When? Today (Jan. 29, 2013)
Why? He made a game.

On Jan. 29, 2013 - the Toronto Star wrote this article (since modified) about David Gallant's game "I Get This Call Every Day". The reporter somehow learned David worked for the CRA, "interviewed" David, provoked the minster of finance (David's boss), then portrayed the game as an attack on the taxpayer. Thanks entirely to this article, and general ignorance of games, David was promptly fired.

The game contains no reference whatsover to the Canada Revenue Agency (David's former employer), the government, the taxpayer or anything confidential. It takes place in a totally generic call center - no different than a Dilbert cartoon. Additionally, David always guarded where he worked (the Star somehow discovered David worked for the CRA and contacted them).

If David had written a short story, directed a movie, or did some stand-up inspired by his boring job he'd still be employed. In fact, he'd be celebrated. i.e. Dilbert, The Office, Office Space

In another medium, David would appear in the Star's arts section and be defended from "necessary corrective action." In fact, the threat from the government would BE the story. Did I just say censorship? Whoops!

In another medium...
... reporters would choose their words more carefully
... the game would be the focus, and not just a vehicle for another agenda
... the reporter would have played the game before doing the interview.

David was fired because he expressed himself using a game.

What can you do?
1. Let the Toronto Star, the reporter and the minister know how you feel.
2. Buy David's Game (it's good)
3. Vote for IGTCED on Steam (seriously, it's good!)
4. Attend the Fundraiser (Feb. 10 9:00pm, Sneaky Dee's, $5.00)
5. Make a game for the CRA Jam (Feb. 2 - 3)

- Jim McG

While creating this response to the first article, I noticed that it kept changing, and changing, and changing. Dead horse time: I highly doubt an indie musician/poet/artist would be subject to these changes. In new versions of the first article, lines were removed that painted David badly. The new version (print) of the second article is radically different from the first. Since this print version is the latest, why has the Star not synced with their site? The paranoid might conclude the Star fears the reaction of the gaming community (which typically doesn't read print)

If different versions of Star articles is common practice, they've got larger problems.
I've detailed every change below, including images of every version of every article.
Enjoy?

If someone's talking about this, you'll find a link to it here.

The CBC coverage is a great example of "old media" and games (a problem I have with the Star). While it's fantastic the CBC is covering this story - and what they've produced so far is quite good - they're only covering the feel good ending. The questions raised by the feel awful beginning are totally ignored. While the CBC consistently acknowledges the large amount of support David is receiving, they don't equate that with an unjust firing. Why? Games.

Compare CBC coverage of a fired waitress and a a fired jerk. Both these articles discuss whether the firing was legal.

David is taking the high road, which is admirable and best for David (he is, after all, looking for a job). Unfortunately, this coverage is NOT going to help the next game dev that gets screwed.

• Refers to IGTCED as an "autobiographical game",
  but fails to question how one gets fired for that
• "The Star and other newspapers printed their follow-up stories about Gallant losing his job." No mention that the Star used the same reporter that lost him his job.
• Implies my tweet was in reaction to David getting fired (I tweeted before that happened). My tweets questioning the Star's reporting ignored. Minor issue, but since they twoted me...
• No mention of the Star's original article

• 6 minute segment (link below video). Features a really good interview with David.
• Carol: "Do you think she should play your game?"
  David: "I would like her to."
  Carol: (giggling)
• Carol: "Is it fair or safe to say that when you invented this game and put it out there (IGTCED) that this was an elaborate resignation letter?"
  David: "uh.... i don't think it would be fair to say that... i mean... i'll be totally honest... uh... working in a call centre is not my career choice... i maintained employment in a call center as uh.... financial needs."
• Presumably the idea of David suuing for wrongful dismissal would be greeted by giggles.
• No mention of the Star's original article

• 2 minute segment. They interviewed David and featured game prominently
• Segment Title "Life Imitates Video Game: Ontario man sacked for creating game inspired by job" - now that's an awesome title. No mention of the CRA, taxman, and inspired is the perfect word.
• "Fortunately for Gallant, it's a job he didn't really want anyways and besides, the reason for losing it has opened some potentially lucrative doors" - that's the LEAD-IN
• Segment Sub-Title: "Gamer Gets Fired" - you read that right
• Ron Charles (interviewer) happily mentions "a tidal wave of online support"
• Ron Charles: "If you hated the job so much, why didn't you quit?"
  David: "that's always a question... and... it's even a question i've asked myself [CUT-OFF]" Based on playing David's game, everyone would hate that job.
  Based on David's December interview with Kotaku, he needed the money.
• No mention of the Star's original article

• Title: Revenue Canada worker fired over video game creation
• "The public's response, however, has differed from the minister's."
• Ends on David's happy quote "It's actually somewhat turned around into a very big blessing for me in a way, [CUT-OFF]"
• No mention of the Star's original article

They reveal that the reporter discovered David worked at the CRA BEFORE the interview. David did NOT tell the interviewer, she knew before she contacted him. Valerie Hauch (the reporter) has not returned their request for comment.

