Not only is it one of the most well known single webcomic panels of all time, it is on par with Matt Christman live-tweeting Trump's first inauguration in terms of singular posts on the internet that summarize the current moment.[1]
However, the reasons this strip lives rent-free in my head extend far beyond its notoreity as a political statement.
It seems that every aspect of my personal and professional life mirrors the strip, as they have been marked by:
Wondering why a solution I believe to be common-sense does not exist
Or
Proposing an out-of-the-box solution without any clarity on what can be done to implement it.
I'm sure you can relate to these feelings for both micro- and macro-scale problems. It really sucks!
In professional settings, any difficulties one has in advocating for themselves become accentuated, especially as the number and size of responsibilities both grow.
This is particularly apparent in the most universal form of professional communication, the email. Crafting emails at work has been described as a turn-based combat system.
My day job(s) have been that of being a process engineer in a manufacturing environment. Underneath all the troubleshooting and triage, this job title also carries with it the responsibility of project management.
Team projects I have been put in charge of managing grinded to a halt because I was not good enough at effectively communicating:
A well defined scope.
Distinct roles and responsibilities for each team member, ideally in the form of a RACI matrix.
I think everything will benefit from improved communication, especially with regards to:
Being explicit about your intentions and plans: past, present, and future.
Setting clear rules with the expectation that you will consistently adhere to and enforce them.
I dislike hearing that the solution to a problem is any variation on "be better"/"toughen up"/"skill issue".[3] I want to believe that there is always an accomodation that can be made or a new resource that can help people figure it out themselves, which will fix any "skill issue(s)".
I value accessibility, and am disheartened to see anyone get gatekept from what they want through no fault of their own.
No additional subtext or applicability here, these statements are about fighting games through and through.
In my opinion, laying waste to genre or legacy franchise gameplay conventions in the name of "accessibility" is not the way to go.
I believe that all that's needed for a game in any multiplayer genre to be considered accessible are:
Good in-game learning resources, such as detailed tutorials in the style of Under Night In-Birth, replay takeover, frame data/hitbox viewers, and more.[4]
A lobby system good enough that matchmaking can easily be faciliated through it regardless of playerbase size (Krackatoa shills +R's lobby system every time the chance arises. The latest thread on this topic can be found here).
Stable, functioning rollback netcode, which is self-explanitory by now.
Now that my thoughts on how wanting to make things better come up in my day-to-day lives, let's talk about my vision for...
A stronger, more loving world.
The main takeaway I had from reading Watchmen was that this album was lovely.
What existing societal wounds will be healed in this stronger, more loving world?
Basic human rights, dignity, and material needs are guaranteed in perpetuity.
Everyone is free to dedicate their lives to their special interests.
Diversity is viewed as a strength to be celebrated.
The artificial divisions drawn between us no longer exist.
I place utmost importance in ensuring that queer people are able to safely and comfortably live as ourselves. To this end, I want to live in a world where:
Sexual orientation is as basic a trait as eye and hair color.
Gender-affirming care is as easy to get as vaccines (or any other lifesaving medication, for that matter).[5]
Dreams of a better world can be fully realized if we band together as a unified force and fight for it. We can build this force by doing good things in our local communities and being explicit about our goals while doing so. When we do this outreach, we should also be making it clear that our worldview is rooted in compassion and joy.
I will continue to have prevailing faith that love will win.
