A call for a vote on the Rating System.

[Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmail.net>]

We could (and probably will) continue to debate the proposed "OpenSource
games rating system" endlessly - but IMHO, the most-likely-to-be-adopted-by
-programmers scheme *AND* the most-likely-to-be-understood-by-parents
scheme would be some kind of clone of the ESRB system. IMHO, we don't
have the expertise to do any better.

I propose that:

  1) We clone the ESRB system making only such changes as are necessary
     to the icons and to the explanatory text as is necessary to keep us
     out of copyright infringement.

  2) We have FIVE icons:  EC, E, T, M, AO  corresponding to the ESRB definitions
     for Early Childhood, Everyone, Teens, Mature and Adult-Only.  I suggest
     we drop the NR (Not Rated Yet) icon because with a self-rated system
     it's unnecessary.

  3) Our system is named "OGRE" and the icons are some kind of cute ogre
     of an appropriate age holding a banner or wearing a T-shirt or
     something that prominently displays the key letter(s).  We ask
     people to link that icon to our web site at which the letters are
     explained in simple terms.

  4) Each game is rated by it's author - and peer pressure will be the
     only mechanism to pursuade people to change inappropriately rated
     games.  Our web site would contain a disclaimer that makes it clear that
     since we do not personally rate the games, we can't be held responsable
     games that are inappropriately rated and that it's still the duty
     of parents to check OGRE-rated material before passing it on to their kids.

  5) We encourage members of cultures who do not approve of the ESRB system
     or who have special ratings needs to design and promote their own
     parallel systems.

I suggest we move to a vote: Reply to this mail (to the list - not to
me personally - since I might cheat!) with a simple "YES" or "NO" and we'll
tally the votes at midnight GMT on Monday evening to give people who only
read this list at work a chance to reply.

  * If the majority say "YES", let's go for it with minimal discussion
    of the basic mechanisms or ratings.

  * If the majority say "NO" then that's a vote to continue the debate
    and try for something better/different.  If you disapprove of the
    way this vote is called then reply "NO" and we'll debate that endlessly
    too!

Please don't attach discussions or complaints to this thread because it
makes it harder to count the votes.  

GO!
  
----------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------------
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