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Laemos wrote: Am I the only one who sees this more like a wish list than a legit memo from Kirby?
Pretty much, yeah, as it is from the GW website, and the document was authored by the GW secretary. The odds of it being fake, frankly, the odds of it EVER being fake, are essentially zero.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/07/29 00:26:09
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
"It mattered not one jot what her CV said. Appointing NXDs because of their careers rather than who they are is at the heart of the rot in the corporate world." - Tom Kirby
Sean_OBrien wrote: BTW - if this is a hoax (that someone managed to hack into GW's website and load onto their server) it is pretty thorough. They remembered to change the name of the PDF author to Rachel Tongue - the secretary for GW and PDF author of most of GW's releases.
I went to GW's site and figured, hmm, maybe they'd put the report in a directory a bit before they put up a entry with a link so I took a look at how they organized their directory, found you could indeed access their directories as they made them public and found the three files when I put in the current year and month as directories.
When i first read what I found there, i was like... no... this can't be real. Then I looked at the other files and read the previous year's preamble and though it wasn't really that out of character for Kirby.
So I posted it on Warseer and it got reposted here. It's been fun watching other people react I too was incredulous at first. It was just so super villian monolgue, that I barely believed it was real.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/07/29 00:31:06
Balance in pick up games? Two people, each with their own goals for the game, design half a board game on their own without knowing the layout of the board and hope it all works out. Good luck with that. The faster you can find like minded individuals who want the same things from the game as you, the better.
Sean_OBrien wrote:
BTW - if this is a hoax (that someone managed to hack into GW's website and load onto their server) it is pretty thorough. They remembered to change the name of the PDF author to Rachel Tongue - the secretary for GW and PDF author of most of GW's releases.
I went to GW's site and figured, hmm, maybe they'd put the report in a directory a bit before they put up a entry with a link so I took a look at how they organized their directory, found you could indeed access their directories as they made them public and found the three files when I put in the current year and month as directories.
When i first read what I found there, i was like... no... this can't be real. Then I looked at the other files and read the previous year's preamble and though it wasn't really that out of character for Kirby.
So I posted it on Warseer and it got reposted here. It's been fun watching other people react I too was incredulous at first. It was just so super villian monolgue, that I barely believed it was real.
timd wrote: What I want to hear is Weeble's analysis and commentary on "It is a very difficult thing to do when it is done through a legal system designed to prevent people stealing hogs from one another."
To my eyes it just looks like a dig on the American legal system, though that could just be jingoistic of me. Kirby could be referring to the courts in general and making a comment on the laws being bad at protecting nebulous concepts like "piles of skulls." See, the law views creative expression as a form of property; a hog, so to speak. In order to do this the law draws finite (if somewhat elastic) boundaries around individual acts of creative expression, much like patent law acts like a deed to a piece of property, laying out the boundaries that separates one invention from another and from the general pool of human wisdom and experience.
In the case of creative expression, the law does this by defining your "hog" as something called "protected expression," i.e. that (and only that) which is unique to a work of artistic expression that actually exists in material form; a "tangible medium of expression." In short, your hog is only your hog, not all hogs, or all hogs of one kind, or one part of all hogs. You only get your specific hog, we'll call her Bessie.
Thus, when you sue someone for unfairly appropriating Bessie, you've got to be able to describe Bessie, show proof that you own Bessie, and demonstrate that the defendant took Bessie. It isn't enough to say that you are a hog farmer and the plaintiff is also a hog farmer. It isn't enough to say that it was your idea to breed hogs like Bessie, or that the defendant took his ideas about hog raising from watching you raise up Bessie.
For a company that repeatedly tried to protect ideas, and I mean that literally - Alan Merrett literally testified that GW was asserting an idea against CHS, I expect that having to go through a justice systems that regards ideas as ownable as imaginary hogs was very frustrating.
What it fails to recognize though is that if it were tried under the utterly refined laws of the UK - it would have been tossed out on its ear (Lucas v Ainsworth).
Automatically Appended Next Post: BTW - if this is a hoax (that someone managed to hack into GW's website and load onto their server) it is pretty thorough. They remembered to change the name of the PDF author to Rachel Tongue - the secretary for GW and PDF author of most of GW's releases.
The Supreme Court ruled that the stormtrooper helmets were film props, not models or art. Doesn't really relate to the chapterhouse case.
It does when a preeminent authority on UK copyright law, who advises the government about how to write their laws, opines pro bono that under the lucasfilm decision, GW's manufactured products would likely be considered "toys" and therefore not protected by copyright in the UK. You can read his published report if you like.
Kirasu: Have we fallen so far that we are excited that GW is giving us the opportunity to spend 58$ for JUST the rules? Surprised it's not "Dataslate: Assault Phase"
AlexHolker: "The power loader is a forklift. The public doesn't complain about a forklift not having frontal armour protecting the crew compartment because the only enemy it is designed to face is the OHSA violation."
