In an industry dominated by multi-billion-dollar corporations, you may be tempted to think of Pixologic as an uncaring giant with little regard for its users.
Pixologic is a growing company of dedicated, hardworking individuals. You’re already acquainted with a few of us including Aurick, Zuzu, Pixolator, Jaime and myself, because we participate in ZBrushCentral discussions.
All of us are extremely dedicated to our work, and feel personally involved in it. When ZBrush wins a major award, I feel some measure of pride, even though I am not a developer of the product itself.
When it comes to our customers, we have made attempts to provide as much one-on-one support as possible. Since ZBrush’s popularity is growing, and the number of users is multiplying, that job becomes more complex even as we expand our team. Incidentally, I’d like to laud Aurick for the superb way he is handling a demanding job.
Our participation in ZBrushCentral has occasionally posed us with difficult questions. Especially troubling is the issue of whether, and when, to remove posts (or members) from the forum. Where some companies might choose to remove or disable those posts which reflect badly on the product, we have chosen to keep them active and reach a resolution whenever possible.
We have chosen to remove posts, and occasionally ban members, when they launch personal attacks against other members. What if those attacks are directed at members of the Pixologic team? This is a difficult question indeed; removing these posts can be seen merely as an attempt to silence those who would shed a darker light on our product.
Whenever we make such a decision, it is usually followed by some heated speculations about our motives. Although we are human beings who feel personally involved in the public’s perception of our company, product, and selves, we have adopted a policy of non-involvement in such discussions. To involve ourselves in them can only serve to invite further argument, compromise the sense of community here at ZBC, and usually malign the characters of the people involved.
Without addressing specific issues, I’d like to “step out from behind the curtain” and make two important points about our decisions in these matters:
1) Our decisions are always made after private correspondence is exchanged with the members involved in the problem, and often with other members urging specific actions. This correspondence is never published on this forum; thus our decisions can often appear abrupt and unfeeling.
2) We are privy to information which we can’t share publicly. As much as I’d like to explain my teammates’ actions by telling you about our company’s history with some individuals, or our knowledge of misrepresentation, or some other information, I’m sure you can appreciate the need for discretion.
Whatever the situation, we don’t want to point fingers or take up sides in arguments. Some of you may have strong opinions about us and our company, and you’re free to express them. We may not respond, but we’re committed to maintaining the sense of community this forum has provided for everyone. Let’s continue to enjoy the open discussions, participation and artistic exhibitions of creative people around the world.
Thanks and happy ZBrushing 
dave
