Oddly...

[Balbinus]

Why do I have to defend my participation in this forum? Why do I have to defend occasionally agreeing with a man, Ron Edwards, on matters of Role Playing Games and the people who play them? Do you pay my bills? When it comes to some people who bill themselves as Industry insiders, workers, and whatnot, I may have payed your bills by buying your games. Some of them good and some of them not so good. Yet still I have to defend my position of participating in intellectal discourse simply because I am here.  Needless to say I resent that, quite a bit.

Sean,

I don't think you do have to defend your position, certainly I don't see how you could ever be required to.  But some Forge posters are concerned by external perceptions and do wish to defend their position.  When they do, it is surely useful to them to understand how the criticisms come about.

My personal view, to the extent it is relevant, is that the Forge is justified so long as Forge participants find it useful.  End of story.  Others differ and some Forge participants wish to engage those others, if only to stop them putting potential Forge participants off the place before they ever come here.  That is a laudable goal, Matt Snyder for example has participated in exhaustive defences of the Forge on rpg.net - not because he has to and certainly not IMO because he enjoys it, but because in doing so he demonstrates what is good about the Forge to the undecided and stops those who do view the Forge as a bad thing from being the only voice heard.

[Clay]

Man, it's amazing.  One little wiz in the pool, and look at the trouble I stirred up.

The ferocity of this argument suggests to me that sitting back, drinking a beer, and thinking more about planning your next session or your next product release might be a good idea.  I'm nobody.  I'm an insignificant drop in the pool.  I shouldn't be able to do this to you.

Beer is good.  Beer is your friend.  Drink one and play with the cat/dog, and remember that there are more important things in life than whether or not you're a pretentious git.  Like beer and the dog and your next product release.

[Ron Edwards]

Sigh ... everyone has made extra-wonderful points, and it's time, folks, to call it quits.

Yeah, this is a heavy-handed moderator post, a really nasty one in fact. I know that. But c'mon - it really is time. You'll thank me for this later.

Best,
Ron

[jdrakeh]

Apologies, all. Not having posted here in quite a while, I didn't realize how touchy this subject was. My intent wasn't to ruffle feathers, and again, I apologize if that's how I came across. At any rate, despite some heated responses, I don't see a single viewpoint that isn't valid and in someway productive (god, I need to start posting here more often). At any rate, thanks (and again, sorry).

Oh, and Ron, please don't revoke my membership card and make me burn my robes ;)