Actually, it is quite different. They are not going to extract all previous meals from you that you have eaten there... or take back any items you have bought there.
...but they would make any rewards cards/points you had void (i.e. if I manage to get the local Fred Meyer stores to decide I'm no longer allowed to be their customer, they aren't going to honor my fuel rewards points I've built up with prior purchases), so it really isn't all that different.
I was wondering what would happen to our purchased content
Welcome to the cloud. :-)
The same question applies to OneDrive, iCloud, Google Docs, Amazon Web Services, Azure, DropBox and all the other distributed computing solutions.
The short answer is - if the cloud provider fails then you lose your data.
If you are not willing to accept this risk then cloud computing is not for you.
I'd additionally note that Curse is large enough, with enough of a reputation, that DDB is unlikely to fail without any warning--We'd likely have time to pull the materials and print them out or something before it shuttered its doors.
I was wondering what would happen to our purchased content
Welcome to the cloud. :-)
The same question applies to OneDrive, iCloud, Google Docs, Amazon Web Services, Azure, DropBox and all the other distributed computing solutions.
...
I use none of those services. Funny thing is, I worked for Rackspace for 5 or 6 years on various cloud products. I am not a fan of the "cloud" for myself.
I was wondering what would happen to our purchased content
Welcome to the cloud. :-)
The same question applies to OneDrive, iCloud, Google Docs, Amazon Web Services, Azure, DropBox and all the other distributed computing solutions.
The short answer is - if the cloud provider fails then you lose your data.
If you are not willing to accept this risk then cloud computing is not for you.
I'd additionally note that Curse is large enough, with enough of a reputation, that DDB is unlikely to fail without any warning--We'd likely have time to pull the materials and print them out or something before it shuttered its doors.
I am way less concerned about using D&D Beyond than I am other cloud services... for a number of reasons
1) All of the purchased content (so far) I own in other forms as well (physical, PDF, Fantasy Grounds... whatever). So, even if they close the site, I still have the content and can still play. I am only out the money I spent here. Which, honestly... even if I purchased the Legendary Bundle is not that much.
2) None of the data that I store on this site will be critical or valuable. I am sure I will have print outs of any important data that I enter. So, again... out nothing
3) The site did ask for my birthday for some reason... not sure why they need that (I guess to ensure people are over 18?). I never use my real birthday on a site like this. So, even if my account gets hacked, they won't have that info.
Hopefully, credit card info is stored securely. That would be my main concern. But, again... I use a card that is attached to an account that only contains minimal funds. I transfer funds into that account as needed...
A little thread necromancy. I hope that's not a problem.
My concern is that this is purely online, unless I have misunderstood something.
If I buy MP3s on Amazon, I can save them to a local device. If the device dies I should be able to retrieve the files with my Amazon account. If Amazon fails, I have the files locally and can back them up to another cloud source or to another local device.
Similarly with most e-book systems, files can be saved both locally and in the cloud, so barring a severe stroke of misfortune or a wide-ranging catastrophe.
I missed the boat when Ultraviolet died and failed to download all my films locally (I didn't have many anyway and I only had films that I had acquired via DVD purchase) but the option was available.
Some (many/all?) online project management systems allow/encourage you to download your data locally in spreadsheets or xml files, which can help with system recovery and can be used to transfer your data to a new system.
I don't see any such protection with D&D Beyond (or, for that matter, with Roll20), which is making me a little hesitant to take up the current Cyber Monday offers, although I will probably get, at least, the player's handbook.
Please let me know if I am mistaken, and there is some form of protection for the cloud purchases on D&D Beyond.
If I buy MP3s on Amazon, I can save them to a local device. If the device dies I should be able to retrieve the files with my Amazon account. If Amazon fails, I have the files locally and can back them up to another cloud source or to another local device.
Similarly with most e-book systems, files can be saved both locally and in the cloud, so barring a severe stroke of misfortune or a wide-ranging catastrophe.
I missed the boat when Ultraviolet died and failed to download all my films locally (I didn't have many anyway and I only had films that I had acquired via DVD purchase) but the option was available.
Some (many/all?) online project management systems allow/encourage you to download your data locally in spreadsheets or xml files, which can help with system recovery and can be used to transfer your data to a new system.
I don't see any such protection with D&D Beyond (or, for that matter, with Roll20), which is making me a little hesitant to take up the current Cyber Monday offers, although I will probably get, at least, the player's handbook.
Please let me know if I am mistaken, and there is some form of protection for the cloud purchases on D&D Beyond.
Technically I believe with DDB or Roll20 you are not buying the book, you are buying a license to view the book. So they cannot give you a copy not on their servers, they need to validate that you have the license to view it. They cannot give you a book for longer than they have the rights to it, that isn't the deal they made with WotC. As long as DDB is up, you have access to the books on here, once it goes down then they cannot distribute the books anymore, so we lose access to them.
