BioWare Supports Beleaguered Writer

[maddawg IAJI]

You're representing a business and if you're gonna throw a hissy fit like that as soon as someone insults you, you should be fired ASAP, especially if you're gonna start PR nightmares like Flynn did.

I disagree and fortunately, so does BioWare. Some people - like the people who started all this - deserve nothing more than a casual "fuck you" and perhaps a ban from whatever forum they've infested. "The customer is always right" is a lie; sometimes the customer is a piece of shit and needs to be told about it.

This isn't a matter of 'the customer is always right', this is a matter of, 'Hey, 2 people who represent the company are acting like assholes to other assholes.'

Like I said earlier, I don't care what the hell they're calling you, Helper and Flynn represent the company and outbursts only hurt the company and give the people who are acting like assholes the satisfaction of knowing that their trolling is working. Like I said before, if I was their boss, I would have both of them replaced as soon as possible. I would not want people who show an unprofessional nature working for me. I want intelligent and mature adults working for me, not a bunch of 5 year olds who argue with other 5 years olds about who called who what.

 

[The Rascal King]

All of this frustration, anger, misogyny, homophobia, and disrespect is stemming from a comment about mostly not liking video games? I find this entire situation psychologically fascinating. Anyone else think so?

 

[Staskala]

Yes but for everyone like you there's a person like me who enjoys the Escapists articles.

This is going to sound like a "don't like it? Leave" kinda comment but don't take it as that.
I and others like the Escapist as is, why should they change to be like other websites to please people who like other websites when those other websites exist? Go there when you want that kind of writing, come here when you want this kind of writing.

I very much doubt that there are many people on this site who welcomed the switch from actual journalism to mere content aggregating.
Remember when the escapist brought things like this [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_83/469-Ions-Other-Game]? Source work, interviews, investigation, journalism!
Now it's just copy-pasting things from other news sites, maybe spiced up with a bit of inflammatory commentary.
The only interesting things that remain are the occasional columns, replacing the "issues" of old, usually from third-party writers and that's it. By the way, this [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/opinion/21krugman.html?ref=paulkrugman] would be a column, adding useless commentary to news stories is not. Shamus, for example, would be a columnist. Columns are commentary on current events or trends by a columnist, not news articles spiced with commentary. No reputable publication would ever dream of mixing opinion pieces with news. What you see here is just tabloid-style reporting, nothing more and maybe even less.

 

[Andy Chalk]

I want intelligent and mature adults working for me, not a bunch of 5 year olds who argue with other 5 years olds about who called who what.

It wasn't an argument, it was a casual and well-deserved dismissal of idiots, which BioWare, to its credit, is standing behind.

There's an unfortunate tendency among some people to equate "I gave you money for your product" with "I get to treat you as horribly and abusively as I want," and an equally unfortunate tendency among many companies to accept it. But just because some people are willing to eat shit doesn't mean everyone is, and that doesn't make it wrong when someone puts the foot down and says "enough."

 

[Andy Chalk]

Remember when the escapist blah blah

And yet here you are.

 

[UnderGlass]

I'm not gonna question Helper's ability to write in this thread, I will however question not only her's, but Aaryn Flynn's response to it. Flynn, in defense of her told several people to fuck off and called them 'fucking morons' (He didn't even have the hindsight to delete the tweets.) and Helper believes that the hate stems from jealousy and hate toward her career and vagina for some reason :/ I really wish I was making that up too. I don't care what the fuck anyone does to you. You're representing a business and if you're gonna throw a hissy fit like that as soon as someone insults you, you should be fired ASAP, especially if you're gonna start PR nightmares like Flynn did.

Not only that, but if you're in the entertainment business, regardless of position, isn't one of the key rules to 'think before speaking?' I don't know why she was surprised at the outrage. Gamers getting mad because you believe that skipping the part of the medium that defines it would be best? Who would have guessed! If you don't like the gameplay, you're working for the wrong industry.

With respect I entirely disagree with this post. Some people seem to have trouble distinguishing between public and private channels and the importance of the individual vs. corporate representation.

