The tinkling of lambs

I've been holding off until the last minute, but circumstances are such that further silence, stemming from a perfectly natural reluctance for any normal person to publicly expose personal problems, is resulting in serious reputational damage, not only for me but also for my partners, past and present. Because the other side doesn't bind itself with any ethical boundaries (and, in fact, can't), has no intention of stopping, is ready to spread any lie, and there's no shortage of people willing to provide a helpful fan for these fragrant streams. If you skirt around this too long and too proudly, you could inadvertently choke. Anyway, I apologize in advance to my sensible colleagues for the sordidness I'll have to briefly immerse you in. I'm forced to. I'm defending myself.

This story began a little over a year ago, when slanderous attacks against me, originating from Vasily Sidorenko, appeared in Mikhail Marlov's group. At the time, I limited myself to a short post , omitting names and specifics, calling for prudence and information hygiene. It partially worked: Sidorenko retracted his statements, explaining them as revenge for my betrayal. He never explained what exactly this betrayal consisted of. At the time, I didn't go into detail or explain what he actually meant, for ethical reasons.

Last November, however, things continued. After his visit to the Moscow Cup Сидоренко резко активизировался (на том же самом ресурсе) и с тех пор поток помоев в мой адрес практически не прекращается. И это не какие-то абстрактные эмоции, которые можно было бы проигнорировать. Речь идёт о системной дискредитации моей работы и уничтожении деловой репутации. Меня выставляют эдаким “великим комбинатором”, который втирается в доверие к инвесторам, вешает им лапшу на уши, тянет деньги и разрушает проекты скрытым саботажем, тормозя при этом развитие точек и заботясь только о собственном дутом авторитете, ради которого готов унижать кого угодно (это — главное, мелочи не упоминаю).

First, let's get to the point. Very briefly, because going into detail about these endless outlines is pointless (you'll understand why a little later).

Regarding humiliation, I'll respond with a quote from the aforementioned post: "I suggest... reviewing the megabytes of material published on my resources over the past ten years: articles, news, videos, and so on. Review them and try to find not even insults, humiliation, or bullying, but even just a simple display of disrespect toward a specific colleague. Not responses to attacks and lies (this is extremely rare, but it has happened), not face-to-face discussions, not mutual jokes in chat rooms, but deliberate and unprovoked public bullying using thematic media resources.". You can also look for signs of self-obsession. And exaggeration of one's own achievements. And belittling the achievements of others. I especially recommend articles or the series of nominations for "Significant Contribution." Good luck.

Now about the projects.

I worked with PixelPlexAt their invitation, on their terms. No fantasies of mountains of gold. The result is "Sport Dots," which people still remember. None of this company's management or employees are running around chatting with cool stories about a devious manipulator who ruined the best Dots project.

I'm working with Web-Artel (specifically for those preoccupied with counting other people's money—free of charge). At their invitation, on their terms. No fantasies about mountains of gold (they monitored ST, were well aware of all the problems, offered assistance, and, therefore, couldn't have harbored any illusions a priori). The result is Brain Based SportA fully functional platform with good potential. None of this company's management or employees are running around chatting or telling cool stories about a devious manipulator who dragged them into a hopeless venture.

Successful companies with huge portfolios. Qualified staff. Managers who have made it all possible. They've been communicating with me personally for years, granting me access to their software and admin panels, trusting me to set tasks and monitor their implementation, and processing tons of documentation I've prepared. They have no complaints against me. Are they all, according to Sidorenko's chatter, idiots?

Well, yes, I worked with him too. On his (!) initiative, on his terms. No fantasies of mountains of gold (he himself confirms this, by the way). No personal ambitions and with unambiguous answers to the intrusive questions: no, I don't see myself as anything in your company; no, I don't claim any shares or percentages; yes, my only motive is to give Dots another chance to develop. I worked without the promised staff, doing something I don't know how to do and something I never signed up for. The result: Tensū Arena (a good idea, poorly implemented), technical documentation for the app (which even Sidorenko himself can't say anything bad about), and—an abrupt end to the collaboration followed by a series of chat sessions.

