And yet you mis-characterize the TOS so much yourself. And if you like to read so much, has it not occured to you that if we were as paranoid as you are about our posts you probably weren't here to bug the Inn about such a trivial matter to begin with. We wouldn't be posting anything to you to read, so you wouldn't have stuck around.

And you don't need to post even if you like to read, and you therefore don't need an account. So that tells me that you wanted to get involved.

Also, consider this: Despite having the right to edit or delete your posts, your comments still remain. If Olan is as untrustworthy as you seem to think he is, why do you think he hasn't edited or deleted your negative posts? He has every right to, much like you say yourself.

This only proves to me that Olan is as trustworthy as they get, and I don't see a problem with posting my ideas and my characters on the Inn.

Of your first four posts, one was a warning to others that the site claimed their stuff as property, and one was the following:

In the interest of honesty... don't you think you ought to mention that everything posted on the site becomes copyrighted by the site?

It's the second paragraph in the TOS that you must scroll past to join the site. If that's not mentioning the policy, then I don't know what is. Would you prefer that I send an email to each new member? Pop this up before every post on the forums?

I do NOT claim copyright, as you infer - I claim the right to keep posts made on the forum up on the forum, for the express reasons I listed in an earlier post.

Furthermore, you might read the TOS statement again - you joined this thread to insinuate that my asking people to write articles for the site would result in me stealing their work. Note that the TOS applies to the FORUMS and CHAT only.

I've been accused of reading in something that isn't there. "In the interest of honesty" is a pretty clear implication that I am being something less than honest.

I've run this site for eleven years. I have never stolen an idea or passed off anything posted here as my own.

Drop the issue now. I ruin this site because I enjoy the community, not because I have any interest in dealing with some faceless yahoo who thinks to tweak me. If you want to be a member of the community, great. If you want to continue to play the troll, do it somewhere else. This subject is closed.

That goes for the rest of you - no need to keep responding to this nonsense. I sincerely appreciate the support, but there's been enough gasoline thrown on this fire. Drop it, and let's move on.

>> I was reassured by numerous responses to any concerns I raised and, after getting to truly know the fine folk around here, more than convinced. We are a family around here and we congregate to have fun, share ideas, and generally "feel good". The last thing we want to do is "rip people off" or "snag their ideas and put our own label" on them.<<

A lovely sentiment and one shared by many of the RDI's patrons, I'm sure.

I've seen numerous similar websites. They don't always remain that way.

Conider this scenario, you may think it unlikely, but will have to admit that it is very possible.

The RDI grows, and remains popular. Whether it is the result of the economy, bad luck, illness... whatever, the site's owner suffers sufficient calamity that operating the site becomes a burden. But the site is popular enough that it attracts the intentions of a buyer. A deal is made, the site is sold, and just like that, all of the good intentions of the current owner are meaningless. The new owner is not necessarily evil or unscrupulous, but he is operating a business and is in it for one reason: to make money. And when that happens, when it is no longer a labor of love, then suddenly the guy who posted his new gaming system here for testing and feedback has a challenger who's wiling to go to court to defend his "rights".

Will it happen? Almost assuredly not. Can it happen? Of course it can. Some of my favorite websites have hanged ownership, Allakhazam's comes to mind. So, while your good intentions may reassure those who post here, it wouldn't take all that much for them to really mean almost nothing.

That's just the way I see it. And to reiterate my point as succinctly as possible, I just think that the terms of the TOS (specifically the section about posted material becoming property of the site) should be more widely disseminated. Most of the people that post here are doing so, ignorant of that statement and its potential effects.

For the record, the TOS here is standard to most websites. If they did not have said TOS the owners would be unable to edit or delete posts in order to keep the site safe and friendly. There isn't a court in existence that would legally appoint this website your Intellectual Property Rights based on their TOS.

That would require an actual contract signed by both the sites owner as well as the party who crafted the art or writing. If you are that consumed by paranoia for your work, Print it and have it copyrighted before posting or mail it to yourself and save it unopened with postmarked dates in a filing cabinet somewhere. Then should the "problem" you foresee ever arise, which I think is HIGHLY unlikely, you will have proof you are the owner.

... and the TOS comes up when you join the forum, which you need to do to post content.

If anyone doesn't have the sense to read it, it's their own problem in the impossible (here, at least) situation of copyright theft.

Flanker, if you want to discuss the legalities of the TOS further, PM me, or email me directly. This thread was created to recruit folks who'd like to contribute content to the site. I don't appreciate the continued derailment.

If you don't want to post something, don't post it. It's that simple. That way, you never have to worry about Scrooge McDuck coming along and making me an offer that I can't refuse so that he can mine all of the creative gold from these forums and turn it into his series of bestsellers.

I am willing to write an article or a short story. Unfortunately, my mind is blank at the moment, plus I'm getting ready to move next week, so don't expect anything soon.

I'm leaning towards GM-related article, but I don't know.

I wouldn't have an issue with writing an article or two or three. I wonder if it would be too much trouble to post a feeler thread? Perhaps it would give prospective authors ideas on what best to write about for submission.

You could inquire as to what game related topics Inn members are most interested in or would like to have more information on at this time. Or perhaps what they struggle with most in their own games?

Or hey a letters to the editor type section might be neat too! If you don't already have something similar I just haven't seen yet.

Or, I could start sending you random d&d product reviews ..

Both of the above sound good. I think that "feeler threads" are a great way to do it - input from other folks can always be useful.

I think it would work lovely if you post a feeler thread. Then as topics come up, various people interested in writing on said subject they are knowledgeable on can "claim" the article in the thread and start writing the submission. That way everyone isn't suddenly writing the same article entitled. "10 Ways to Talk Your Way Around the Dragon" or some such.

Would a review of gaming system be appropriate? I have tried a few I think I could review.

Reviews would be absolutely appropriate. If we get enough of them, we could set up a category for reviews. Systems, individual products... you name it.

But I do a lot of product reviews if they want them I could certainly share them.

I have some canonical monsters for Audalis I wish to do a proper write up for.

Given some time I could likely do an adventure module of some kind. I was working on one of sorts anyway for the Legends contest but due to RL interruption was unable to complete it on time. Do we do modules here? Or no?