>If they always take, but never contribute, to the community, than I would
>expect
>nothing less. Also note that a person generally isn't going to be branded
>until
>quite a few products come out. Then it is obvious they are doing nothing more
>than raping the community for everything it is worth.
This is the kinda crap that will keep publishers from wanting to touch
the OGL.
Print Publishers donate to the OGL in ways that other, while legitimate,
organizations* cannot. Quality notwithstanding, a print product is more
tangible and in some eyes, stronger quality. With a company behind a
"product line" there is a stronger implication of support.
Now, truth is, a lot of that is hogwash. A print company isn't
necessarily going to do a better job than an online organization or the
local fan club. But in the eyes of much of the public, Open Source
"revolution" or no, this impression will be one the public will make. The
more middle and big guns that put something out, the better. "If Atlas
isn't afraid of getting screwed, it's okay" is another stumbling
block. Few want to trust WotC, and fewer Hasbro. Surprise.
And finally, by simply putting out useable product, *every* adds to the
community.
*Anyone publishing material. Fan clubs, freeware zines, whatever.
>Then i think we will have to agree to disagree. I think it is *very* wrong to
>use some else's work without any sort of exchange, in this case contributing
>back to the community so that person has more to work with as well.
So if I produce a product that requires no new material be dreamed up
I'm a leech. Check.
The term "leech" has nothing to do with time, quality, or quantity. All it
deals
>with is whether or not a person contributes to the community or not. What
>would
>you call someone who has put out 50 adventures based on the work that the
>community has done, possibly your own work in some cases, but yet has not
>contributed a single thing to the community, to you?
Clever at using available resources to serve his customers.
>No, but that is the only way the community can grow and expand. If you don't
>contribute, then you are hurting the community. Since i happen to be part
>of the
>community, I take it fairly personal.
The community grows by having more people involved. Not by having more
source material. People drive this. This is a social activity, not simply
an issue of engineering. We can have all the material in the world and it
won't matter a whit if the playerbase ignores it.
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