Aye - that's sort of what I was trying to get at. As "working with them" seems to be a fairly long shot, just simply creating something better is how you make an alternative to tf2c.

Trolling people who are running something in a way you don't like = worst idea of all time.

1. It makes them less receptive to you in future, and even more likely to carry on behaving in the manner with which you disagree.
2. Puts you on their level.

As someone who's been involved in several community projects (outside of tf2), essentially, the one thing you have to do is enjoy doing it if there's no financial incentive. Pissing off people who are part of a system you disagree with isn't going to help anyone. Work with them, take the high road, suggest improvements or build an alternative.

Hi - I don't really post here ever so I don't expect anyone to take anything I say with any authority, but I'd like to pitch in with a couple of things.

1. I'm a donator at tf2 center. I definitely won't be donating any more in future, and may even attempt a chargeback as a statement of saying that this sort of stuff isn't ok.

2. I'm lucky enough to have a decently paid full time job that allows me to put money into community tf2 efforts. If you need small donations for anything you guys want to work on as an alternative to tf2center, put me down.

3. ...and finally - I'm a trained journalist at one of the world's most prestigious newspapers. While er, that doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things - it does mean that I'm good at copy editing and writing. If you need anything you're doing pr-wise looked over or if you need someone to look through any text you put on site pages, then I'd be happy to help.

Yep, that's about it! Cheers.

Edit: A lot of people rightly pointing out that you only create a viable alternative than creating something that is significantly better than tf2center is currently. There's no reason why if you get the right people on board with a mix of ux/design/development/community management skills that you can't do that - but it's no mean feat. Speaking to tf2center admins should also be considered a viable option.