4ed torrents -How'd it happen?

[Goobermunch]

Look out! Ninjas!

--G

 

[Cergorach]

I think they need to take a hard look at the publisher side of things.

That's just pointing the finger and the printer/publisher would never cooperate (would open them up to LARGE claims). Maybe they should look at their operation, less on the people, more on the security aspects.

I'm working in the IT business and even large companies that handle millions have some pretty big security holes. These range from physical, to the electronic. Crappy virus scanners, not operating with the latest security patches, firewalls full of holes, etc.

Something that happens regularly is USB flash drives are lost or stolen. Someone has a copy of the pdfs on their laptop and they forgot that the wireless was on and not as secure as they thought. Maybe their servers are secure, but they allow staff to work remotely (or even an executive that logs in once in a while), a remote client is as secure as the PC it's installed on. Keyloggers are very dangerous if you don't have security tokens for remote access. There are also other personnel active inside the WotC building, Tech support, cleaning staff, etc. A harddisk of flash drive is very quickly copied or a file is very easily mailed to an anonymous email address.

To be honest, it could have been anyone, and unless they were particularly careless, impossible to trace.

Throwing a lot of money at this particular problem isn't going to stop distribution, the oefs have already hit the newsgroups a couple of days ago. Everyone who wants one, already has one ;-)

While WotC might be tearing their hair out over this 'setback', I would suggest that they concentrate on their new itteration of D&D. The milk has already been spilt, no use crying over it.

 

[Lizard]

Because if people keep insisting WotC did it themselves, it suddenly makes everything legit & above-board in their minds. "No, no! They WANTED me to get the rules 2 weeks early!"

It's a silly conspiracy theory, and if I were them it would bug me, too.

-O

The problem is, those inclined to self-justify will just say, "Well, of COURSE they're denying it!"

I mean, it's self-evidently stupid -- why not just release, say, the first 30 pages of each book? Or the first two pages of each chapter? Or any other such thing which will serve to generate hype/excitement? The idea a company would deliberately release a high-quality copy of their flagship product two weeks early is just ridiculous.

Normally, people buy into conspiracy theories as a sort of security blanket. It's scary to realize just how chaotic, mad, and uncontrolled the world is, so people ascribe incredible power to invisible, secret, organizations because it's more comforting to believe someone evil is in charge than that no one is in charge. But it's hard to imagine anyone feels its necessary to deny that a minor flunkie somewhere in the production chain could leak copies to the net and there's nothing a teeny-tiny division of Hasbro could do about it. It would take a very nervous man indeed to be unable to face up to THAT reality.

 

[Aloïsius]

And if people think they did it on purpose, people will feel that downloading the torrent is okay, because it is "sanctioned" by WotC. And if even one person who would have bought the books without the torrent chooses not to because of it, WotC suffers from the loss of a sale.

All of which seems like a good reason to point out that the publication of the torrents was unauthorized, so as to increase the (already low) moral barrier to entry for some folks.

--G

They were obviously unauthorized and I would be enraged if working for WotC and/or the D&D4 project.... However, one can hope that this generates MORE real sales than it will cost.

 

[BASHMAN]

Maybe wizards could employ some sort of countermeasure-- like imbedding a worm into pdfs that they then upload to torrent sites and limewire, etc. On june 6th, the worm destroys all your pdf files on your computer, and changes your desktop to say "I AM A THIEF" in big letters! I know it would never happen, but just a thought.

I remember once Madonna did something like this where she uploaded versions of a single that halfway through stopped and began cussing out the person listening to it! (PS-- I know that because it was on the news, not because I illegally downloaded Madonna music to avoid the embarrassment of purchasing it in public).

 

[xechnao]

The problem is, those inclined to self-justify will just say, "Well, of COURSE they're denying it!"

I mean, it's self-evidently stupid -- why not just release, say, the first 30 pages of each book? Or the first two pages of each chapter? Or any other such thing which will serve to generate hype/excitement? The idea a company would deliberately release a high-quality copy of their flagship product two weeks early is just ridiculous.

Unfortunately it is not self-evidently stupid (your idea simply would not create neither news reaching hype-nor fan reaching hype since books have allready been shipped to some fans. Alas companies have been doing worse things than what it would be so much surprising to you here.

Normally, people buy into conspiracy theories as a sort of security blanket. It's scary to realize just how chaotic, mad, and uncontrolled the world is, so people ascribe incredible power to invisible, secret, organizations because it's more comforting to believe someone evil is in charge than that no one is in charge. But it's hard to imagine anyone feels its necessary to deny that a minor flunkie somewhere in the production chain could leak copies to the net and there's nothing a teeny-tiny division of Hasbro could do about it. It would take a very nervous man indeed to be unable to face up to THAT reality.

And people sometimes negate to seek beyond any not self-revealing "conspiracies" because bothering themselves to do so and having to face the moral duties this might come to implicate would cost them of some comforts they could be having at the moment.

What it is strange here the most is that the news of the leaked files seem to have appeared right after the news of early shippments. It is a strange coincidence if you think that these leaked files were created and probably have been available to be leaked for months.

I am not saying now that Wotc leaked the files. Most probably they did not. I really believe so.
But of course, either way, Wotc should be denying any involvment.

 

[Blackeagle]

Maybe wizards could employ some sort of countermeasure-- like imbedding a worm into pdfs that they then upload to torrent sites and limewire, etc. On june 6th, the worm destroys all your pdf files on your computer, and changes your desktop to say "I AM A THIEF" in big letters!

That would be illegal. Not only would WotC get sued, but the people directly involved in something like that would probably go to jail.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

That would be illegal. Not only would WotC get sued, but the people directly involved in something like that would probably go to jail.

But it would be funny as hell. Okay, I'm going to take that back. I'm trying to stir the pot and having a malicious virus embedded in a PDF would not be funny in any way.

While, I feel that downloading the PDF is wrong, I'm not so far on that side that I would wish anyone harm (whether physical, legal, financial or technological) over a game.

 

[Cirex]

Because if people keep insisting WotC did it themselves, it suddenly makes everything legit & above-board in their minds. "No, no! They WANTED me to get the rules 2 weeks early!"

It's a silly conspiracy theory, and if I were them it would bug me, too.

-O

It shouldn't. That idea is plain silly.

 

[IanB]

I'm curious why are you revealing this information to the public.

What possible reason would they have to keep it secret?