Petition: Transparency and open communication

Hello, SOM Online community,

Please sign my petition. I am asking Strat-O-Matic to engage in a more open discussion with its community. I am asking that Strat-O-Matic be more transparent with its information, to provide their insight and replies to the WHOLE community and not just to each individual who emails them directly. When one member has a problem with the game and emails the support group, the odds are strong that there are many others with the same problem/question. Answering one person does not help the game or community as a whole, when informing the whole community is more efficient and effective. I am asking Strat-O-Matic to define "destructive" so that the community knows EXACTLY where the line is so as not to cross it (unless wanting to of course). To me, the most destructive thing that has occurred to the game and the community is Strat-O-Matic's closed communication, customer-unfriendly approach that has driven vital, active game players away. I am asking Strat-O-Matic to "make things right," finally.
Once I have at least 200 registered users on this petition, I will send this to Strat-O-Matic via email and USPS mail attn Hal Richman and attn Bernie Hou.
And, if I receive a warning from SOM that THIS thread is destructive, then I will leave SOM Online for good.

1. Palanion
2. Honeyman
3.bkeat23
4. Nev
5. Dinsdale
6. dharmabums
7. drfreeze49
8.SALTY!
9.Manofsteel
10. BlackFinn
11. madmike66
12.TRW
13. Hack Wilson
14. gfdwarf07
15.Doug Elke
16. gorshar
17. lanier64
18. PJ Axelsson
19. ShakeyBoomer
20. Danster64
21. fraank123
22. visick
23. voovits
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

Please sign my petition. I am asking Strat-O-Matic to engage in a more open discussion with its community. I am asking that Strat-O-Matic be more transparent with its information, to provide their insight and replies to the WHOLE community and not just to each individual who emails them directly. When one member has a problem with the game and emails the support group, the odds are strong that there are many others with the same problem/question. Answering one person does not help the game or community as a whole, when informing the whole community is more efficient and effective. I am asking Strat-O-Matic to define "destructive" so that the community knows EXACTLY where the line is so as not to cross it (unless wanting to of course). To me, the most destructive thing that has occurred to the game and the community is Strat-O-Matic's closed communication, customer-unfriendly approach that has driven vital, active game players away. I am asking Strat-O-Matic to "make things right," finally.
Once I have at least 200 registered users on this petition, I will send this to Strat-O-Matic via email and USPS mail attn Hal Richman and attn Bernie Hou.
And, if I receive a warning from SOM that THIS thread is destructive, then I will leave SOM Online for good.

1. Palanion
2. Honeyman
3.bkeat23
4. Nev
5. Dinsdale
6. dharmabums
7. drfreeze49
8.SALTY!
9.Manofsteel
10. BlackFinn
11. madmike66
12.TRW
13. Hack Wilson
14. gfdwarf07
15.Doug Elke
16. gorshar
17. lanier64
18. PJ Axelsson
19. ShakeyBoomer
20. Danster64
21. fraank123
22. visick
23. voovits
24. treyomo
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

Though I am disappointed that the board has become exclusively a place to express displeasure with the current product rather than talkin' baseball, I am definitely in favor of this shift in policy.

Just curious but how is this going to be worded to Hal and Bernie?

I mean, let's say we get 200 names.
And it's sent out to them.

We have to define "making it right". We have to clearly define what needs to be changed and what we want to happen.

And what happens if they say no? What are the ramifications on our end?

I tried getting a list together of the most important issues, but it didn't pan out. I'm with you on your gripes. I think they are the most important IMO. My love for the game of Strat can overlook, right now, the flaws in the product itself. I know that is more important to others, and I can totally see their point of view. What I can't overlook is the closed communication.

visick

[Strat-O-Matic]

We want to let everyone in the Strat-O-Matic Online Baseball community know that we are attentive to your concerns regarding communication between Strat-O-Matic Media and you, our customers. We are currently discussing solutions and will be reaching out to every user of our game as soon as possible with information and updates.

Wow. A reply from SOM. Interesting.

Visick - My goal is for this petition to open communication, to foster a relationship between the community and SOM. Once the channels of communication are open and active, and only then, we can discuss how the game and the game experience can improve. Communication is a two-way street, which has been frustratingly one-way since the transition began. People have posted that SOM is a business and as such SOM can conduct their business however they like. But when the consumers spending their money on the business's product become discontented, then the business must adapt and change to retain and grow their consumer base.
And it appears that they know, as well as I, that this petition can be filled. And when a tangible volume of customers speak, then the business must listen or risk the loss of revenue by simply being stubborn.

