Old School... something or other

Funny, I was thinking of the topic for this blog post halfway through my vacation.  Then I get back and read Tenkar's Tavern and RPGPundit's blog to find out they're talking about something similar.  But let's not put the horse before the cart, guys.

For a few weeks (this was about three years ago), I was fuzzy on what it meant - not realizing that would be a hallmark of the OSR itself up until the present.  I believe I kept calling it Old School Revolution.  Then, a month or so later I guess someone clued me in to the word Renaissance.  Intervening years have brought up Revival, Rules, Roleplaying, and probably a half-dozen others.

Maybe it's me.  Yes, it could very easily just be me, but I can't get past the fact that we don't have a universally recognized name.  I mean... it's the name.  It's in the title, for godsakes!

Let's not even get into what the OSR movement means to an individual, let alone the world before we hammer down what the "R" refers to.

I assume there's at least a little bit of consensus out there in cyber-land.  Most of us have come to the OSR later than when it was forged.  At most, a small handful was there actively participating in its origin discussion.

I don't care if we go with their original intent or pick something else.  It would be nice to have something to say when people ask - without being "corrected" by the blogger down the street.  You know, an actual definition of what those letters represent.

On the other hand, it could simply remain a revolving door of "r" words.  Nothing set in stone, subjective, flexible, do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.  But if that's the way it's going to be, I think it would be great to have a consensus on that direction.

Obviously, we're not going to get 100% on anything.  We're human, after all.  Nevertheless, I believe it's time to look that "r" square in the eye, deal with it, and move on to greener pastures.  Agree, disagree, just want to put in your two cents?  I want to read what you have to say, so comment!


VS

p.s.  Yeah, I'm not sure why I chose that particular image to adorn this blog post.  It came up in a google image search for "Old School Renaissance".  The box is from 1981 and I remember owning it or a similar set with those little plastic figures.  Ah, good times...