AlexHolker: "Allow me to put it this way: Paramount is Skynet, reboots are termination attempts, and your childhood is John Connor."
timd wrote: What I want to hear is Weeble's analysis and commentary on "It is a very difficult thing to do when it is done through a legal system designed to prevent people stealing hogs from one another."
To my eyes it just looks like a dig on the American legal system, though that could just be jingoistic of me. Kirby could be referring to the courts in general and making a comment on the laws being bad at protecting nebulous concepts like "piles of skulls." See, the law views creative expression as a form of property; a hog, so to speak. In order to do this the law draws finite (if somewhat elastic) boundaries around individual acts of creative expression, much like patent law acts like a deed to a piece of property, laying out the boundaries that separates one invention from another and from the general pool of human wisdom and experience.
In the case of creative expression, the law does this by defining your "hog" as something called "protected expression," i.e. that (and only that) which is unique to a work of artistic expression that actually exists in material form; a "tangible medium of expression." In short, your hog is only your hog, not all hogs, or all hogs of one kind, or one part of all hogs. You only get your specific hog, we'll call her Bessie.
Thus, when you sue someone for unfairly appropriating Bessie, you've got to be able to describe Bessie, show proof that you own Bessie, and demonstrate that the defendant took Bessie. It isn't enough to say that you are a hog farmer and the plaintiff is also a hog farmer. It isn't enough to say that it was your idea to breed hogs like Bessie, or that the defendant took his ideas about hog raising from watching you raise up Bessie.
For a company that repeatedly tried to protect ideas, and I mean that literally - Alan Merrett literally testified that GW was asserting an idea against CHS, I expect that having to go through a justice systems that regards ideas as ownable as imaginary hogs was very frustrating.
What it fails to recognize though is that if it were tried under the utterly refined laws of the UK - it would have been tossed out on its ear (Lucas v Ainsworth).
Automatically Appended Next Post: BTW - if this is a hoax (that someone managed to hack into GW's website and load onto their server) it is pretty thorough. They remembered to change the name of the PDF author to Rachel Tongue - the secretary for GW and PDF author of most of GW's releases.
The Supreme Court ruled that the stormtrooper helmets were film props, not models or art. Doesn't really relate to the chapterhouse case.
It does when a preeminent authority on UK copyright law, who advises the government about how to write their laws, opines pro bono that under the lucasfilm decision, GW's manufactured products would likely be considered "toys" and therefore not protected by copyright in the UK. You can read his published report if you like.
UK courts do not like it when companies try to feed them bs
I wouldn't be suprised at all if there were holes in GW's sites. BL had an open FTP server sitting somewhere with a bunch of audiobooks a while back.
How could this be when they spend millions of pounds on their creation?
BlaxicanX wrote: A young business man named Tom Kirby, who was a pupil of mine until he turned greedy, helped the capitalists hunt down and destroy the wargamers. He betrayed and murdered Games Workshop.
I wouldn't be suprised at all if there were holes in GW's sites. BL had an open FTP server sitting somewhere with a bunch of audiobooks a while back.
How could this be when they spend millions of pounds on their creation?
Security for the website wouldve added another $250,000,000 to the price tag. Which they couldn't fit into the budget due to litigous pursuits. GW corporate has an expensive hobby too! See, we aren't so different after all.
I wouldn't be suprised at all if there were holes in GW's sites. BL had an open FTP server sitting somewhere with a bunch of audiobooks a while back.
How could this be when they spend millions of pounds on their creation?
Security for the website wouldve added another $250,000,000 to the price tag. Which they couldn't fit into the budget due to litigous pursuits. GW corporate has an expensive hobby too! See, we aren't so different after all.
Amazingly a simple htaccess file would solve it in a heartbeat - something that any 1st year computer science dropouts could tell them...but they all have crap attitudes, so GW won't talk to them. Total cost - might as well be free...created in Notepad using high tech copy/paste techniques and uploaded to the root directory using any old FTP program.
I won't even bill them for my consulting fee for that free little tidbit of information...wonder how long it will take them to implement it.
I almost feel bad for Kirby for saying this, but this made my day brighter. He has done little good for the hobby or company and I have been looking forward to a change in their management. Although, of course, it is too early to say, this could end up turning around GW, if they hire someone competent. Imagine a return to the golden years of GW... *drools slightly*
"We do no demographic research, we have no focus groups, we do not ask the market what it wants." - Tom Kirby, 2014
Soggy Kittenz wrote: I almost feel bad for Kirby for saying this, but this made my day brighter. He has done little good for the hobby or company and I have been looking forward to a change in their management. Although, of course, it is too early to say, this could end up turning around GW, if they hire someone competent. Imagine a return to the golden years of GW... *drools slightly*
Credit where it is due, if it wasn't for Kirby, GW may have disappeared a long time ago. His greatest crimes are overstaying his welcome, not moving with the times and failing to acknowledge he isn't Steve fethin Jobs
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
So another doomsday report, the sky is falling for GW... Same old song for 20 years boys and girls.