What happened? A personal tragedy occurred. And more than one.

Vasily was my friend (not to say that he was close, but you couldn’t call him any kind of acquaintance either). There was, because by now there is practically nothing left of the person I met nine years ago. According to him, he had been addicted to substances for quite some time. In general, he also admitted certain mental problems in conversations. For the time being, however, all this did not go beyond the bounds of decency and had almost no effect on the overall adequacy. A good businessman, an interesting conversationalist - there was something to respect for, and there is something to be grateful for, no matter what. But problems accumulated, warnings were ignored, and instead of treatment, there were regular multi-day trips with independent “processing of emotions.” Another such development, which occurred at the end of October 2024, turned out to be a trigger. Sidorenko, in his words, almost died, apparently lost his mind, went to Belgorod and there, having recovered slightly, began an “investigation”, hiring some private security companies (with the collection of personal data from all sorts of leaked databases, forcing a polygraph, etc.). The result was a version of a conspiracy, which then acquired more and more new details and included more and more people in its orbit. Brief summary: companions, employees, relatives, friends, acquaintances, random people, being members of a powerful mafia structure similar to the Order of the Illuminati, surrounded him from all sides, hooked him on substances, influenced his psyche through NLP and psychoanalysis in order to bring him to death and take over the business. I found myself among the conspirators quite quickly. It was enough to doubt his version and offer to go for treatment. Then I was promoted altogether: I became the leader of the mafia, an eminence grise and, probably, a reptilian. Sidorenko quarreled with all the partners with whom he had worked for decades, fired a bunch of employees, his closest friends and many relatives, including his daughter, stopped communicating with him. I became the main recipient of his glitches. Month after month, he poured megabytes of the finest bullshit into my Cart (anticipating the question of blocking: I once worked in the “authorities”, so I understood perfectly well that sooner or later I would need this material for protection). He insulted, humiliated, threatened, called him his best friend and worst enemy, described his heroic achievements in the field of counteracting the conspiracy, offered to negotiate, asked to be accepted into the mafia, wrote poetry, sent dick pics, told how I manipulated him with the help of memes with Hitler. He demanded that I return his daughter (then she also turned out to be “ours” and almost removed me from the post of leader - I barely fought back), give away some software that was developed by his former employees, force the neighbors in the stairwell to remove the dirt from under the door, withdraw from the court the statement of claim of the studio director who was illegally fired by him (satisfied, as far as I know) and God knows what else. In the summer, when a pipe leaked in his office (an Illuminati sabotage, of course), he experienced a particularly powerful arrival. He began recording and publishing videos with revelations (warning: shock content!), appealing to Bastrykin (20:17), and setting tasks for Putin (20:43), demanding that the mafia be punished for the innocently murdered kitten (11:50. He had a falling out with a private security guard who wouldn't let him contact law enforcement (why would that be, really?), and finally filed a police report. His nonsense, understandably, didn't impress anyone there; no one tried to catch any mafia members, and even Putin, for some reason, didn't help. Deciding the mafia was too powerful, Sidorenko calmed down and returned to his usual methods of fighting—chatting online (not just Dots chats—he now has many "enemies"). In September, I briefly ran into him on the street, after which the tone of his outpourings in my Telegram changed. He became increasingly insistent in his demands for communication, offering to meet, and finally squeezed out an apology and a request to "rewind." I replied that I didn't believe in rewinding, as I knew his sanity would evaporate as suddenly as it had appeared. He nevertheless insisted on attending the Moscow Cup, offered to increase the prize money, and surprisingly handled the formalities with the same equanimity (with the same preoccupied tone: the money isn't mine, it's for the players; all organizational expenses are at my expense). Then came that visit, and, as expected, no miracle happened. Sidorenko, it turned out, had concocted a fantasy that I couldn't confess to being part of the conspiracy over instant messaging (accomplices read, right?), but in person I'd definitely burst into tears into his shoulder (or rather, into his T-shirt with the word "toxic") and repent. Faced with yet another offer to go get some treatment, he immediately retreated, upset.

