Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

OMGPOP CEO tweets: "Shay Pierce was the weakest employee on the team"

venturebeat.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 194 posts

Re: OMGPOP CEO tweets: "Shay Pierce was the weakest employee on the team"

#71

Post by zaroth »

Most times I see a sensationalized twitter post where everyone is saying, "I can't believe they just said that!" I just look at it and shrug, and wonder where the PC police will strike next. This tweet, however, had me staring at the screen in disbelief.

Now, I had read Shay's post when it made headlines on HN. Maybe I have to go back and re-read it, but I didn't click away thinking that OMGPOP's best programmer decided to bail on the buy-out. I don't think Shay claimed they would fail miserably without him.

Obviously Shay was seeking to gain some publicity off recent events, maybe even boost revenue on his side-project game. Yeah, I can see how Dan Porter might think Shay's pissing in his soup. So, Dan, respond to the damn allegations, don't just go all ad hominem on Shay's ass.

I would have gone with something like "I disagree with what Shay had to say about OMGPOP, we're loving it here at the evil empire, but I wish him the best at his next venture." You even have 2 characters to spare, Dan!

Re: OMGPOP CEO tweets: "Shay Pierce was the weakest employee on the team"

#72

Post by caidan »

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #27
zrgiu_ wrote: post #15

Like Notch said... "you are an insane idiot!". What did the CEO of OMGPOP had to gain from making those remarks ? He surely didn't expect the world to take his side.. Even if Shay Pierce really was "the weakest link of the team", you just don't say that. You just got bought for $200 million, now it's the time to show that you deserved to be the CEO of that company, by being diplomatic, respecting those around you (or…

True. It is indeed very unprofessional. But how come people like him are held up to such high standards? When you're not anyone important you can be brutally honest and say what you want like everyone else does. But as soon as you're in the public eye you're put on this pedestal. This is what scares the hell out of me. I'm a very uncensored person who says what he means and means what he says (and am an asshole somet…

Just to be clear, you are comparing two hip hop artists, two comedians, two actors, and an avante garde pop artist to the CEO of a mobile games company? In fact you are comparing a group of individuals who are all famous or infamous in their own way for being edgy and/or a mess, to a company that makes family friendly games. There is a very large difference between the responsibilities of an entertainer and a CEO. The responsibilities of some of the aforementioned celebrities could arguably include being "offensive". Witness the scorn heaped upon Eddie Murphy when he decided to shed his Raw persona and turn to family movies.

If you are worrying about having to censor your public persona in the future, go into a line of business where being edgy is part of the attraction. However, it is never a good move, whether as a CEO or public figure or basic human being to get up on a soapbox and say bitchy, petty, mean spirited things. The OMGPop CEO is not speaking "brutal honesty", he's just acting like a dick most likely because his ego has swollen out of control by the sale and the success of Draw Something and he can't stand that this "little guy" is pissing on his parade. This is the behaviour of a child, not a leader.

Lastly, this isn't about "holding people to high standards", as if it is some sort of conscious thing we participate in. In societal interactions there is a implicit understanding of the range of acceptable behaviour for a public figure, it is unconscious and breaching those boundaries will have immediate emotional consequences on how people perceive you. If Snoop Dog says fuck or calls himself a pimp nobody will blink, if he punched a child in the face people would immediately react negatively. Likewise if he stopped all of his Snoop persona and started working for the Rick Santorum campaign. If you are the CEO of a company that makes family friendly mainstream games, people expect that you will act like an adult in possession of self-control are good judgement. If you are the CEO of a company that sells coke spoons, maybe less so.

Notch is able to say what he did because he has garnered significant good will, and because it embodies the mass public reaction to the OMGpop tweet. If he tweeted this kind of thing all the time he would lose that good will eventually. As a one off though.. it IS idiotic and insane to publicly belittle former employees as a CEO.

