So the censors won?
I have absolutely no problems pointing out when I think Community Management is wrong. I would have loved have a Mature Topics forum, even if it meant that the age restriction was removed. So while I think closing the forum is the wrong move, the fact that the topics themselves are still allowed clearly shows it isn't a matter of censorship.
My hunch - and you'll probably never get anybody to confirm this - is that the decision was made elsewhere in the organization, and Community Management was stuck implementing it. I'd wager the mandate came from the Legal department myself. I'd further hypothesize that it has to do with WotC/Hasbro's ESRB rating.
Well, since the topics are allowed out in the open now, I'd say that's an unfair assessment.
I have absolutely no problems pointing out when I think Community Management is wrong. I would have loved have a Mature Topics forum, even if it meant that the age restriction was removed. So while I think closing the forum is the wrong move, the fact that the topics themselves are still allowed clearly shows it isn't a matter of censorship.
My hunch - and you'll probably never get anybody to confirm this - is that the decision was made elsewhere in the organization, and Community Management was stuck implementing it. I'd wager the mandate came from the Legal department myself. I'd further hypothesize that it has to do with WotC/Hasbro's ESRB rating.
esrb... so video games and books have the same rating system now? Where did I miss that?
Now they RATE WEBSITES?
There goes Network neutrality...
Wizards shouldn't be Cowtowing to the Evil Socialist Rat Bastards.
What is being rated is the company's privacy policy. Part of that policy* states they do not require any personal information other than an e-mail address. The mature forum's setup invalidated that -- in order to gain access, you had to provide a birth date. That's the collection of private data.
WotC is not going to change their mind when it comes to an age-restricted Mature forum; they might change their mind on an all-access "Mature Topics" forum, though, if the community can demonstrate a few things:
- A need for such a forum
- Proof that such topics can, in fact, be handled maturely by the community
To demonstrate the first, we need to start threads; to demonstrate the second, we need to have reasonable and thoughtful discussion within those threads.
* Two comments. 1) I don't know that this was the reason; it's merely speculation. 2) I'm going from memory on what the privacy policy states, because - ironically enough - my employer blocks the site where it's stored.
So, I could, in the Character Building forum (which seems to include topics on races) Post a thread on the topic of Dragonborn sex/reproduction, the technical aspects of reptilian reproduction, and graphic speculation on Human-Dragonborn interspecies associations?
Or a thread on the subject of 'Homosexual relationships in Eberron'?
Not that I'm likely to post either, but my point is, are we still going to be able to post this sort of thing without getting banned or are we going to get slapped down by the Moderators?
Wait, so we are now allowed to post 'Mature' threads in the general forums?
I would think no.
Well, since the topics are allowed out in the open now, I'd say that's an unfair assessment.
the fact that the topics themselves are still allowed clearly shows it isn't a matter of censorship.
The wizard says yes.
At least I guess that's what gamemaster means? Seems to be a title with some sort of authority...
Wait, so we are now allowed to post 'Mature' threads in the general forums?
So, I could, in the Character Building forum (which seems to include topics on races) Post a thread on the topic of Dragonborn sex/reproduction, the technical aspects of reptilian reproduction, and graphic speculation on Human-Dragonborn interspecies associations?
Or a thread on the subject of 'Homosexual relationships in Eberron'?
Not that I'm likely to post either, but my point is, are we still going to be able to post this sort of thing without getting banned or are we going to get slapped down by the Moderators?
Graphic speculation wouldn't be allowed. That's specifically in the CoC.
The wizard says yes.
At least I guess that's what gamemaster means? Seems to be a title with some sort of authority...
"Gamemaster" is a title granted to community members who help run one of the play-by-post forums. In my case, I help run the [forum=279]Castle of Fun[/forum].
I have no more authority on any forum than you.
Graphic speculation wouldn't be allowed. That's specifically in the CoC.
But, by this token, anything not allowed by the CoC wasn't technically allowed in the actual mature forum, either.
But, by this token, anything not allowed by the CoC wasn't technically allowed in the actual mature forum, either.
Which was created to bend the rules a bit without having adult conversations without having younger poster's seeing it. It did get out of hand for a bit, with the "Ask The" threads and the posting of porn on a couple of threads, but it still had subjects that simply will not go through on the regular forum.
To say that the same rules applied to the Mature forums is silly.
"Gamemaster" is a title granted to community members who help run one of the play-by-post forums. In my case, I help run the [forum=279]Castle of Fun[/forum].
I have no more authority on any forum than you.
Duely noted :D
Which was created to bend the rules a bit without having adult conversations without having younger poster's seeing it. It did get out of hand for a bit, with the "Ask The" threads and the posting of porn on a couple of threads, but it still had subjects that simply will not go through on the regular forum.
To say that the same rules applied to the Mature forums is silly.
Whether they did apply or not, the WizO's and CM have been saying for a while now that they're supposed to, so anything you're supposed to be allowed to talk about there, you are allowed to talk about anywhere else, and CM has been supposedly cracking down on making the community look good for the legal department.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ecology_deathknight.jpg
So ESRB kill Mature. Neat, now My Little Pony d20 is one step ahead in the stores.I am soooo happy about this.
(insert some witty statement here)
Is there a point to the image?
It's pretty badass.
Which thread? A lot of the threads were relocated. Also, I think threads that weren't relocated can still be moved if it can be demonstrated that it would be a useful topic.
Humanoid Women most likely. It was locked instead of being moved.
[thread=521279]Linky[/thread].
It belongs in the Off-Topic Tavern as it has nothing specifically to do with D&D, and everything to do with admiration of fantasy artwork.
Not 3E Races
Off-Topic Tavern
No.
Did the thread contain CoC violations? Can you give me a link to it? If it can be moved out, where - in your opinion - is the best location? 3.5 Races? Somewhere else? Will Zherog ever stop asking questions?
I would say pics of sexual intercourse violated the CoC. They deleted the thread long ago before the reorganization.
And despite my love for the Respite, It to might have had a bit of CoC violations. It also got deleted before, right when the crackdown began basically.