D&D 5E Mearls' "Firing" tweet

[Morrus]

To be fair, it's a very common concept. It's called virtue signaling and is done to fit in with the in-group and/or gain favor/status/approval.

You were asked not to post in this thread again. Since you refuse, now I have to help you.

 

[Maxperson]

So it depends what the word "is" means?

Bill?

 

[Sadras]

I kept my cool and pointed out to him that WotC made her gender in issue when they added affirmative action to their physical requirements and I pointed out that his type of behavior what disastrous for Marvel Comics.

Hey, I got to the other thread too late (like I usually do) and it was closed, and I just wanted to add a comment which maybe you haven't thought of or maybe you have, just wondered what your take on it would be.

I serve on a community-based NPO (Non-Profit Organisation) and every year we struggle to find volunteers (non-remunerative work) to stand-in for the ones leaving. I have found the inclusion of women in the organisation invaluable due to the different level of insight they bring to the table. The NPO would definitely be losing should the organisation lack female input.

Now I know this (the NPO) is not a skill-based organisation or profit motivated but certainly quality of service is important, just as in WotC.

Perhaps sometimes the idea behind AA is that - so certainly find someone qualified but also to fulfill a role that only a women can if you know what I'm driving at. I don't know if I made myself clear enough.

On the thread topic, I certainly disagree with Mearl's tweet, he probably should have known better.

 

[Warpiglet]

I just want more D&D players and cool books. Think about how absurd all of this is--people are already proclaiming products, not yet developed will suck. Further, there are people who are basing this prediction on the genitals of a designer. WTF?

Weirdness. You know, the new designer might not be good. I don't think it is particularly noble of me to wait to see the product to decide if that is the case. Seems very simple.

Sort of like the tweet in question. I HATE when people try to lecture me on morals and such (when I don't sign up for it) but the notion that it is a conspiracy seems silly and completely out of context.

This is coming from someone who probably has major political differences with most vocal people here...I just value the game more than the opportunity for political grandstanding. I can do that when discussing issues with my pals. Its simple. And this is why I play games with liberals, conservatives, people of faith, people without faith, people of color and people in local majority.

I JUST WANT TO PLAY THE DAMN GAME. In this sense, I think I am more of a fanboi that the naysayers!

Just take a bath and focus on the game/cooperate. Easy. I guess I would ask that people not proselytize at my table...no matter if they are conservative or liberal or whatever because they take their eye off of the prize. Then we have unfriendly and unfun discussions. The game helps us project ourselves past our limited insight and mistakes into limitless worlds of fun.

The first step is to be nice to one another (not agree on everything) and grab a handful of dice. Not preaching btw, just offering a pathway to more gaming. Sort of like my suggestion that we should be ambassadors for the game before our own issues when we are playing and discussing the game...seriously. Make the game bigger. How is that not a boon?

 

[redrick]

If Affirmative Action made it so much easier for minorities to get jobs over white men, why are positions of power in almost all industries still dominated by white men?

It's like all the other months getting to a leap year and complaining, "How come February gets all the extra days?"

 

[Sacrosanct]

If Affirmative Action made it so much easier for minorities to get jobs over white men, why are positions of power in almost all industries still dominated by white men?

It's like all the other months getting to a leap year and complaining, "How come February gets all the extra days?"

I'm gonna steal this analogy for future use. Just so you know.

 

[Kobold Boots]

All opinions are equal, but some opinions are more equal than others.

When you've been running a site for 20 years and paying the bills you get that right. Same as any other business.

 

[Kobold Boots]

If Affirmative Action made it so much easier for minorities to get jobs over white men, why are positions of power in almost all industries still dominated by white men?

It's like all the other months getting to a leap year and complaining, "How come February gets all the extra days?"

Like others have said, great analogy.

Answer is: because even with affirmative action, minorities are not running in the same circles as the industrial elite you're speaking of to be aware of the opportunities and there are tons of ways to get around the discrimination laws when they are.

However, it's dangerous to call out the flaw of affirmative action, because while it can be a call for increased scrutiny and reform, it can also be the war cry for conservatives to repeal it on the grounds that it's not working anyway.

Best not to assume that activism always has its desired or intended outcome. Sometimes it makes things worse.

Be well
KB

 

[Sacrosanct]

The whole gatekeeping thing is something that never made sense to me anyway. I mean, even beyond how it's just fundamentally wrong in most cases, but especially with TT gamers. Historically, we have been the victims of gatekeeping for most things in "normal" day to day life. Sports, social functions, etc. I mean, geeks have traditionally been outcasts. So why in the world, after knowing what it feels like, would they want to do the exact same thing to other people?

The only thing I can think of is those people are so desperate to control others and impart pain on someone like they where hurt, that they engage in that behavior. I'm no psychiatrist, but to me that seems like broken human behavior. Sadly, these past couple threads (and especially Reddit discussions) have proven Mearls to be correct in spades, and shows why a tweet like his is needed. Leading from the top is what he's doing.

 

[Kobold Boots]

The whole gatekeeping thing is something that never made sense to me anyway. I mean, even beyond how it's just fundamentally wrong in most cases, but especially with TT gamers. Historically, we have been the victims of gatekeeping for most things in "normal" day to day life. Sports, social functions, etc. I mean, geeks have traditionally been outcasts. So why in the world, after knowing what it feels like, would they want to do the exact same thing to other people?

The only thing I can think of is those people are so desperate to control others and impart pain on someone like they where hurt, that they engage in that behavior. I'm no psychiatrist, but to me that seems like broken human behavior. Sadly, these past couple threads (and especially Reddit discussions) have proven Mearls to be correct in spades, and shows why a tweet like his is needed. Leading from the top is what he's doing.

Have to agree with you here.

I originally thought his tweets were a bit over the top. Then I realized that the discussions on multiple sites were exponentially worse. I've never seen that kind of vitriol over something so insignificant.

Those of us that aren't of that mindset have a lot to be grateful for.

KB