Rather than say this all a million times, here's a log. For those of you who would like to raise any concerns, feel free to respond or write here.
1:11 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Hey guys, I want to address an honest criticism that I've been getting from a few players around choosing Cellan."
1:11 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "And that is that she's in my clique"
1:12 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "And the feeling that you have to be my friend in order to succeed on TI."
1:12 AM June 20: [OOC] Zombiepuffs "Choosing Cellan for what?"
1:12 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Firstly, I think it's a valid concern, and I want to thank everyone who raised it to my face instead of just whispering behind my back. There was a time on TI when the whispering would be everything."
1:12 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Seneschal.)"
1:12 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Gotta read the IC Event board!"
1:13 AM June 20: [OOC] Zombiepuffs "I skimmed. >.>"
1:13 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Ahh"
1:13 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Well, I think it's a valid criticism that Cellan was from my clique, so I want to explain a few things around that."
1:13 AM June 20: [OOC] Paere: "I'm perfectly fine with it, but I'm afraid my opinion doesn't matter since our characters are closely tied together."
1:13 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Firstly, if I didn't think Cellan would be good for the job, I wouldn't have selected her."
1:14 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Yes, Paere, and I'm glad you approve. Some people don't, and it's their right to feel how they do, and they've good reasons for being concerned."
1:14 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "In general, we run a very loose ship on TI with regards to who can play what role. I'm actually not picky with applications, for example."
1:15 AM June 20: [OOC] Zombiepuffs "I couldn't care less about the person who gets a position. It gives more flavour with whomever gets it, better or worse."
1:15 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "The only role that I've held onto is that of the monarch, and mostly because I think it's a big deal if we have the wrong person in there."
1:15 AM June 20: [OOC] Paere: "That's a good point, Zombie. Hell, I wouldn't have minded if Kaemgen got ahold of it"
1:16 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "It was suggested that we vote - to me, I think that would leave the next monarch up to a popularity contest and I felt that we'd just get someone in who had a lot of friends."
1:16 AM June 20: [OOC] Zombiepuffs "And that's why capitalism is bunk! =D"
1:17 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "From my perspective, I feel this role is important in upholding TI's theme and game concepts, and that takes acumen. Additionally, I did want a reasonable IC transition, which I felt only a handful of players could do."
1:18 AM June 20: [OOC] Zombiepuffs "I could have done it. =)"
1:18 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "I am well aware that some of our players absolutely could handle the role, but of those players, I did select one closer to me (not physically - you do not have to be in Australia, though it does help in getting to know someone)..."
1:18 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Yes, I'm sure you could!"
1:19 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Anyway, I selected someone closer to me to enable the dialogue with me that has to occur at this level, especially someone that can deal with "the bad stuff""
1:19 AM June 20: [OOC] Zombiepuffs "My character's a..."
1:19 AM June 20: [OOC] Zombiepuffs "Well, to put it bluntly, an *sshole."
1:20 AM June 20: [OOC] Paere: "It'd be logical if Olither came back from the dead and became Seneschal."
1:20 AM June 20: [OOC] Cyan-lite "Rofl"
1:21 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "That does make me biased, but I don't think it's necessarily the worst evil known to man. It is pretty par for the course on these things, even in real life - the studies have proven people get jobs through networks and so on."
1:21 AM June 20: [OOC] Cyan-lite "Zombie olither will probably be nicer than live olither)"
1:21 AM June 20: [OOC] Zombiepuffs "Combat genius."
1:22 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "So, I do want to say that whereas I think it is a fair criticism, it is the decision I made for reasons that I think were higher priority than bias - fundamentally, I felt we needed to move back to having one person in charge, and I think it's someone that should be 1) ICly plausible, 2) capable and interested, and 3) someone with a close relationship to staff."
1:22 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Thanks for listening, those of you who have raised concerns, and thanks again, those of you who have raised them openly to me. I appreciate that."
1:22 AM June 20: [OOC] Zombiepuffs "I only fit two of those. I have failed."
1:22 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky chuckles.
1:23 AM June 20: [OOC] Paere: "Well, that kind of thinking will intimidate other players, someone with a close relationship to staff. At the same time, however, Cellan ICly did have the contacts and such to take te job."
1:24 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "I don't think that I'm so unapproachable that if someone wanted to be friendly with me that they couldn'tP"
1:24 AM June 20: [OOC] Cyan-lite "I"ve tried, but....it burned.....)"
1:24 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "But that being said, I did think about it for awhile before I chose someone."
1:24 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky sniggers at Cyan.
1:24 AM June 20: [OOC] Zombiepuffs "Maybe next time... If I don't overthrow Vinny."
1:25 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Good luck *grin*"
1:25 AM June 20: [OOC] Kinky: "Now, I'm going back to my damage tables..."