Firstly: I appreciate that with the sort of connectivity we have today the line is blurry; with all sorts of social networks being used in both a professional and private capacity. If this had taken place on the official Bioware forums I would agree with you on the inappropriateness of her comments. However, the verbal abuse she is receiving on her personal Twitter account is clearly directed at her person. You can't seriously think that someone has no right to act out when pushed like that, purely because they have a certain notoriety (mainly due to this bizarre scenario) and work for a well-known company. Miss Hepler is not a PR professional nor an official spokesperson for the company she works for. She is a writer and is entitled to defend herself however she sees fit to vitriol like this.

Secondly: Customer service and representing something bigger than yourself is fine... up to a point. In any human interaction there has to be a mutual respect. If people are acting like animals then I'm afraid, yes, there are limits. For example I work in the hotel industry. I'm pretty good at it - I'm personable, friendly and good at making people feel relaxed and important. I manage to iron out the majority of issues and complaints in a way that makes clients feel appreciated, without bankrupting the hotel in the process. This takes tact certainly. So I'll take a little crap, especially during the time it takes for people to settle down and realize that you're handling their problem. But very occasionally you get some ***t who isn't looking for a solution but either a way to exercise some illusion of power over others or to exploit an angle.

If that guy or gal starts hurling insults and personal abuse at me (or any of my staff) they will quickly find life becoming a lot more difficult for them. If they refuse to show some restraint they will be ejected from the premises. There is no one client who is more important than everyone else. Now if that same person calls me on my private number or approaches me on the street then I'ill tell them in no uncertain terms where they can stick their abuse and will happily call the police if they don't give it a rest. If they come to my home and talk trash in front of my wife and kids... then that guy will be eating his own teeth, I don't care if he's fucking Bono or Donald Trump. Nothing gives you the inherent right to shit on other people.

The internet generation, and gamers in particular, have become far too complacent in their anonymity and the level of respect they're prepared to show another human being. The assumption that supposed pr restraints and this entitled "customer is always right" attitude gives them license to behave however they wish should quite rightly be met head-on.

 

[Staskala]

Remember when the escapist blah blah

And yet here you are.

Certainly not because of you. By the way, it's very impressive how mature you handle this. Maybe you should apply for a position in Bioware's PR department? You'd fit right in.
In all seriousness though, how will anyone ever take gaming seriously when its PR people and "journalists" behave like this? Unlike the angry internet mob these people stand in the spotlight and affect public opinion much more.

 

[UnderGlass]

You're representing a business and if you're gonna throw a hissy fit like that as soon as someone insults you, you should be fired ASAP, especially if you're gonna start PR nightmares like Flynn did.

I disagree and fortunately, so does BioWare. Some people - like the people who started all this - deserve nothing more than a casual "fuck you" and perhaps a ban from whatever forum they've infested. "The customer is always right" is a lie; sometimes the customer is a piece of shit and needs to be told about it.

Quoted for truth. Spent 25 mins replying to this guy and two comments down you encapsulate it rather efficiently

 

[maddawg IAJI]

I'm not gonna question Helper's ability to write in this thread, I will however question not only her's, but Aaryn Flynn's response to it. Flynn, in defense of her told several people to fuck off and called them 'fucking morons' (He didn't even have the hindsight to delete the tweets.) and Helper believes that the hate stems from jealousy and hate toward her career and vagina for some reason :/ I really wish I was making that up too. I don't care what the fuck anyone does to you. You're representing a business and if you're gonna throw a hissy fit like that as soon as someone insults you, you should be fired ASAP, especially if you're gonna start PR nightmares like Flynn did.

Not only that, but if you're in the entertainment business, regardless of position, isn't one of the key rules to 'think before speaking?' I don't know why she was surprised at the outrage. Gamers getting mad because you believe that skipping the part of the medium that defines it would be best? Who would have guessed! If you don't like the gameplay, you're working for the wrong industry.

With respect I entirely disagree with this post. Some people seem to have trouble distinguishing between public and private channels and the importance of the individual vs. representation.

Firstly: I appreciate that with the sort of connectivity we have today the line is blurry; with all sorts of social networks being used in both a professional and private capacity. If this had taken place on the official Bioware forums I would agree with you on the inappropriateness of her comments. However the verbal abuse she has received has been on her personal Twitter account and has been clearly directed at her person. You can't seriously think that someone has no right to act out when pushed like that. Purely because they have a certain notoriety (mainly due to this bizarre scenario) and work for a well-known company. Miss Hepler is not a PR professional, nor an official spokesperson for the company she works for. She is a writer and is entitled to defend herself however she sees fit to vitriol like this.