Maybe when 6E comes out or DDB shuts down we will be given the option to download or be given access to a copy of the books we've purchased, maybe DDB upgrades to 6E and we get discounts or certain deals for having the 5E equivalent. We don't know what will happen, but I suspect that DDB will try to give us something, maybe WotC will allow a PDF of the books, who knows.
There is a balance between the convenience of digital and the lasting element of physical, a tablet is way easier to carry but the half dozen sourcebooks will outlast it and isn't dependent on a website.
If DDB goes down, everything on here is gone, we cannot guarantee we will get anything if it does, its the price we have to consider and pay if we want to use it. I can't tell you when DDB shuts down, or if digital or physical is better, they each have their own pros and cons. You have to be the one to measure the pros and cons and the risks of each. But DDB cannot guarantee we will get anything if they shut down.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"The D&D rules help you and the other players have a good time, but the rules aren't in charge. You're the DM, and you are in charge of the game" - Dungeon Masters Guide
Please let me know if I am mistaken, and there is some form of protection for the cloud purchases on D&D Beyond.
Yes, there is. Your web browser has a File, Save As feature. Alternatively, File, Print, PDF.
Generally, fair use allows us to save web-based content offline for our own use. However, I Am Not A Lawyer, and I Am Not Willing To Represent You, so take my advice acordingly.
There's actually quite a big functional difference between owning and renting indefinitely. If you own a piece of property, you can give it away or sell it. If you pass away, your children, if any, can inherit it.
Just saying. I pay for a lot of DRM stuff so I'm not against it, but there is a difference.
Welcome to the cloud. :-)
The same question applies to OneDrive, iCloud, Google Docs, Amazon Web Services, Azure, DropBox and all the other distributed computing solutions.
The short answer is - if the cloud provider fails then you lose your data.
If you are not willing to accept this risk then cloud computing is not for you.
I use none of those services. Funny thing is, I worked for Rackspace for 5 or 6 years on various cloud products. I am not a fan of the "cloud" for myself.
A little thread necromancy. I hope that's not a problem.
My concern is that this is purely online, unless I have misunderstood something.
If I buy MP3s on Amazon, I can save them to a local device. If the device dies I should be able to retrieve the files with my Amazon account. If Amazon fails, I have the files locally and can back them up to another cloud source or to another local device.
Similarly with most e-book systems, files can be saved both locally and in the cloud, so barring a severe stroke of misfortune or a wide-ranging catastrophe.
I missed the boat when Ultraviolet died and failed to download all my films locally (I didn't have many anyway and I only had films that I had acquired via DVD purchase) but the option was available.
Some (many/all?) online project management systems allow/encourage you to download your data locally in spreadsheets or xml files, which can help with system recovery and can be used to transfer your data to a new system.
I don't see any such protection with D&D Beyond (or, for that matter, with Roll20), which is making me a little hesitant to take up the current Cyber Monday offers, although I will probably get, at least, the player's handbook.
Please let me know if I am mistaken, and there is some form of protection for the cloud purchases on D&D Beyond.
Technically I believe with DDB or Roll20 you are not buying the book, you are buying a license to view the book. So they cannot give you a copy not on their servers, they need to validate that you have the license to view it. They cannot give you a book for longer than they have the rights to it, that isn't the deal they made with WotC. As long as DDB is up, you have access to the books on here, once it goes down then they cannot distribute the books anymore, so we lose access to them.
Maybe when 6E comes out or DDB shuts down we will be given the option to download or be given access to a copy of the books we've purchased, maybe DDB upgrades to 6E and we get discounts or certain deals for having the 5E equivalent. We don't know what will happen, but I suspect that DDB will try to give us something, maybe WotC will allow a PDF of the books, who knows.
There is a balance between the convenience of digital and the lasting element of physical, a tablet is way easier to carry but the half dozen sourcebooks will outlast it and isn't dependent on a website.
If DDB goes down, everything on here is gone, we cannot guarantee we will get anything if it does, its the price we have to consider and pay if we want to use it. I can't tell you when DDB shuts down, or if digital or physical is better, they each have their own pros and cons. You have to be the one to measure the pros and cons and the risks of each. But DDB cannot guarantee we will get anything if they shut down.
"The D&D rules help you and the other players have a good time, but the rules aren't in charge. You're the DM, and you are in charge of the game" - Dungeon Masters Guide
Yes, there is. Your web browser has a File, Save As feature. Alternatively, File, Print, PDF.
Generally, fair use allows us to save web-based content offline for our own use. However, I Am Not A Lawyer, and I Am Not Willing To Represent You, so take my advice acordingly.
There's actually quite a big functional difference between owning and renting indefinitely. If you own a piece of property, you can give it away or sell it. If you pass away, your children, if any, can inherit it.
Just saying. I pay for a lot of DRM stuff so I'm not against it, but there is a difference.
I'm beginning to think that we need a necro-protection in this forum.
Altrazin Aghanes - Wizard/Fighter
Varpulis Windhowl - Fighter
Skolson Demjon - Cleric/Fighter