My farewell post...

I know I was not the most active user of these boards, but I was getting more in touch with the industry and working with many of you. In case you noticed I wasn't around lately, that is because of what happened on December 15th... I was suddenly laid off from XonDemand as part of their downsizing in moving everything to North Carolina. They eliminated my job along with two others (in a small company with only about 10 employees to begin with).

Even though I no longer work in this industry, I did want to make a good bye post to all the people I used to work with because I felt it was the polite thing to do because so many people were nice to me, I didn't just want to leave the party without saying good-bye first.

Oh yeah, the worst part... XonDemand laid me off VIA E-MAIL! At 4PM on a Friday! And before I could post a farewell message on my blog, they changed my password so I couldn't edit or update it. Nice way to handle it after working there over 2-1/2 years.

So needless to say I am not happy with how this was handled. Although to be honest, the writing is on the wall for XOD so this wasn't a total shock either. After 3+ years in business, they are nowhere near where they need to be to even make a profit yet and sales were basically flat for over 6 months in a row. Just a heads up for all of you still partnered with them.

So now, I am trying to look for a new job. I had one interview so far, and was told I would be getting a 2nd interview, but that hasn't happened yet. I am being told it should come next week, as I know someone who works there and he is keeping me posted as beat as he can. But I thought the first one went really well, so I am being optimistic it will happen, and this is just a slow time of the year with the holidays and stuff. I am on unemployment as of now, for up to 6 months. And luckily I do not need to go on Cobra to keep my health benefits. I am able to go on my partner's since his company allows for domestic partner benefits. Which will save me close to $200 a month alone.

So that is the unfortunate reason my blog has not been updated and I vanished from sight from the boards and any e-mails I may have been sent. I still do check the adult boards from time to time just because I have nothing else to do.

If anyone wants to keep in touch, please send me a PM and I'll get you my personal e-mail address, as my XOD one also has been shut off.

Oh yeah, a week after this happened... I was named in XBiz as one of the Top 100 Newsmakers in the Adult Industry in 2006. Kinda funny how that happened right after I was let go. Oh well, as far as I see it, it is XOD's loss...

Take care,

Marc "Goldie" Goldberg

Hey Goldie,

I'm sorry to hear that and e-mail termination is very uncool.

Check out this post, Bear Films is looking to hire someone:

http://forums.gaywidewebmasters.com/...ad.php?t=21408

Good Luck
Michael

that sucks Goldie

Cam and I need to re-think our relationship with XonDemand now that you are not there - I mean, if they drop you with no warning by e-mail, who's to say they won't treat us as producers and content providers the same way, without courtesy and respect...

We are really sorry to hear this and wish you luck - don't hesitate to look us up if you head on out our way - Beverly Hills ain't that bad you know...

Anthony DeAngelo and Cameron Cruise

Goldie,

I wondered what happened to you!!! I won't be sending any more of my films to XonDemand. First, because you are gone... and seond, because The Dicks of Hazzard made $5 there in a month. FIVE EFFING DOLLARS!

It made $4000.00 on AEBN.

The marketing there is bullshit. I am unhappy how all of my titles have been treated so far.

And SD_Robert knows how I am when I am unhappy with how my titles are treated. He got to deal with it first hand when he was at AEBN.

:)

Sorry to see you go, Goldie. You are not out of the industry just yet. I am sure there are MANY companies in the adult world who will bring you on.

If you know Final Cut Pro, you can get a job with Corbin Fisher and move to San Diego!!!

:-)

R.

That really sucks Goldie. An e-mailed lay off letter is really crude and rude particularly during the holiday season.

That totally sucks Goldie. I hope you can find another job real soon!

wow, very shitty news. Good luck I am sure you will find something quickly!

cheers,
Luke

My god could they be anymore tacky. What a horrible way to lay you off not to mention the timing. I'm very sorry to hear about that happened but it sounds like their loss. I wish you the best of luck. :)

Mark

That sucks. And it does make you wonder about "XonDemand"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SPACE GLIDER

That sucks. And it does make you wonder about "XonDemand"

---

Thanks everyone for all the nice things you have said. Guess I was starting to make an impact in my short time in this industry after all. If only I could move to California, sounds like there would be a lot of opportunities for me to persue. Unfortunately, that is not an option at this point. Maybe some day.

And trust me, you don't know the half of what I do about XonDemand and some of the things they have done to get where they are now. That's all I will say about that for now on a public message board...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Goldie

Trust me, you don't know the half of what I do about XonDemand and some of the things they have done to get where they are now. That's all I will say about that for now on a public message board...

