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Erik is the big picture, vision guy. A publisher decides what is going to get published. He sets the direction for the company. Like James Jacobs decides who gets what writing projects, and makes sure that everything published for Golarion fits the themes and tones of the line, and James Sutter oversees the writers and editors for the fiction line, but both of them would report to Erik, who decides what direction all the product lines are going. Meanwhile Lisa is the one making sure everyone gets paid (whether that be the paizo employees, the printers they contract with, or the company itself).
So, if things work at paizo like they do most places, it would have been Erik who decided that 2011 was the year that paizo does its take on Oriental Adventures, deciding that Ultimate Combat is going to have Ninjas and Samurais, Bestiary 3 is going to have eastern critters, the AP is going to be eastern themed, and they're going to release an eastern sourcebook for the campaign setting. Meanwhile James Jacobs job would be to make sure all of that stuff actually gets written.
Or at least that's what is implied by their titles. I get the sense that things over at paizo are a bit more fluid than all that.
I think Gailbraithe pretty much nailed it.
Now, as for what Vic Wertz does...
Pugwampis.
Should someone make a "W.D.E.M.D." bracelet?
Or a T-Shirt.
I think Gailbraithe pretty much nailed it.
Now, as for what Vic Wertz does...
Well according to the Washington Secretary of State, Paizo is a manager managed LLC.
Member,Manager STEVENS , LISA
Member WERTZ , VICTOR
Which basically means Vic is a shareholder in the company but Lisa is the sole person with legal authority to manage the thing (though Vic may very well take an active hand in running the company). I expect, in setting Paizo up, some lessons were learned by the mess that was TSR's corporate governance.
Mr. Mona is the existing ninja master, sending his ninja minions out on missions of unknown significance while sitting in a comfortable chair by a fireplace, feet up in warm slippers, drinking sake in an undisclosed location.
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I think Gailbraithe pretty much nailed it.
Now, as for what Vic Wertz does...
Well according to the Washington Secretary of State, Paizo is a manager managed LLC.
Which basically means Vic is a shareholder in the company but Lisa is the sole person with legal authority to manage the thing (though Vic may very well take an active hand in running the company). I expect, in setting Paizo up, some lessons were learned by the mess that was TSR's corporate governance.
Member,Manager STEVENS , LISA
Member WERTZ , VICTOR
Also, they've learned the lesson that a company ran and owned by a couple is a good idea ;-)
I thought Erik just sat in his office dreaming of White Castle and Lion's Tap. ;)
Or maybe more.:)
Also, they've learned the lesson that a company ran and owned by a couple is a good idea ;-)I think Gailbraithe pretty much nailed it.
Now, as for what Vic Wertz does...
Well according to the Washington Secretary of State, Paizo is a manager managed LLC.
Which basically means Vic is a shareholder in the company but Lisa is the sole person with legal authority to manage the thing (though Vic may very well take an active hand in running the company). I expect, in setting Paizo up, some lessons were learned by the mess that was TSR's corporate governance.
Member,Manager STEVENS , LISA
Member WERTZ , VICTOR
See if you can google up Gary's interview. As far as I can tell the idea that Lorraine Wilson acquired the company in a divorce is urban legend. Gary was a minority shareholder. Wilson bought out the Blume brothers, who combined held a majority stake, then forced Gary out.
MBA's forcing the inventor of a product out of the company they founded was a fairly common business practice in the 1980s, the idea being that experts could run the company more successfully than the founder. This idea has dropped off a bit now after Apple tired Steve jobs, nearly went bankrupt, then rehired him as CEO.
Meanwhile Lisa is the one making sure everyone gets paid (whether that be the paizo employees, the printers they contract with, or the company itself).
That's actually one of the bits of my job. Though I do report to Lisa, so it's directly under her.
See if you can google up Gary's interview. As far as I can tell the idea that Lorraine Wilson acquired the company in a divorce is urban legend. Gary was a minority shareholder. Wilson bought out the Blume brothers, who combined held a majority stake, then forced Gary out.
Lorrain Williams, not Wilson.
And Erik's job is "interpose himself between the editorial pool and as many meetings as possible." :)
Meanwhile Lisa is the one making sure everyone gets paid (whether that be the paizo employees, the printers they contract with, or the company itself).That's actually one of the bits of my job. Though I do report to Lisa, so it's directly under her.
