FMguru posted:

GMS has repeatedly gone after other companies and creators (like Fred Hicks) for offering good customer service, saying its a transparently obvious scam gimmick that only morons can't see through.

Bosushi! posted:

He's an odd creature. He's currently taking Desborough to task over the whole reaction to Zoe Quinne and Anita Sarkeesian, so there is a good person deep down beneath that incredibly stubborn and aggressive persona he wears.

gnome7 posted:

My favorite is when he got super mad about a backer accusing him of not fulfilling his obligations to his customers, a while back on G+. Another person stepped in and said he shouldn't be so rude to a customer, and this was his reply:


The G+ post has since been deleted.

jadarx posted:

I remember my first example of GMS being an rear end was him being critical of people attacking Desborough for being, well, Desborough. How times change :v

And by change, I mean not change at all.

Bosushi! posted:

He's an odd creature. He's currently taking Desborough to task over the whole reaction to Zoe Quinne and Anita Sarkeesian, so there is a good person deep down beneath that incredibly stubborn and aggressive persona he wears.

TheLovablePlutonis posted:

The lesson is that if you pay a kickstarter you are stupid and deserving of a lesson in caveat emptor.

Waffleman_ posted:

That being said, make sure to back the Breakfast Cult Kickstarter!

LongDarkNight posted:

Waiting for Spirit of '77, looking forward to having a goon run off with my money.

TheLovablePlutonis posted:

Not doing that but I'll consider buying it on a 50% sale or a promotional bundle after torrenting and reading it in full to deem the book's worth.

Evil Mastermind posted:

From what I've see it pretty much boils down to "the only valid moral outrage is Gareth's moral outrage".

Forums Terrorist posted:

Has anyone called him Gareth Marenghi yet?

Davin Valkri posted:

Maybe he's literally psychologically unwell and needs medical help?

(This is why it's really hard to make fun of people for being stupid/jerks online--it's so hard to tell who's just being dumb and who actually could use a mental health checkup.)

Forums Terrorist posted:

Has anyone called him Gareth Marenghi yet?

Forums Terrorist posted:

rip

clockworkjoe posted:

My first encounter with GMS was a feud he had with Louis Porter Jr. I've done some freelance work for LPJ and he got into a scuffle with GMS for some reason. I briefly met GMS at Gen Con that year and he had already made up with Louis. I shrugged it off but then I kept seeing GMS' name in RPG drama again and again and realize that wasn't a one off thing.

He seems pretty normal in person, from what I remember.

Evil Mastermind posted:

That may have actually been in response to me; I said that to him once and got a similar answer.

e: Although I seem to remember him backhand-accusing me of having a burger-flipping job since I think you should treat customers with respect.

FMguru posted:

GMS has repeatedly gone after other companies and creators (like Fred Hicks) for offering good customer service, saying its a transparently obvious scam gimmick that only morons can't see through.

https://yourbusinesssucks.wordpress.com/tag/gareth-michael-skarka/ posted:

Your minimum-wage retail-job understanding of consumer behavior has no application here, despite your concrete assumption that it must.

gnome7 posted:

So I don't think my memory is too far off base.

FMguru posted:

The Hicks thing was a little different, he was mocking anyone who praised Hicks' prompt and friendly customer service because he was only acting that way in order to get more of your money - it was a marketing stunt, a gimmick for pete's sake - and if you thought this was in some way a good thing then you were the simplest kind of rube.

Siivola posted:

At least they'll probably do it in a sweet Trans Am.

gnome7 posted:

My favorite is when he got super mad about a backer accusing him of not fulfilling his obligations to his customers, a while back on G+. Another person stepped in and said he shouldn't be so rude to a customer, and this was his reply:


The G+ post has since been deleted.

Bucnasti posted:

I already have one picked out.

You can be assured that if we run off with KS money it will be spent on only the best hookers and blow.

Mors Rattus posted:

Also, if I recall, Hicks' prompt and regular KS updates.

ProfessorCirno posted:

GMS declared "actually talk to your customers" as some kind of sinister marketing scheme.

Impermanent posted:

Okay, fair. I don't mean to kick anyone who accidentally gave money to a jerk while they're down. I had thought the kickstarter was much more recent.

Slightly Lions posted:

Isn't he also sitting on the Bas-Lag license? If so, gently caress that guy super-hard.

FMguru posted:

Note that it's been more than ten months since that list was compiled, and still no Far West.

Bosushi! posted:

He's an odd creature. He's currently taking Desborough to task over the whole reaction to Zoe Quinne and Anita Sarkeesian, so there is a good person deep down beneath that incredibly stubborn and aggressive persona he wears.

ProfessorCirno posted:

Yeah, that was the best - and most hilariously bitter - part. Hicks wasn't even doing anything amazing, he was just being really open about the design process and made sure backers got plenty of info. People were appreciable about that, and of course GMS declared "actually talk to your customers" as some kind of sinister marketing scheme.

