Alright TB, this blog has the lowest number of posts compared to the other 2 topics (Genna's blog and TL's announcement of her retirement), so I'll probably post in this one. Now, I'm gonna have some criticism for you, but I'm not a hater.
I found out about you through your SC2 casting. I subscribed to your channel after hearing your thoughts on one IGN writer's thoughts on "Gamer Entitlement" following the Mass Effect 3 release in one of your Mailbox segments. I generally don't watch the stuff on your TotalBiscuit SC2 channel, though I loved what you were doing with Shoutcraft America and did tune into those. I generally watch your TotalHalibut channel for your Mailbox and Content Patch videos (I open the videos with Adblock off). I will skim the occasional WTF Is... video, but close them early a lot of the time because a lot of them don't interest me. If I do like the WTF Is... video, I reload it once with Adblock off to make sure you get an approved view.
I think you started off as a decent caster, and have greatly improved to be a really good caster. You're probably near the top of the 2nd tier of my personal list of SC2 casters.
And I completely understand that there may have been some understandable misunderstandings that got in the way of Axiom being able to compete in the ATC. And it was definitely wrong of Take to mentioning/threatening legal action. And that Genna's post did not make her Take or Acer look bad.
But it IS just a part of professional courtesy not to post private, business-related conversations in public without the other party's consent/notification. While I appreciate Genna's openness, and that Take shouldn't have mentioned/threatened legal action, I still don't think it was the right thing to do in a professional setting. Especially with Genna doing it again in her retirement post.
Now, this is not me completely condemning you or Genna being in the completely wrong. It wasn't right of Take to mention/threaten legal action, but posting private, business conversations isn't something people should do in a professional setting, no matter how good or bad it makes either party look.
I also think that the constant "fuck Take" remarks isn't something I think casts you or anyone else in a good light, either. Now, I understand that you see yourself as a "straight talker". And that Genna is your wife. I can empathize with that, which is why I think it's understandable that you're feeling the way you are and lashing out the way you are.
But at the end of the day, while I think it's understandable, I don't think it's the right course of action to take. I don't expect you to be buddy-buddy with Take, but I don't think this is something I'll personally look back on and say "You know, TB did the right thing when he said 'fuck Take'". Maybe there could be a little more professionalism, even if you or your loved ones aren't being treated in the most professional way? Because with some of the stuff you're tweeting, it's not helping the "toxicity" in the e-sports and general gaming scene that you mentioned in your sound file. It's just adding to it.
I just want to end this by saying I do truly wish the best for you, Genna, and Axiom. I do believe Take was wrong in mentioning/threatening legal action. And I hope all parties involved, no matter how big or small, can pull through this ordeal.
Hopefully, someone or something can bring some optimism to this cynical situation. Take care.
Final note: I barely watch anything that Take is involved with to begin with. I don't really watch most European events, and while I knew who Take was before, I've never really had much attachment to him.
Sad for the team, hoping TB will do a great job as the manager, and I think it might turn out well still.
However, please TB, if you're so adamant about the whole transparency thing and being a nice community etc, you're going about this the wrong way. Don't be transparent by posting private conversations... it might not be illegal, but it's without a doubt morally reprehensible, you can't justify that. Instead, take it upon yourself to be professional and awesome, owe up to the mistake about posting the private conversations and stop writing "fuck take". Show that you're the bigger man instead of acting like a school boy.
You did and still do a lot for the eSport landscape and I respect you for it. I also appreciate your straight up communication. BUT shitting on TaKe, who also did a lot for the community is not ok. Do you think TaKe knew about Genna condition? Do you think he would have acted the same if he did? All I see is TaKe trying to deal with a messed up situation and not doing it the best way possible. What I don`t see, is him threating your wife.
That you want to protect your family is 100% understandable, but all of this should not have be made public. Now it is and people have to learn from this incident. Learn to be more careful. Learn to put a NDA in front of every spoken or written word. Learn to put emotions aside and focus on the cold business side. thats kinda sad ... but necessary.
First of all: Good luck with Axiom! I do hope the team can still function as before.
Dont know if you care or even read the comments in the thread, but I posted some thoughts in the news announcement thread. I do criticize a few things you said/did, so if you're in no mood to read then never mind. If you are though, maybe it could give you some feedback on a thing or two and make you reconsider some things. Either way, nothing in my post was written with any spite or anything like that. Post: + Show Spoiler +
First: I am terribly sorry for your wife having depressions!! I know how it feels, my wife was there too.
but... to be honest... you behave like a child all the way. You have no clue on how to run a business that is pretty clear on hearing your last few words which are clearly directed at take tv.
