This post is recycled from the Downtown Gamespot union.

Neogaf (if you don't know what this look it up on wikipedia, but don't bother joining they are pretty eliteist) is banning the entire CNET networks from their forums for the rest of 2007. I am staying away too. Doubt it will do much but at least I can feel I didn't take it sitting down.

IGN is worse than GS even after this. I just don't like IGN.

Many people who are "leaving" will eventually return. It may take months or years, but it will all settle eventually.

We don't have official confirmation of what has happened, and may never.

*The rest is more directly related to the situation with Jeff.*

Lets get some things straight right off the bat.

[Speculation that could be fact] Jeff was wronged. I don't know the details, no one does, except people "on the inside." But you don't fire an employee of 11 years like this. Everyone else gets their deserved good byes, Jeff is kicked out. The rumor goes he was locked out of his office which is very rude and just plain wrong.

Based on this, I believe it was due to the Kane and Lynch controversy.

[Fact] All the fanbois that are happy he is gone should be ashamed. How can you be happy some one was wrongly dismissed from their job. Not to mention it means you have no integrity or ethics, but hey what can you expect from a fanboi right?

[Fact] How could some one who is a key figure and has been for years, be kicked for one stupid advertising contract? Gamespot lost so much content, wisdom, respect just from having this key figure go, and for what, this flop kane and Lynch that was getting bad reviews anyway? The metacritic average was a frickin 68, even if GS gave the game a 10 it probably wouldn't have averaged to more than a high 70. Bad move.

[Opinion] Hope he doesn't go to IGN. I don't know if he will fit in at 1up, they are just too different over there. If he goes there then cool, that has become one of my main content providers any way. I don't like IGN.

On that subject, lets not be so quick to assume he will want to go to another video game related job. Jeff has interests in music, so he may want to pursue that for a while. Also, we don't know if 1up, whom is in finacial difficulty, will be interested in picking up an industry veteran like Jeff.

Lets not count out that some one who has made a name for themselves such as Jeff Gerstmann, would be a very valuable free lance writer. If I had to guess (and this a true shot in the dark since everyone is just speculating right now) this is probably his best plan of action. The first few reviews that he writes will probably generate a lot of traffic, so for the time being he could do that.

If any one wants to reach me for the time I will be gone from Gamespot, My xbox live gamertag is Smether. I check that all the time, so I can receive any PMs. My AIM screen name is FPS Dangle (don't ask). If you use AIM just be sure to let me know in the first IM you send that you are from Gamespot. 1up username is the same as my Gamertag (Smether) so if you add make an account there in protest add me as a friend. I also check my PMs their daily.