Hello, diners.

Well, I'm not quite sure what to say. I'll start by thanking Val for her kind words and trust, albeit far too late. Thank you, Val. I'll do my best. And to those of you who miss Val, don't worry; I'll make sure she keeps her promise and visits us often. ;)

Anyway, I know quite a few of you Café-ers and I hope to meet you all in the not-too-distant future. Together we can make the greatest room Kongregate has ever known, and we've already started!

Although several of our resident mods have left, due to being granted their own room (GenX and Butterfly623; make sure to visit them, too, in Difference Engine and The Garden), we're lucky enough to have another new mod, fresh off the printing press. So make sure you all congratulate Kyru (he may be quiet, but if you bombard him with hugs I'm sure he'll respond).
But The Café won't need too much moderation; after all, we are brilliant.

So, any ideas for the blog, please comment and hopefully I'll be meeting you all soon ^^

~Ven.

Fresh new Cafe Kong!

As you would all have noticed, the Cafe is in the hands of a new owner; Venzael. Please give him a rousing Cafe style welcome. Venzael brings to the Cafe a fresh new perspective and younger and more vibrant ambiance. It is a sign of great times ahead. I am sure that the Café will continue to grow and will be the defining room of Kongregate’s ethos.

So lets all have a party. A party where we celebrate the new and improved Café.

Before you ask.. No .. I did not abandon Cafe Kong.
One of the reasons I was made a mod was my involvement in rooms that were not very popular or populated, and engage the users there, encouraging them to interact. It has been an ongoing process.

But the more relevant reason for the ownership change is that I believe in the current team at the Cafe. Butterfly623, Nadroj09, Stefan88, PTGmach, Thalarion, Genx (to name a few) and the resident quasi mod.. Doctormarmalade, are capable of maintaining the pleasant ambience of the Cafe. So I feel that I am leaving my baby in safe hands. It is a teary situation.. but I cannot ask for a more dependable team to take care of what I hold so dear to me. If in real life I am asked to put together a team on which my life would depend, without hesitation these would be the names that come to my mind. I have a very close and personal relationship with every one of you. Some of you have defined and reshaped my real life in ways that you cannot even begin to comprehend. Specially Butterfly623. If it was not for her support I might have been committed to the institution of the insane or might have received my last blessings.

Venzael is going to make this room proud. With your support, the room is going to be the biggest room in all of Kongregate. Just watch.

On particular e-mail screamed at me.. "Why Venzael? What about Seniority? What are the other mods; Chopped Liver?"
Well, it helps to remember that the room owners are still a lot lower than the Admins who decide a majority of things like who should own a room. And there are no “Senior” mods. I was asked my opinion and I offered several suggestions, but it finally boiled down to Venzael who I feel is the same caliber of the Café regulars and fits the same “gentle and calm” mod ambience that we expect at the café. There have been some names that I have rejected, even to the point of stating that I would hand in my moderator privileges if they were made the room owners. There was a lot of discussion behind the scenes. This has been a month long process.

So yes.. essentially Venzael was my choice, but it was a choice that does not belittle any of the current moderators of Café Kong, rather seeks to complement them.

As I said before all of the mods in the Cafe are as close to me as I can ever hope in real life so I do not play favorites nor let my personal relationships with other influence my decision.

So now what?
Well I will be in the café as often as I can, while I try my best to make Valhala, The Hall of Odin a worthy competitor to Café Kong. The plans for the website are still active. I will be working very closely with all of Café Kong and The Gibson on several things that we have been discussing. I will try and get The Hall to participate and interact with the café in several things such as contests and such.

Now, I also try to stabilize my life a little bit, earn a living and get back some of my lost dignity.

Moderators Appreciation Week.

Lately I have received a lot of mail asking me what makes Cafe Kong Special. My response has always been that it is the people who make it special. My belief is "It takes good people to bring out the goodness in you". So Cafe Kong if the best place on Kongregate because it has the best people.

I would like to add to that statement. If Cafe Kong is so special, equal appreciation has to go to the Moderators as well. This is one place that mods do not come down harsh and there has been no random acts of vengeance. The moderators here are known for their patience, understanding, tolerance and a whole lot more. (Well meisme's nomination has drawn some flak. But do give her a chance). Some of the mods in the Cafe let people get away with things which would have earned them permanent bans from some of the mods from other rooms. I am so glad that we are not running things like Bouncers or Gestapo. This is a fun place. A happy place where you can have a civil conversation with your friends. And the mods let you relax and unwind.

I have had the pleasure of seeing(for a fleeting few moments) one of the best analyst and strategist in the field of Internet, web and web communities, during an interview; Jeremiah Owyang. His thoughts have mirrored mine.

He Says "First of all, many have a hard time being successful with their community if they want to control it too tight. The most successful companies let go of the control and acted more like a host, rather than a policeman."(Edited for clarity)

And that got me thinking; "That is what we do at the cafe... we do not police.. we host". And that is what makes us different. So this week, I would like to make it Mod Appreciation Week, while we show our appreciation of Moderators at Cafe Kong.

That brings me to a different point. Some have e-mailed me saying that they are disappointed that they have not been considered as Moderator Candidates, and some have even said that I am playing favourites. I am really sorry to hear that. There has been no favouritism or discredit to any of the deserving candidates. Two of the existing moderators can confirm that before I nominated them, I have had very personal and bitter conflicts with them. That did not stop me from giving credit where it is due, and recommending them for the Moderator's role.

Several names HAD been recommended. Of them several had been vetoed (for various reasons). And some have been set aside for the next round of appointments. It is not within my power to appoint moderators. Don't lose heart. If you are deserving, you will get it. The new system of moderating is described here by Greg.