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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Aug 2008 : 16:44:18
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OK, that's pretty horrifying.
At the same time, I agree that it would be strange if the entire DDi project was riding all on this one person. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Kiaransalyn
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
762 Posts |
Posted - 05 Aug 2008 : 19:26:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I wonder if THIS had anything to do with their new focus?
Utterly bizzare, and I can do all sorts of speculating ATM, but it would be HIGHLY inappropriate.
Just sad. 
That's a very sad story. The guy in question sounded like a crazy stalker but he must have been a very confused soul underneath. Although that still doesn't justify what he did.
As for the effect it has had on WotC's web strategy I don't know enough to comment. I should imagine that his restraining order meant he wasn't fully focussing on his job and had probably delegated some of this work. That is all speculation though and of no help to anyone. |
Death is Life
Love is Hate
Revenge is Forgiveness
Ken: You from the States?
Jimmy: Yeah. But don't hold it against me.
Ken: I'll try not to... Just try not to say anything too loud or crass. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2008 : 18:20:13
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I said I didn't want to speculate, but here's my take -
I'm not saying the OUTCOME is what caused WotC's Gleemax/DDi problems - that was merely there conclusion (and a very sad one it is).
However, it is painfully obvious to me that this guy has been preoccupied for months, and was probably spending nearly all of his time tending 'personal matters', rather then getting the work done that he was being paid for (I've had a personal experience with working with someone demonstarting this sort of obssesive behaviour).
If he has just been "yesing" the higher-ups to death for the past half-year or so, they may have been completely blind-sided by the fact that nearly no progrees has been made on ANY of their digital initiatives.
I offer you the problems they had with the Gaming Table as proof - someone posted content from another company's version of a gaming table as WotC's. That tells me right there they they were trying to snowball the suits into thinking it was nearly complete, when I gather very little was actually done (otherwise, why would they need someone else's artwork?) WotC had to apologize and remove the plagerized content from their site as a result.
As it turns out, they have reached their deadline, and now don't have anything to show us for it, not because of any sort of duplicity on THEIR part, but rather because they trusted in an individual that turned out to be emotionally disturbed.
The worst I can say at this point about WotC is that they make poor employee choices (and that they need to really crack-down and look at what each individual is REALLY producing). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 06 Aug 2008 18:25:44 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36998 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2008 : 18:39:46
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While that is a possibility, the fact remains that he was one man on a team. Even if he wasn't at his best, his team should have still been productive.
And before someone says it, I have been part of a staff where we ignored our boss to get things done when they had to be done. More than once, I've had bosses who were obstacles to work, not facilitators.
I'm not saying this guy was one or the other, I'm just saying that regardless of his circumstances, things should have still been getting done. |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2008 : 18:41:37
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I never thought the DDI delays (which we kind of benefit from, as WotC's online content has stayed free longer than I expected) had anything to do with maliciousness on the part of WotC employees. As I mentioned before, I don't think it's rational to immediately assume that when we don't get what we want, it must be because of maliciousness.
That said, I still find it hard to believe that DDI was totally dependant on this one guy (that is, I don't agree with the people saying, "WotC, take as much time as you want!"). WotC is a professional company--they still have to get their products out in spite of setbacks (or just cancel them). |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2008 : 18:43:16
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
While that is a possibility, the fact remains that he was one man on a team. Even if he wasn't at his best, his team should have still been productive.
And before someone says it, I have been part of a staff where we ignored our boss to get things done when they had to be done. More than once, I've had bosses who were obstacles to work, not facilitators.
I'm not saying this guy was one or the other, I'm just saying that regardless of his circumstances, things should have still been getting done.
I fully agree with this, because as I said above, WotC is a professional company that has a vested interest in putting out quality products. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2008 : 19:07:06
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In answer to this -
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I'm not saying this guy was one or the other, I'm just saying that regardless of his circumstances, things should have still been getting done.
I give you this again -
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
The worst I can say at this point about WotC is that they make poor employee choices (and that they need to really crack-down and look at what each individual is REALLY producing).
While you are quite correct, and a team of good employees will continue to plod forward despite a boss's 'sub-par' performance, I have also seen situations wherein which the boss was a piece-of-crap, and everyone followed suit.
If you come back from lunch ten minutes late, and no-one yells at you, it is human nature to try for 20 the next time. Not everyone is like that, but it has been my experience that bad employees will try to get away with as much as they can (like plagerizing another companies code) if no-one is at the helm.
You are lucky to be part of a good team Wooly - I have had to work with both ends of the extreme.
And if you don't like working with people who don't want to actually do anything for their pay, avoid working for the union - I've been a member of two.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 06 Aug 2008 19:08:24 |
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monknwildcat
Learned Scribe
USA
285 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2008 : 19:41:06
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MT: I'm no union worker, but I suspect unions believe someone with a work ethic couldn't enjoy management.
I agree with all y'all that one person in a mental health crisis did not kill an entire product. If nothing happened on the team, upper management should have inklings. There's always someone who tattles, backstabs, or B&Ms before the team goes down in blaze of glory.  |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 07 Aug 2008 : 04:36:31
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It really all depends upon how much the WotC guys like to micro-manage, and from what I have seen, no-one's been steering this ship for quite some time.
I can fully believe that one person in charge of a dept. could have snowballed the game and novels guys for months on end, considering how little they know about coding, they would have eaten up everything he was telling them.
I've had experience with this sort of thing - he probably kept telling them "it will be great... just you wait and see!" at every meeting, and then spent most of his time stalking. Since they trusted him fully to run his dept., the other parts of the company would have no clue how bad things really were.
Can one man completely drive a team or even a whole company into oblivion? For an example, I give you Daikatana - I'm still not sure to this day if John Romero actually managed to convince himself it was great, or he just got so tired of lying to everyone else he started to believe it himself.
I have nothing to base any of this on beyond pure conjecture, which is why I wanted to avoid speculation. Although I feel much more sorry for his wife's family, I do take some pity for WotC, because I know this hit them out of left field.
If they roll out the full DDi and Game Table and all the goodies as-promised over the next couple of months, then obviously I was wrong, and for once, I certainly hope I am. If not... |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 10 Aug 2008 19:20:27 |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 07 Aug 2008 : 14:24:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Although I feel much more sorry for his wife's family, I do take some pity for WotC, because I know this hit them out of left field.
I agree--the wife was the one who was murdered. The man we are talking about was the murderer. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Gleemax