Asymmetrikon posted:

Start your donations, folks.

Reene posted:

Good idea

Thanlis posted:

Good call.

Davin Valkri posted:

Hey, this is nice!

Froghammer posted:

I gave $11, because I always give 110%.

Also I'm assuming Zak S will be reading this eventually, in which case gently caress you and your emotional blackmail, you prick.

Civil Twilight posted:

Cool.

Ratpick posted:

Might as well, it's for a good cause.

Stormgale posted:

More donations to the pile

Comrade Gorbash posted:

Have to get new tires this weekend, but I can swing some at least.

Maxwell Lord posted:

(for $10 BTW)

NinjaDebugger posted:

Finally got home, in for a chunk of my gencon pocket money.

Dedman Walkin posted:

Got back from a VA checkup, figure I'd celebrate my good health by making a pause for the cause.

BrainParasite posted:

Eat the Elminster.

General Ironicus posted:

With the unfortunate (and unrelated) events of the last hour, I decided to give my part to a more general suicide prevention charity. Since he put the eligibility cap at 1k twitter followers, I gave $10 for each thousand I have at the moment.



I guess I've bought the license to call Zak S names, but instead I'll stick to the adjectives "wrong", "petulant", and "just plain awful".

Bendigeidfran posted:

Missed the thread by a page or two, but it's always a good day to show up an rear end in a top hat and help out the folks he's harassed.




also

Auralsaurus Flex posted:

Quest Jefferson posted:

Late entry, but I haven't checked the thread in a while and I wanted us to solidly double the original offer:


I also love that 13th Age Bestiary review. Just for all the story hooks and background information for each monster, it's probably the best supplement of its type I've ever owned.

Ningyou posted:

So I guess it's kinda late 'cos busy busy and I donated to a trans-specific nonprofit I really like instead of the Trevor Project but here's a thing


_{in loving memory of elminster goddessboner, and may flights of whizzards sing thee to thy rest}

Spincut posted:

Welp only able to donate $10 right now, I'll donate another $10 on Friday.

Winson_Paine posted:

I am glad I waited till today to donate, tho. It made it easier. In honor of the wounded fellow who got me this AV, I increased my donation by the five bucks it would have cost to get a new one. In honor of my fallen Mick Foley AV, I sent it to RAINN.

Slimnoid posted:

My first game was TMNT. I don't remember much other than one of the players being a walking rhino who carried a gatling gun, another as kung-fu white tiger ala Long from Bloody Roar 2, a coyote who went through front doors on a dirt bike, and an old man crow NPC who regularly kicked our asses to motivate us to be better.

Also, belated addition to the donation pile.



Not much, but I had to bring my cat back from the vet today and that cost a fair bit.

Cassa posted:

Probably could update the donation count to $2061.93, which is the last one I found.

I just gave $10 to a local disabled kids charity while thinking gently caress zak, that counts, right?

Evil Mastermind posted:

Jumpin' on this train.

Darren MacLennan posted:

Sounds like a decent plan.

K Prime posted:

Zak S now owes me straight answers to five questions about Jojo's.

Ewen Cluney posted:

I'll have to see if I can spare more later on, but I figure every bit counts.

Rulebook Heavily posted:

Probably the only productive derail we've had.

Incidentally, Zak has already rules-lawyered his way out of two donations so far, including one from another industry figure.

Saguaro PI posted:

inklesspen posted:

Mystic Mongol posted:

I never did get to send bees to an African child who had enough problems already, but this allows me to combine being judgmental with actually doing some good, which is a rare pleasure.



Goons are always at their best when also being poo poo.

xiw posted:

neongrey posted:

I'm doing it because it seemed like a nice thing to do for a cause that can deffo use it.

Tulul posted:

JDCorley posted:

I'm relieved that RPG fans will donate independent of what garbage nonsense other RPG fans will spread around. We always chip in on bundles of holding and drivethru charity drives, now a "save face from people acting exactly like Donald Trump" charity drive? I'm so in. I normally give locally but will switch over briefly for this effort.

Zurui posted:

If this is a bandwagon, I'm on it.

Adept Nightingale posted:

Am sure I met Zak S's ridiculous "conditions," so figured I'd just save us both some headache and take care of the donation myself.

Bucnasti posted:

So this means I can call Zak names right? I believe I will star with "douche-nozzle".

So I'm sure he'll try to twist this into him being the hero who is responsible for our donations but whatever.

ianvincible posted:

I guess if people are keeping a tally I may as well post this

Kai Tave posted:

Hey Zak, my biggest regret during the time I spent moderating RPGnet is that Ettin is the one who got to permaban you instead of me so I feel your Ettin-related pain brother.

