Tim's Toys Web Site to Close

[Anonymous]

Hi folks, my web site at Tim’s Toys will hopefully be wiped out sometime tomorrow (Tuesday 8 September here in Canada). I’ve asked that it be taken down because as some of you may know, I’m looking for work and entering my name into Google brings this up as a first hit.

One of the rules of job hunting is to reduce your on line presence (stupid, I know) and I have a feeling some potential employers may have found the content and been “puzzled”, to put it positively. 🙂

I’m not ashamed of my hobby, but some folks don’t understand it as has been explained to me by two recruiters.

The web site went up in 1998. While there were a ton of game reports in there, there was really not a lot of useful stuff in there other than some things related to Crossfire.

It bothers me to do this and I’ve asked the university where I worked for 21 years before being declared redundant with a lot of other folks (we’re an oil based economy and there have been a lot of major hits here with the lowered prices) to back it up. They have a policy of email for life, so eventually, I’m hoping to activate it again.

Posted in a couple of different forums.

[Mike]

Poop, will you be saving the site file so you can bring it back later?

[Norm S]

Tim, I have always enjoyed your site, but understand why you are doing this – a slightly painful process no doubt. Plenty of modern employers do internet searching as part of their recruitment process, so it seems a sensible precaution.

Good luck with the job hunting ….. though your decision has totally goosed any chance of you now getting a job as a wargame designer / tester with a 100k a year wage 🙂

 

[Just Jack]

Well, that sucks.  I look forward to its return, and good luck with the job hunt.

V/R,
Jack

[Rod Robertson]

Tim:

Wow, I’m going to miss the T-26’s most of all. Well, don’t look at this as a setback but rather an opportunity to get a new job and go through a personal and gaming renaissance, once your reestablished. Yes, it’s the end of an era in your life but it’s also the spring-board to new possibilities and new adventures. Best of luck and keep us posted on this new and exciting time in your life. We’ll miss Tim’s Toys but we’ll be amazed at what comes next. ‘Hang’ in there and do Islanders proud!

Good gaming and be well.

Rod Robertson

[Sparker]

Hi Tim – First off all the best with the job hunting – you can’t keep a good man down for long, your job is out there, just keep at it – easy to say but hard to do, but you have what it takes in spades.

Its a real shame about the website, wish I’d paid more attention now! But I totally understand your logic, I work in the HE sector myself, hence all my online presence is anymouse, but hope to see it back up once you’re back in work.

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Rules Junkie Jim]

I’ll add my best wishes for the job hunt. What a poopy situation… I’m not sure I like this brave new world! I hope you land a great job.

Just been nosing about your site before it’s too late, and was reminded how much I enjoyed GW’s LOTR rules… must dig them out!

[Etranger]

Hi Tim.

That sucks! I completely understand why you do it (& why I use a pseudonym!). Good luck with the job hunt.

[Shaun Travers]

Bother 🙁  A very good site will go missing. But very understandable.  Hope something can happen to bring it back up when you are settled in a new job.  Good luck on the job hunting too!

[willz]

Sad to see you site disappear Tim, I have popped in for a look regularly.

Though I understand why you are doing this.  Very sad that people are judgmental about your hobby, would you be forced to do this if your hobby forum was about golf, football, boxing, skiing, cycling, dressmaking, gardening, origami, horses, dogs, cats, goldfish, motor cars, mountaineering, hill walking, rambling, trains, on and on and on……………

 

 

[Thaddeus Blanchette]

God… So sorry to see this site go, Tim. Here’s hoping you are up and running again ASAP!

We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

[Katie L]

You’re obviously in the wrong line of work… one of the guys who interviewed me for my current job had noticed the stuff on my website and mentioned it — turns out his brother’s a Napoleonic gamers. Several of the devs are boardgamers and one of the project manager guys does Thirty Years War in 28mm…

I have to say, I’m not sure I’d want to work for people who would be bothered by people’s hobbies. I’d be wondering the whole time what constitutes a healthy hobby in their minds… And why they’ve reached that position…

[willz]

Katie L wrote:

You’re obviously in the wrong line of work… one of the guys who interviewed me for my current job had noticed the stuff on my website and mentioned it — turns out his brother’s a Napoleonic gamers. Several of the devs are boardgamers and one of the project manager guys does Thirty Years War in 28mm… I have to say, I’m not sure I’d want to work for people who would be bothered by people’s hobbies. I’d be wondering the whole time what constitutes a healthy hobby in their minds… And why they’ve reached that position…

Well said, I COULD NOT AGREE MORE.

[willz]

Tim just be true to yourself, all this advice about finger print and profile is just suit speak.  I only ever spend 2 hours max on a resume (CV) any longer is over complicating things, keep it simple and enjoy life.

 

[Etranger]

Something to cheer you up Tim http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/minds-business/creative-hobbies-linked-with-job-performance.html Not that the findings are likely to have penetrated many HR departments yet, useless drones that they so often are.

[GeoffQRF]

Taking the site down may make no difference, as many of these things are archived away in a variety of sources and stay within Google listings for years after they have been shut down.

I found the best way was to ensure that my hobby presences maintained a professional edge, and to ensure that my professional presences were up to date

QRF Models Limited
www.quickreactionforce.co.uk

[Author]

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