Paizo Jessica Price (ex Paizo employee) spills the beans

[Ancalagon]

It might be a big ooooof, but if it wasn't for Ancalagon's Apothegm, twitter might not exist!


In a way, Twitter is to Ancalagon's Apothegm what the Double Slit Experiment is to the wave-theory of light- kind of a proof of concept.

I have very mixed feelings about this catching on (like Poe's Law or Halon's Razor)...

 

[Malmuria]

Yeah. It starting to look like someone is intentionally derailing at this time...

So as I was saying, what can be done to help fix this situation?

This reads to me like a story about corporate malfeasance, exacerbated by the fact that the industry relies on so many casual, freelance workers. Exacerbated again by the fact that fans of creative products get territorial about the companies they support and that discussion about it becomes a proxy for the culture wars.

It's illustrative that several of the things she describes are, if true, outright illegal. Even the carpet thing has to do with worker safety. And yet it is unlikely in the US that a handful of employees are going to be able to successfully sue even a small corporation like Paizo on that account. We need better regulations and workers, including freelancers, need unions. Consumer recourses are, in my opinion, weak. That said, maybe focus your gaming money towards independent creators and smaller companies?

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I have very mixed feelings about this catching on (like Poe's Law or Halon's Razor)...

I will make fetch happen.

You’re welcome!

 

[darjr]

I will make fetch happen.

You’re welcome!

You of the blue hat and obviously delicious tea. I find my self almost squirming not knowing what the actual dangnabbit that thing is. I think this is what Danforth must have felt.

 

[JediSoth]

This reads to me like a story about corporate malfeasance, exacerbated by the fact that the industry relies on so many casual, freelance workers. Exacerbated again by the fact that fans of creative products get territorial about the companies they support and that discussion about it becomes a proxy for the culture wars.

It's illustrative that several of the things she describes are, if true, outright illegal. Even the carpet thing has to do with worker safety. And yet it is unlikely in the US that a handful of employees are going to be able to successfully sue even a small corporation like Paizo on that account. We need better regulations and workers, including freelancers, need unions. Consumer recourses are, in my opinion, weak. That said, maybe focus your gaming money towards independent creators and smaller companies?

The National Writer's Union accepts work-for-hire writers, contract writers, and self-published authors. I doubt most RPG freelancers realize that there is a union they can join right now (and join the Freelance Solidarity Project in the process). I didn't even find out about them until today when I started poking around after reading her Twitter thread.

Whether or not they could have been engaged to prevent such a blow up, I don't know. But there are options to explore, should people wish.

 

[Retreater]

From the PF2 reddit

 

[teitan]

I remember Jessica Price from this:

All this.

 

[teitan]

It's not a great look for paizo and I'm not doubting the veracity of the post in anyway, but before any conclusions are made it must be worth hearing paizo's side of the story?

Or more about the author of the tweets. She is a pretty shady person who took advantage of the current political clime to make accusations before and also celebrated a man dying of cancer.

 

[Gradine]

For those catching up, Phrenology was a cornerstone of Scientific Racism. We like to think of it as funny head bump reading these days but its history is inextricably tied to white supremacy.

 

[Justice and Rule]

From the PF2 reddit

Without specifics, I have no clue what to even say about this. If you are going to say that something isn't true, you have to say what, otherwise it comes off as trying to cast doubt on it all. If there is something wrong, then say what you know is wrong. At this point, there's no reason to be vague about it.

Or more about the author of the tweets. She is a pretty shady person who took advantage of the current political clime to make accusations before and also celebrated a man dying of cancer.

You know, I subscribed to TB for a long time, but his help in giving GG credibility was unconscionable and always poorly-considered. To me, it always came off as being out of ego, and him tossing his credibility to a nascent hate movement honestly should not be forgotten. I never wanted the man to die nor would I celebrate his death, but I suppose if I were a women in gaming on the internet, I might not be so inclined to be so kind.