now I think your only saving grace is that people like the product. People put up with a lot when they like a product, even a company they may not like too much.