2014 Templecon/Onslaught 40k T, Best overall
2015 Templecon/Onslaught 40kGT, Best overall
2015, Nova open 40kGT Semifinalist.
2015 40k Golden Sprue Champ.
2016 Best General Portal Annual Spring 40kGT
2017 Best General, 3rd Annual Winter 40kGT Hosted by The Portal.
2018 Triumph 40k GT. Best Overall.
2018 Best General, 4th Annual Winter 40kGT Hosted by The Portal.
I wouldn't be suprised at all if there were holes in GW's sites. BL had an open FTP server sitting somewhere with a bunch of audiobooks a while back.
How could this be when they spend millions of pounds on their creation?
Security for the website wouldve added another $250,000,000 to the price tag. Which they couldn't fit into the budget due to litigous pursuits. GW corporate has an expensive hobby too! See, we aren't so different after all.
Amazingly a simple htaccess file would solve it in a heartbeat - something that any 1st year computer science dropouts could tell them...but they all have crap attitudes, so GW won't talk to them. Total cost - might as well be free...created in Notepad using high tech copy/paste techniques and uploaded to the root directory using any old FTP program.
I won't even bill them for my consulting fee for that free little tidbit of information...wonder how long it will take them to implement it.
When the "attitude before skills" approach bites you in the arse.
So I have been thinking about this after reading it a few times earlier this morning. The thing that sticks in my mind the most is how unprofessional it seems. Comments or any piece of writing from other large companies etc etc are all incredibly well written and thought out etc.
But this seems like its written very unprofessionally and somewhat without the right kind of thought behind it.
Is this actually written by him?
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/07/29 01:16:35
I think this preamble was written by a crazy person. It's random...bizarre and incoherent in several places. If my boss wrote something like this my resume would be out immediately. Honest to God this is a nutsy preamble.
I seem to remember it being lauded by a newspaper (Daily Telegraph, Financial Times?) with his last report as it showed a no nonsense plain speaking style.
YakManDoo wrote: I think this preamble was written by a crazy person. It's random...bizarre and incoherent in several places. If my boss wrote something like this my resume would be out immediately. Honest to God this is a nutsy preamble.
Anyone else agreed he is probably insane? I mean the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same results.
I mean he keeps dening that the internet is useful over and over. Trying to ignore its existance, yet it still exists. I mean it was only a matter of time before you know everyone saw he was insane.
But anyway thats off topic.
I think the guy is out of the job.
From whom are unforgiven we bring the mercy of war.
Da Boss wrote: Man, the more I read it, the more convinced I become of a really unhealthy culture at GW corporate. Kirby sounds deranged.
Edited by insaniak. Let's not get carried away, hmm?
Fair point Insaniak, but maybe TK was drowning his sorrows in a pint or two while writing this piece of classic literature, it would explain the level of rambling-ness and out and out bitterness that comes through.
OTOH it shows that GW has serious issues from the top down.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014/07/29 01:50:11
Armies: Space Marines, IG, Tyranids, Eldar, Necrons, Orks, Dark Eldar.
I am the best 40k player in my town, I always win! Of course, I am the only player of 40k in my town.
Tsilber wrote: So another doomsday report, the sky is falling for GW... Same old song for 20 years boys and girls.
You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but d'you fancy backing that thinking up with any sort of facts or figures at all? Or would you perhaps want to wait less than 24 hours so you'll have all those astonishing performance numbers to make us all look like fools with?
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
Kirby stands there at the top of this citadel, carved by his own hands, while the masses foaming below. They, nay, the whole world will look up at him and yell "save GW!"
And he will whisper "who still remember Pokemon anyway?"
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2014/07/29 02:36:24
Tsilber wrote: So another doomsday report, the sky is falling for GW... Same old song for 20 years boys and girls.
Did you read the preamble? Any thoughts?
Balance in pick up games? Two people, each with their own goals for the game, design half a board game on their own without knowing the layout of the board and hope it all works out. Good luck with that. The faster you can find like minded individuals who want the same things from the game as you, the better.
Tsilber wrote: So another doomsday report, the sky is falling for GW... Same old song for 20 years boys and girls.
Did you read the preamble? Any thoughts?
Thoughts are not the kind of thing Kirby hires.
He hires for attitude, that means screaming at the top of your lungs as you bash together two lumps of green stuff, or smashing computer keys with your face as you program their new GW website.
kestral wrote: Can't be real. No one running a major company writes that poorly.
As stated before, it's linked directly from GW's website. It is either a super crazy-elaborate hoax, or it's real. And given previous...*ahem* speeches by Tom Kirby, it's pretty consistent with his style.
I too was incredulous at first. It was just so super villian monolgue, that I barely believed it was real.