Secondly: Customer service and representing something bigger than yourself is fine: up to a point. In any human interaction there has to be a mutual respect. If people are acting like animals then I'm afraid that, yes, there are limits. For example I work in the hotel industry. I'm pretty good at it - I'm personable, friendly and good at making people feel relaxed and important. I manage to iron out the majority of issues and complaints in a way that makes clients feel appreciated, without bankrupting the hotel in the process. This takes tact certainly but also taking command and showing people they matter. Now I'll take a little crap, especially during the time it takes for people to settle down and realize that you're handling their problem. But very occasionally you get some ***t who isn't looking for a solution but a way to exercise some illusion of power over others or to exploit an angle.

Now if that guy or gal starts hurling insults and personal abuse at me (or any of my staff) then they will very quickly find life becomes a lot more difficult for them. If they refuse to show some restraint then they will be politely ejected from the premises. There is no one client who is more important than everyone else. Now if that same person calls me on my private number or approaches me on the street then I will tell them in no uncertain terms where they can stick their abuse and will happily call the police if they don't give it a rest. If they come to my home and talk trash in front of my wife and kids... then that guy will be eating his own teeth, I don't care if he's fucking Bono or Donald Trump. Nothing gives you the inherent right to shit on other people.

The internet generation, and gamers in particular, have become far too complacent in their apparent anonymity and the level of respect they are prepared to show another human being. The assumption that supposed pr restraints and this entitled "customer is always right" attitude gives them license to behave however they wish must quite rightly be met head-on.

1) Normally you'd be right. However, this aren't twitter and facebook accounts that are solely used for one or the other. Both Flynn and Helper created their Twitter accounts as a way to interact with the fans, like several other people, they're accounts are monitored by fans for news about upcoming games. They're 'personal' twitter accounts are also 'commercial' accounts and while they are not the 'offical' accounts for the company and they should be held accountable for their actions.

2) The problem with your example is that you still show professionalism in that scenario. You're still being polite, you're still acting like an adult. Flynn and Helper didn't do that and they don't deserve sympathy because of it. Tell me, do you call those trouble making customers 'fucking morons'? When they continue to push your buttons, do you simply tell them to 'fuck off'? No, I don't believe you do.

First rule of the Internet, don't feed the trolls.

 

[Andy Chalk]

And yet here you are.

Certainly not because of you.

Why, then?

 

[RagTagBand]

Eh...I find myself hard to get too worked up over either side.

She's the exact opposite kind of person that ought to be writing for video games as she clearly doesn't want to write for, or play, video games; She wants to write for and watch movies/film/non-interactive entertainment. But I know she's in a ridiculously tiny minority that nobody in their right mind should give a shit about. Thus, I do not give a shit about her opinion.

AND THEN ON THE OTHER HAND

Reddit, on the surface, have said some pretty mean things that your average person (who is either totally thick-skinless or just ignorant of Net culture) would see as utterly soul-destroying and harsh. In some cases they'd be right (death threats for example), but the "the cancer destroying bioware"-esque things are little more than exaggerated in-joke phrases that circulate the net that should roll off someone's back as easily as "You mad bro?" should roll off.

Put simply, I agree with Reddit's thoughts, but not all their speech and I think she's received too much hatred but its not without merit.

 

[Ickorus]

Good work gamers, way to make us all look like a bunch of immature pricks.

If you participated in this unjustified hate against that woman YOU are the disease infecting our pastime.

 

[Alluos]

Y'know what I like about the Escapist forums?
It's that the majority of users will know and -understand- that those people attacking Hepler were childish and fucking stupid, but that won't stop us from arguing about the details.

(half sarcasm, I suppose, I only noticed after writing).

 

[Atlas13]

Here's my blanket response to everyone who says that Hepler brought this on herself, at least in part, because she dared to respond to her attackers:

"I get to have both a vagina AND a games industry job, and they can't get either" is a fucking EPIC zing, and I suspect that many of you are angry that she was able to lay it down so easily and effectively with a single line of text.

Ha haha, no... No it's not really. It's a shit comeback, and pretty much why the whole twitter thing started. Besides, if she was as good of a writer as she says she is, she would have been able to do something besides @support How do I delete my account. You want some good zings? You should have seen some of the Statler and Waldorf stuff about her. Or hell, even

@support how do I delete my account?
@BrandesHepler Submit a decent plot to twitter

There's more than one side to the story you know. Yes the mob of angry people are twitter is vicious and unruly, but that's what happens when you make a career out of being crap, then taunt other people about it.