If you read just one followup article about this debacle, make it this one. Not only did Daniel Kaszor play and review the game, but he offers some great insight (some of which I totally disagree with). If the Star's reporter understood games like Daniel, you wouldn't be reading this.

Mostly a repost of the Star's article. However, the comment by Miguel Sternberg is spot on.

"IGTCED isn't a fun game, but it's one worth experiencing and is important as far as games charting personal experiences go." First person besides Valerie to find Billy "a stupid and irate customer."

Since this comes from "Torstar News Service", it's almost identical to the Star's article. Skip it and read the first comment by Corparate_Idiots (last on page) - it's amazing. The staff originally embellished the article with pictures of tweets from David, but those were replaced with awkward text. Worth noting that this title was the 3rd attempt. "Revenue Canada worker fired for his online rant" and "Revenue Canada worker fired after making tax video game" were replaced after David twittered both were incorrect. Unsure why they didn't stick with the original title, unsure if David noticed yesterday's title.

"When I initially interviewed Gallant, he didn't want to specify who he worked for."

"I have to wonder if this isn't yet another case of an older institution not "getting" video games. Having played the game myself, it's not one that I found to make the CRA the butt of any jokes. I highly suspect the firing was done without actually experiencing the game on any level."

The game was released mid-December 2012. Some people reviewed the game, and some interviewed David. NONE of these reviews/interviews mention the CRA, the government, taxpayers or confidential information. All felt the game took place in a generic call center.

Additionally, none of the reviewers found the caller "annoying and stupid" or "dense and snippy". Some even felt the caller was right (why all the questions for an address change?). Most reviews felt empathy for everyone involved - which David has stated was the entire point.

What exactly did Gail Shea find "offensive and completely unacceptable"?
What reason did the CRA give for firing David?
Why isn't this a story?
Answer: Games

- no mention of the CRA, the government, taxpayers or confidential information
- "The value of 'I Get This Call Every Day' is that, in a few short minutes, it gives us a small window into the experiences of call center employees, and that may make us more inclined to understand that the person on the other end of the phone is indeed a person, the next time we have to call a customer service line."

- no mention of the CRA, the government, taxpayers or confidential information
- "I was feeling actual empathy! I was empathizing not only with anyone stuck in this thankless job, but with the poor fool who had called in with a simple request only to be faced with hurdles of red tape."

- no mention of the CRA, the government, taxpayers or confidential information
- "Its a cautionary tale about the fruitlessness of working in a call center day-to-day and the painful akwardness of trying to be the voice of constant positivity in the face of extreme reluctance."

- no mention of the CRA, the government, taxpayers or confidential information
- interwoven with candid interview with David - David doesn't mention where he works
- "Perhaps the worst part about it is recognizing myself as the caller, making someone else's life more difficult than it needs to be."

- no mention of the CRA, the government, taxpayers or confidential information
- David interviewed and quoted - no mention of where he works
- David: " it depicts a conversation between a call center agent and an average person in what is literally a type of call I receive regularly throughout my day job"

- no mention of the CRA, the government, taxpayers or confidential information
- "Gallant does such a good job capturing the experience of being a low-level cubicled office drone, and he does so in a way that is (believe it or not) unfiltered and unexaggerated."

- Removed paragraph "2012-01-31 The Toronto Star likely preparing another article" since information was inaccurate. - Added paragraph to "Summary" to emphasize game contained no CRA/government/taxpayer/confidential info
- Changed word in "Summary" - from "about his boring job" to "inspired by his boring job" - inspired more accurate
- Added "Reviews of IGTCED posted BEFORE the drama" section
- Chopped the content into more distinct chunks to make things more readable. - Replaced "Latest Details" with "The Changing Star" since that's what it was
- Added more links (mostly CBC) to "Feelings Expressed Elsewhere"

- Added GiantBomb & CBC to "Feelings Expressed Elsewhere"
- Updated the summary to include the revelation the reporter uncovered the CRA connection (David didn't reveal it)
- Improved the formatting and added a touch of colour

- Added print version of Star's second article. Detailed differrences between it and the online version.
- Added "The Changing Star" section
- Added a bullet to "2012-01-30 The Toronto Star writes second article (v2.0)" noting lack of Taxpayer
- Improved overall text to ensure reporter was consistently referred to as reporter and not writer.
- Added this update log.

- Added more links to "Feelings Expressed Elsewhere"
- Changed summary text from "David was fired due to a combination of sensationalist reporting and general ignorance about games." to "Thanks to this sensationalist reporting, and general ignorance of games, David was promptly fired."

Started cataloging snapshots of the Star's changing articles

Found a possible v1.0 version, removed "Bonus Scandal"