Quote from: Xavier Onassiss;762315He's a hateful little book-burning douche-rocket.

If you're going to give someone a user title that memorable, you should shoot for brevity.

Quote from: J Arcane;762325Bingo.

Why are you fucking people so determined to bend over backwards to defend such a flatly immoral behavior?

Because it's about as immoral as deciding to cut off your finger or smoke a bong in my eyes. It's his property, he's a grown man. Maybe he wants to destroy something beautiful. Maybe this'll get him off. Maybe he really just hates 4e. The fact I do not entirely understand his action does not mean I will condemn it. He's not going after burning all 4e. He's not going after shooting 4e's authors. He's a man letting out a bit of spite in a way that does not harm anyone.

QuoteWhy do we have to look to 5,000 years from now, when we can look to 5? 5 years from now some kid is gonna walk into a used book store where that book could've been, and it won't be there. He won't pick it up, intrigued by the art on the cover. He won't try his own hand at playing it, and find it enjoyable but wanting. He wont move on to other games, or even to inventing his own, that might very well change the whole hobby as we know it.

In five years, he'll type "4e pdfs" and steal one then. Or buy one for a buck. What about stores that probably trashed 4e's books by thousands - are we really going to hold them responsive for some hypothetical child's misery?

Also,

QuoteFuck him, and fuck you lot for defending him.

:boohoo:

Quote from: J Arcane;762325Fuck him, and fuck you lot for defending him.

Have you tried decaf?

Quote from: J Arcane;762325...
Why are you fucking people so determined to bend over backwards to defend such a flatly immoral behavior?
...

Because it's neither immoral nor unethical just because you have a book fetish.  You are going all zero tolerance on it.  I think it's a bit squicky, but that's because while I love books, I don't see them as holy objects.  I'm sure it squicks you out that I like to shoot holes in old technical books I literally can't give away.  There are lots of books you can't even give to people.  I've put up auctions for literally what it would cost me to ship them and no one was interested.

I actually did give away my 4E books, to a borderline hoarder.  I almost feel guilty about it.

You want to put your money where your mouth is?  Tell him you will pay the postage to send them to you and say $50 for dinner to celebrate getting rid of them.

Quote from: Brander;762350You want to put your money where your mouth is?  Tell him you will pay the postage to send them to you and say $50 for dinner to celebrate getting rid of them.

Only if he promises to take me out on dinner for that, I have read some of this Indianapolis food of yours and it looks delicious, if artery clogging.

The guy bought the books, they are his to burn if he so chooses.

Trying to make this out to be akin to the destruction of the Library of Alexandria is bullshit. Get a grip, people.

Quote from: Rincewind1;762351... I have read some of this Indianapolis food of yours and it looks delicious, if artery clogging.

Mmmm, delicious delicious arteries ... YUM!

But, in all seriousness ... my wife asked today what kind of food we were serving. I was going to go for the standard "4e roasted hot dogs", unless someone can suggest something better.

All that shiny paper and modern inks?  I wouldn't want to eat something off that fire.  Besides you kind of eliminate the ritualistic aspect if you do it just on Grill Night.

Rumor has it that if you set 4E on fire and bury the ashes, then a 5E product tree will sprout from the ground.

Lo, the children who did not eat their vegetables... for the famines in Africa are your responsibility!

Quote from: jeff37923;762352The guy bought the books, they are his to burn if he so chooses.

Trying to make this out to be akin to the destruction of the Library of Alexandria is bullshit. Get a grip, people.

It's not literally on the same level. It's just the same kind of douchiness. There is knowledge I dislike, therefore I will destroy it utterly with a lot of fanfare and spectacle to announce my distaste.

Yeah, okay, you're a really cool guy, whatever, there are less stupid and/or wasteful ways of getting something you don't like out of your sight.

Quote from: Rincewind1;762351Only if he promises to take me out on dinner for that, I have read some of this Indianapolis food of yours and it looks delicious, if artery clogging.

You would be so at home here. lol

Quote from: J Arcane;762289Once upon a time there were a great many books, now rare, that were abundant in their day.

Abundant by the standards of their day, not abundant by the standards of modern publishing.

QuoteHe removed knowledge from the world for no other reason than he didn't like the game. Even the fascists thought they were improving the world; he's just pissed an elfgame didn't conform to his taste specifications.

Except he didn't remove any knowledge from the world. The information in his 4E player's handbook is the exact same information as in any other 4E player's handbook. Sum total of information lost to history by this act = 0.

QuoteAnd no, I don't like the practice of pulping books either, so there's that gotcha you can shove up your ass too.

So you opted for the other gotcha where you have this childlike, superstitious version of morality where it's somehow possible to remove knowledge from the world by destroying 1 book and leaving 999 copies of the same book intact?

Got it. And gotcha.

The only thing wrong with people burning their own copies of D&D 4E books is that if they do it in public and brag about it, it's kind of a dick move to the people who worked on 'em.  I suspect most wouldn't care overmuch, it's obviously meant as not-for-serious play on the 80s D&D book burning thing, but still kinda unnecessary.  Unless the specific books in question were huge lemons, if you drop a stinker you gotta expect some ribbing, but 4E wasn't that, just very different.

There's nothing immoral about destroying ones copies of a mass-produced leisure product, even if it's a book.  There's no credible intent or ability to deny anyone knowledge, and that is the part of book burning that is immoral.

I do have to wonder what the reaction here would be if someone suggested burning 1E books ...