---

Come on man let the XonDemand bashing begin :snake:

Sorry to hear that Goldie! I would contact AEBN and see if they are hiring. Rocky! You have never been so right! I hated your calls! Don't even get on his bad side lol!! I still love ya though!!

xoxoo

Robert

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EonFilms_Rocky

Goldie,

I wondered what happened to you!!! I won't be sending any more of my films to XonDemand. First, because you are gone... and seond, because The Dicks of Hazzard made $5 there in a month. FIVE EFFING DOLLARS!

It made $4000.00 on AEBN.

The marketing there is bullshit. I am unhappy how all of my titles have been treated so far.

And SD_Robert knows how I am when I am unhappy with how my titles are treated. He got to deal with it first hand when he was at AEBN.

:)

Sorry to see you go, Goldie. You are not out of the industry just yet. I am sure there are MANY companies in the adult world who will bring you on.

If you know Final Cut Pro, you can get a job with Corbin Fisher and move to San Diego!!!

:-)

R.

---

Sorry to hear this Goldie. That's a fucked up way to loose your job.
I think it says more about XonDemand.

Hope you will find yourself another job soon and I hope you will be "back on board" soon.

Marc, you've been there with me as a friend from the get go. I loved working with you. You really are a great guy. Your personable, funny, fun to talk to, I feel like I could talk to you about anything. You have an award winning personality! And that will get you another job I'm sure. I keep you in my prayers and something will work out.

Thank you for such a beautiful friendship! You better keep in touch fucker!

I own a production studio, I am a webmaster (I'm not the best, but it works). I had my titles with XonDemand myself. I had them with XonDemand for about 2-3 weeks. I only made chump change on my catalog of titles. I e-mailed XonDemand and because I left them and went exclusive with AEBN for the offer AEBN offered me, XonDemand refused to pay me.

I think XonDemand treats their studios like shit. And I'm more pissed at them for how they treated you Marc. I seen how much you worked for them and how much you went over and beyond for XonDemand. And I must say that's extremely low of them to just treat you like that and dump you like that. And the nerve that they emailed you to let you know you were laid off. Atleast have some decensy to call you! Shit!

This industry is very scandalous. Majority of the people that are in this industry are about competition and who they have to fuck over to get to the top. And those companies that fuck people over aren't going to make it. And clearly, XonDemand isn't going to make it. And I hope they don't.

I released, "The Sex Adventures of Brad Stone and Austin Hunt" with everyone at the same time. It released a week later on AEBN because of the time frame. I made almost $1800.00 on AEBN. For XonDemand I made $14.44 no lie. This is why I went exclusive with AEBN and accepted their exclusive offer. It was nothing against you. I have overhead costs, and models don't come cheap.

Keep in touch Marc! You have my AIM screen name, phone number, email, and your only about 20 mins. down the road from my house... Come over sometime - have a drink and we'll do dinner. The offer always stands :-)
FYI... You missed a kick ass party over here on New Years!
:fool: :cheerleader: :bananacock: :bananacock: :cheerleader: :bananacock: :goof: :tubgirl:

Wow, everytime I come back there are more replies and my head gets bigger, so really thank you all for the kind words. Yeah, I never wanted to leave my job, so that is why this effected me personally as well as professionally. I liked what I did and I loved meeting so many great people as a result. I am trying to be as respectful about this as I can because trust me, there is much worse stuff I could be saying right now if I really wanted to.

And in regards to the reply above this... All I can say is... I agree with everything he said. While somewhat new to the party, he has a great knowledge of this industry and was smart enough to get out on his own before it was too late.

So I'm not telling anyone else what to do with their content and links, but I think you know how I feel about it at this point. But I do ask anyone who had linked to Goldie's Gay Galaxy to go ahead and please remove it since the blog is dead and it just links back to XOD anyway. No need to promote it anymore in my opinion. And ironically, the blog was really increasing in hits every week right up until my exit and even had some of its highest ever traffic right after I stopped updating it. Again, go figure, just as things are doing well, that's when they pull the plug on it. :uhoh:

Thanks again everyone, I will continue to monitor this board and hopefully will be back to let you all know I got a new job soon!

Marc

Thanks for the mention Goldie. :vanish: :pharoah: :toff: :beauty: :beauty:

You hav taught me a lot about the industry. Atleast you taught me more about the webmaster side of things. And what you taught me, I've taken and grown from it.

