D&D Fan Site Toolkit

[TheYeti1775]

...Uh, what?

It's also a huge step back from 3e and from every other RPG developer in existance. Even White Wolf and their at times shady view towards websites is better then this.

You're praising WotC for giving you an STD instead of AIDs.

True, but also recognizing the fact at least they are moving in the right direction. While not as far as we would like. I'm willing to watch them take the baby steps needed.

The thing is negative feedback alone won't change things. If they see you like a direction, but feel it's not enough they are more likely to act on it than if you just say "thanks for nothing".

Really it isn't a policy that effects me at all, as I don't run any 'fan sites' (least not public ones) for D&D. Doesn't mean I'm not willing to, I just remember the darker days of anything looking D&D related got you the big old C&D from TSR.

I attribute this policy as much like the current PDF policy. If you make it so fans don't want to agree to it, they will just do it without your permission if they are of the mindset. The only way to get a PDF of a book is to download it from a pirate now. The only way to have a 'fan site' that you distribute (any webpage could be construed as distribution unless you turn off all Cut/Copy/Print permissions) anything is to simply ignore the existing policy.

Step towards the right direction, but too unclear if they will continue down that path or have this as a checkbox to their fan request list.

 

[TheYeti1775]

Side note - I was wondering when WotC's next hilarious customer service blowout would happen

Very true they do seem to have them regularly now a days.

Hey The Rouse, break the boss door and ask for a raise dude

Honestly for as much grief as many of us put him through with him unable to just freely speak his mind he should.

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So how long till these threads are merged?

 

[ProfessorCirno]

The more I read this, the more hilariously and obscenely dumb this is.

"Inaccurate, Obscene or Libelous Statements Prohibited. Wizards welcomes and encourages honest discussion and opinions about all Wizards products on Fan Sites. However, we cannot allow Wizards Materials be used on any Fan Site that promotes sexually explicit materials, violence, discrimination or illegal activities, or makes disparaging, libelous or dishonest statements about Wizards and/or its products, employees and agents. We know you'll keep it clean. We Invite You to Ask Wizards"

"or makes disparaging, libelous or dishonest statements about Wizards and/or its products, employees and agents"

Don't get me wrong - I'm sure this was made in a strictly sterile legal environment. But do these people even know what the internet is? Do they think the fan sites are all "LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS" and nothing else?

 

[Fifth Element]

"or makes disparaging, libelous or dishonest statements about Wizards and/or its products, employees and agents"

Don't get me wrong - I'm sure this was made in a strictly sterile legal environment. But do these people even know what the internet is? Do they think the fan sites are all "LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS" and nothing else?

"Disparaging" is a bit vague but "libelous" and "dishonest" are clear enough.

"If you lie about our products to make us look bad we won't let you use our trademarked material." Seems relatively fair.

 

[Umbran]

"or makes disparaging, libelous or dishonest statements about Wizards and/or its products, employees and agents"

Don't get me wrong - I'm sure this was made in a strictly sterile legal environment. But do these people even know what the internet is? Do they think the fan sites are all "LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS" and nothing else?

I am assuming you are not objecting to the dishonest or libelous parts.

As for disparaging... there's a line between critique and ridicule, you know.

You can say, "I don't like this, for reasons X, Y, and Z," and not be disparaging. However, I see no reason why Wizards should open doors to "fan" sites that say, "Wizards is a bunch of bleepitybleeps, who couldn't find their bleeps if you stabled them to their bleeps."

 

[ProfessorCirno]

I am assuming you are not objecting to the dishonest or libelous parts.

As for disparaging... there's a line between critique and ridicule, you know.

You can say, "I don't like this, for reasons X, Y, and Z," and not be disparaging. However, I see no reason why Wizards should open doors to "fan" sites that say, "Wizards is a bunch of bleepitybleeps, who couldn't find their bleeps if you stabled them to their bleeps."

But who makes the line?

There is a line between critique and ridicule, but you, the person taking the license, don't know what that line is. Nor will you ever know, until you accidentally or not cross it. It could be anywhere from "Wizards is a bunch of bleepitybleeps" to giving a negative review about a splat book. Disparaging could be as far as simply giving a critique on a product.

I think the overwhelming problem is that Wizards wants fan sites to be nothing more then "MAN D&D IS SO WICKED AWESOME." You can't host adventures on it - ever - and we still have no word on what is or is not allowed as far as homebrewed classes, races, monsters, etc. Instead we have this weird license that takes away your ability to do a whole freaking lot of things, but DUDE, YOU TOTALLY GET A SWEET BANNER IN RETURN!

 

[mudbunny]

But who makes the line?

There is a line between critique and ridicule, but you, the person taking the license, don't know what that line is. Nor will you ever know, until you accidentally or not cross it. It could be anywhere from "Wizards is a bunch of bleepitybleeps" to giving a negative review about a splat book. Disparaging could be as far as simply giving a critique on a product.

Have you looked at the WotC forums anytime recently?? The sheer number of posts accusing the WotC developers of incompetence and complete ignorance that remain should give you a pretty good idea of where the line is.

And as has been said before, the policy only applies to people who wish to use the Fan Site Kit. It seems to me that all of the bloggers out there have been able to blog about WotC (positively and negatively) without having any problem or worries.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Have you looked at the WotC forums anytime recently?? The sheer number of posts accusing the WotC developers of incompetence and complete ignorance that remain should give you a pretty good idea of where the line is.

And as has been said before, the policy only applies to people who wish to use the Fan Site Kit. It seems to me that all of the bloggers out there have been able to blog about WotC (positively and negatively) without having any problem or worries.

I'm not trying to say WotC is the big bad $W$O$T$C$ or anything. I'm just saying that this lisence is really, really, really dumb and like the complete opposite of what people have been asking from WotC for the past YEAR.

 

[Fifth Element]

But who makes the line?

They do, of course, since it's their trademarks.

But I think you're considering the word "disparaging" in isolation from the other two used. Taken together, it's a pretty clear indication of what they won't accept, as Umbran pointed out.

Unless, of course, you're objecting to the "libelous" and "dishonest" parts, in which case I can't help you.

 

[mhensley]

Have you looked at the WotC forums anytime recently?? The sheer number of posts accusing the WotC developers of incompetence and complete ignorance that remain should give you a pretty good idea of where the line is.

Let me predict right now that wotc will shut down their forums within the next two years. GW did it and I expect wotc will too.