Is it morally wrong to enjoy watching stupid people suffer?

[Scooter]

I've been a member of a car club since its inception over eight years ago. For the first five years I was president, I ran all the meetings, set up most of the meeting events, (outings, guest speakers, etc.), I created and maintained the club web site and created, wrote, published and distributed the newsletter.

The newsletter lasted three years and since no one else would take it on I let it die, I had too much to do as it was. There really hasn't been a club newsletter since. When I was finally allowed to step down as president (no one else ever wanted the job until I forced the issue) I remained as club webmaster though I didn't really want the job. No one else ever stepped up to take it over. It hasn't exactly been a lot of work since I originally set it up to be relatively simple and easy to maintain.

Well, the current regime of officers don't like me because I insist they include the entire club membership in decisions that affect the club, proposed changes to the club bylaws and spending club funds. They'd rather make the decisions amongst the officers and a few select members without even communicating to the rest of the members what the topics of discussion are until after they have already made a decision. I guess I'm a real rebel in that I insist they act in a democratic way by including all the members in the process by asking that they publish agendas prior to the meetings and asking all members their opinions.

Of course because of their dislike for me, they began to work behind my back to replace me as webmaster (even though they recently re-appointed me as webmaster in September). Their excuse is that the website is in disrepair (which is incorrect) and not as exciting as other clubs' websites (most car club websites are REALLY boring and simple, a few are pretty nice). They have made vague references to wanting to improve the website but never made any specific recommendations of what they'd like me to change.

SO, without even consulting me they recruit this poor member to work up a proposed new version of a members' page. The guy has a decent enough idea (though really all it accomplishes is adding some text to each member's page which describes their car, right now each member's page contains a photo of their car and link to their website if they have one) so they recruit him to "work with me" with the end result to have him become the webmaster after they oust me. After I figured out what they were up to I trumped them by sending all the site's FTP login info to them and telling them the other guy can be webmaster starting now and that my membership will not be renewed.

This all starts a conversation between myself and their new webmaster. I have to say he's an okay guy but he's let them put him in a very deep hole. He had no idea they wanted him to replace me.

In the end:

-The new webmaster has little to no knowledge of HTML.
-The website uses frames, the new webmaster knows nothing about frames.
-The new webmaster has no really good web page building software.
-The new webmaster does not have any FTP Client software (not necessary, but certainly helpful).
-The new webmaster really doesn't want the job.
-They want to move the website from the service provider where it currently is (who gives us unlimited space at no cost) to a computer system owned by one of the officers YET they don't understand that the club doesn't actually own their own URL (which was provided by my friend at the current provider location) and would have to arrange to obtain rights to the URL or change the URL.
-If they change the URL, the club logo with the URL below it on all the coffee mugs, t-shirts and the show banners all become obsolete.

So, is it wrong to want to see these morons fail on an epic scale and entirely screw up the website and I guess destroy the club itself with their piss-poor management style? I'm not trying to sound egotistical, but when I announce that I won't be renewing my membership I know that quite a few of the other long term members will also quit.

One other item I'm keeping in my back pocket. At least 95% of the photos and posted documents on the website (I still have FTP access to the site) were created by me and I have the right to delete them permanently from the site. This would leave the site appearing very empty and boring. I've been half tempted to just delete the index page (thus effectively shutting down the whole website) but I'm trying to remain an adult in this.

[molotovwars]

It will be a lesson about responsibility that they should learn from, but probably won't.

I don't think you're wrong in the slightest, or at least not out of line. Suffering encouraged.

[Niode]

Lol, it uses frames?

I think the best thing would be to wipe that thing from existance. The less websites out there with frames the better. Learn CSS and XHTML, it would take an afternoon, max.

[Scooter]

Lol, it uses frames?

I think the best thing would be to wipe that thing from existance. The less websites out there with frames the better. Learn CSS and XHTML, it would take an afternoon, max.

Why would I care since I'm no longer webmaster? We are car guys, not web gurus, we need simple, not complicated. No one gets paid to run this website. Personally I use a WYSIWYG style page editor because it's quick and easy, provides decent results and doesn't require that I get mired in complex HTML (or other language) coding.

The website in question: http://heartland.chevelles.net

[superlarz]

I would delete all of the parts of the page you own or craeted

[puke_face]

Man, and I'll bet none of them are really capable of learning all the things it takes to accomplish those tasks (as far as the website goes). Kudos for sticking to your guns and not becoming a sucker to the dicks that think they have the "power" to do whatever they want. Good 'ol politics, there is never a time when somebody isn't trying to be sneaky when they have a position that gives the any sort of control.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I don't feel you're doing wrong. I had a similar situation in a WoW guild . I took everything I brought with me, which included most of our gold and rare items, and started a guild with those that understood and followed me. That old guild slowly died and is now no more. It was quite enjoyable to watch a bunch of assholes slowly loose in a painful matter.

[gtmtnbiker]

Personally, I wouldn't delete anything. I would just walk away from it all.

[Scooter]

I do believe the current webmaster has the ability to learn what he needs to know to run the website, I just don't think he has the desire. I secretly hope his lack of desire leads him to tell the club officers to go pound sand and find someone else (and there is no one else).

Another thing I just found out, the club's URL can't be transferred since it is tied to a much bigger site, only part of which is the club's site (in other words the club site is just a subfolder within a larger system). Thus, if they want to continue their power play to move the site to a new provider (why? it's at a a location offering unlimited space for free) they will HAVE to get a new URL. Idiots.

[Hatta]

Given the choice between schadenfreude and anger that idiots ruined something you cared about, I'd go with schadenfreude any time. It sounds like they're making a fine mess without your help, so I'd just walk away.