Recentley, there was a split in the world leading courier group Devotion (besides RiSC). As always when something happends in the scene, the rumours are usually pure bullshit. Therefore, Relativity brings you a interview with Dizzident to clear things out! :) Aldog: Hi Dizzident. What is your current position in Devotion? DiZZiDeNT: I was positioned as president a few days ago. I also founded the group, along with Elmo and Ramirez close to two years ago. Aldog: When was it founded, and what was it's purpose in the beginning? A local BBS group - or was it founded by hyper-leet currys to rule the scene? What position would you say DEV has got now? DiZZiDeNT: We founded it way back, just to be a friends group, it still is. I dont think that changed much, but we are kinda huge, we have like 50 members now, but still I say we all are friends, we also dont have alot of fights with other groups.. We watch with who we invite in Devotion, he or she has to be a nice person, not in the scene for personal gain. We never did boards, we started as an euro-only inet group. Devotion never expected to be a top group, but it took a few months, and more and more good traders wanted to join. Aldog: What position would you say Devotion has got now? Are you the #1? Any major competition up through the time? DiZZiDeNT: I dont know if we are #1. At this moment, I think if you look at whole 1998, and 1997, we are #1. Groups come and go, we had alot of competetion, VGN/RiSC/MNM/DMS etc. Only RiSC have always been there. When they arent top, they are top soon again ;) Alltime those groups are the top.. look at us in 10 years, if we still are there.. Aldog: How is your relationship to RiSC? DiZZiDeNT: I like to compete with RiSC really, when I first started, I looked up to RiSC, damn, they are here for like always, now it also shows that most of their members are nice guys. I like competing with them... fATE also.. when i started, damn, i wanted to be in fATE, but they didnt want me Aldog: What made Devotion such a succesful group? Was the secret key team-work, friendship or hard working? DiZZiDeNT: All of that, and luck ofcourse. How Devotion handled things many people in the scene really liked, I still think alot of other people respect us, like we respect other groups. It is just a hobby, sometimes groups forget that, and do stupid things like site assignments.. Aldog: How is it to be the leader of DEV? Do the members respect you and your leadership? DiZZiDeNT: I am leader now, but Devotion wont let me act like a leader. Leaders mostly dont have respect, it is mainly fear. I have respect from everyone in Devotion, even before I was leader. I mean, I can decide on my own now who can join, or cant join, but I like the old way, we still vote. Keeps everybody happy... In Devotion most people been like long involved in the scene, some are here longer then I am, thats why it is so great to talk about everything, they know stuff that is important for others to know. Thats the respect, I respect them, they respect me ;) But that doesnt mean only the guys that have been here long have good advices, new guys also come up with great idea's. It is the mix that works mainly I think.. Aldog: There have been talk about Devotion is splitted? Can you tell us what happened? DiZZiDeNT: There was a major split yes, alot of oldschool Devotion members left. Ramirez, Elmo, Mig, Nightsky, MaDBoy, Snapcase, Comwood and Waxattack. It was like a chainreaction with the guys that left, those guys were a tight group in Devotion. So we knew if one left, they all would. Never in the history of Devotion we had so many people that have left. The simple reason is that they didnt want a leader. But like i said, we had 50-60 members, some votes took like 2 to 3 weeks. We needed someone that could decide things faster. DEV has turned into a top courier group, so we had to do things to compete with the best, some guys likes the way old Devotion was, have fun, trade sum, but once you are top, you have to do a bit more, and do things, things that the older Devotion memebers didnt like so much.. Aldog: Was what happened a surprise to you? Didn't you get a "warning"? DiZZiDeNT: I knew that there were people that were gonna leave, but I also knew that if we went on like we did, that there wouldnt be a devotion anymore. Some guys asked me to become a leader. I told them that I couldnt, but we were forced to act - so I choosed for the group. We lost alot, we gained nothing, and if we could gain something, we had to vote for it. And like, some votes took so long that the people we voted about, were gone to other groups.. You can choose, be a friends only group again, or be what we are now. We choosed both! :) Aldog: Why not just kick these people who spent so long time on voting and was inactive? Where are they now, btw? Joined another group? DiZZiDeNT: Devotion never kicks. Like.. I am NOT gonna kick anyone :) I do love everyone that is in devotion, and I do trust them 110%. We are still build on loyalty and friendship, and trust me, Devotion people are REAL loyal. They didnt join another group no, they just hang in a channel somewhere, doing what they allways did in Devotion.. I speak alot with Ramirez and Snapcase, they dont blame me anything, they were tired of DEV before it all even happened. Aldog: As the final question: How will Devotion become #1 again? DiZZiDeNT: I think devotion has the best traders in the scene, if they all trade we would be undoubtfull be #1. But also, we do rock the best sites, we are allways #1 or #2 at groupweektops. So, I think in general, we are #1.. Aldog: Greetings, shout-outs, wise words to newbies and other sceners, bitching or nice words - tell us now! :) DiZZiDeNT: Greets go out to all that want this scene to be fun again. Scripts aint fun!! =) Btw, DEV is 100% script-free zone, WE dont allow scripts. Aldog: Thanks for your time and effort and good luck with "New Devotion", Dizzy.