The problem is: You are saying the community should know everything, but on the other hand you reference the problem of a developer being threatend to be killed for nerfing a sniper rifle in Call of Duty...
That clearly states: THE COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT KNOW EVERYTHING.
Genna released private communications with take tv. No matter if axiom was correct, or your accusations against Dennis are correct... that doesn't matter at all. Those problems are kept in private. You could have called Dennis via skype and talked with him and there wouldn't have been a problem at all. At least: This is how I do it. And I manage projects with a volume of several million bugs every day, working for a german software company. And business is business... And private talks are kept private.
Genna released information without talking to Dennis first, and it doesn't matter how much you love her... she shouldn't have done this. And you didn't help by throwing oil in the fire with "fuck dennis" Instead you could have just called the guy and told him: man my wife has problems you fucked up dick and you didn't help her by threatening her.
Then he could have responded in private with something like: you dick, you released private talks to the public without informing me first.
You are both correct, you both screwed up.
And btw. Dennis posted that he still wants to talk to you and get this out of the world... so have a bit of backbone, talk to him so this is out of the world... you stupid child...
Geez, best of luck... I really really hope that you don't get burned out from all the extra work this entails.
I kinda realize that your back is against the wall w/ respect to Axiom-- realistically, if you don't step up to the plate and manage at this point, who will...
But I hope that it's not too much of a strain on who you are-- I think it's important for you to be able to be clear, to the point, no bullshit, speak your mind, and hopefully the stress of having to mince words and be politically correct in your position as manager doesn't prove to be a massive stress....
Saving time by ignoring twitter trolls, awesome, gotta look after yourself... though I'm sure there will be many (inc. me) that miss the retorts. Though, in the end, if anything, if all goes well and you aren't driven completely mad, it'll probably force you to learn to ignore the idiots and not take them personally which can only be good.
Good luck as a Team Manager, I think you'll do really well. However, please try to stay a little 'cooler', and not to say things like 'fuck take' in your new position - it'll only hurt you, and the scene. Best of luck with Axiom, you guys have a great team!
Wow, that's some heavy stuff with clinical depression and all. Wish you two all the best. It's just too bad the reasons listed here weren't the reasons given in the GLHF as I don't think people would be quite so dramatic. (Well that might be overly hopeful, but still.)
It's kinda crazy how quickly psycho that other thread got. 130K views and +600 replies. Everyone feels like they need to chime in and what wouldn't be too bad if 1-2 people saying it. It gets kinda nuts when hundreds are arguing back and forth about it.
Good luck with that, maybe that will make you grow up and stop being a child. I genuinely hope everything works out well for you, your family and your team.
First: I am terribly sorry for your wife having depressions!! I know how it feels, my wife was there too.
but... to be honest... you behave like a child all the way. You have no clue on how to run a business that is pretty clear on hearing your last few words which are clearly directed at take tv.
The problem is: You are saying the community should know everything, but on the other hand you reference the problem of a developer being threatend to be killed for nerfing a sniper rifle in Call of Duty...
That clearly states: THE COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT KNOW EVERYTHING.
Genna released private communications with take tv. No matter if axiom was correct, or your accusations against Dennis are correct... that doesn't matter at all. Those problems are kept in private. You could have called Dennis via skype and talked with him and there wouldn't have been a problem at all. At least: This is how I do it. And I manage projects with a volume of several million bugs every day, working for a german software company. And business is business... And private talks are kept private.
Genna released information without talking to Dennis first, and it doesn't matter how much you love her... she shouldn't have done this. And you didn't help by throwing oil in the fire with "fuck dennis" Instead you could have just called the guy and told him: man my wife has problems you fucked up dick and you didn't help her by threatening her.
Then he could have responded in private with something like: you dick, you released private talks to the public without informing me first.
You are both correct, you both screwed up.
And btw. Dennis posted that he still wants to talk to you and get this out of the world... so have a bit of backbone, talk to him so this is out of the world... you stupid child...
This is where I stand as well. The decision to release the chat logs was questionable but the things Take wrote wasnt even NEAR a threat. The discussion was so overheated cause Take had spent so much time trying to solve the solution beforehand and it looks your team haven't helped find a final solution quick enough. Be it not attending or finding money somewhere else.This just looks like a cheap way out of the e-sports which could have been done much more elegantly with "Farewell Axiom". Lashing out publicly and trying to martyr yourself WON'T make the internet or community (whatever the hell you wanna call it) take your side in this fictional Pitchforking. Cause I didn't give a damn about this before people starting throwing crap at eachother.
So either man the fuck up or leave the scene. This amount of Drama will make people NOT want to work with you or your team. And the fans will feel their cheers are spent better somewhere else (Just like with idra).
EPT
