Tainted GP

[Plane]

10/31/2008

As has been reported by a few other gaming blogs and news sites, the Charity Auction at this year's GenCon Indianapolis was held to benefit Gary Gygax's favorite charity, which I will not name here for reasons that will soon become obvious. The fine folks at GenCon raised over $17,000 for this charity, which helps starving children in impovershed areas of the world--only to have that money actually turned down by the charity. The charity refused due to the fact that the money was raised partly by the sales of Dungeons and Dragons materials, which as we all know, puts an irrevocable taint of evil on the filthy lucre that us demon-worshipping gamers might want to use to, say, donate to starving children. Not only is this a slap in the face to every gamer, but it is especially insulting to Mr. Gygax himself, who I understand donated to their cause many times over the years. Plus, I'm sure the children who would have gotten food or clean drinking water with that money would be sort of upset, too.


I bring this story to your attention not simply so that you might let the people at this charity know how you feel (especially if you have donated to it before, as many did in the wake of Mr. Gygax's passing), but so that you would be aware that there is an alternative charity that I would personally recommend (based on our own charitable giving) if you have a desire to donate money to help starving children. Plan USA is a worldwide charity aimed at helping those who live in poverty and/or have suffered from a natural disaster, particularly with monthly sponsorships of individual children. Since the money of D&D players is clearly not welcome at this other charity, I can't recommend Plan USA highly enough to those interested in giving anyway. At least if you choose to donate through them, there's no chance your generous gifts to the starving children of the world will be rejected due to your weekend hobby.


(Incidentally, GenCon was also able to find another worthy charity with an entirely different focus, the Fisher House Foundation, that was willing to accept the money given in good faith by GenCon attendees.)

http://www.giantitp.com/index.html#MZvsP18xmNXpVDwvCRQ

[Amianthus]

Thank you for contacting Christian Children's Fund through our website.

Christian Children's Fund made the decision to decline the gift from Gen Con, LLC after the review of numerous factors that in combination precluded our acceptance of the gift. These reasons include the possible misinterpretation of CCF's role in regard to the event. CCF is selective in its endorsements or support because it must maintain the highest degree of integrity with respect to the use of its name and logo. The information presented to us gave the appearance that CCF (the organization) was an endorser or supporter of the event instead of a beneficiary.

Thank you for your interest in CCF. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.

http://regansravings.blogspot.com/2008/10/reply-from-christian-childrens-fund.html

[Plane]

11/5/2008 http://www.giantitp.com/index.html#UM7iOEJbez2GVntGYjh

The story I relayed in my last News post has provoked quite a reaction from the gaming world. I've gotten a few hundred responses to my own email box—many of them cc's of emails sent to the charity or responses received from them. According to one source, CCF (the charity discussed last time) has been swamped with over 1200 emails on the subject. As a result of this intense public interest, the details of what really happened have been coming to light...and while not everything lines up, it now seems that CCF did not knowingly refuse the charity money raised at GenCon 2008, as was originally reported. Jeannette LeGault, GenCon's Director of Events, has issued a statement on their forums regarding what happened. I'm going to pull the most relevant part of it out here:


"Gen Con contacted CCF about our intentions and asked for a logo and some promotional materials that we could use on our website. We were informed by a person at CCF that they would not be able to provide us with these materials, apparently due to our association with D&D. We were not comfortable with this position, considering Gary’s role as co-founder of D&D, and founder of Gen Con, and therefore we decided to pick a different charity...We later found out that we had been misinformed as to CCF’s position in regards to D&D and Gen Con, but by then we had already chosen Fisher House as our charity."


CCF itself has been sending out a canned response to this controversy; here's the important part:


"When Gen Con contacted CCF about its auction, we were pleased to accept donations. However, we couldn’t lend our name for publication because our policies have specific criteria for endorsements. We were unaware that this had caused any problem or concern for Gen Con until we began receiving emails. This decision was in no way intended to be a reflection on Mr. Gygax, gaming enthusiasts or the game Dungeon and Dragons. We have the utmost respect for the gaming community and were touched by the generosity expressed through your auction."


