As Hockey Zone enters a new chapter following the turbulence of the civil war and the creation of the 5.0 server, the community now votes on a new Board of Directors (BOD) to (hopefully) bring balance and transparency. With five candidates included in this pivotal group—Verez, Bogey, Singer, Jack, and Zayb—I set out to learn more about what drives them, their perspectives on recent events, and their vision for Hockey Zone’s future.
I asked each candidate the same seven questions to give you, the community, insight into their motivations, opinions, and plans. Here’s what they had to say:
1. What motivated you to put your name in as a volunteer?
Navi: “So, personal question: what made you want to volunteer to be part of this new BOD?”
Verez: “I hope to be helpful and am honest and reasonable in my approach to every situation.”
Bogey: “After helping liaison between big3 and whitmer, I noticed there was a fairly large disconnect between the two different parties. With my past experiences from staff in TW and holding myself accountable to staying a neutral party and unbias opinion, I feel like I can contribute to the zone in a BOD in a positive way.”
Singer: “I was motivated to put my name in as a volunteer when I saw the opportunity present itself with two sides quarrelling over disagreements, I think I have some abilities to mediate and listen to what the people want and avoid make things worse by adding fuel to the fire through insults or condescending responses.
I’m hoping to bring some positivity back to the zone and try to make the larger population happy.”
Jack: “I was asked if I was interested, and I agreed because I love the zone and people. I believe everyone has value, from those who are constantly in jail, to the people who volunteer their energy and time for hz. I’m pretty neutral, easygoing, and open to changing my mind. I don’t want a leadership position, but I think that could be a strength since I don’t have a personal agenda and I prioritize others.
I almost declined because of this, and also because I’m introverted, but it’s something I’m working on. I definitely think there are smarter people who could do a better job, both already part of the previous bod and not. I will do my best though, and I believe I am fair.”
Zayb: “Steve asked me nicely, so I said I’d give it a go. I bring calmness and rationality.”
2. What is your opinion on everything that has happened so far (civil war, 5.0, etc)?
Navi: “Any thoughts on recent events? Civil War on the Discord/Big E/5.0?”
Verez: “I can see the frustrations but I don’t agree with the drama show that ensued. I am happy that there is a discord that exists that provides less moderation and hope that is satisfactory for those that enjoy that discourse.”
Bogey: “I think there are a lot of things I am not fully aware of based on a 20+ year history. Having said that, I had reached out to many parties from both 1.0 and 5.0 to get the perspectives from both sides and what they wanted or believed. I feel like after spending a few days of gathering information and perspectives I had a pretty decent grasp on why this was happening. I think that things should have never gotten to this point and hopefully the changes Whitmer is implementing will resolve the issues to make HZ great again.”
Singer: “I wish the 5.0 conflict could have been avoided through more meaningful discussions before it got to that point. I personally didn’t join the 5.0 movement when it came out, while I understand where people are coming from and that they wanted to be heard, I felt like it just created a bigger divide and caused good people to lose faith in a harmonious HZ.”
Jack: “I’m sad that people have stepped down and are quitting. It seems to be a case of one side feeling unheard, and then, after what happened, the other side feeling unappreciated for all the time and energy they put into a game they love. From what I’ve read, it sounds like there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes, so I’m surely lacking context, but from my perspective, I’d break it down to that at its most basic. Perhaps there could have been small changes, like integrating a few new people into the existing structure, adjusting moderation, etc., without people stepping down. But this might just be a naive way of looking at things without knowing all the history.”
Zayb: “5.0 used valid concerns as a justification to do whatever they wanted. It’s not a new behavior, but it’s still not acceptable.”
3. Is there anything in particular about HZ (or Discord) that you would like to see improved?
Navi: “If you could change anything about HZ, including the Discord, what would it be?”
Verez: “A place for new players or those with less experience to be able to compete in RSHL. I know there is lots of talk about draft and I’ll say that I am unsure if it is the answer. However, there needs to be a way for newer players to get consistent time in RSHL as it is vastly different from BL.”
Bogey: “Transparency/Progress/Buy in. I think getting buy in from the community is important, there was a civil war for a reason. Whether or not the perspective of the individual is that it is right or wrong at this point is irrelevant because it happened. Going forward hopefully the BOD will be able to facilitate what both sides want and come to an understanding so that we can all enjoy the game we love.”
Singer: “I have a few opinions myself on the state of scrim and competitive play in leagues and how voting processes could be better handled but ultimately I don’t want my say in the BoD to just be about my current opinion, I’d like to discuss it more with other people to see how my opinion can evolve and how it could be better strategized.”
Jack: “The people currently making decisions have done a great job. How old is this game, and it’s still going? It would be a bit egotistical to think I could do a better job, but I’ll work alongside those in charge and do my best. It’s challenging because the goal is to keep people happy and engaged with the game, yet everyone has a different opinion.
My memory might be a bit off, maybe it’s the same and I’m just seeing things differently now, but I’d love to get back to how the zone was a few years ago. The drama, fighting on Discord, the pod, commentary, etc., things like your blog. All of that added to the game’s fun and drew me in. I’m not exactly sure how to get there, but I’d guess that can only happen if people are happy and feel valued.”
Zayb: “I’d like to see us treat each other with more respect.”
4. Do you believe the Shadow Council exists, and what does that mean to you as a BOD candidate?
Navi: “Alright, let’s address the elephant in the room. Do you think that the Shadow Council exists? Be honest. I mean in any capacity, be it a group of people that make decisions in private / favoritism / admin friend group?”
