Subject:
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Re: Comment Now at LEGO.com: New Grey and Brown
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.lego
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Date:
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Thu, 11 Mar 2004 15:42:47 GMT
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In lugnet.lego, Christian Treczoks wrote:
> Hi, Jake,
>
> Jake McKee wrote:
> > In lugnet.lego, Christian Treczoks wrote:
> > > And 99% of the posts will go straight to the bin.
> > Boy... you're harsh! :)
> Well, I just took into account how the whole issue has been handled so
> far. Decisions from the corporate ivory tower were surrounded by a cloud
> of holyness (Mantra: The colour change will not be reversed, the colour
> change will not be reversed,...), and, as such, are not to be criticised.
>
> Obviously - and I am very happy about this! - this seems to have
> changed, and, for once, this is a good change.
Good to hear you're happy about this!
I'm not sure that I would agree that there is a "cloud of holyness" surrounding
this issue. Just because we've said that we're not reversing the decision,
doesn't mean that we're stupid or clueless.
I know people are quite upset with the color change, and for valid reasons. But
we've made a decision (right or wrong is another thread) based on real thought,
and we have to stick with it long enough to see what happens over all. Remember,
Bionicle was flamed more months (perhaps years) here, and turned out to be our
best selling product of all time.
(And before I start a flame war directed straight at me, no, I'm not saying one
way or the other what the success of the color change is or is not going to be.)
> > If you review the message boards in general, you'll see that we don't often
> > decline posting Message Board posts, and rarely edit them. When we do it's for
> > inappropriate content (cuss words, violent language, incomprehensible language,
> > etc.) and not ideas that we like or don't like.
> Well, the Lego boards are usually filled with positive reactions (some
> of them look actually quite artificial to me, as if an adult tried to
> write kiddy-style), and they are not exactly user friendly (at least not
> for regular, professional use), so I don't browse them as regularly as
> the relevant boards (Lugnet, 1000steine).
I've been involved in this project since the very beginning (I helped design and
implement the boards). I've never once heard anything like that. To be 100%
clear: We are in not in any way EVER "faking" posts to be more positive, or
editing messages to be more "cheerleading".
The issue is, as you mention, the boards are more kid oriented. They are on
LEGO.com, so kids are the majority. If you check any other kid oriented
discussion board on the Web, you'll see a similar style of interaction and
conversation style.
It's not surprising, or upsetting that you don't visit the boards regularly.
After all, a non-German speaker probably doesn't hang out on 1000steine that
much. That's no reflection on 1000steine, just means that it's not the right
place for them to spend time.
> So far, I was unable to locate *any* reference to the colour change as
> far as I've browsed the boards, and I considered this as a hint on the
> editors attitude to this topic, alongside the long time it took for this
> issue to become a topic at all.
First, there was another post on the Message Boards (linked to in another part
of this thread) that deals with the color change.
Second, does this speak more to the fact that we are overbearing, filtering
corporate ogres or to the fact that the boards, being vastly kid oriented
haven't noticed or don't care about the color change? (Or some other reason
besides the ogre one)
Keep in mind that the non-AFOL consumer (especially the kids on the boards)
probably hasn't realized there IS a color change. Many of this year's products
aren't out yet (Harry Potter for instance, isn't out until the movie time around
May). If they have the products, it may take them a while to notice a
difference. If they notice a difference, I'm not sure a large percentage will
care. Think about what the creations kids build typically... many many of them
are multi-, mixed- color. Browse the galleries in the online LEGO Club, and
you'll not see much color consistency.
(Again, I'm not discounting the fact that this is an issue for you. Just
offering another view to this particular topic that we're filter based on
opinions we don't like.)
> For declining and editing I can only take your word, as one usually
> never sees the original. Removing inappropriate content as you defined
> it is acceptable in an environment targeted at kids, though.
Yes, you never see the original because if you did, that'd be an unmoderated
board... not kosher for the LEGO site, or a kid audience.
> > In fact, check out the link you reference now. I just noticed the moderators
> > have pushed through several posts...none of them are "LEGO cheerleading".
> After several hours, the posts appeared - even mine - and I stand
> corrected. I admit I made a mistake, and please accept my apologies. And
> believe me, I am really happy to stand corrected on this issue.
No problem! But it's a good example of having some faith that we aren't just the
money grubbing fools that people expect us to be because we're a company.
Companies aren't just big, cold, faceless organizations. Companies aren't
inherently evil, they're groups of people trying to do best they can in business
and in life. (At LEGO, more life than I've ever seen at any company, ever)
Jake
----
Jake McKee
Community Liaison
LEGO Community Development
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Message has 7 Replies:
 | | Re: Comment Now at LEGO.com: New Grey and Brown
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| (...) Jake, Just out of idle curiosity... can you speak as to how LEGO will measure the success of the color change ? I think it is obvious that sales are problematic (for lack of a better word) is some areas. I presume that is, at least partly, (...) (20 years ago, 11-Mar-04, to lugnet.lego)
| | | Re: Comment Now at LEGO.com: New Grey and Brown
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| In lugnet.lego, Jake McKee wrote: *snippage* (...) Jake, I love ya like a brother, but I'm going to take exception to that claim! I've been a big-time fan of LEGO bricks for almost 39 years, and this is by far the DUMBEST thing the LEGO Company has (...) (20 years ago, 11-Mar-04, to lugnet.lego)
| | | Re: Comment Now at LEGO.com: New Grey and Brown
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| In lugnet.lego, Jake McKee wrote: snip (...) snip (...) So if kids aren't noticing the color change now, and might not notice it ever, what was the point? If the change will not increase sales from the people that supposedly account for 95% of the (...) (20 years ago, 11-Mar-04, to lugnet.lego)
| | | Re: Comment Now at LEGO.com: New Grey and Brown
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| (...) Ah, but there are a few fundamental differences between the two situations. Firstly, and most importantly, BIONICLE had no immediate direct impact on the fate of any of the other contemporary themes, and it was left to stand or fail solely on (...) (20 years ago, 11-Mar-04, to lugnet.lego)
| | | Re: Comment Now at LEGO.com: New Grey and Brown
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| (...) I just have a question. If color must change why are the new colors so carelessly manufactured. So far I have seen three diffrent variants of the new dark gray in the new mini starwars sets. I have complained and returned the sets to Lego. I (...) (20 years ago, 11-Mar-04, to lugnet.lego)
| | | Re: Comment Now at LEGO.com: New Grey and Brown
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| (...) For various reasons I'm almost wholly untouched by changes to LEGO colors, but I would suggest that, although Bionicle is a smash hit, other significant departures, such as Galidor and ZNAP, were remarkably unsuccessful. It's not sufficient (...) (20 years ago, 11-Mar-04, to lugnet.lego)
| | | Re: Comment Now at LEGO.com: New Grey and Brown
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| (...) Dear Jake, I would never attribute an action to malice if it can easily be explained by blunt stupidity ;-) Honestly, in the last years, the TLC management has made a lot of plain stupid decisions, and some quite good. And with plain stupid I (...) (20 years ago, 12-Mar-04, to lugnet.lego) !
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Comment Now at LEGO.com: New Grey and Brown
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| Hi, Jake, (...) Well, I just took into account how the whole issue has been handled so far. Decisions from the corporate ivory tower were surrounded by a cloud of holyness (Mantra: The colour change will not be reversed, the colour change will not (...) (20 years ago, 11-Mar-04, to lugnet.lego)
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