These statements are slightly at odds with one another; GenCon says that they were simply misinformed as to CCF's position, but CCF themselves claim that they have "specific criteria" for endorsements that GenCon apparently did not meet. What criteria are those? Unknown. Would they still be in effect for, say, next year's GenCon auction? Again, unknown. And CCF does not acknowledge that someone on their end did tell GenCon that it was a no-go at one point. But if I had to parse these statements together, I think someone at CCF "went rogue" when GenCon first contacted them and followed their personal philosophical belief over that of their organization...and that CCF's public relations department is trying to make the best of it without admitting that one of their people blew it in the first place. I also think it is highly probable that whoever updated the website for Live Game Auctions (the people who run the charity for GenCon) with the initial statement that started this story may well have never heard about CCF's retraction of their initial position.


But if you were one of the people who wrote a scathing email, rest assured that it did not go in vain: One intrepid reader forwarded me an email they received from Ms. LeGault that says she has been in direct touch with the communications director of CCF and that they have informed her that they are readdressing the way they handle requests for their publicity materials to avoid further misunderstandings. Any change that helps a charity organization become more efficient and more open to donations is a worthwhile change, even if we had to clog a few email servers to do it. I'd also bet money that whoever issued the initial denial of GenCon's request is out of a job, and rightfully so. One can hope that this situation will cause all of the organization's employees to think twice before putting their own beliefs ahead of their goal of helping children. It's my further hope that if this really was simply a case of miscommunication, GenCon 2009 will be able to feature the charity auction for CCF that was originally intended, and that those attending are able to raise more than last year's $17,000.


Anyway, this will be my last word on the issue. Despite this one-time situation, I don't think of myself as a news reporter, much less a community organizer (though I hear it's a good day to be one of those). I'm thrilled that so many members of our community felt strongly enough about the issue to write an email, whether they were fans of this site or one of the others that reported the story. It's good to know that when even just the semblance of prejudice against our mutual pastime rears its head, there are so many good people willing to defend it.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Are Dungeons and Dragons games satanic, or are they just games?

Has anyone adopted satanic practices because of their being a D & D fan? I have never heard of any such case.

If you let your kid wear devil horns and a forked tail, does this mean you are anti-Christian, or is it just fun and games for Halloween?

[Plane]

Are Dungeons and Dragons games satanic, or are they just games?

Has anyone adopted satanic practices because of their being a D & D fan? I have never heard of any such case.

If you let your kid wear devil horns and a forked tail, does this mean you are anti-Christian, or is it just fun and games for Halloween?

That is exactly the question I was hopeing someone would bring up.

In Dand D one can play a personality that is aligned with law or not and can be evil or not , so thay you can create a caricter that is like or unlike your self , is lawfull good , unlawfull good , lawfull evil or caotic evil.

Is pretending you are evil or amoral good for you ?

You have to play it well to get the game .

[Xavier_Onassis]

It's a game. It's entertainment. So long as one follows the rules of the game, morality and integrity and honor are not involved. There is no sin, there are no good deeds in a game: it's just strategy.

The difference between being normal and being a psychopath is often the difference between a game and reality. I think this is why so many strategists insist on referring to real events (ie elections, marketing) as though they were something involving flinging, kicking, putting, whacking a ball around, because there is no morality necessary in ball games, only strategy.

Marketing Hummers and Escalades is just a game: reality, and therefore morality are not involved. People have the right to drive a car with a Hemi, een though they can't get a bona fide assault vehicle to safely deliver Becky-Sue to her ballet class. Morality in marketing does not exist, 'cause it's just a game.


 

[Amianthus]

I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight on the Gen Con Indy 2008 Charity issue, as there has been a lot of misinformation spreading like wildfire on various forums, blogs, etc.

First allow me to explain how Gen Con goes about selecting its show charity. The process is very simple. We generally choose several potential charities based on the following criteria:

1. Is local to the (Indy) area
2. Supports children
3. Preferably has a focus in math, science or gaming related activities.

Staff then votes individually on which charity we would like to support at the show; majority wins.

In 2008, Gen Con decided on a different route in choosing the charity, due the death of Gary Gygax, Gen Con's founder. It was without question that the charity for 2008 would be one of Gary's favorite charities.