I love how they donated $1,000 to a charity too. Not only is it chump change to them, it basically says "Waah, a grown woman got bullied on the internets. Won't someone think of the children?"

 

[Excedrin]

No, I'm not in the least saying that. You quoted a small portion of my post and then asserted that I was saying it. No one deserves to be attacked like this and the culpability primarily rests on the people who are actually doing the attacking. However, yes, not keeping that opinion to herself was a stupid move and it's not crazy to expect the internet to react in such a way. I'm not saying that serves as any sort of justification, so please don't misconstrue my post in a way that suggests that. Thank you.

The implication seems pretty clear to me - expressing a "controversial" opinion is an invitation to trouble. And yes, the internet being what it is, that's true, but that doesn't make it right and it doesn't make it in any way justifiable. It's like a cop saying that a woman deserved to be raped because she dressed like a slut.

I'm not picking on you, I don't think that you personally are all that's wrong with the internet, but opinions about Hepler's work aren't relevant to the matter at hand. We're not talking BioWare or Dragon Age (and believe me, I'm no Dragon Age fan), we're talking about calling a woman a "cancer," an "obese ****" and worse because she doesn't like videogames the way we like videogames.

That's just plain wrong, man.

It's not an implication, it's a damned statement. It doesn't justify the actions of those attacking her, but when you say something controversial you will get haters. Period, done. I'm sorry if this wasn't abundantly clear. There was no implying. Acting flabbergasted when you do get haters displays a lack of basic understanding about human nature.

But yeah, I never supported any of that and I again do not appreciate your misrepresentation of my post. I said EXACTLY what you just said in your first paragraph. Here, I'll quote the good bit.

I'm not saying that serves as any sort of justification, so please don't misconstrue my post in a way that suggests that. Thank you.

I'm too lazy to go back to my very first post, but I also said that there's no excuse for personally insulting, rather than (constructively) criticizing, Hepler. I even did it at the beginning of the post. This story that you're crafting out of my posts, that I think she got what was coming to her because of what she said, is just not based in fact. She did nothing to deserve it. If I go tell someone on the street that they're ugly and they punch me in the face, the person who punched me is the problem child but that doesn't make me calling him ugly any less stupid.

Look, I know you're a contributor and your heart is probably in the right place, but if you can't respond to my actual posts without resorting to utterly misrepresenting what I'm saying then let's save ourselves trouble and not bother having this conversation. YOU are talking about the people saying bad things and how horrible they are. I'm not even disagreeing with that, I said explicitly in the quote you posted yourself that it doesn't justify their actions.

A large portion of my post was about how conceited it is, to try to bend an entire medium to your desires so that you have a broader audience without any regard for that medium. This is why we've been writing books for thousands of years, you can tell a story without using a video game as your medium. You can say that its not relevant, but since its the comment that has so many riled up I think discussing it in this thread is about a relevant as it gets. It was just, frankly, a stupid comment made by someone who admittedly doesn't even care about the medium of video games. It is understandable why someone would take issue with that, but indefensible how they went about taking issue with it. I doubt you'd be in such a tizzy as this if everyone expressed this opinion as I have. If you find even my posts insulting, well, I don't know what to say. I feel like I've been as respectful as I possibly can be.

 

[Lawlhat]

It's fine to disagree with her opinions and writing, but isn't this taking it a bit too far? I can't say I'm a fan of her work, but I'm not about to go out of my way to act like an angry child over it.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

You seem to have missed the part where she fanned the flames by retorting to her detractors. Honestly, this is a situation where I just hate everyone involved. Responding to torrents of bile with the phrase "I just figure they're jealous that I get to have both a vagina AND a games industry job, and they can't get either." is just asking for trouble.

THIS!

I mean, what the fuck is she doing being a game writer if she hates playing games anyway? That's like being a script writer for movies but you hate -watching- the movies.

Hepler needs to resign because she quite clearly doesn't know how to do her job right. Don't specialize in something you hate and then make retarded statements that are virtually guaranteed to earn you hate and then act like a spoiled 1%.

I swear it's like aristocracy...