Failure to Comply

Failure to Comply

I have been “terminated” by the bigwigs at fansided, meaning that I will  not be posting on Around the Foghorn any longer. I had a philosophical difference of opinion on a series of requests from the brass, and refused to carry out their wishes. When the bosses say jump, and you don’t ask, “How high?” then the time has come to depart.

I feel bad for the new editor who just came on board, because there are a lot of logistical questions that arise that need answers. Unfortunately he will have to contend with the issues on his own. I had promised to lend him my support, but I can no longer access the dashboard.

My conflict with fansided began last summer when the bosses sent out a demeaning email to all writers, specifying that a certain rule that was in place, was not being followed. In the future, the email warned, failure to comply (a favorite fansided phrase) would result in the piece of writing being immediately pulled from the site.

The tone of the message was pejorative and I took umbrage at being addressed as though I were some sort of subservient entity. Writers are not paid and that’s all well and good because they choose to do so. Nonetheless, being talked to condescendingly does not do anything for me.

Recently, one of the bosses informed me that he had an “interview” with Buster Posey that he was going to post on Around the Foghorn. When I checked out the article, I found it to be nothing more than a blatant ad for a sports drink, thinly veiled as an actual article. I was dismayed that this was posted on Around the Foghorn; I felt it was a slap in the face.

Then on March 27th, all editors were told to post an article on a March Madness promotion, which I refused to do. The demand came a second time; I ignored it. When the third email came out decreeing that I “comply” with this demand, I wrote back telling the bosses that I was not posting something on college hoops on a San Francisco Giants site.

I assumed they were going to terminate me, so I told the rest of the ATF staff accordingly. They responded in a surprising way. Instead of just being sympathetic to my cause, one of them suggested to my surprise, that we should branch off and start our own San Francisco Giants blog. This writer said that she was tired of all the negative emails also.

I was flummoxed. Before I could say China Basin Chatter, one of the staff had set up our new blog, twisted all sorts of knobs and dials, and gotten all of the logistical stuff in place. We launch this Saturday and it is all good in the ‘hood.

The experience at ATF has been exhilarating and I would not exchange it for anything. I love to write and am passionate about the Giants, so it’s the best of all worlds. As for the management at fansided, it’s their loss.

Besides, yesterday I received an email that demanded that all editors post an article on...”Game of Thrones.” Some sort of promotional, I assume.

I take comfort in the fact that had I not already been fired, I certainly would have been after I got done responding to their most recent ridiculous request.

That’s just the kind of guy I am.