And now he's waging a holy war against me (his delusions, really). On the only field where he can harm me. Choosing the most obvious pain points and methodically working on them. With the sophistication and persistence of a maniac.

Let's discuss a few key points below to avoid misinterpretations.

I had no choice but to lay out the essence of the situation as thoroughly and frankly as possible. Otherwise, normal people, who make up the majority of the community, would not have been able to understand the motivations of the parties and correctly evaluate their words and actions. They would have assumed, quite obviously, that they were dealing with a simple clash of interests, a dispute between rational actors over something (money, for example). And they would have tried to evaluate the arguments. The problem, however, is that the situation is a priori irrational. Therefore, if I had remained within the framework of a classic discussion, I would inevitably have ended up looking like a fool. Ignoring it was impossible. The quantity of garbage would sooner or later turn into quality (if one side accuses, and the other remains silent, it means it has no defense). Limiting myself to dry rebuttals in the spirit of my post from a year ago was impossible. This is essentially a form of silence, because without the opportunity to delve into the details, I would repeat the same thing over and over again and look pathetic compared to my opponent, who spouts ever more colorful details. Getting into endless arguments, trying to respond to every statement, is impossible. When you're limited by facts and ethics, while the other side can spout any nonsense, it's impossible to appear convincing. Words against words—we trust emotions. It's impossible to reach an agreement (I don't think there's even any need to explain anything here). So, that's it. Of course, I don't expect Sidorenko to shut up. On the contrary, there will be much more garbage. But unbiased members of the community will still understand the value of his words. That's the only thing I can do in the current situation, unfortunately.

And it's not that I'm desperate to prove my case. If I were a private individual with no obligations, I would have given up long ago. But I work, I have partners and plans. I have some kind of reputation. In a large community, such stories aren't critical, but in a small Dots community, their consequences can be fatal.

I don't need anything from Sidorenko. If I'd been thinking about my own gain, I'd still be enjoying his support. All I had to do was pretend to believe his nonsense, play along a bit, nod my head, and applaud (in fact, that's the only kind of person he has left around him). But I still have some sense of honor and conscience. I believe a friend needs doctors, not self-serving sycophants.

I fulfilled my obligations to Sidorenko regarding the Dots issue (unlike him). He can use the results of my work however he wants; my current projects have nothing to do with it (all this talk about some hidden source code is nonsense). He didn't demand that "Arena" be removed from the site, positioning it as a gift to the community. If he does, I'll remove it. I have no interest in his future activities. I'm not going to dissuade anyone from collaborating with him. They're adults; they know how to tie their shoelaces, recognize the colors on a traffic light, and have now been warned about the risks. Good luck.

To the moralizers (and there are certainly some). Before accusing me of unethical behavior (like burdening you with personal problems, telling you such things about a friend, mocking him, etc.), try living in the same hell for a year. Talk to a patient at a relevant institution on a daily basis, try to prove something to him, look into his glassy eyes. Imagine that he could invade your life at any moment and from any direction. Imagine that he hates you, considers you the ultimate evil, and is trying to destroy you. Realize your powerlessness. Then we'll talk.

And finally, about the boring stuff. As you hopefully understand, I wouldn't publish this without being confident in my ability to stand behind my words. The evidence is there and will be presented if necessary (officially, of course—not in chat rooms). Furthermore, I hereby inform the owner of the platform where Sidorenko is disseminating his revelations (legally, slander) that all of them have been recorded and may be used by me legally. Whether you allow such behavior in the future is your choice and your responsibility.

Happy New Year!