WotC New WotC Statement on Orion Black

[Eltab]

I love how many people are rushing to the defense of a non-human corporation, which has had multiple complaints about being an old boys club.

The hesitation you note is not endorsement or agreement or wink-wink-nudge-nudge; it is looking for "let all things be determined by the testimony of two or three witnesses". We want to turn the opprobrium on the person(s) who made working at WotC miserable, and be able to reinforce whoever there is on the inside trying to make things better.

Right now we have Orion's say-so. WotC is saying as little as possible. If other WotC employees come forward and back up Orion, you will be on much better grounds to light that flamethrower than you are now as an outsider with only partial knowledge.

 

[77IM]

it is looking for "let all things be determined by the testimony of two or three witnesses".

Not looking hard enough. The testimony is out there; I'll let you have the fun of googling around for it.

But, really, this isn't a trial. Much of the discussion is around who's right, who's to blame, and how we can judge and punish. (When people talk about "accountability" they often really mean punishment.) Instead, we should talk about what needs to change at Wizards, and how. MY biggest take-away here Black's claim that they had to search for work to do, which strikes me as bizarre, since everything else I've heard indicates that RPG freelancers are overworked. Somebody was asleep at the wheel, there, and that can easily lead to the sort of environment where bias slips through the cracks.

 

[MGibster]

MY biggest take-away here Black's claim that they had to search for work to do, which strikes me as bizarre, since everything else I've heard indicates that RPG freelancers are overworked. Somebody was asleep at the wheel, there, and that can easily lead to the sort of environment where bias slips through the cracks.

I thought it odd that Black had to search for work but we don't really know why that was necessary. Maybe Black is correct, maybe nobody at the company was ready for a non-binary person of color to "critique their problems." On the other hand, perhaps they weren't hired to critique the company's problems and by doing so uninvited they alienated some of their coworkers and managers. Or perhaps they were hired to critique aspects of the project but did so in a way that put people off. It could be that the manager decided that working with Orion was difficult, but firing them would cause more trouble than it was worth so better to just let their contract run out.[/QUOTE]

 

[Olrox17]

In other news, Twitter confirmed as an absolutely toxic place.
Almost 100% of the comments are just dogpiling Wotc pretty unfairly, and about a third of those are loudly asking them to fire Mike Mearls. I have no words.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

After this travesty it might be a long time until WotC feels safe to hire someone who isn't a white male.

 

[MGibster]

After this travesty it might be a long time until WotC feels safe to hire someone who isn't a white male.

I doubt it. I don't think the difficult relationship they had with Orion will lead to discriminatory hiring practices in regards to employees or contractors.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

Haha not worth it. Deleted.

 

[BigZebra]

After this travesty it might be a long time until WotC feels safe to hire someone who isn't a white male.

I think Wizards will withdraw a bit. It’s simply too much of a risk interacting with fans directly given how abysmal the community acts on Twitter. It is so non constructive and nothing but a performative yelling match.

 

[Zardnaar]

I love how many people are rushing to the defense of a non-human corporation, which has had multiple complaints about being an old boys club. The amount of "well that's just how it is" complacency and forced civility is sad.

Make a scene. Be outraged. Burn bridges. Being quiet and respectable is how this crap is allowed to keep continuing.

I like good product. Generally I don't care who makes it.

If they want to hire a pink hippo

Orion got an opportunity. Didn't work out but they didn't specify anything in particular that raises alarm bells.

Ost was vague and we don't know the details. Was WotC unfair, did Orion not fit in it did they just annoy everyone around them?

 

[Olrox17]

I think Wizards will withdraw a bit. It’s simply too much of a risk interacting with fans directly given how abysmal the community acts on Twitter. It is so non constructive and nothing but a performative yelling match.

To think that they closed their own (pretty popular) forum some years ago, because clearly, Twitter was the future. I wonder if they're regretting that choice now.