New Server Drive - donation and prize thread (Final total: $13,310!)

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

I'm also disappointed that Vigwyn the Unruly is generalizing about the Publishers that pledged support (and further still suggesting EN World has any significant ability to get a very few errant publishers to hold up their own ends regarding their pledged support).

Mark,

Sorry if it came off that way. I don't blame you or any of the publishers. You, in particular, got your stuff out almost immediately. However, those who are supposed to be contacting the print publishers... well, let's just say that's a different story. I believe three publishers have posted here saying that they have yet to be contacted about who to distribute to. That's not the publishers' fault... it's the organizers'.


Everybody,

I'm really sorry that this comes up at a time of great personal tragedy for one of the organizers. In my defense, my beef isn't with a lack of progress over that last week, it's with the lack of progress for the three and half months before that.

Also, after my last post, a lot of people said that you shouldn't donate just for prizes. I whole-heartedly agree. However, no matter how pure your intentions in donating, you can't help but feel a little taken advantage of when the money pours in in a matter of days, but months go by with nothing but empty promises in the way of prize distribution. That was my only point.

Vigwyn

 

[reveal]

Everybody,

I'm really sorry that this comes up at a time of great personal tragedy for one of the organizers. In my defense, my beef isn't with a lack of progress over that last week, it's with the lack of progress for the three and half months before that.

I don't think anyone thought you were being callous.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

In my defense, my beef isn't with a lack of progress over that last week, it's with the lack of progress for the three and half months before that.

Also, after my last post, a lot of people said that you shouldn't donate just for prizes. I whole-heartedly agree. However, no matter how pure your intentions in donating, you can't help but feel a little taken advantage of when the money pours in in a matter of days, but months go by with nothing but empty promises in the way of prize distribution. That was my only point.

Vigwyn

But at the same time, it is all a volunteer effort to get these prizes out, and the strong response from drive donors and prize donors was very unexpected, so it is a good amount of effort to coordinate.

And most important, we don't want to P- off the people putting in this effort

 

[Krieg]

While I am personally not too worried about the whole thing, I don't think it is at all unreasonable for folks to ask for at least an update about the progress on the prize giveaway.

 

[Tav_Behemoth]

See, I didn't get any of the "donation over x prizes" if they were supposed to go out to everyone.

Behemoth3's minotaur book (Masters and Minions 2) was one of the donations-over-$20 prizes, so you made one of the lists at least, reveal! If there is anyone who gave over $20 and didn't get an email from me, drop me a PM and I'll fix you up with a download (if I haven't already).

And, to quote joe b., "yep" - next time the support & goodwill will be undiminished.

Mmm, what kind of tasty servers will we get from the next drive, I wonder? Direct-brain feeds so that I can browse the forums with my eyes closed? Faster-than-light posting so that you have to be careful not to reply before the time stated on the post to avoid causing a paradox?

 

[Mark]

Thanks for the kind words, folks!

Mark,

Sorry if it came off that way. I don't blame you or any of the publishers. You, in particular, got your stuff out almost immediately. However, those who are supposed to be contacting the print publishers... well, let's just say that's a different story. I believe three publishers have posted here saying that they have yet to be contacted about who to distribute to. That's not the publishers' fault... it's the organizers'.


Everybody,

I'm really sorry that this comes up at a time of great personal tragedy for one of the organizers. In my defense, my beef isn't with a lack of progress over that last week, it's with the lack of progress for the three and half months before that.

Also, after my last post, a lot of people said that you shouldn't donate just for prizes. I whole-heartedly agree. However, no matter how pure your intentions in donating, you can't help but feel a little taken advantage of when the money pours in in a matter of days, but months go by with nothing but empty promises in the way of prize distribution. That was my only point.

Vigwyn

Fair enough.

But at the same time, it is all a volunteer effort to get these prizes out, and the strong response from drive donors and prize donors was very unexpected, so it is a good amount of effort to coordinate.

And most important, we don't want to P- off the people putting in this effort

True.

While I am personally not too worried about the whole thing, I don't think it is at all unreasonable for folks to ask for at least an update about the progress on the prize giveaway.

It's a tightrope, to ask without asking too much, I guess.

 

[spectre72]

Behemoth3's minotaur book (Masters and Minions 2) was one of the donations-over-$20 prizes, so you made one of the lists at least, reveal! If there is anyone who gave over $20 and didn't get an email from me, drop me a PM and I'll fix you up with a download (if I haven't already).

Just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed the minotaur book that I got as a prize so much I bought the Stirge book about a week later. I then read that and will be including the stirge swarm in region A of the World's Largest Dungeon which I have started running for my group. They are very afraid of stirges and I just can't wait to see their faces when I describe a stige swarm to them. They will be running away as fast as they can if I have any way of judging their reaction to seeing hundreds of stirges flying at them.

I also want to thank CMG for thir prize which has taken me from a paper and pencil DM to bringing my laptop. Having the SRD on my laptop has made looking things up easier and I really like their version of the SRD because I find it easy to use. I will be watching their offerings in the future.

I will also chime in that I understand that the prize distribution is a volunteer effort, but at the very least some type of updates would have been nice. I did not donate because of the prizes but at the same time there are prizes from many sources which were discussed during the drive but nothing was heard of after the drive ended. Sometimes a little communication could eliminate alot of complaints..

Scott

 

[reveal]

Behemoth3's minotaur book (Masters and Minions 2) was one of the donations-over-$20 prizes, so you made one of the lists at least, reveal! If there is anyone who gave over $20 and didn't get an email from me, drop me a PM and I'll fix you up with a download (if I haven't already).

Ack! I forgot about that one!

Yes, indeed it was a great book and I'm happy I was able to get it.

 

[DaveStebbins]

Behemoth3's minotaur book (Masters and Minions 2) was one of the donations-over-$20 prizes, so you made one of the lists at least, reveal! If there is anyone who gave over $20 and didn't get an email from me, drop me a PM and I'll fix you up with a download (if I haven't already).

I donated above the threshold but was not on the list sent to Tav_Behemoth (and the admins never replied to my questions or Tav's request in posts #614 through #621 in this thread), so I just went out and purchased Behemoth3's Minotaur book anyway. No worries.

-Dave

 

[Alzrius]

I tell ya, I'm a bit disappointed here at the outcome of my efforts. I'm very sorry that email problems have made it nigh impossible for this to be resolved with Alzrius, but I'm even further disappointed that it makes it appear as if I have dropped the ball somehow.

[...]

And yet, because of an email difficulty with one very, vocal supporter, it might appear that I simply am slacking off in my support.

Wow...I feel awful now.

Mark, my mentioning the difficulties encountered was, in no way, shape, or form, meant to make you look bad. If I inadvertantly sent any negativity your way, please rest assured it was unintended, and that I really am sorry.