TSR TSR3.5 Launches IndieGogo Campaign to "Stop" WotC

The latest in the TSR3 saga, which has gone quiet for a while, is a new IndieGoGo campaign launched to "stop Wizards of the Coast". They cite wrongful bullying of TSR, and refusal to answer requests that WotC show TSR "proof of their claims" (although the campaign page doesn't mention what those claims are).

The IndieGoGo campaign was launched yesterday and has so far raised $675 (at the time of writing).

The action TSR seeks is a "Trademark Declaratory Judgement of Ownership" which is a court declaration about the status of something in dispute.

TSR has launched a campaign to stop Wizards of the Coast

Become a Champion of TSR and Support TSR’s campaign against Wizards of the Coast!

TSR is taking a stand against Wizards of the Coast (“WOTC”) and its wrongful bullying of TSR, our trademarks, and its public libeling and slander of all those who helped create TSR based Dungeons & Dragons and products.

Wizards of the Coast has continually bullied TSR regarding TSR’s legally owned Trademarks. Wizards of the Coast has refused to answer all of TSR's repeated requests that they show any proof of their claims. Wizards of the Coast has the vast resources behind them and is implying to bring them to bear down on TSR.

The new TSR suffered widespread pushback when it launched, which they blamed on WotC, claiming that they were under a "coordinated assault across various channels being mounted.... by [WotC]" The company announced itself earlier this year, having acquired the TSR trademark after the previous holder accidentally let it lapse. It was run by Ernie Gygax, Justin LaNasa, and Stephen Dinehart. After several weeks of controversy, the company split into two -- Wonderfilled (Stephen Dinehart), and TSR (Ernie Gygax and Justin LaNasa).

TSR - TSR3 Blames Widespread Pushback On WotC

In an unexpected turn of events, the primary individuals behind TSR3 have claimed the pushback they've received on social media and elsewhere was orchestrated by .... D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast (a company which has thus far remained completely silent on recent events). TSR3 is run by...

www.enworld.org

The page also indicates an intention to "fight to have WotC's legacy product disclaimer removed" from older products (that's the disclaimer on the older books available on DMs Guild which indicates that those books are products of their time) by claiming that the disclaimer portrays the creators of those older products as "as supporting those alleged prejudices, stereotypes and bigotry, wrongfully claimed to be part of those products".

TSR will also Fight to Have the WOTC Legacy Disclaimer Removed

TSR is suing WOTC for Trademark Declaratory Judgement of Ownership . TSR will also pursue in the near future having WOTC remove the legacy content disclaimer placed on TSR based Dungeons & Dragons and other products, and retractions of any other libel and slander which alleges that racism and other heinous beliefs are incorporated into those products.

This disclaimer attempts to make a statement of fact argument, and therefore paints all of the writers, editors, artists and consumers of those products as supporting those alleged prejudices, stereotypes and bigotry, wrongfully claimed to be part of those products. This statement by Wizards of the Coast opens the possibility for the producers and players of these "Legacy Products" to face ridicule, and face the labeling as "bigots", "racists", "misogynists", and worse Cyber & Physical Attacks!

Wizards of the Coast legacy content disclaimer.

"We (Wizards) recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website does not reflect the values of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial, and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end".

TSR3's Justin LaNasa spoke about the campaign in a YouTube video.

TSR - Companies & Freelancers Distance Themselves From The New TSR

The new TSR (which I refer to as TSR3 to avoid confusion) has doubled down on its stance--which has been widely condemned online--via an ongoing series of tweets and replies from its TSR Games, Giantlands, and Dungeon Hobby Museum social media accounts (possibly operated by Justin LaNasa) in an...

www.enworld.org

 

[J.Quondam]

I wonder how much longer Facebook and Twitter would have been less obnoxious if it wasn't for 4chan and 24 hour news stations.

I think people just polarize themselves naturally. Give them a tool to do that, and they'll do it. Social media just happens to be the easiest, most effective tool ever in all of history to allow humans to do that.*
So far.



* It also happens to be the best marketing tool ever, for exactly the same reasons. Which is... problematic if the aim is to keep the advertising while avoiding the tribalism.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I wonder how much longer Facebook and Twitter would have been less obnoxious if it wasn't for 4chan and 24 hour news stations.

Those don't matter. The issues with FB were obvious a decade ago. This is the business model.

24-hour news is broadcast. 4Chan (and successors) is truly vile and obnoxious, but also anonymous.

I have seen more people (good people, smart people, nice people) radicalized in different ways by facebook in the past 8 years than I have seen in all the rest of my lifetime combined. And the worst is they all say the same thing, "Oh, I use it responsibly. I don't even look at the ads! Etc."

