Arika

What a horrendous idea....

I didn't say there wouldn't be a WAN Show, I was stating why it might not go off this week.
 
1.  It most certainly is a video.
2.  To show that they are serious about taking a break and rethinking things.

He didn't just do "one thing wrong".
 
 
*Disclaimer, I am talking about the issues at LMG with their testing, ethics, and so on. This post is not about the sexual harassment allegations*
 
 
The list of issues with LMG and Linus is quite extensive, at least in my opinion. I am very surprised by the things people chose to latch on to after watching the Gamers Nexus video. For some reason, people got really focused on the ways LMG wronged Billet, when that was in my opinion just one of the many issues caused by how LMG operates and how Linus behaves. Not just in this particular case, but in several cases over the years.
 
 
I have been sharing my concerns with Linus (and users on this forum) for years, and the way he has historically responded to me has been to lash out, be dismissive and insult me, and his fans have always backed him no matter what. I raised a lot of the issues brought to light in the Gamers Nexus video way back when he first announced the lab. Sadly, it seems like very few of my concerns have been addressed, which is partially why we are in this situation today.
 
 
One of the things I dislike the most about this whole situation is how people have reacted. It's almost like it's such a complex topic that peoples' brains get overloaded and they choose one thing to latch on to and get hyper-focused on that. It seems like in this case a lot of people decided that the Billet thing was the thing that was simple enough to judge in black-and-white terms, so that's what blew up (initially, I don't feel like weighing in on the Madison thing). 
 
 
What's even more concerning than the focus on specific issues is the fervent defense of LMG and Linus. The negative comments directed at Madison and the backlash against Gamers Nexus for their (in my opinion reasonable and well-made) video are disheartening. Blaming the messenger instead of engaging with the message is counterproductive if the goal is to make LMG a better company.
 
 
 
There is a large portion of people who are very eager to jump in and do severe mental gymnastics to try and spin fuck-ups into something positive or how Linus has zero responsibility and never did anything wrong. I can understand why that is happening. Over the years I've read a lot of people on this forum say how Linus is their hero. How he is the reason they got into the career they now have. I can't imagine how painful it must be to hear others say that your idol who got you into the position you are in now is a terrible person (note: others are saying this, not me). I completely understand how such a confrontation could cause someone to dig their heels in, go into rejection-mode and then launch a "counterattack".
But that is the wrong way to handle criticism. Likewise, the way Linus handles criticism, by constantly shifting blame, gaslighting people, nitpicking details, and saying everyone is lying except himself, is awful too. Truly awful. It should not be condoned.
 
 
I feel like you are partially part of the problem by being dismissive and defending bad behavior. Nobody has said that you need to be perfect. However, this is not a new issue. This is not something Linus was unaware of. This is well documented, and has been going on for years, and the way Linus has reacted to this has been terrible. It shows a lack of understanding and it shows a lack of integrity, just like several other controversies he has been involved in. The only reason why it has been going on this long is because people have been dismissing it and defending Linus from criticism, as if he has been perfect. If he isn't perfect, which I think we can all agree he isn't, then it shouldn't be an issue to point out that he sometimes does things the wrong way or act in bad ways.
 
 
Linus is not your friend, nor is LMG a company you should trust. They are at the end of the day a company trying to make money, just like Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, and so on. Treat LMG as any other company, and treat Linus like some random CEO or whatever. 
That might sound harsh and like me saying "the anti-LMG side is wrong for defending him!", but my point is actually that people need to calm down on both sides and look at this with rational eyes. Would you be this upset or defensive if something similar had happened at a company you have never heard of? Probably not, or at least I hope you wouldn't. So calm down and treat this like any company and any exec fucking up. Don't behave differently just because it's LMG and Linus. Let's all approach this situation rationally and maintain a consistent perspective.
 
It's also important to remember that this isn't a war. You do not have to pick sides and "ally" yourself with some group of people. It is also important to not view the opposite "enemy" side as a single hivemind that things exactly the same way. Not everyone who criticizes Linus thinks the same way, nor does everyone who defends him think the exact same thing. I probably ended up categorizing and making sweeping generations of the various "sides" in this "war" in this post, it is very easy to fall into that trap, but it is something we should avoid.
 