You're still a complete rear end in a top hat though.

Plague of Hats posted:

I guess now, in this time of Ettinmod, thread titles are as clay.

Anyway:

ProfessorCirno posted:

Having looked up and looked into the Trevor Project, it seems like a good enough place to donate to.

Goonrushing a charity out of spite might not be the best intentions, but it does seem to be leading to good results.

Cycloneman posted:

As someone who has little idea what's going on, I can't express how little anything I've seen here has done to reassure me that Zak S is a Horrible Evil Bigot Worthy Of Contempt Who Definitely Deserves This or whatever. Could anyone link something he clearly did that was clearly wrong, and not just him being a boring turd who gets into SJ fights?

potatocubed posted:

Am I too late to get on this train?

Lemon Curdistan posted:

Don't stop donating now, it's morning in Europe.

DigitalRaven posted:

Jesus, how did I miss this thread all month?



I also kicked the same amount (but in real money) to http://www.equality-network.org/ as they're local to me. No screen cap, had to donate by text because their web-donate form's falling over.

Flavivirus posted:

I reshared the FailForward article as much as I could, so I guess I qualify for Zak's lovely little game. Thus, donation! I'd been feeling bad recently about getting angry on the internet rather than actually doing anything constructive, so I'm glad someone had this idea.

taichara posted:

I missed what Fail Forward is, but I'm up for donating to the Trevor Project for reasons.

gnome7 posted:

One more for the pile.

Rasamune posted:

This is the most dumbass Xanatos Gambit I've ever heard of

Apple Mummy posted:

I'm a pigfucker who posted Zak and the Dongion in grogs.txt



I wonder if Mike Mearls' feelings about this have changed now that Zak is becoming more unhinged?

Darth Various posted:

This post is on topic.

some loving LIAR posted:

I threw in $20 to the Trevor Project, but unfortunately I did so from a computer that has no image editing software installed on it.

Gazetteer posted:

gently caress it I don't need to eat lunch tomorrow.



As for litters, in a city they would put you up out of the dirt and the filth on the streets, separate you from ruffians, beggars and thieves and keep you from getting all sweaty and gross looking on your way to the fancy orgy party you're headed to or whatever. They also literally elevate you above others on the backs of the servants you are rich and powerful enough to have, so it was a status symbol.

inklesspen posted:

Figured I might as well chip in another donation for the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

Der Waffle Mous posted:

If we're still doing a thing.



At least now I can feel like I've finally done something useful.

Civil Twilight posted:

Cool.

Ratpick posted:

Might as well, it's for a good cause.

Cassa posted:

I said I would, and proof:



Gave to beyond blue, as it's an charity that does a lot of good.

DigitalRaven posted:

I asked Ettin: what is it you object to? You want to abolish roleplaying?

quote:

To abolish Grog! We do not only want to upset a few old-school gamers and rpgsite posters moderators; that sort of gaming does exist, but it is a mere branch of the OSR. We dig deeper and we blow you higher. We wish to deny all those arbitrary distinctions of attribute and save, armour class and THAC0, upon which mere tradgamers base themselves. The silly sentimentalists of the Forge talked of playing Story First! We hate Story as we hate Games. We have abolished Story and Game.

But Ettin, we never hated you.

quote:

You never hated because you never lived. I know what you are all of you, from first to last - you are the Old School! You are the Gaming Police - the great fat, smiling men in neckbeards and faded heavy metal t-shirts! You are the OSR, and you have never been broken. But is there a free soul alive that does not long to break you, only because you have never been broken? We on SA talk all kind of nonsense doubtless about this crime or that crime of ZakS. It is all folly! The only crime of ZakS is that he is ZakS. The unpardonable sin of the supreme Pundit is that it is supreme. I do not curse you for being obtuse. I do not curse you (though I might) for being harassers. I curse you for being grogs! You sit in your reinforced chairs of stone, and can not lever yourselves out of them. You are the seven neckbeards of heaven, and you have had no troubles. Oh, I could forgive you everything, you that rule all of gaming, if I could feel for once that you had suffered for one hour a real storygame such as I...

MadScientistWorking posted:

I think my first introduction to him was actually having a sane conversation with him over Nazigate so yeah he's really freaking bizarre.

gnome7 posted:

He did that later in the now-deleted conversation so yes, I think this was from that conversation with you. Something about how customer service is only important in retail and fast food, and if you care about it you must be from that kind of job? I don't remember the specifics, but it's in line with:


So I don't think my memory is too far off base.

EDIT: Oh, it was quoted in the How Not To Run A Business article above, how convenient:

Cassa posted:

He has a point, customer service only matters when you have customers, which isn't relevant to his kickstarter at all.

Cassa posted:

He has a point, customer service only matters when you have customers, which isn't relevant to his kickstarter at all.