People can do what they want. But I am quite sure than 30 years from now, people will look back at FB (the company and the current product) the same way we view tobacco smoking. "Oh, you don't look at the ads? You're smoking with a filter? That's great for you!"

Anyway, enough about that. This is about gaming. I will just add that it's terrible for gaming too. Now I'm done.

 

[Umbran]

But people don't need to use it.

Define "need". I mean, it isn't food, clothing, air, water, or housing, sure.

But, you know what humans do need? Connection to other humans. Without it, our mental health can suffer.

 

[Cadence]

24-hour news is broadcast. 4Chan (and successors) is truly vile and obnoxious, but also anonymous.

I was thinking of how both of those give lots of radicalizing/polarizing things for people to be redirected to on FB (as opposed to having people pointed to chats about Nero Wolfe, Finnish Culture, Old Time Radio Shows, and the Avengers...). I guess it would have happened quickly anyway after the first politician or two really ran with it.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Define "need". I mean, it isn't food, clothing, air, water, or housing, sure.

But, you know what humans do need? Connection to other humans. Without it, our mental health can suffer.

Sure. Do you know what else works?

Seeing someone ... in person. Calling them. Texting them. Sending them an email. Having a videochat or facetime. Getting together for a game on Roll20. Using discord. Should I continue?

There are nearly an infinite number of ways that you can communicate with other people. And the vast majority of them do not have the manifold and manifest problems of facebook.

This is similar to saying, "Hey, do you know what feels good? Smoking! I mean, you don't need to feel good, but why not light up?" It's not the slam-dunk argument you might think.

(And hey, if you understand the dangers, knock yourself out. But if you're dealing with a company that is both trying to hide all the dangers, and is also trying to get you to smoke more um, sorry, trying to drive up engagement while still planning instagram for kids, maybe be a little careful? Because they've established a really good track record of lying about the harmful effects already.)

 

[Gradine]

I mean, "Facebook bad" isn't exactly a difficult position to stake or really striking any new ground. It is objectively a horrific nightmare app that has continued to undermine the very foundations of democracy and truth itself, and also I'm currently using it to share my Top 24 favorite video games of all time as a sort of fun advent calendar tradition.




Today's game is Bravely Default, if you were wondering.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I mean, "Facebook bad" isn't exactly a difficult position to stake or really striking any new ground. It is objectively a horrific nightmare app that has continued to undermine the very foundations of democracy and truth itself, and also I'm currently using it to share my Top 24 favorite video games of all time as a sort of fun advent calendar tradition.

That's the problem in a nutshell.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Sure. Do you know what else works?

Seeing someone ... in person.

And get COVID, are you nuts? We're in a pandemic

In all seriousness, many, if not most of the friends I have and use FB for do not live close. I don't have the time nor the money to fly out and visit all these people all over the world all the time. And I don't want to wait a week for a letter like in the old days, and it's really hard to have a flowing conversation via email.

Like I said, FB has a lot of value if you know your own limitations, and use it the way you want to use it. I fully agree that the company is shady and does some bad stuff, but it is a tool. If you know how to use it and use the tools available to you, it's more of a benefit than a hindrance.

Let me put it like this. I grew up in a rural area. 99% of gamers were white males. If it weren't for FB or other social media and I still kept to those local groups, I wouldn't have the exposure to nearly as much diversity as I have been. And that exposure has helped me grow not only as a gamer and indie publisher, but as a person as well.

 

[MGibster]

Facebook has certainly been a mixed blessing. I primarily use Facebook to goof off and keep in touch with people who I otherwise might not keep in touch with. I belong to a few Facebook gaming groups based in Arkansas and its afforded me the opportunity get in touch with other gamers I might not have otherwise ever met. Outside of gaming, I typically use Facebook to post silly jokes, interesting articles, etc., etc. while I tend to avoid more overtly political content. Not always, I've posted some on Facebook about why it's a good idea to get the COVID vaccination this year.

But I can't deny that I've also seen the damage. My own mother has gone down the rabbit hole to radicalization largely fueled by Facebook and other internet sites to the point where it's damaged our relationship. I'm not going to cut her off or anything, but I have a hard time talking to her about anything of consequence and we tiptoe around a lot of subjects because we cannot even agree on basic facts.

 

[Ancalagon]

I think the WotC law firm is enjoying the IndieGoGo drive increasing because it directly translates into fees that will be awarded when the case is dismissed.

for a law firm, the amounts involved are peanuts, insignificant.