LotFP's James Raggi says he'll ban anybody who talk about Zak S controversy

Waller

Legend

• Jul 17, 2020

• #1

Doubling down on the Dark Side of the Force.

Lamentations of the Flame Princess lose major project over Zak Smith support

Raggi conceded that he had received numerous "very concerned" emails for sheltering Smith and that one project, years in the making, had been lost.

www.geeknative.com

Raggi said:

ok people.

I've already lost one major project that had been in process for years, and have gotten numerous "very concerned" emails, for even letting Zak in the door here.

But I really hate how people get treated like lepers or how there are supposedly people you're not even allowed to talk to without some supernatural ickiness transferring, and the rule is if someone can behave here, they can be here. Zak is here as a "private citizen" as it were, to be treated as anyone else. (Well not exactly true, there haven't been "staff meetings" about how to handle anyone else that's shown up here.)

If the focus is on gaming and LotFP, it's fine to be here. If it's not, it doesn't belong here.

Specifically, I don't want to see naughty word concerning Zak's legal issues here. Who believes what, who lied and who is telling the truth. None of that discussion belongs here.

I will also note that Ron has full autonomy around here to nuke anything (edit: or anybody) from orbit that gives him a headache.

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He recently pled financial ruin and conveniently was fine a few days later after his charitable supporters allegedly bought loads of his books.

 

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R

Retreater

Legend

• Jul 17, 2020

• #2

Not that I needed another reason to ignore LotFP, but this one would do as well. Ick

 

dragoner

KosmicRPG.com

• Jul 17, 2020

• #3

They did the 3 strikes you are out thing a while back for me, even though I saw this posted in a ttrpg group on fb, and it just sounds like more of the same. Life is too short and there are too many other publishers to become attached to LotFP.

 

Eltab

Lord of the Hidden Layer

• Jul 18, 2020

• #4

I suspect Raggi is downplaying the direness of the financial situation, and believes that some project Zak is working on will turn out to be a big money-maker.

LotFP is hoping it has a 'grasp at straws' that turns into a rope to pull the company out of debt-quicksand. This plan almost never works in real life.

 

Jd Smith1

Hero

• Jul 18, 2020

• #5

It doesn't cost him anything to try, and as noted in the OP, it worked to a degree.

There's always the argument that all this free publicity will help, not harm, in the long run. I had never heard of this game before this started cropping up here. I don't remember exactly who Zak is or what he was convicted of, but I checked out the game, and while it isn't to my taste, had it been I would have bought it.

People forget that only a tiny minority of the hobby posts here.

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2020

tommybahama

Adventurer

• Jul 18, 2020

• #6

Teknar at Teknar"s Tavern did a podcast on the money issues. He didn't get into the Zak issues.

 

doctorbadwolf

Heretic of The Seventh Circle

• Jul 18, 2020

• #7

Lol lord.

sorry but anyone willing to allow a serial abuser and rapist into their space, repeatedly, and defend their presence over the right of others to call them out, isn’t ever getting a penny from me.

 

aramis erak

Legend

• Jul 20, 2020

• #8

Jd Smith1 said:

I don't remember exactly who Zak is or what he was convicted of, but I checked out the game, and while it isn't to my taste, had it been I would have bought it.

Click to expand...

Zak was accused of sexual harassment, specifically of 2 of his ex-GFs and co-workers in the porn industry.

His reaction was to take to open character assassination.

There's been no mention I've seen to conclusion of the litigation of the civil claim that was supposedly filed. There was mention that, due to their sex-work history, the local police were unwilling to pursue the issue criminally.

On the other hand, I've not been looking, since his public response was toxic enough in itself to make me unwilling to support him in any way.

 

darjr

I crit!

• Jul 20, 2020

• #9

Huh?

 

Last edited: Jul 20, 2020

LordEntrails

Hero

• Jul 20, 2020

• #10

In one way I get it, saying something like 'Hey, in my one corner of the internet I' not going to judge people by what they may or may not have done elsewhere. In my one corner, I'm just going to treat people by the criteria I've set out in my corner and if they follow those rules here that's all I care about.'

Right or wrong, the world doesn't really tolerate that anymore. The world has come to realize that such a stance can cause great harm. Though we have also seen problems with the opposing 'cancel culture'.

I will say this, I don't hang out with convicted felons, and I don't vote for people who do. I don't hang out with people who behave in atrocious ways, and I don't knowingly buy products from people who do either.