 
 
This will be my first and last comment on this whole situation unless something new comes up.
I haven't watched LMG for ages, but I might actually give them a chance once they are back from their hiatus. I hope that they really take this opportunity to change for the better. As I said earlier, I have a long list of things I want to see changed at LMG; and this is the first indication I have ever gotten that they might actually do some of those changes I want to see, and improve.
However, I will be looking at their every move through a very critical lens in order to determine if they have actually done anything to fix their issues, and I plan on giving them constructive (and in my opinion fair) criticism so that they have a chance to improve. My fear is that this is all just lip-service to try and calm the angry mob down, and then they will go back to the same way they were before.
 
 
*again, reminder that I have chosen to ignore the Madison situation here, I am just talking about their video production, testing methodology, ethics and so on*

That set of allegations absolutely needs to be addressed, but I don't expect them to even acknowledge them publicly until they have all their ducks in a row. Even then, the acknowledgement would come from a carefully worded letter from a lawyer, not an off-the-cuff comment on a podcast.

I don't expect a response to this part given the raw nature of it (please don't respond to this post), but not only was he responsible for the Billet labs auction, he also confirmed he is the effectively the head of HR in the newest video, which makes him responsible for the Madison situation, however much of it is true.

Video isn't even out and already needs a correction. not a great start...

I don't expect a response to this part given the raw nature of it (please don't respond to this post), but not only was he responsible for the Billet labs auction, he also confirmed he is the effectively the head of HR in the newest video, which makes him responsible for the Madison situation, however much of it is true.

I don't expect a response to this part given the raw nature of it (please don't respond to this post), but not only was he responsible for the Billet labs auction, he also confirmed he is the effectively the head of HR in the newest video, which makes him responsible for the Madison situation, however much of it is true.

I don't expect a response to this part given the raw nature of it (please don't respond to this post), but not only was he responsible for the Billet labs auction, he also confirmed he is the effectively the head of HR in the newest video, which makes him responsible for the Madison situation, however much of it is true.

I don't expect a response to this part given the raw nature of it (please don't respond to this post), but not only was he responsible for the Billet labs auction, he also confirmed he is the effectively the head of HR in the newest video, which makes him responsible for the Madison situation, however much of it is true.

Video isn't even out and already needs a correction. not a great start...

Video isn't even out and already needs a correction. not a great start...

it's really very simple
 
LMG is at fault for everything that happened while she was working there
The community is at fault for her not wanting to say anything until now.
 
Some of y'all are really a bunch of assholes.

it's really very simple
 
LMG is at fault for everything that happened while she was working there
The community is at fault for her not wanting to say anything until now.
 
Some of y'all are really a bunch of assholes.

even if half of the allegations are true, its still concerning to be fair.

it's really very simple
 
LMG is at fault for everything that happened while she was working there
The community is at fault for her not wanting to say anything until now.
 
Some of y'all are really a bunch of assholes.

it's really very simple
 
LMG is at fault for everything that happened while she was working there
The community is at fault for her not wanting to say anything until now.
 
Some of y'all are really a bunch of assholes.

it's really very simple
 
LMG is at fault for everything that happened while she was working there
The community is at fault for her not wanting to say anything until now.
 
Some of y'all are really a bunch of assholes.

it's really very simple
 
LMG is at fault for everything that happened while she was working there
The community is at fault for her not wanting to say anything until now.
 
Some of y'all are really a bunch of assholes.

it's really very simple
 
LMG is at fault for everything that happened while she was working there
The community is at fault for her not wanting to say anything until now.
 
Some of y'all are really a bunch of assholes.

Video isn't even out and already needs a correction. not a great start...

Video isn't even out and already needs a correction. not a great start...

Video isn't even out and already needs a correction. not a great start...

Video isn't even out and already needs a correction. not a great start...

Video isn't even out and already needs a correction. not a great start...