Verez: “No it does not exist. However going forward I would hope there is more transparency and it can be a council and there be no shadows involved.”
Bogey: “Yes and No based on your perspectives, I think that the theory of a group of people who have lots of history and mutual respect allow for grounds to mutually discuss and bounce ideas off one another can be perceived as a shadow council. This was likely used on a basis over time which would have happened in a private circumstance.
Decisions being made with the same people with the same perspectives over years breeds a trust problem when those people think they know best and never include the community fully.
The reality is the people in power for the positions they are doing were the ones in charge. LC is in charge of the league, Moderation is in charge of moderation, Development is in charge of development. I think the BOD may have needed to be changed out and incorporate different demographics which would have resolved the theory of a shadow council a long time ago.
Ultimately, I believe that trying new things and looking towards progress is important and being a part of the BOD I can hopefully be a voice of reason and potentially a voice extension of what the community wants.”
Singer: “I think the shadow counsel mostly started off as a meme and while it’s true that the « top players » usually have their voice and input be heard a bit more from their knowledge of the game, I don’t think they personally made decisions themselves behind the scenes”
Jack: “Probably, but I’m not sure it’s necessarily a bad thing if it does exist. I assume this group includes people who are among the best players, have successfully managed the zone, and are still playing after 10-20+ years, so it’s natural to value their opinions.
Of course, there’s a line, if every decision benefits only that group and you’re simply a puppet, then that would likely be an issue. For example, if we consider game settings, and we assume the Shadow Council exists and includes some of the best players in the zone, they would likely understand how setting changes would impact the game better than I would. So, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to get their input and value it.”
Zayb: “I think it’s a name that discredits people who work for the zone. It won’t change much for the BOD since we’ll still take input from others.”
5. Why do you think Whitmer put you on the list?
Navi: “And why do you feel that Whitmer, the owner of the zone, picked you specifically?”
Verez: “That’s a question for Whitmer—I don’t want to speak for him.”
Bogey: “I think I have shown the community and Whitmer that I typically take a neutral standpoint. I can typically look at things from both perspectives and use logic without having emotional attachments to it. On top of that, I already currently volunteering to help the zone out which shows him that I am willing to put the effort and work in.”
Singer: “I approached Whitmer in a very simple manner by advising him that despite my lack of longevity and complete knowledge of the zone, I was interested in helping the case if he was looking for someone that could be neutral and outside of feuds, which from looking at the list of the other candidates appears to be Whitmer’s approach.”
Jack: “Probably because I come across as level headed, and the things mentioned in the first question.”
Zayb: “He thinks people will trust me to make sound decisions.”
6. How do you think the new BOD will work, and how will conflicts and punishments be handled?
Navi: “Given the current state of things, how do you think the new BOD will handle conflicts or differences of opinion?”
Verez: “Transparency is the new push and I would hope that we could have honest discussions about community initiatives. I still believe there should be moderation in the discord to some extent and getting input from the entire BOD/community will be important.”
Bogey: “Exactly as posted via the forum post. We are 5 individuals that are the bridge between the people in power and the people who play. The BOD will vote and discuss changes for the zone based on ideas from anyone who participates in the game itself.”
Singer: “I didn’t get much clarity from whitmer but my understanding is that the BoD would only have to make decisions if it’s brought to our attention by whitmer himself. Personally, I’m not keen to setting up a bunch of disciplinary rules in a game full of trolls. The only hard rule that should always be avoided is going after someone’s personal life, anything outside of that is a grey area where some groups of people from our dysfunctional community will react differently depending on the subjects of conversation. I’m hoping for leniency so people can do promos all they like and if some people are sensitive to taking things too seriously I would hope for them to use the ignore function whenever needed, so I guess tl;dr: hoping to not have to be on schoolyard duty with discord psychos aside from extreme cases.”
Jack: “Hmm, I’m not sure at this point. I’ll need to see what they’re considering, but I’d likely start by reviewing the currently established rules, keeping the civil war in mind.”
Zayb: “Not sure, I’m sure it will be in flux for a bit, whatever it ends up looking like. Any new system usually has some quirks to work out.”
7. What can you say about your fellow candidates on the list with you?
Navi: “Alright, that’s all the time we have for this interview session. One last thing, what do you think about the group so far?”
Verez: “Great group of people, they are all kind, reasonable, and honest. I have no doubts that they want the best for the zone and will make decisions with that in mind.”
Bogey: “Everyone starts with a level playing field when it comes to respect to me, as long as everyone contributes in a positive way within the BOD I think that we as a group will work well.”
Singer: “All good people to be honest, with a neutral stance on things.”
Jack: “They’re good people, and I look forward to working with them if we’re voted in. Thanks for doing this blog, by the way—it’s great!”
Zayb: “Not much, I don’t have a lot of history with them. They seem like good people though.”
End of Interview
I would like to thank Verez, Bogey, Singer, Jack, and Zayb for taking the time to share their thoughts and allowing me to pester them with all these questions.
Regardless of how this vote turns out, I feel like you were all picked for a reason, and I truly believe you all have what it takes to listen to the people’s voices and make balanced decisions together.
Good luck to all of you, and may this be the start of a new chapter that brings Hockey Zone closer together.
One response to “Interviews with Hockey Zone’s New BOD Candidates”
fucking jack loves to talk huh?