Lottie Bevans, his fiancee and co-founder of Weather Factory made her own post about the situation today too: Blood sport: Call-out culture from the other side
She's a pretty good writer. What an awful situation. Edit for clarity: no matter who is right and what is happening, it's an awful situation.
Modern systems of justice – and I’m talking proper justice, like juries, judges, the law – often fail women because they put the burden of proof on the accuser. This means successfully punishing people for things like sexual assault is difficult, because by the very nature of the offense – usually committed in private, between two people – there isn’t a whole bunch of evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused did the thing the accuser says they did. This is shitty, and it needs to change. But it’s tipped towards the defendant deliberately: Blackstone’s ratio, the idea that “it is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer”, is a vital founding principle of modern justice.
She's a pretty good writer. What an awful situation.
Edit for clarity: no matter who is right and what is happening, it's an awful situation.
While it's hard to say for sure what happened, this response has a very different feel from the responses I've seen from other men who have been accused of abuse. There's direct acceptance of a...
While it's hard to say for sure what happened, this response has a very different feel from the responses I've seen from other men who have been accused of abuse. There's direct acceptance of a measure of responsibility for the poor choices he made and a open admission of those things, but also direct and categorical denials of the vague cloud of additional implied offenses.
It's not the greatest thing to hire on someone with whom you have been sleeping and then sleep with them while you're their boss. (Unless you're running a family business, I guess?) I think it does speak reasonably well of him that he did exit the boss/employee relationship, but that he only did so when they were having a rought breakup is still not great. That he specifically avoided making the same mistake when he started to fall for Lottie does show direct attempts to change.
Compare this to the recent allegations and response regarding Asymmetric Publications (Developer of Kingdom of Loathing), where the the accusations were significantly worse while the response was vague, lacking any significant refutation and absent any evidence of change.
I am a bit concerned by people who cannot, seemingly, call a spade a spade. He asserts he did not hire Olivia because he was sleeping with her. However, he hired Olivia because she was an...
I am a bit concerned by people who cannot, seemingly, call a spade a spade.
He asserts he did not hire Olivia because he was sleeping with her.
However, he hired Olivia because she was an available technical writer who he knew (because he was sleeping with her).
If I recommend a person for work, and they get hired immediately, they got hired because of my recommendation.
If I recommend a person for work, they interview like everyone else, a public job posting is made available for a reasonable amount of time, and they get hired, then that person did not get hired because of my recommendation.
I think this situation is clearly of the former. She got hired because he was sleeping with her.
I am also concerned when all accusations come from people who slept with Alexis and also worked for his company. Why are all of these people sleeping with people who are direct reports?
I think what Kennedy was saying that the exchange wasn't a quid-pro-quo, as in Wood slept with him and got hired in turn. She got hired because he knew her and was familiar with her skills as a...
If I recommend a person for work, and they get hired immediately, they got hired because of my recommendation.
I think what Kennedy was saying that the exchange wasn't a quid-pro-quo, as in Wood slept with him and got hired in turn. She got hired because he knew her and was familiar with her skills as a writer. I doubt it was anyone's intention that this was a mere exchange of services so to speak. Of course this doesn't make it in any way right, but I think there's a good chance that Kennedy would've hired Wood even if they weren't in a relationship.
Is there really? If a public listing were put up, do you believe the chances that Wood would have applied & been selected are particularly high? I honestly have no idea, but we'll never know,...
I think there's a good chance that Kennedy would've hired Wood even if they weren't in a relationship.
Is there really? If a public listing were put up, do you believe the chances that Wood would have applied & been selected are particularly high? I honestly have no idea, but we'll never know, because Kennedy choose the person he was sleeping with. I consider that in violation of business ethics.
I think it might be useful to separate this into two columns: 1. Kennedy was sleeping with Wood. 2. Kennedy also and independently was friends with Wood. While 1 is a terrible reason to hire...