In choosing the charity for 2008, Gen Con had heard through several channels, including a close friend of Gary's family, that Christian Children's Fund (CCF) was one of Gary's favored charities. Gen Con contacted CCF about our intentions and asked for a logo and some promotional materials that we could use on our website. We were informed by a person at CCF that they would not be able to provide us with these materials, apparently due to our association with D&D. We were not comfortable with this position, considering Gary's role as co-founder of D&D, and founder of Gen Con, and therefore we decided to pick a different charity. We informed the Gygax family of our decision and the reason behind it, and asked if there was another charity they would like us to consider. Fisher House was suggested, as it too was a favored charity of Gary's. Considering the outstanding services this charity provides to service members, veterans, and their families, we knew Fisher House would be a great charity for Gen Con to support. We later found out that we had been misinformed as to CCF's position in regards to D&D and Gen Con, but by then we had already chosen Fisher House as our charity, and announcements and promotions were already made and in the works, such that it would not have been possible to change charities at that point.

To be clear, Gen Con made the decision not to donate to CCF; at no time did CCF refuse to take charity money from Gen Con. Gen Con chooses a show charity long before Gen Con Indy 2008 ever takes place.

I have sent an email to The Partnership that runs www.livegameauctions.com and asked them to make sure the information being presented and discussed on their website is updated and accurate regarding this issue. I would also like to ask each of you to do your part in setting the record straight by contacting the various websites, blogs, etc. that you are active on, and where this issue is being discussed, to make sure they have their facts correct as well. The statement on Wikinews purporting to be from a Gen Con staff member is completely incorrect, as Gen Con staff has never commented on this subject - until now.

If there are any further questions or points of clarification, please feel free to contact me personally at jeannette@gencon.com.


Thank you.

Jeannette LeGault
Director of Event Programming - Gen Con LLC

http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.php?p=701791&postcount=23

[Plane]

It's a game. It's entertainment. So long as one follows the rules of the game, morality and integrity and honor are not involved. There is no sin, there are no good deeds in a game: it's just strategy.

The difference between being normal and being a psychopath is often the difference between a game and reality. I think this is why so many strategists insist on referring to real events (ie elections, marketing) as though they were something involving flinging, kicking, putting, whacking a ball around, because there is no morality necessary in ball games, only strategy.

Marketing Hummers and Escalades is just a game: reality, and therefore morality are not involved. People have the right to drive a car with a Hemi, een though they can't get a bona fide assault vehicle to safely deliver Becky-Sue to her ballet class. Morality in marketing does not exist, 'cause it's just a game.


 

In WOW my avatar is not a lot like me , he is tall and thin , sneaky and dangerous .
He is a fictional caricter I wear like a mask.

He is a rouge, his collection of talents dictate his strategy of play , theft ,skulking and ambush.

I don't feel as though there is much danger that I will become tall and thin , or even dangerous sneaky and poisonous , but would it harm me to want to? 

[hnumpah]

I don't feel as though there is much danger that I will become tall and thin , or even dangerous sneaky and poisonous , but would it harm me to want to?

Depends on how you feel about the concept of sin.

We are told it is a sin to commit murder. Is it therefore a sin to consider committing murder? If so, is it a sin only if one is contemplating committing an actual murder, or would that include pretending to commit a murder in a fantasy world?

Jimmy Carter committed the sin of adultery in his heart, i.e. by thought.

How do you feel it would apply in this case?

[Plane]

I don't feel as though there is much danger that I will become tall and thin , or even dangerous sneaky and poisonous , but would it harm me to want to?

Depends on how you feel about the concept of sin.

We are told it is a sin to commit murder. Is it therefore a sin to consider committing murder? If so, is it a sin only if one is contemplating committing an actual murder, or would that include pretending to commit a murder in a fantasy world?

Jimmy Carter committed the sin of adultery in his heart, i.e. by thought.

How do you feel it would apply in this case?

I think it is a good question.

My Avatar has kiled a lot of other avatars , which in fact is just a mask knocking on another mask, the entire exchange is a fiction occuring in a gayly painted fantasy world supported by an incredable amount of computing power. It is as realistic as a Disney cartoon.

But does your heart get raceing when attacked?

Yes it does.