In case you didn't know: The WotC community is FREE

[CharlesRyan]

Hi, all--

I've stumbled upon the rumour, in one or two places, that you can't use the WotC community features unless you're a paid DDI subscriber. This is NOT TRUE. The forums are free and open to the public just as they've always been. And all the new community features are also free and open to the public.

If you're a UK gamer, I particularly recommend checking out the UK D&D community at http://community.wizards.com/dnduk

(For those of you who already know this, or who don't particularly care, I now return you to your regularly scheduled forum activity. Just wanted to get the word out to anyone who might have a misperception about this.)

 

[diaglo]

this was a rumor somewhere? do you have link(s)?

diaglo "been going to Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page for years" Ooi

 

[JoeGKushner]

Hell, the forums aren't open to me and I am a paid subscriber. Some technical problem that they were working on a few months ago but I haven't had the energy to persue it.

 

[Korgoth]

Is it the case that everything you post there is owned by WOTC? I had thought that was part of the deal at some point.

If that is true (which I'm not sure about) then it isn't really free.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Is it the case that everything you post there is owned by WOTC? I had thought that was part of the deal at some point.

If that is true (which I'm not sure about) then it isn't really free.

That would make it very much un-free.

The only thing that would be worse is if you were also paying them to own your posts.


RC

 

[Garmorn]

Is it the case that everything you post there is owned by WOTC? I had thought that was part of the deal at some point.

If that is true (which I'm not sure about) then it isn't really free.

For most companies that rely on creative writing like RPGs or Book Publishers it is almost mandated. Think of all of the law suites. (Hey you stole my monster/rule/power that I posted on your board). The large the company the bigger the problem.

Boards like EN World don't have that problem near as much if at all.

 

[Korgoth]

For most companies that rely on creative writing like RPGs or Book Publishers it is almost mandated. Think of all of the law suites. (Hey you stole my monster/rule/power that I posted on your board). The large the company the bigger the problem.

Boards like EN World don't have that problem near as much if at all.

That may be true. I want to clarify that I'm not saying that policy, if indeed it is their policy, is a bad one... only that it means that the board isn't actually free.

 

[Greg K]

Is it the case that everything you post there is owned by WOTC? I had thought that was part of the deal at some point.

If that is true (which I'm not sure about) then it isn't really free.

Well, ownership of what people post is what I saw in the Terms of agreement after they made changes that required me to re-register. I decided right then and there not to re-register. Thankfully, I had only minimal interest in WOTC and the WOTC boards (General, What is A DM to do, and, for a laugh, What is a player to Do) by that time anyway.

 

[mudbunny]

Under the current ToS/EULA for the community site that (WotC owning all you post) is not the case. You still own it, you just give WotC the right to use it when and how they want.

Of course, the idea that WotC developers are going to waste their time sifting through the ideas on the forums looking for the one idea to steal as opposed to coming up with their own is, to me, solidly in the realm of Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanies.

 

[Barastrondo]

That may be true. I want to clarify that I'm not saying that policy, if indeed it is their policy, is a bad one... only that it means that the board isn't actually free.

Wizards of the Coast

It reads as not a transition of ownership, but rather granting license for Wizards to use the content by default.