Just a thought for SOM ... one of the most popular interactions between company and consumer on the old board was when Bernie solicited advice for adding new cards to the game. It always generated enthusiastic conversation about which cards to add; then Bernie would do a "teaser" rollout, previewing one new card a day on the board, which was always kinda fun. Even though I think the game is glutted with cards already -- this might be one strategy for rekindling the company/consumer relationship, generating some goodwill, getting people off the negativity and back to baseball, etc.


+++++++

Please sign my petition. I am asking Strat-O-Matic to engage in a more open discussion with its community. I am asking that Strat-O-Matic be more transparent with its information, to provide their insight and replies to the WHOLE community and not just to each individual who emails them directly. When one member has a problem with the game and emails the support group, the odds are strong that there are many others with the same problem/question. Answering one person does not help the game or community as a whole, when informing the whole community is more efficient and effective. I am asking Strat-O-Matic to define "destructive" so that the community knows EXACTLY where the line is so as not to cross it (unless wanting to of course). To me, the most destructive thing that has occurred to the game and the community is Strat-O-Matic's closed communication, customer-unfriendly approach that has driven vital, active game players away. I am asking Strat-O-Matic to "make things right," finally.
Once I have at least 200 registered users on this petition, I will send this to Strat-O-Matic via email and USPS mail attn Hal Richman and attn Bernie Hou.
And, if I receive a warning from SOM that THIS thread is destructive, then I will leave SOM Online for good.

1. Palanion
2. Honeyman
3.bkeat23
4. Nev
5. Dinsdale
6. dharmabums
7. drfreeze49
8.SALTY!
9.Manofsteel
10. BlackFinn
11. madmike66
12.TRW
13. Hack Wilson
14. gfdwarf07
15.Doug Elke
16. gorshar
17. lanier64
18. PJ Axelsson
19. ShakeyBoomer
20. Danster64
21. fraank123
22. visick
23. voovits
24. treyomo
25. tomwistar
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

THANK U STRATOMATIC FOR THE REPLY.

I'd like to know WHEN EXACTLY this will all happen.

And not that it's going to happen soon.

Wow. A reply from SOM. Interesting.

We scared the Hal out of em

Now- before we ask for any new initiatives, lets see what they have in mind- b/c up til now, very little has been appropriate, and feel free to include me there too if you must.

Also- speaking on behalf of the 'angry mob' I would like to see some forthcoming apologies from management.
We've been telling you since day 1 that communication needed to happen- and you forced a continually escalating series of responses rather over simply heeding what we asked for

you'd never get 200 users. Not that I wouldn't want this, but no reason to sign as it is now.

Even in polls, that were linked throughout the leagues in TSN heydays, has trouble getting more than 300-400 votes.

No way, with the loss of customers and the dead forums you get 100, let alone 200.

better change to use change.org and get random people to sign
________________________________________________________________

That said, not to be destructive, but the game has probably already been hurt beyond repair. I doubt it will ever reach the levels it once did.

Wow. A reply from SOM. Interesting.

We scared the Hal out of em

Now- before we ask for any new initiatives, lets see what they have in mind- b/c up til now, very little has been appropriate, and feel free to include me there too if you must.

Also- speaking on behalf of the 'angry mob' I would like to see some forthcoming apologies from management.
We've been telling you since day 1 that communication needed to happen- and you forced a continually escalating series of responses rather over simply heeding what we asked for

I nominate that they place you in charge of the stratomatic forum and act as head of all communication issues directly to the management of stratomatic. You could be the conduit for all issues and you could handle all the questions from everyone and coordinate and compile the issues which you feel would be appropriate to pass on and prioritize for management to work on. Stratomatic should be responsible to let you know the resources that are available and provide timely estimates of times of any task you would require. You could then lay out your plan for everyone to see and schedule the workload for strat and be responsible for letting people know what and when items would be worked on based on the work schedule you develop. Assuming this business nets about 250K per year a 2% of revenue fee appears appropriate for such a responsibility as your compensation. Anyone second this motion?