I think it might be useful to separate this into two columns: 1. Kennedy was sleeping with Wood. 2. Kennedy also and independently was friends with Wood. While 1 is a terrible reason to hire someone for a job, 2 happens all the time, and assuming that the friend is competent is considered normal and acceptable business practice. That they were sleeping together is the black mark, not that a friend got hired to fill a position they were qualified for. So I do think that Wood had a higher chance than some shmo off the street, because they already knew each other and she had previously asked for editing work.
Yes, but if I recommend my friend off the street, they still need to be vetted by HR, interviewed by team members, etc. I get that he's his own boss, and can do what he likes, but if anything I...
Yes, but if I recommend my friend off the street, they still need to be vetted by HR, interviewed by team members, etc. I get that he's his own boss, and can do what he likes, but if anything I think this shows the necessity of independent HR and recruiting departments.
I don't use Twitter, and I've removed myself from following the video games industry as much as possible because I can't stand the constant drama and outrage about whatever the fuck is currently...
I don't use Twitter, and I've removed myself from following the video games industry as much as possible because I can't stand the constant drama and outrage about whatever the fuck is currently going on, and have reserved myself to playing video games instead of living them. When Ms. Lawhead made her accusations against Soule he responded with completely deleting all social media presence and presumably lawyering up, but Kennedy addresses the accusations head on, so he gets more leeway than Soule from me. Soule hasn't even come out and denied the accusations, and he's considerably more powerful in the industry than Kennedy and would've had rabid fans following his ass till kingdom come.
It just seems to me like the "regular" video game industry has a constant crunch problem and lack of respect to the people working in it, while the indie scene is some clusterfuck of people constantly accusing each other of something.
The inherent problem is that sexual crimes are hard, and I mean that in the way of correctly following them up with the law. Most victims don't feel comfortable going to the police until much later for a myriad of reasons, when evidence has dried up and further action is impossible. The fact that we don't even have a crime here, just a boss being inappropriate with his employees makes this an entirely different beast. The addition of a weird Twitter account just anonymously throwing out more accusations doesn't really help it.
It seems that whatever the accusers wanted, they've achieved. Weatherfactory faced repercussions, Kennedy severe health problems and Bevans had her own problems as well, even though she's only tangetially related to all of this. Just how she remarked in her post about this, ironically this thing has pushed more women out of the industry than it has brought in, and that's not cause they're fleeing from Kennedy's reign of terror.
EDIT: Also, hey Kennedy also almost killed himself and Bevan directly mentions Holowka. Cool.
Threatening suicide is a common abuse tactic, and I'm not claiming anyone but the person who is calling the threat is responsible, however, the situation isn't always as black and white as it...
Threatening suicide is a common abuse tactic, and I'm not claiming anyone but the person who is calling the threat is responsible, however, the situation isn't always as black and white as it seems. I don't think any of the "sides" in this situation is right and ultimately, they'll remain strangers on the internet, and I don't think we'll ever know.
Lottie Bevans, his fiancee and co-founder of Weather Factory made her own post about the situation today too: Blood sport: Call-out culture from the other side
She's a pretty good writer. What an awful situation.
Edit for clarity: no matter who is right and what is happening, it's an awful situation.
While it's hard to say for sure what happened, this response has a very different feel from the responses I've seen from other men who have been accused of abuse. There's direct acceptance of a measure of responsibility for the poor choices he made and a open admission of those things, but also direct and categorical denials of the vague cloud of additional implied offenses.
It's not the greatest thing to hire on someone with whom you have been sleeping and then sleep with them while you're their boss. (Unless you're running a family business, I guess?) I think it does speak reasonably well of him that he did exit the boss/employee relationship, but that he only did so when they were having a rought breakup is still not great. That he specifically avoided making the same mistake when he started to fall for Lottie does show direct attempts to change.
Compare this to the recent allegations and response regarding Asymmetric Publications (Developer of Kingdom of Loathing), where the the accusations were significantly worse while the response was vague, lacking any significant refutation and absent any evidence of change.