This industry is very competitive from what I have learned in the short year and a half of owning my company. I'm not about the competition, everyone has their one uniqueness and everyone reaches the consumers differently. So when you really think about it, there's not much competition because everyone offers different things.

I'll cover in the blanks for you... I personally don't believe that anyone should push traffic, sales, whatever to XonDemand. I think we should let them rot. I have found out that XonDemand is one of those companies that gives no shits about others and they only care about what's in it for them. I brought 4 studios to you Goldie, and you got them signed up with XoD. I in a sense regret that. I didn't know Xondemand was this scandelous until you spoke to me the day they let you go. Shortly after that I was finding out more and more from other studios. They fuck with their studios. Oh well, I'm done bitching. I just don't foresee them making it any further.

xoxoxoxoxo,
JJ / Sebastian Sloane

that so sucks, goldie! as you know, i never much like the xondemad folks. the only reason i continued to do business there was YOU! well, so much for that. will you please stay in touch? your're a good man and i know you will land on your feet. perhaps, you'd like to revive your blog on our queer4u site once redesign and redevelopment is finished.

dr dick


_______________________________
Daddy Oohhh! Productions; Quality Adult Entertainment, Enrichment and Education

Goldie,

I am so sorry to hear about this!!
Anyone that does not have the balls to let you go face to face are full of:bullcrap: :bullcrap:

Something even better will come along when things like this happen.

Good luck and let us know where you land!!

I had to post in this thread again. I just can't believe companies would treat their employees so horrible. It is really a pet peeve of mine. I have seen this time and time again. From our designer who used to be paid crappy and treated like shit, we took him onboard and treat him like gold. Same thing with our photographer Brian his x boss was a real dick. Brian's brother got murdered last year and his boss offered no compassion for him at all I couldn't stand it and offered to hire him full time and keep him busy. He has been working with us for over a year and hasn't looked back. I'm really sorry about the way XOnDemand treated you it really says alot about them as a company.

Mark

Goldie,

Sorry to hear about what happened. We'll take serious look at XonDemand and review our contract with them.

Best of luck....just keep looking forward and don't look back.

Bill

Sorry to hear about the layoff, as well. It's never fun to have that happen, especially in such a manner.

Best of luck in whatever else you do and I hope you find something soon!

Also, definitely be careful about what you say about a former employer. Oftentimes, employees sign contracts and other documents when hired regarding confidentiality and discretion upon departure and the like, so regardless of whatever might be going on with XonDemand and as unpleasant your departure from there might have been, it's always a good idea to watch what ya say and make sure you're not setting yourself for more misery from that company down the line, even as a former employee. Not trying to be a party pooper or anything. Just that you've always been such a nice person on this board and I'd hate to see anything bad happen.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CorbinFisher_BD

Sorry to hear about the layoff, as well. It's never fun to have that happen, especially in such a manner.

Best of luck in whatever else you do and I hope you find something soon!

Also, definitely be careful about what you say about a former employer. Oftentimes, employees sign contracts and other documents when hired regarding confidentiality and discretion upon departure and the like, so regardless of whatever might be going on with XonDemand and as unpleasant your departure from there might have been, it's always a good idea to watch what ya say and make sure you're not setting yourself for more misery from that company down the line, even as a former employee. Not trying to be a party pooper or anything. Just that you've always been such a nice person on this board and I'd hate to see anything bad happen.

---

Thanks, and I agree with you which is why I bit my tongue for the most part and didn't really say much about XonDemand aside from the details regarding the situation of my departure. But on that topic, would anything I may have signed be void now anyway, since they let me go? I mean I didn't quit, I was told to leave, so should I be forced to follow confidentialty agreements in that situation anyway? I honestly don't even remember if I signed anything aside from a non-compete clause, which I do know is not applicable since again, I didn't quit.

But they do not have to worry, I am not planning on going overboard to take them down. What others decide to do with their content or business relationship is up to them entirely. Like I said in my first post, I really only made this topic so I could say a proper farewell to all the people I worked with out of respect to them, since I could no longer e-mail everyone from my XonDemand account. I didn't expect all the bashing of XonDemand, but as others said, if that is how they treat their employees... well you can fill in the blanks...

Anyway, once again, thanks to everyone who has had something nice to say about me if I worked with you or not. It is nice to be appreciated for the work I did in this industry by all of you. And who knows, maybe I'll be back working in this business again and this won't be good bye, just see ya later!

Marc

You'll have to read your agreement carefully, but generally speaking confidentiality means forever, not just while your employed there. Remember the whole ccbill / epoch thing, a part of why they were suing because one compnay was concerned the other was going to be learning about their secrets.

