EnWorld: The Non-Profit Society

[Belen]

Deleted

 

[Tsyr]

Hey all,

This idea came to me yesterday during the donation buzz. Currently, I work for the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. They are a non-profit society of doctors in that specific medical field. They band together for political and research reasons.

I wonder if that is something that we could do with out community. We certainly have enough members to pull something like it off. To my knowledge, no other group such as ours has ever tried to do something like this. Heck, we could end up expanding to a huge sf/f society!

This would solidify our influence in the hobby and expand it. For example, my medical society gets mad money from drug companies etc just because they are a group that pays to pander too. In addition, the society has full time political lobbiests and the like.

I think we can do the same! The possibilities are there for us to become a true force that can see it's will be done. As a formal society, we could hold an annual EnWorld meeting, have a permanent member list that companies would pay to advertise too, be able to have one voice speak for many (which politicians would have to look at).....

Groups such as that are attractive. What do you all think?

Dave

Uh, no offense, but that really doesn't sound like a group I wanna be a part of. I have no desire to be part of some Society of ENWorld Gamers or anything. I don't want to solidify and expand our influence on the hobby - in fact, I don't want to influence it at all. I don't want lobbiests. And we aren't one voice and never could be. That's not what we are.

 

[Belen]

I am not saying that our opinions are stamped on. I am saying that a society would allow an "entity" to advocate for gamers, sf lovers' etc in general. We'd have a group that was for us and run by us.

It would be more than a collection of fans. For instance, a society could demand better editing standards among publishers, where a bunch of whining fans would get no respect.

A society could say, but our members WANT that Orc War Party pack, and WOTC would have to listen because we were organized.

Trust me, the docs in the medical society disagree about a messload, but the society is there to advocate for them when they need them.

Who is there for gamers when we need them? No one.
Who is there to fight for us? No one.

I think it could be a great thing. An organization on our side.

 

[Tsyr]

You make it sound like we are an opressed minority.

So instead of a "bunch of whining fans" we would be an bunch of orginized whining fans. I don't see how that helps us in any practical way except being a good breeding ground for hard feelings and resentment.

 

[Darklone]

Pros: POWER.

Cons: We'd need representatives. Who wants to do it and who would be accepted? We're gamernerds, there aren't that many people around here that could speak for all of us because we LIKE to disagree and discuss it.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Unionized gamers? Pass ...

Edit: Shouldn't that be what the RPGA is for?

 

[Belen]

Why would it be a breeding ground for hard feelings?

The way a society works, is that the members select a rotating leadership council, and then we hire employees to direct our initiatives. We would be able to serve on councils, oversee the development of the genre, maybe even start a scholarly sf-gaming journal.

By expanding, we could affect such things as the book and television industry as well.

A society would be a visible force that a TV producer thinking about doing a "Greyhawk" TV show could use for demographocs and the like. This many people, in this many states are guaranteed to be interested in this show.

It is a win-win position for us. Heck, with money generated, we could do a lot for the community. Support new gamers, hire lawyers to fit places that ban the hobby etc.

Right now, the big boys could care less about us. Wouldn't it be nice to have a company like Hasbro treat us like other d20 publishers?

I really believe that a society of our peers could do a lot of good.

 

[Nifft]

Given the fact that political discussions are not allowed here, I'm not sure adding lobbyists would do anything to improve community coherence. Also, what burning political issues do we as a gaming community really need addressed?

If the Great Chick Church of America (a made-up example) were poised to make dice illegal, I'd say we need some lobbyists. As things stand, what would they do all day?

Morrus and Eric should already receive pandering from game companies. As you're probably aware, the drug industry has a bit more money than the game industry. I'm sure the game industry is pandering as best it can already -- and I'm sure we'll never get "mad money" from it.

-- N, fan of the status quo

 

[Belen]

lol! You'd still be able to disagree and discuss it! Nothing would stop that. Heck, you should see the docs when they smell bad science. They go for the throat!

This may be a case where the gamer bent for anarchy is coming out to play, but I truly believe that it would be a good thing for us.

 

[Belen]

Television and movie studios have money....

Just because we're not all white collar intelligentsia does not mean that we cannot see some of the same benefits that they get.

People listen to an organization. Morrus and Eric are great people and I am glad that they are listened too, but we could do more.