I always figured Lisa's job was to make certain everyone else did their job. And post on the messageboards. And play all the games to make certain they are fun.
Director of Sales
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Erik is the big picture, vision guy. A publisher decides what is going to get published. He sets the direction for the company. Like James Jacobs decides who gets what writing projects, and makes sure that everything published for Golarion fits the themes and tones of the line, and James Sutter oversees the writers and editors for the fiction line, but both of them would report to Erik, who decides what direction all the product lines are going. Meanwhile Lisa is the one making sure everyone gets paid (whether that be the paizo employees, the printers they contract with, or the company itself).
So, if things work at paizo like they do most places, it would have been Erik who decided that 2011 was the year that paizo does its take on Oriental Adventures, deciding that Ultimate Combat is going to have Ninjas and Samurais, Bestiary 3 is going to have eastern critters, the AP is going to be eastern themed, and they're going to release an eastern sourcebook for the campaign setting. Meanwhile James Jacobs job would be to make sure all of that stuff actually gets written.
Or at least that's what is implied by their titles. I get the sense that things over at paizo are a bit more fluid than all that.
While fairly close, this is actually a common misconception. If Erik were a normal publisher in the publishing business sense of the word, then you would be right on. However, the entity currently designated "Erik Mona" is actually an early draft of the program that would eventually become Microsoft Publisher.
In late 1990, an unnamed Microsoft programmer was working on creating a new entry level desktop publishing program. Going against all laws of Nature, Gods, and Man, this unfortunate genius attempted to fuse artificial intelligence into the program by combining it at a base level with both "Clippy", and the accumulated rock knowledge of Ronnie James Dio. Due to an unfortunately timed lightning strike at the moment of compiling, the fledgling program gained an evil sentience and immediately ripped the mind from the programmer, taking over his body completely. Since this time, The Publisher has jumped bodies three times (six, if you count the unfortunate incident at the Bodies Exibit in Seattle last year, but this incident is best not mentioned). The current body, designated "Erik Mona" in an arbitrary name draw, is the one with which you are familiar.
The ultimate goal of The Publisher is completely unknown, but it seems happy (and therefore less lethal) when we give it an office and let it play out it's "bigwig at Paizo" act as much as it wants.
We live in fear at all times of The Publisher.
Thanks,
cos
See if you can google up Gary's interview. As far as I can tell the idea that Lorraine Wilson acquired the company in a divorce is urban legend. Gary was a minority shareholder. Wilson bought out the Blume brothers, who combined held a majority stake, then forced Gary out.Lorrain Williams, not Wilson.
And Erik's job is "interpose himself between the editorial pool and as many meetings as possible." :)
Gah, now did I make that mistake while having her wikipedia page up or did my iPad make it for me. I swear I'm either going to have to get a keyboard for that thing or stop using it for posting.
Erik Mona's job is to stay in the office late so that in the event an intern should get trapped in the lobby, he can let that person out to go home.
Erik Mona's job is to stay in the office late so that in the event an intern should get trapped in the lobby, he can let that person out so that he can go home.
I didn't think they let the interns go home.
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Erik is the "publisher". This means that his job description potentially includes silk pajamas, a smoking jacket and buxom babes.
To clarify how wonderful his personal fantasy grotto is, we asked Erik this precise question (i.e., What does a publisher DO at Paizo?) and he gave me a very complete answer, too.
To listen to the answer, download Episode 007 of Chronicles: Pathfinder Podcast, where Erik Mona appeared as our guest.
Episode 007 may be found off the page here: Click Here
Why are people still speculating this? Cosmo's answer gave you everything you needed to know!
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Chief Technical Officer
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However, the entity currently designated "Erik Mona" is actually an early draft of the program that would eventually become Microsoft Publisher.
Cosmo, on the other hand, was created by hacking Microsoft Bob to run on an Apple Newton.
Cosmo, on the other hand, was created by hacking Microsoft Bob to run on an Apple Newton.However, the entity currently designated "Erik Mona" is actually an early draft of the program that would eventually become Microsoft Publisher.
OH DEAR GOD!!!! THE HORROR!!! ;)
I figure he "supervises."
(Read: Hangs around the soda machine and watches people work.) :P
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I figure he "supervises."