And you'll want to read it carefully again now, I was surprised after I left my last job to learn that I had an exit clause that contained certained conditions about what I could and couldn't do for a year after my departure. So before you jump into a job with another company you may want to check to see what your agreement says.

A lawyer I spoke to said those exit clauses are basically unenforceable. An employer can't prevent you from earning a living. But they're bigger than you, so they could tie you up in litigation and make it expensive for you.

Michael

Don't these bastards have boardtracker lol, i am surprised they haven't at least sent some shitbag spamaholic rep to give their side of the story lol :D just too funny really.....sorry they got you like that even tho i don't know you yet :)

Hells Bells! How RUDE! Chins up Goldie darlin' ... noone deserves that kind of treatment! But I wanted you to know that your former employer isn't the only asshat when it comes to firing ...
:hmm:

http://www.madameknows.com/2006/08/3...shack-shafted/

I truly hope you don't leave the industry, we need more honest and kind folks like yourself to stick around. Anyway, I bet you learned enough these past few years, to make your own sites, and build your own businesses. Please know if there is anything our lil company can do, you need only ask.

Hey Marc, I was reading and posting to boards when I came to this thread...

I enjoyed working with you over the phone and having you create press release’s for our affiliates ; I have never met you, but I thought you were a nice person...

I guess you feel your time at XoD was wasted, or you would have swallowed your pride and moved on... with-out bashing XoD....


after reading this post I have nothing more to say to you Marc, it appears that the next company that hires you should see what you have done and the bashing that you have done and make the right discussion based on your efforts...


I can represent XonDemand.com and write a statement in defense to your bashing, but I feel no need to..

you were let go for whatever reason, I’m not sure. But the bashing is not cool and opens you up to litigation... and reflects what kind of person you are...

fyi, this is Rob@XonDemand.com and I am the Affiliate manager for XonDemand.com

Talk about low!

Goldie - at first I wanted to give my condolences, however your being released is a blessing in disguise, especially if XonDemand believes that THAT shitty tactic is how dedicated employees are to be rewarded or treated!

As for confidentiality agreements - they generally means shit! They are weapons of fear usually drafted by lowlifes to protect them from their dastardly deeds.
Not sure about how they are regarded in the US, but in Canada many throw the agreement out because they encroach on a person's rights, whether or not there is a signature!

It's times and occurrences like this that make me ashamed of our industry!
I do hope many support you by dropping them or not signing up with the so-called company.

Hi Goldie, sorry to hear that you where let go using the most inpersonal form of any means of communications on this subject: email.

A phonecall with a human on the other hand would have shown much more respect to the remote workers which were let go.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VOD

I guess you feel your time at XoD was wasted, or you would have swallowed your pride and moved on... with-out bashing XoD....

---

I can imagine that you would also feel that your time is wasted when the next layoff-round is hitting the streets and an email would be send to you, wouldn't you? I would.

Quote:

---

after reading this post I have nothing more to say to you Marc, it appears that the next company that hires you should see what you have done and the bashing that you have done and make the right discussion based on your efforts...

I can represent XonDemand.com and write a statement in defense to your bashing, but I feel no need to..

---

Does a company as big as XonDemand.com really need to defent itself? If so, your boss could write an email to me and I'm more than happy to post it.

Quote:

---

you were let go for whatever reason, I’m not sure. But the bashing is not cool and opens you up to litigation... and reflects what kind of person you are...

---

Yeah it actually does reflect what a person Goldie is, also do the posts from the other people in this thread show a prospective new boss for Goldie how much he's worth - and how much that big and rich company is worth if it has to "threaten" ex-employees with ligitation....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VOD

Hey Marc, I was reading and posting to boards when I came to this thread...

I enjoyed working with you over the phone and having you create press release’s for our affiliates ; I have never met you, but I thought you were a nice person...

I guess you feel your time at XoD was wasted, or you would have swallowed your pride and moved on... with-out bashing XoD....

---

Hi - I dont know you personally either, and I do think Goldie might have been a little foolish about speaking quite so much...

However - THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN JUSTIFY FIRING SOMEONE VIA EMAIL. PERIOD. EVER. NO WAY. CANNOT. EVEN IF YOU FIRED HIM FOR SOMETHING HE DID.

That was just horrible and nasty and rather than admonisishing him, you should apologize for handling it in such a cold corporate manner.

I mean, we are in this business because we have chosen NOT to work for the type of corporate bastards who lay people off by email before the holidays and lock em out of thier sites.... and here you go acting like ya'll are Microsoft or IBM.

