I am saying its a huge double standard.
You are posting using an ISP that probably laid people off. You continue to support that ISP though. Because it's simply not something you looked into or probably care a whole lot about.
You care about games though, so you punish more game designers by not supporting their company. Meanwhile, you reward your ISP because it's not something you care as much about.
It's totally backwards thinking. We should be supporting the companies who produce the things we like the most MORE now, not less. In this economy, our support is what allows for game designers to have a job at all.
I mean, what reaction do you think you could get if your "protest" were successful? Do you think a) they will never lay people off again, or b) they will lay more people off because now they are making even less money? The answer is b. You would be effecting the layoff of another employee whose work you probably like.
Except they won't notice. They will never track this event to loss of future revenue. There isn't anyone looking for that kind of distant link, nor frankly should there be. All it will mean is a while from now at another end of year they will see less money and lay more people off. Nobody will every say "gee it's because of the last lay off".
Um, they do though. It's in this thread. They often do rehiring in January and February. Of course, that is unless your plan actually works, in which case they won't have the money to do that rehiring.
This kind of "protest" is one stage thinking. It doesn't contemplate the actual likely ramifications of your actions.
While Charter has had layoffs, they've seemed better timed and bettered executed, especially those stemming from their restructuring last year. Sure, they suck, but layoffs are only suppose to be seasonal in industries that are seasonal, ala construction wildfire watchtower workers, and so forth.
If you have layoffs they should be to improve the companies fiscal fortitude, to the point that you don't have them the following year, thus showing an improvement in overall business.
As a previous Hasbro investor, who sold his stock due to dissatisfaction with choices being made, I don't have that much confidence in a company who seems to think being an unstable employer as good business.
As for the hiring in January and February, I'd have more respect for it if they were hiring back those that they previously laid off. Heck, I'm sure they could do a seasonal reduction in workforce, except it doesn't cut as much out of their bottom line as they'd like since they'd still have to maintain some level of HR footprint. Instead, they often laid folks off and hire new folks, and then repeat the process again come the next holiday season.
It ain't good business, in my opinion, as it shows an unstable employer, a lack of loyalty to employees, and weak job security. *shrugs*
But, I should just bow out of this at this point, especially since I've not bought a WotC product since sometime in the spring and I cancelled my DDI renewal at about the same time. Which, I guess, means I'm partially responsible for the layoffs.
Of course, WotC and its parent company is more responsible and could use better choices in management to handle such situations better.
