WotC New WotC Statement on Orion Black

[dave2008]

Just curious, how long did Orion actually work at WotC? I think I remember seeing him announce it only a year ago.

If they really only worked there for one year (or even two) I'm honestly not surprised at all with their description. What they described would be normal (it's not a good normal, but it's not surprising). Unless your a VP hired specifically to make broad changes in your department, no single hire is going to make systemic changes in a large corporation in such a short timespan.

Evidently 6 months

 

[a.everett1287]

It's possible for multiple things to be accurate here.

1) Orion Black felt they were not getting a level of respect they wanted, and felt stymied as a result.
2) Corporate cultures do not provide respect to contractors in general, and are slow to embrace the radical departures from standard practices/changes to norms that some contractors feel are needed/they can provide
3) Orion Black's output did not warrant extending their contract or providing them with any more deference then they received.

This isn't a scenario where WoTC is wrong, or Orion Black is wrong, and while Orion Black may feel aggrieved at the way they were treated, I don't see it as being unethical, or even anti-ethical to the message of inclusion they are embracing.

 

[Parmandur]

Just curious, how long did Orion actually work at WotC? I think I remember seeing him announce it only a year ago.

If they really only worked there for one year (or even two) I'm honestly not surprised at all with their description. What they described would be normal (it's not a good normal, but it's not surprising). Unless your a VP hired specifically to make broad changes in your department, no single hire is going to make systemic changes in a large corporation in such a short timespan.

Orion was hired for a six month contract, which WotC did not renew after it ran out, not even fired or quit...

For sure, not really good or admirable, but nothing shocking or worse than how WotC has treated employees forever.

 

[Parmandur]

It's possible for multiple things to be accurate here.

1) Orion Black felt they were not getting a level of respect they wanted, and felt stymied as a result.
2) Corporate cultures do not provide respect to contractors in general, and are slow to embrace the radical departures from standard practices/changes to norms that some contractors feel are needed/they can provide
3) Orion Black's output did not warrant extending their contract or providing them with any more deference then they received.

This isn't a scenario where WoTC is wrong, or Orion Black is wrong, and while Orion Black may feel aggrieved at the way they were treated, I don't see it as being unethical, or even anti-ethical to the message of inclusion they are embracing.

Exactly all of this. Another important consideration is that Orion seems to come from both and Indie designers background, and a public sector background in education. I've worked both public and private sector jobs, and there are definitely pros and cons in each area, and I can see where maybe public sector educational office experience may have set up expectations that differ from private sector for-profit office dynamics provide here...

 

[R_J_K75]

That isn't how this stuff works. We aren't jurors. Hard evidence is hard to come by. A lack of hard evidence doesn't mean it didn't happen, or that reasonable people shouldn't believe him.

Read my post again. I said IF there evidence.....

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Read my post again. I said IF there evidence.....

Yes, you did. And I replied that worrying about hard evidence isn’t reasonable in a case like this.

Even in court, you often have nothing more than witness and victim testimony, but this isn’t even a court. It’s just people discussing whether wotc has a “culture problem” that they need to solve, which is to say, whether one believes Orion or not.

edit to add: Also, not only do we have direct testimony (which literally is evidence), but we have Tito’s tweets, as well, and statements from others before this incident that you can google if interested, and the whole Mike Mearls thing, not to mention a long history of massive overturn without warning (always a bad sign wrt company culture and leadership).

 

[MGibster]

Read my post again. I said IF there evidence.....

I certainly accept Orion's statement as evidence. It's not enough evidence to draw a conclusion but it's enough evidence that someone at WotC should check to see how they're running things. And who knows? They might find some areas that need serious improvement.

 

[R_J_K75]

I said above, there are 3 sides to this story. And I agree with you about proof, its not black and white. if I had to hazard a guess OB will find work but it gonna takes some time. WotC is a corp, they want to make moneys, Im not advocating the but thats what they do. Im all for change with the human condition but i think the worlds gone out of its foofing mind.

Watch the language, please.

 

[R_J_K75]

I said above, there are 3 sides to this story. And I agree with you about proof, its not black and white. if I had to hazard a guess OB will find work but it gonna takes some time. WotC is a corp, they want to make moneys, Im not advocating the but thats what they do. Im all for change with the human condition but i think the worlds gone out of its foofing mind.

Watch the language, please.

Point taken.. I apologize to you and community sincerely.