(Read: Hangs around the soda machine and watches people work.) :P
Fortunately for everyone else, you can't see people work from the soda machine >_>
The accumulated rock knowledge of Ronnie James Dio? Dio was the only one who could handle that much awesome.
AJ
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Director of Brand Strategy
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Fortunately for everyone else, you can't see people work from the soda machine >_>I figure he "supervises."
(Read: Hangs around the soda machine and watches people work.) :P
Erik does sit closer to the soda machine than anyone else, though. But mostly I think that's so he can eavesdrop on our complaints to HR about how he overworks us.
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Cosmo, on the other hand, was created by hacking Microsoft Bob to run on an Apple Newton.However, the entity currently designated "Erik Mona" is actually an early draft of the program that would eventually become Microsoft Publisher.
Huh ... so Cosmo is the exception to the adage of "two wrongs don't make a right"?
The important question is does he constantly mishear people and create nonsensical sentences?
The important question is does he constantly mishear people and create nonsensical sentences?
Yes. Yes, he does. *waits for Cosmo to hose his next order in quiet retaliation*
Erik Mona once gyrated his hips while singing in Prison. This is a clue to which famous person he really used to be.
If you need other clue or two....
"Erik Mona has left the building!" and "Thank Yuh. Thank Yuh very much."
I think I spotted him at the mall once or twice.
I think it's cute that everyone believes that Cosmo and Erik Mona (a) exist and (b) aren't really the same AI. Between the two of them, they have a single pair of eyes. It should really be obvious.
On the other hand, I've never heard of Cosmo Day.
Pugwampis.DAMN IT ERIK MONA
They should have been given the "Vermin" monster type. Not "Fey." And then burned with fire!!
That's cold man.
Now I am going to have to relocate that thread again so I can giggle myself silly.
@ Mikaze: I never did learn whether your character was able to achieve paladinhood or not. Did he/she atone for the terrible things done to that poor, poor pugwampi?
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That campaign's still on hiatus until we have some free time slots open unfortunately, and with Carrion Crown, Jade Regent, Skull and Shackles, and finishing Crimson Throne there's a lot of campaigns fighting for space. :)
And I'm still 50/50 split on whether to go paladin or barbarian with that character after that experience. That's one of many reasons I've been wanting a holy barbarian option, becuase yes, I MAD. ;)
edit-Damn, over a year later and my eye's still twitching thinking about those damn things.
That campaign's still on hiatus until we have some free time slots open unfortunately, and with Carrion Crown, Jade Regent, Skull and Shackles, and finishing Crimson Throne there's a lot of campaigns fighting for space. :)
And I'm still 50/50 split on whether to go paladin or barbarian with that character after that experience. That's one of many reasons I've been wanting a holy barbarian option, becuase yes, I MAD. ;)
Perfectly acceptible reason to go full-out raging barbarian...
edit-Damn, over a year later and my eye's still twitching thinking about those damn things.
Now that shows good design of a critter to evoke feelings this strong. Mr. Mona should pat himself on the back.
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I've been listening to the PaizoCon 2011 podcasts from Know Direction and the collected podcasts from d20Radio.com. In one of those Erik 'Iquander' Mona states exactly what he does. But in that he forgot that he eats pizza on Erik Mona day. That day is also Grodog's birthday. Which both are only relevant to Erik Mona, Grodog and the pizza delivery people.
Be Well. Be Well Delivered.
Follow the ONE TRUE PATH.
Theocrat Issak
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I think it's cute that everyone believes that Cosmo and Erik Mona (a) exist and (b) aren't really the same AI. Between the two of them, they have a single pair of eyes. It should really be obvious.
As should that fact that you are Gary Teter's psychotic alter ego... and that we are only protected from you by devious password protection that only the "Gary" personality remembers. This denial of course being the source of the rage that drives you.
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OH DEAR GOD!!!! THE HORROR!!! ;)Cosmo, on the other hand, was created by hacking Microsoft Bob to run on an Apple Newton.However, the entity currently designated "Erik Mona" is actually an early draft of the program that would eventually become Microsoft Publisher.
Seriously. I mean, there's all in good fun, Mr. Wertz, and then there's crossing the line, and then there's just unnecessarily mean.
Ouch. Just... ouch.