And now Adam Myers, the current CEO of Failbetter Games has written a response, disagreeing with a fair amount of Alexis's post: About Alexis Kennedy
I am a bit concerned by people who cannot, seemingly, call a spade a spade.
He asserts he did not hire Olivia because he was sleeping with her.
However, he hired Olivia because she was an available technical writer who he knew (because he was sleeping with her).
If I recommend a person for work, and they get hired immediately, they got hired because of my recommendation.
If I recommend a person for work, they interview like everyone else, a public job posting is made available for a reasonable amount of time, and they get hired, then that person did not get hired because of my recommendation.
I think this situation is clearly of the former. She got hired because he was sleeping with her.
I am also concerned when all accusations come from people who slept with Alexis and also worked for his company. Why are all of these people sleeping with people who are direct reports?
I think what Kennedy was saying that the exchange wasn't a quid-pro-quo, as in Wood slept with him and got hired in turn. She got hired because he knew her and was familiar with her skills as a writer. I doubt it was anyone's intention that this was a mere exchange of services so to speak. Of course this doesn't make it in any way right, but I think there's a good chance that Kennedy would've hired Wood even if they weren't in a relationship.
Is there really? If a public listing were put up, do you believe the chances that Wood would have applied & been selected are particularly high? I honestly have no idea, but we'll never know, because Kennedy choose the person he was sleeping with. I consider that in violation of business ethics.
And I'm not saying that it isn't, only that I think it isn't that simple as "I got hired cause I had sex with the owner of the company."
I think it might be useful to separate this into two columns: 1. Kennedy was sleeping with Wood. 2. Kennedy also and independently was friends with Wood. While 1 is a terrible reason to hire someone for a job, 2 happens all the time, and assuming that the friend is competent is considered normal and acceptable business practice. That they were sleeping together is the black mark, not that a friend got hired to fill a position they were qualified for. So I do think that Wood had a higher chance than some shmo off the street, because they already knew each other and she had previously asked for editing work.
Yes, but if I recommend my friend off the street, they still need to be vetted by HR, interviewed by team members, etc. I get that he's his own boss, and can do what he likes, but if anything I think this shows the necessity of independent HR and recruiting departments.
Yeah, in a company of less than a dozen things can be fast and loose. Independent HR consultants are a must at that size.
I don't use Twitter, and I've removed myself from following the video games industry as much as possible because I can't stand the constant drama and outrage about whatever the fuck is currently going on, and have reserved myself to playing video games instead of living them. When Ms. Lawhead made her accusations against Soule he responded with completely deleting all social media presence and presumably lawyering up, but Kennedy addresses the accusations head on, so he gets more leeway than Soule from me. Soule hasn't even come out and denied the accusations, and he's considerably more powerful in the industry than Kennedy and would've had rabid fans following his ass till kingdom come.
It just seems to me like the "regular" video game industry has a constant crunch problem and lack of respect to the people working in it, while the indie scene is some clusterfuck of people constantly accusing each other of something.
The inherent problem is that sexual crimes are hard, and I mean that in the way of correctly following them up with the law. Most victims don't feel comfortable going to the police until much later for a myriad of reasons, when evidence has dried up and further action is impossible. The fact that we don't even have a crime here, just a boss being inappropriate with his employees makes this an entirely different beast. The addition of a weird Twitter account just anonymously throwing out more accusations doesn't really help it.
It seems that whatever the accusers wanted, they've achieved. Weatherfactory faced repercussions, Kennedy severe health problems and Bevans had her own problems as well, even though she's only tangetially related to all of this. Just how she remarked in her post about this, ironically this thing has pushed more women out of the industry than it has brought in, and that's not cause they're fleeing from Kennedy's reign of terror.
EDIT: Also, hey Kennedy also almost killed himself and Bevan directly mentions Holowka. Cool.
Threatening suicide is a common abuse tactic, and I'm not claiming anyone but the person who is calling the threat is responsible, however, the situation isn't always as black and white as it seems. I don't think any of the "sides" in this situation is right and ultimately, they'll remain strangers on the internet, and I don't think we'll ever know.