> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Friday, March 30, 2001 10:09 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [Open_Gaming] [Plonk]
>
>
> Given the response that I have received to my e-mail, I've decided that
the
> goals and aims of the OGF and the OGL are contrary to my goals and aims as
> an RPG publisher, no matter how small or obscure. While I appreciate all
of
> the time folks here have taken to respond, I've decided that this
particular
> movement in the industry is not for me.
I would say you will be missed; but since you continue to insult us at every
opportunity ("I apologize for wasting everyone's time thinking that the
gaming community, and RPG producers, were a different class of individual
who might not try to litigate at the drop of a hat"), I no longer see a
reason to be so polite.
> Mr. Shoemaker likened the OGL and legalese to:
>
> 1. "...musical notation..."
>
> I can hum a tune to someone or play a recording, and that person can learn
> the song without resorting to clef signs. Music is an intuitive human
> (animal?) activity, and cannot be compared to the english language. After
> all, Native Americans have passed on the Ghost Dance for millenia without
a
> single bar being scored.
Yes. And if Ryan Dancey and others from Wizards had the time to visit each
D20 publisher and personally hold their hands through the process of
creating material that built upon D20 but did not trample on Wizards'
rights, no license would be needed.
But if you want to send me the tune in a form I can reproduce without you
personally teaching it to me, you'll need to send me the score. The OGL is
one score for Open Gaming.
> 2. "...mathematics..." Can't be done. Plain English cannot express
certain
> mathematical concepts.
>
> Really? It's a marvel that mathematics textbooks get written at all. Any
> concept can be put into words - it may take twenty pages of words, but it
> can be done.
Sure, you can put these terms into words; but the words will make no sense
as Plain English. They will be every bit as obscure and jargon rich as any
contract crafted by a lawyer. And they will likely still make less sense
than the precise formula itself. I say again: Plain English cannot express
certain mathematical concepts. Ask any advanced mathematician.
> I'm not saying that the "People's OGL" will be as concise as
> the OGL, but it can be done. I also was not advocating the REPLACEMENT of
> the OGL with plain english. How about a "dummy" OGL that isn't official
but
> is in plain english?
That's the Q&A to which you were previously referred:
http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/ogl.html. Have you read it yet?
> 3. "...programming languages..."
>
> I don't know about you, but comparing the english language, even technical
> jargon, to a programming language is pointless. If I put a semicolon in
the
> middle of a wo;rd, the english language is not going to crash. HeLL, I
can
> doo anything I want, And the WORDS are *still* clear. No need to reboot -
> no General Protection Faults.
* you: Does that mean me personally, or the list as a whole, or the general
reader? Your meaning is unclear.
* english language: Does that mean American English, British English, Olde
English, Pidgin English, Patois, or all of the above? Or none? Your meaning
is unclear.
* pointless: by what measure? Programming languages are a means of
communication, just as is Plain English. Your meaning is unclear.
And in court -- this is the point you just don't want to get -- getting the
terms wrong DOES mean a General Protection Fault, or the legal equivalent.
English is imprecise, legalese far less so. (It's an exaggeration to say
legalese is precise, or else the court dockets would be a lot more empty.)
You need to study linguistics or maybe psychology to understand the number
of ways Plain English can be misinterpreted. There is no court precedent for
what Plain English means in a given situation, but usually plenty of
precedent for what legalese means.
> Quite frankly, if the OGL is the future of gaming, then thank you very
much,
> I'll just plod along without it. I apologize for wasting everyone's time
> thinking that the gaming community, and RPG producers, were a different
> class of individual who might not try to litigate at the drop of a hat.
And I apologize for wasting everyone else's time answering such a conceited
individual; but though Mr. Kuma has left (for which I am grateful, since he
continues to insult us every chance he gets), his points are valid issues
that deserve to be addressed. Though he has chosen to leave the discussion
and stick to the comfort of his prejudices, the rest of us are here to
discuss issues just such as these.
Martin L. Shoemaker
Martin L. Shoemaker Consulting, Software Design and UML Training
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.MartinLShoemaker.com
http://www.UMLBootCamp.com
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For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
