In Wake County, the news of the beloved website among many Dungeon and Dragons players, called Dndbeyond, was received negatively among many as it has been revealed to be blocked by the "Administrators". Dungeon and Dragons is a popular "Table-top Role-playing Game". It encourages collaboration among peers and allows students to use their creativity. Dndbeyond is a website popular among many Dungeon and Dragon players to help organize character sheets, find info and campaigns, discuss with others, do calculations like Health Points, keep track of items, levels, abilities, and do various other things. Of course, the news of the website being banned on WCPSS-issued Chromebooks was a shock to many, especially those involved in clubs. You see, a school like Davis Drive Middle has a Dungeon and Dragons club. Last year, DNDbeyond was used widely by many to digitally do tasks like calculations and record characters online. However, this school year (2024-2025) the website is banned. The concerns of the internet and potentially troublesome websites are a pressing issue, and while it is understood as to why the beloved website could've been blocked, my argument is that it holds no real danger to students as any other website. It may have some form of discussion and may have micro-transactions, but the possibility of a student encountering inappropriate speech is not as high as other forms of social media, which is specifically catered to those who might discuss vulgar language compared to a community specifically made to talk about a Tabletop RPG that is appropriate for all ages and brings enjoyment to many. They unbanned Fandom.com, which has more ads that lead to transactions than DNDbeyond. Overall, DNDBeyond, while holding some concerns, is just the same, if not better, than other websites that are not banned. It builds community and helps students on their quest to better play the game we all love. Unblocking the website will greatly help players better do repetitive tasks and keep a record of things. For some, the WCPSS-issued Chromebook is the only device they have. So there are no alternatives besides using it, while having their previous tool blocked. 

DNDBeyond is a tool. It is not a distraction, not a marketplace, not malware, and definitely not worth blocking.

Unbanning this may seem like a daunting task, and the fears of students getting distracted or seeing inappropriate things is always present on the modern internet. But the pros outweigh the cons, and DNDBeyond is a much safer option than to have students go to sketchy websites that actually pose a threat. Some alternative solutions then just outright unbanning the website could be to turn off the filters, or just make them lighter after school. While it is noted that schools in Wake County close at different periods, it’s still not a bad idea to consider that filters for games and other websites should have the ability to be turned off after school.

An additional note to add is that they banned various other helpful websites for D&D players like DND Wikidot and orkerhulen.dk's online version of the Players Handbook. These, like DNDBeyond, all help players who may not be able to access such materials greatly. So it would also be appreciated if they were even just considered to be unbanned.