C'mon.... you guys should apologize for being - at the minimum - insensitive. If you dont want exiting employees to trash you - perhaps you should excercise a little bit of caution in how you treat em, hmmmm?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VOD

fyi, this is Rob@XonDemand.com and I am the Affiliate manager for XonDemand.com

---

Bet most of us are wondering how you would feel, being fired via e-mail, just a week before Christmas? I personally may not have taken the - Air It For All To See – route, but in some ways it seems VERY fitting.

Any company with the practice of terminating employees via e-mail deserves all the bashing that is dished out. Yes, more fitting that it was done here, on this board, where others, like myself, wouldn’t know about your company, if it weren't for Goldie.

Rest assured, XonDemand and this thread will be mentioned at our monthly Partner’s Meeting. Who knows, it may add a revision to our own acceptable business practices, when choosing affilate programs.

:santa: We have a Do On To Other's Clause. :santa:

$0.02

Well unless Rob @ xondemand was the one that fired Goldie, let's not be so quick to bash him!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CorbinFisher_BD

Well unless Rob @ xondemand was the one that fired Goldie, let's not be so quick to bash him!

---

Hi *winks* :D

the following counts for me ...

Unless the owner/CEO/autorized spokesman/responsible employee of xoD is not commenting on the issue and an employee is picking up this thread IMHO its fair to asume that this employee represents the opinions of XoD unless he states that he expresses his very own opinion. Hence opinions exposed by members in this thread are not against a certain employee, but rather against the company.


0.02 Euro :D

DEVELISH

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DEVELISH

Unless the owner/CEO/autorized spokesman/responsible employee of xoD is not commenting on the issue and an employee is picking up this thread IMHO its fair to asume that this employee represents the opinions of XoD unless he states that he expresses his very own opinion. Hence opinions exposed by members in this thread are not against a certain employee, but rather against the company.

---

I don't think the owner of the company is obliged to respond.

Firing an employee is an internal issue, regardless of however poorly handled or unpleasant the firing was.

As an employee of XonDemand, I don't think Rob is either responsible for, at fault for, or guilty of any internal decisions or actions taken by his employer towards an employee/former employee.

I'm sorry but as much as I feel for Goldie and as lame as the manner of his firing was, at the end of the day what took place was an internal company decision and internal company action. XonDemand has no obligation to explain their decision to any of us, and Rob has no obligation to represent XonDemand here or "feel the wrath" just because he works for them.

Funny how many hate doing business via e-mail because it is not personal enough yet they use it to relieve them of their oh-so ugly tasks.

Of course they do not need to explain, after all their poor internal choice speaks volumes - nothing else needs to be said, as far as I am concerned!

Best part of it all is their employees can now submit their notices (quitting, sick, holidays/time-off etc) via e-mail.

It’s only fair.

At least it wasn't via text message! I'd read that's apparently not too uncommon over in the UK.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CorbinFisher_BD

At least it wasn't via text message! I'd read that's apparently not too uncommon over in the UK.

---

how is that any different?
At the very least IM's or text messages are live.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Paco

how is that any different?
At the very least IM's or text messages are live.

---

Perhaps it's no different.

I wonder if being fired by telegram vs. in-person was faux pas for a long while, so too being fired by phone instead of in person.

Then I wonder if being fired via hard copy letter vs. being fired by phone was considered impersonal.

I wouldn't be surprised if being fired via email and text isn't standard procedure in the none-too-distant future.

Rob and Goldie have worked together for awhile, yet never met one another. Perhaps they have a lot of work-at-home staffers, or different offices in different places with various tasks handled out of each? Maybe e-mail was the standard form of communication within that company for any and everything. Maybe the person who handles the firing wasn't local to wherever it was Goldie worked out of?

There's a lot we don't know.

Either way, of course firing via email blows. But it also blows that people feel they have any business ripping on Rob for his employer's decision, that an internal XonDemand affair is any concern of theirs, and that they even have any right at all to direct criticism towards Rob for what his employer has done, and so forth.

Perhaps, in the new digital information age, firings via e-mail will become more and more common, as unpleasant as that is. Just as having a company's internal issues and affairs aired over an online discussion board is unpleasant yet prone to happen in the modern, digital age.

at no point was I ripping in to or on Rob - I feel for him.

Guess I am an oldschooler because I still expect an employer to do it verbally (via phone or in person).

My bad.

Goldie, your posts have been a delight to read...hope your next job is in the business so I see you back on the boards soon, and best wishes!