Personalities in the Gaming Industry and Politics

[Uller]

When you break access to the system down to the lowet common denominator, do not be surprised if the content in the system breaks down with it.

Sure, but it also creates better breaks on the traditional filters. Take the "Rathergate" memos. If it wasn't for the blogs and talk radio, the world would have taken the memos presented by CBS as a matter of fact. Only after bloggers detected the fraud (and that was picked up by talk radio) was CBS forced to retract the story. Same with the torturing of the Koran at Gitmo. No longer and the Mainstream Media say whatever it wants and not get challenged on it. We have other sources of info and that's a good thing.

I check the Drudgereport every day or so. Drudge's schtick is basically to link to other news sources, including ones outside the US. I can't read 500 newspapers a day, but drudge at least points to interesting stories in some of them that the MSM doesn't always pickup (and sometimes this forces the MSM to pick those stories up). I also get to read a lot of news from outside the US that way...again, a good thing.

What you are failing to recognize is that the responsibility for filtering media is no on the consumer. That is exactly where it should be. Just like choosing what kind of car you want to drive, what RPG you want to play or whatever. There are a lot of crappy D20 products out there, but that doesn't mean the OGL concept has lead to an overall degradation of gaming available. It's lead to quite the opposite.

As a reader of the drudge, you have to realize he is a sensationalist. If he sees a story predicting disaster, he links to it, especially if it concerns global warming or meteors falling from the sky. You have to keep that in mind when you follow his links. Almost never will he link to a news story that refutes global warming disasters or any other potential disasters.

 

[Shemeska]

Yes it is both since evolution is a theory and not a law (such as the law of gravity). There is no law of evolution. Even highly educated people (including many scientists, if that matters) have looked at the claims for evolution and found the proof lacking.

Some scientists are kooks, but it doesn't mean that they are right, or that the majority of legit scientists believe them, or even pay attention to them. Find me anti-evolution research that has gotten publication in a mainstream scientific journal.

This comment is blatantly offensive and I hope everyone here can recognize that fact.

It just isn't true that because you disagree with a notion (such as evolution) that you are genetically or intellectually inferior.

Read into it what you like. I never said anyone was genetically or intellectually inferior, nor did I mean that. However, I'd say it suggests that a person is ignorant, not stupid, just ignorant or uninformed.

 

[billd91]

>>Originally Posted by billd91
The trouble is that it is not really an objective truth that evolution is the best explanation of the origin of species.<<

The theory of evolution through natural selection is the best available scientific explanation for the origin of species, though.

Yes, I agree with that. It is an entirely reasonable, best use of the evidence at hand and, as I said, the best thing going on the subject. But, assuming corrigibility is there, potentially even radical corrigibility, not an objective truth.

 

[nothing to see here]

Not at all. You just have to remember that there is a margin of error. Besides, exit polls earlier in the day suggested Kerry would trend ahead in Ohio. Later in the day, things were starting to shift.

And exit polling won't catch election fraud... if there is any.

Accusations of election fraud -- no matter how toungue in cheeck -- are the kind of things that light flamewars. And considering where creeping towards four hundred posts on a political topic, on a non-political board, I'd hate to see this positive momentum stop now.

As for exit polling...Their confidence interval's are very, very different than actual scientific polling. There are no excuses...exit polls in the last two US presidential elections got it wrong...plain and simple.

 

[nothing to see here]

Read into it what you like. I never said anyone was genetically or intellectually inferior. I'd say it suggests that a person is ignorant, not stupid, just ignorant or uninformed.

Faith in science is still a kind of faith. And like all faiths, faith in science can be blind.

 

[nothing to see here]

Sure, but it also creates better breaks on the traditional filters. Take the "Rathergate" memos. If it wasn't for the blogs and talk radio, the world would have taken the memos presented by CBS as a matter of fact. Only after bloggers detected the fraud (and that was picked up by talk radio) was CBS forced to retract the story. Same with the torturing of the Koran at Gitmo. No longer and the Mainstream Media say whatever it wants and not get challenged on it. We have other sources of info and that's a good thing.

I check the Drudgereport every day or so. Drudge's schtick is basically to link to other news sources, including ones outside the US. I can't read 500 newspapers a day, but drudge at least points to interesting stories in some of them that the MSM doesn't always pickup (and sometimes this forces the MSM to pick those stories up). I also get to read a lot of news from outside the US that way...again, a good thing.

What you are failing to recognize is that the responsibility for filtering media is no on the consumer. That is exactly where it should be. Just like choosing what kind of car you want to drive, what RPG you want to play or whatever. There are a lot of crappy D20 products out there, but that doesn't mean the OGL concept has lead to an overall degradation of gaming available. It's lead to quite the opposite.

As a reader of the drudge, you have to realize he is a sensationalist. If he sees a story predicting disaster, he links to it, especially if it concerns global warming or meteors falling from the sky. You have to keep that in mind when you follow his links. Almost never will he link to a news story that refutes global warming disasters or any other potential disasters.

Just to clarify...I agree with basically 100% of what you are saying. The information revolution has been, on the balance, an overwhelmingly positive and empowering phenomenon.

However I still recognize that, with all the good, also comes some bad. And to be pragmatic, we should work to addressing the problems, as well as the opportunities, that came with this wonderful democratization.

 

[Brennin Magalus]

Some scientists are kooks, but it doesn't mean that they are right, or that the majority of legit scientists believe them, or even pay attention to them. Find me anti-evolution research that has gotten publication in a mainstream scientific journal.

The Origin of Biological Information and the Higher Taxonomic Categories

 

[billd91]

Yes it is both since evolution is a theory and not a law (such as the law of gravity). There is no law of evolution. Even highly educated people (including many scientists, if that matters) have looked at the claims for evolution and found the proof lacking.
.

Actually, no it isn't. Simply because it isn't a scientific law doesn't mean it isn't the best scientific explanation for the origin of the species so far.
The statement made no claim as to be the best metaphoric or religious-based explanation, hence it is not a religious statement at all.

 

[Henry]

I appreciate those who have been respectful towards one another the whole time, as well as the well-reasoned paths the thread's been taking. However, not only have I seen occasionaly hurled insults here and there, this thread has gone WAAAY past the skirting of the line of "generalizations on politics" into full discussion of the whys and wherefores behind certain political theory and mention of political events. It's gone well past its scope of "game publishers sharing political opinions" for certain.

However, the fact that it's gone on for 350+ posts is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Thread Closed.