Moral of the story is don't be a dick in public view, unless you are in public view for being a dick ;)

Re: OMGPOP CEO tweets: "Shay Pierce was the weakest employee on the team"

#75

Post by wmeredith »

hipsterelitist wrote: post #53

I'm glad this happened in such a public way. I once heard him speak at a VC event about his firing practices with the same sort of attitude. I won't get into the details, but I was shocked that such an individual could be so championed, but he's quite business savvy and very personable... I guess as long as you're on his good side. Very good fit for Zynga.

>Very good fit for Zynga.

This was the first thing I thought when I read the headline.

Re: OMGPOP CEO tweets: "Shay Pierce was the weakest employee on the team"

#76

Post by whateverer »

huggyface wrote: post #67
whateverer wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's very childish, to say the least, to take offense and lashing out upon hearing of someone else's morals. Or more accurately, it's self-centered, oblivious and aggressive. I'm more than content with the outcry all over the net.

It's very childish, to say the least, to take offense and lashing out upon hearing of someone else's morals. Many would see Pierce's media efforts as childish and unprofessional. I originally saw it presented with the title "The one smart OMGPOP employee", and it was pretty obvious what the deal was (when you make demands and the other side ignores you, it means you aren't in a position to make demands). Further his…

Many would see Pierce's media efforts as childish and unprofessional.

Well, he explained publicly why he opted out of the employment offer.

when you make demands and the other side ignores you, it means you aren't in a position to make demands

And so what? Should I look down upon him because he's "weak" when compared to Zynga?

Further his "morals" went so far as demanding that they provide some sort of oddball waiver for him, which they didn't feel worthy of the time required. I'm not sure if you're reading a different story than I am, but the one I read had him completely fine with joining Zygna until they said stuff it, at which point he retroactively gained a higher calling.

Well, it was your post which introduced differing morality into the question, as a justification for Porter's tantrum. Pierce himself waives any claim to being an "idealist", in his words[1]. On the "oddball waiver" I won't comment; that's a Silicon Valley thing, don't wanna be culturally insensitive.

1. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/167244/Turning_down_Zynga...

Re: OMGPOP CEO tweets: "Shay Pierce was the weakest employee on the team"

#77

Post by calpaterson »

j_baker wrote: post #50
scott_w wrote: post #31

What a fool. Shay Pierce's article was incredibly polite and graceful, so there's no way OMGPOP can come off looking like anything but pathetic and vindictive. I think the worst thing I've heard our CEO say about a former employee is "it was time for the company and X to part ways" after X took a job elsewhere, and this was an internal meeting. We don't take to tweeting the inner workings of our company.

Out of all the ways I can think of to describe Pierce's article, "incredibly polite and graceful" is probably at the bottom of the list. Pierce branded a potential employer "evil" because of a minor detail in his contract (granted, a minor detail he had every right to turn the contract down for). Zynga isn't exactly well known for having the most integrity as a company, but it's certainly neither polite nor graceful…

Being able to keep legal ownership of what you have done in your spare time in the past is not really a minor detail. I think it's important.

Re: OMGPOP CEO tweets: "Shay Pierce was the weakest employee on the team"

#80

Post by Lightbody »

huggyface wrote: post #45
scott_w wrote: post #31

What a fool. Shay Pierce's article was incredibly polite and graceful, so there's no way OMGPOP can come off looking like anything but pathetic and vindictive. I think the worst thing I've heard our CEO say about a former employee is "it was time for the company and X to part ways" after X took a job elsewhere, and this was an internal meeting. We don't take to tweeting the inner workings of our company.

"Earlier this week – days after Zynga bought OMGPOP for $210 million – a now former OMGPOP engineer named Shay Pierce wrote a column for gaming news Web site Gamasutra explaining that he would not join Zynga because it is "evil." He said that companies like Zynga think of users as "weak-minded cash cows."" Come on. OMGPOP was a fast rising company with a very green CEO. Expectations that they're going to act like the…

You're over analyzing it: it's not a "we are the 99%" schism. It's just a guy in a leadership position being a first class douche bag.

It's also independent of whether the other guy was "right" or "wrong". I've had plenty of moments of weakness in my life, and none of them compelled me to rip in to former coworkers on Twitter.

Post reply on HN