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Activision Blizzard Hires Notorious Union-Busting Firm WilmerHale

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Re: Activision Blizzard Hires Notorious Union-Busting Firm WilmerHale

#321

Post by PeterisP »

mcguire wrote: post #218
acituan wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Feelings alone do not make a rational standpoint. This ex-pressing (pressing outwards) of our feelings was the problem of romanticism, and it has to be balanced with what the reality tells back at us. In other words, people don't seem to be saying they shouldn't have shared their feelings, but when they did they should have been ready to receive the criticism especially on logical results of their reasoning. Not usin…

From a rational standpoint, buying and playing games is a waste of time and money.

Definitely not - rationality is about a realistic view on the world and effective, perhaps even optimal, acts to achieve your goals, but it's completely, absolutely orthogonal to the nature of these goals. The goals, or perhaps "utility function" in formal terminology are essentially arbitrary from the perspective of rationality; it's generally rational to better understanding of your goals is very useful to effectively meet them, but a key principle is that "the utility function is not up for grabs", rationality is about effectiveness in obtaining what you want, but it does not and cannot constrain what is it that you want.

So IMHO games are a really good example - buying and playing games is a rational allocation of time and money if and only if the outcome (or, to be accurate, the sum of outcomes over long term) of playing games is more fulfilling than the alternatives; and it seems quite plausible that the enjoyment gaining from playing games may be very different for two completely rational actors and thus even from a completely rational standpoint they should make different decisions on whether playing games is a waste of time and money or a great use of them.

Re: Activision Blizzard Hires Notorious Union-Busting Firm WilmerHale

#322

Post by heavyset_go »

stale2002 wrote: post #316
heavyset_go wrote: post #312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Collective bargaining takes away my right to bargain for certain agreements for myself. No, they don't. Actors are able to negotiate themselves and with the help from their union, and they're all members of SAG-AFTRA.

> and they're all members So, in other words, their rights to bargain and engage in mutual agreements is restricted. You literally just explained how their rights are limited. Specifically, it is limited in that you have to be a part of this group, to engage in certain agreements. And even within that group, people are prevented from engaging in certain mutual agreements.

> So, in other words, their rights to bargain and engage in mutual agreements is restricted.

You can negotiate without union representation.

You're also free to be a non-union actor.

Re: Activision Blizzard Hires Notorious Union-Busting Firm WilmerHale

#323

Post by rurp »

mcguire wrote: post #218
acituan wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Feelings alone do not make a rational standpoint. This ex-pressing (pressing outwards) of our feelings was the problem of romanticism, and it has to be balanced with what the reality tells back at us. In other words, people don't seem to be saying they shouldn't have shared their feelings, but when they did they should have been ready to receive the criticism especially on logical results of their reasoning. Not usin…

From a rational standpoint, buying and playing games is a waste of time and money.

I don't understand this at all. You think it's rational to avoid things that one finds fun and interesting? That seems like an extremely suboptimal way to navigate through life.

Re: Activision Blizzard Hires Notorious Union-Busting Firm WilmerHale

#324

Post by tovej »

stale2002 wrote: post #295
tovej wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These limits are in your favor, you are free to negotiate contracts within the limits. I fail to see how the right to work for less pay than what others see as the absolute minimum fair pay is a right that's worth keeping. This is a bit like saying that criminal law takes away your right to be mugged, beaten, and murdered.

> you are free to negotiate contracts within the limits. So then I am not free to negotiate, and me and this other company right to engage in a mutual agreement are prevented. Yeah, that's my point. > I fail to see how the right to work for less pay I get paid way way way more money than the average unionized tech worker, where they exist. So actually, my ability to negotiate for myself, outside of the restrictions o…

Minimum pay was an example, collectively bargained contracts offer other protections as well, but these differ more from case to case, so I didn't bring them up.

I have also negotiated my pay up, but under the umbrella of collective bargaining agreements. As far as I know, you are always able to negotiate your pay up. This has worked pretty well for me as well.

Re: Activision Blizzard Hires Notorious Union-Busting Firm WilmerHale

#325

Post by vmarva »

sangnoir wrote: post #290
aaronbrethorst wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Claiming 'virtue signaling' always feels like a presumption of bad faith by the claimant.

In recursive irony, those who use the phrase "virtue signaling" are also virtue signaling, and the it is, in itself a shibboleth for people of a certain political persuasion.

Calling out virtue signalling is useful to make people realize that judging a situation or person without having all the facts is damaging to society all around the world. This contributes a lot to the hipocrisy we see in the west nowadays which influences the entire world because of technology.

The outrage generated by all the mass media is not good as far as I'm concerned and it's good to remind people of that.

Re: Activision Blizzard Hires Notorious Union-Busting Firm WilmerHale

#326

Post by mrmuagi »

project2501a wrote: post #306
bagacrap wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But are they notorious for that? Are they notorious at all?

Dunno, is Pinkerton notorious for that? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair Edit: wrong Pinkerton massacre.

I am unable to make the connection between WilmerHale, Pinkerton, and the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre (a la 1929) as there seems to be none. Are you implying WilmerHale has a connection to the type of notoriety of a gang slaying?

Re: Activision Blizzard Hires Notorious Union-Busting Firm WilmerHale

#327

Post by falcolas »

tarsinge wrote: post #313
brainfish wrote: post #26

I cut my teeth on Diablo, and played Diablo II for probably fifteen years after its release off and on as a way to stay connected with a friend who loved it similarly. More recently, I have consistently played Starcraft II since its release and enjoy a sense of mastery over that game unparalleled by my experience in any other. I haven't purchased new Blizzard products since the Hong Kong censorship debacle[1] and qui…

The Blizzard that made Diablo and Diablo 2 is not the same as the Blizzard of the today, the key people have moved, so I don’t see the issue with playing their older offline games.

Ironic, the mention of those two. They've both been (or are about to be) re-released (and - as I've heard - have replaced the originals in the launchers). As such, they are both still revenue generating products for ACTI.

Re: Activision Blizzard Hires Notorious Union-Busting Firm WilmerHale

#329

Post by Fordec »

scrollaway wrote: post #315
Fordec wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a former Overwatch player, you're right. But my (so far glad to say mostly unfounded) fear is that Jeff "Tigole Bitties" Kaplan was part of the problem we're seeing play out the past few weeks.

What were you doing when you were 19 that's any better than calling yourself tigole?

At 19? Getting an engineering degree and all the hours of work that entailed while avoiding getting roped into MMOs by classmates as if it was Corrupted Blood.

Re: Activision Blizzard Hires Notorious Union-Busting Firm WilmerHale

#330

Post by xnyan »

failuser wrote: post #18
post_break wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry I don't understand your comment, can you expand on it?

Why would influential people leave as a result of such scandals? They built that culture and will benefit from its proliferation.

I'm a software developer, not trying to brag because I have serious doubts about my skills but right now I'm in a great job and have a few serious offers with great pay and benefits.

I've done some research and the claims people are making about the bad environment at Blizz are not without merit - can't say they are real because IDK but too strong to just dismiss. I would not even consider a job there without real and verifiable proof that my worries are unfounded. I'm probably not going to consider them over the many other viable offers I have.

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