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Article by Hobbie

Iain finally got himself fired. More on this in our next release.

Meanwhile, we are replacing our three genre team updates with this single article, bringing you the latest news from the higher levels as if you were there. Well, I should say lower levels now, since the EC relocated to our new secret base in the OTF basement (Hal said it was okay to tell you about it, as long as I didn't reveal that the password for entering is "jointhedarkside!!1!", so all is good).

As Polson pointed out, the promised changes haven't appeared yet. This is due in part, as she mentioned, to the extent of work required to prepare them, as well as to events beyond everyone's control. Indeed, I have been told by a reliable source, who wishes to remain anonymous, that Iain has been having to deal with a number of server-related technical issues recently. He hasn't denied those claims, and is rumored to have a 30,000+ words detailed explanation of those. If any of you is interested, and has about five years' worth of free time, feel free to contact him directly about it.

That said, things are being done, and results should be seen very soon. The idea of releasing all the new stuff at once has been put aside in favor of a more progressive timetable. The first installment of which will be the dismantling of the departments and its replacement with a team-based structure. This has led to a lot of confusion about which teams would get to stay, which would be taken out, if there would be new teams, and so on.

The answer to that can be expressed by what I think the whole idea behind the transition is: more flexibility, less red tape and equal opportunities. Basically, any current team leader as well as anyone else with an idea for a team is welcome to email Hal and Iain about their proposal, and will be able to give it a try. However, there is another edge to that sword, and any team not delivering the goods will not be allowed to stagnate for years as has been, and in some cases is still, the case now.

Finally, the EC thanks its newest retirement home member, Osiris, for the dedication he has shown over the years. Replacing him will be Mezoti and, for my part, I am very pleased by this appointment. Not only will her duties include shooting Hobbie, she will also provide the EC with a new arguing couple to liven things up. It's been a while since we had one of those.

There is no Box to bring back!

Hobbie
_{Blue Report EC Insider}