[TML] The Perfect Character Design

[Tom B]

>
> > > You have WAY more experience GMing that I do! Thanks for your
> > > insights. Can I quote you on my website for the computer game design?
> >
> > Certainly. I posted to a public forum so obviously the material is in
> the
> > public domain. But thanks for asking.
>
> Actually, it isn't.
>
> Under US law (and I believe European law as well), it's not public
> domain unless you *explicitly* state that it is, or you've been dead
> for 70 years.
>

And perhaps that is the applicable law due to where the server is hosted.
But if someone is reading the TML on their machine elsewhere, hmmm. And I'm
not posting from the US, so a further hmmm. Jurisdiction is claimed in many
of these cases, but I'm not sure it is enforceable.
And, barring those few who have met me, it would be hard to prove I'm alive
(or a single person and not a combine, or not an AI, or... etc). I could
have been dead 70 years. I may never have been alive. On a good day, I still
might not pass a Turing test. :0)

But, all joking about aside, the list owners may assert some sort of IP
rights to things you say here. I don't recall the terms of use and can't be
bothered to check. Ultimately, anyone who quotes me without an intent to
misrepresent is really perfectly welcome to do so.

I was wondering about the sorts of names that might work for a game
master...
Director
Publisher (at least as far as your players are concerned)
Moderator
Mediator
Producer (as in the TV sense)
Host (not bad)
Presenter (really, that's a lot of the job in one word...)
Arbitrer (that's also some of the job)
Narrator (has some flaws)
Writer
Master (meant several ways)
Custodian
Majordomo
Creator
Developer
etc.

I think it really is hard to sum up all aspects of the GMs job in one word.
Words have power, but sometimes one word isn't enough to describe an entire
concept.