# EnWorld: The Non-Profit Society



## Belen (Oct 29, 2003)

Deleted


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## Tsyr (Oct 29, 2003)

BelenUmeria said:
			
		

> 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.
> 
> ...




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.


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## Belen (Oct 29, 2003)

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.


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## Tsyr (Oct 29, 2003)

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.


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## Darklone (Oct 29, 2003)

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.


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## Olgar Shiverstone (Oct 29, 2003)

Unionized gamers?  Pass ...

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


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## Belen (Oct 29, 2003)

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.


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## Nifft (Oct 29, 2003)

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


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## Belen (Oct 29, 2003)

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.


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## Belen (Oct 29, 2003)

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.


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## TiQuinn (Oct 29, 2003)

I got an even better idea!

You heard of this thing, the 8-Minute Abs? 

Ok, well this is going to blow that right out of the water. Listen to this: 7... Minute... Abs.


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## Tom Cashel (Oct 29, 2003)

I think it's a GREAT idea!

I volunteer to be _Supreme EN World Intergalactic Emperor and Pope in perpetuity_.

Now send me your money.


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## Belen (Oct 29, 2003)

<sigh> I give up.  You're all anarchists!

My next trick will be hanging upside down using only my toe nails for support.  Yes, gentleman, toe nails.


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## Tsyr (Oct 29, 2003)

BelenUmeria said:
			
		

> <sigh> I give up.  You're all anarchists!
> 
> My next trick will be hanging upside down using only my toe nails for support.  Yes, gentleman, toe nails.




Please, don't assume I'm an anarchist. I'm not.

I simply don't think that ENWorld (Or, indeed, the gaming community as a whole) needs to be unionized and orginized to leverage our collective wills, nor do I think that such a thing is by any stretch of the imagination feasable due to the wildly differing natures of opinions withen even a semi-homogeneous gathering of gamers such as ourselves (Homogeneous, in this case, is in comparison to, say, RPG.net)... For anything that the collective would want to support you could probably find nearly as many people against it. It's just the way we are.


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## Deadguy (Oct 29, 2003)

BelenUmeria said:
			
		

> I give up.  You're all anarchists!



 BU, you have tried to organise the party in D&D haven't you?  It takes 15 minutes to agree that we're going to break camp, and another 45 to decide in what direction we go afterwards! Getting a group of role-players actually 'organised' is kinda like expecing a sack of ferrets to be peaceful!



			
				BelenUmeria said:
			
		

> My next trick will be hanging upside down using only my toe nails for support.  Yes, gentleman, toe nails.



 We shall expect to see photos of this.


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## Cthulhu's Librarian (Oct 29, 2003)

Tom Cashel said:
			
		

> I volunteer to be _Supreme EN World Intergalactic Emperor and Pope in perpetuity_.



I second Tom's nomination.


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## Tonguez (Oct 29, 2003)

BelenUmeria said:
			
		

> <sigh> I give up.  You're all anarchists!




Yes and proudly so

as the great philosopher Gnome Chomsky said "_ack laddie yoo be leavin thaat fer der Bignobs Wahoot Wahae_!"


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## diaglo (Oct 29, 2003)

there is a woody allen paraphrase quote somewhere in all of this i know it.  


sorry, i don't want to join this bandwagon.


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## Umbran (Oct 29, 2003)

BelenUmeria said:
			
		

> Why would it be a breeding ground for hard feelings?




That's very simple - while we are all gamers, we are not all united in any particulars.  As soon as "initiatives" come up, there are going to be harsh disagreements, that those lead to hard feelings.

You say we could affect the book and TV industry?  Have you actually seen what gets said around here?  There's no agreement on what's good in books or media or anything.  How in the world can you have initiatives to improve something when the group as a whole cannot agree on what would be an improvement?


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