Ugh.

I'm really getting tired of wikipedia's deviantART entry. I add historically factual information specifically defending myself and it's consistently overturned by user accounts I don't even recognize as having any real historical knowledge.

There's a lot of stuff in there that I disagree with and don't concern myself with, but there are a few facts that I'm tired of needing to contest. So I've added the following to the comment area up at the top (not for public view), and I want it to stay there.

"There is no question that Scott Jarkoff, Angelo Sotira and Matt Stephens are the co-founders of deviantART. That's not to say the subject isn't questioned. Due to the fact that Matt Stephens and Scott Jarkoff are no longer with the company, it has become a speculation that Angelo Sotira is only the CEO, and not a co-founder. But the well documented fact of the matter is that Scott Jarkoff, Angelo Sotira and Matt Stephens co-founded deviantART. Without each of their contributions, deviantART would not have existed. Please stop editing this article as it pertains to that particular story line. - Thank you."

I've changed two or three references in the body to be consistent with this. And I also appropriately credited Matt Stephens with this change:

"All three co-founders shared backgrounds in the application skinning community, but it was Matt Stephens (artist) whose most major contribution to deviantART was the suggestion to take the concept further than skinning and towards an art community."


It's really hard to look at that wikipedia page every once in a while and see the entire purpose of 27% of my life questioned. That's just horrible.

I co-founded deviantART. It's a fact. From the philosophical influence of DMusic on deviantART through to the financial capacity for launch and the combined intellectual contribution of a good portion of the DMusic team at that time (MikeyLove, Chris Bolt and Simon Foust included). I'm not more of a co-founder, I'm not less of a co-founder. I value tremendously the many contributions of Scott and Matt. I get that they don't like me. I don't dislike them, although some things have been pretty hard to swallow, but I pretty much understand the sour grapes. Ultimately I sense clearly that at this point either of them are glad to say anything so long as it hurts me.

That's fine. But it's biased in my view.

That's all. Stop messing with the entry, I don't think it's Scott or Matt, whoever is doing it. It's ridiculous.

I have no idea how to contest it with wikipedia, I totally don't want to put the effort in to it, I just don't have the time. I ran in to it again tonight and felt like talking about it.

So here's this journal entry, I've said my peace and I feel better.

-- A