Electrons are not free!

[fabricator]

The appearance of new virtual world companies has renewed an age old problem, that of businesses wanting content for free. But without content their software would be meaningless, and so would their share price.

Our old friend cybertown suffers from this, you have to pay to access it. But if you make content for it, you aren't going to be in the community much to enjoy it.

I doubt secondlife is much better, how many their make enough from their creations to pay for the subscription and land fees. Not many at all judging from the published stats.

It takes time and energy to create decent content. Hell it takes electricity, internet access, plus wear and tear on the computer. Food isn't free and we eat more when we have to think about something complex. I've worn out two keyboard over the years, countless fans, and one each of PSU, hard drive, monitor.

Electrons are not free my good sir, and neither are the magnetic bits on my hard drive. Van Gogh was lucky sometimes to get enough money from the sale of one painting to buy enough paint and canvas to paint the next one !

no animals or people were harmed in the creation of this post, though a lot of electrons were inconvenienced :D

[Bruce Lehmann]

I agree completely! There are two types out there, ones that are truly confused, and ones that play the “I didn’t understand that it was wrong” card on you. People tend to think, in this day and age, that it takes very little to create. There is no difference between what we do with computers at my business now, than what we did before with rapidograph pens, t-squares and drawing tables. Only the tools have changed. There is a lot is misunderstanding about the talent and work it takes.
I have had the dubious privilege of managing graphic designers for quite a few years now. On more than one occasion I have had to explain to them that they cannot work on side jobs on my time. It uses my computers, my toner, my power and resources. Not to mention that I end up paying hourly for their side job. It still at times amazes me that they will look at me with surprise like I am the “bad, stingy boss” because of it. They will tend to treat it like it is “no big thing”.
It goes farther than that when my business creates an ad for a client. The client is sometimes offended when they find out that the content we create doesn’t belong to them, rather than that is our creative property. Other publications are surprised when we are not flattered to see our work showing up in their magazines and papers. We do have “gentlemen’s’” agreements with some other publications, but that is as far as it goes. The bottom line is, we create the content, it is ours, ask us if you want to use it!
When I do private work from home, I get people asking why I charge what I do. After all, it’s just computer graphics, must be easy. And that is just desktop publishing work. If this 3D stuff is so easy, get a few modeling programs and a text editor and give it a try!
No, electrons are NOT free, toner and time are not either.

[Gary Arthur Douglas II]

It is as much an issue as ever - across all platforms. I have found the highest success rate in addressing the issue by taking the following approach...but even that doesn't work all the time.

I shortcut around any discussions about "digital content" and such, and focus on making them clear on what's really being sold here: 3D modeling, design, graphics and custom software development. And obviously in most cases we can throw "consulting" into the packing list.

For example, I say simply: "The fact that this is in a virtual world platform is irrelevant. Design and production of graphics, 3D models and related creative content costs money - period. Call up any 3D animation or graphic design studio and you will be quoted the same (or even higher) rates for equivalent work." Even more so the software development (which is what it is - again, the platform is irrelevant): Code costs. Ask them to remove the 3D from their project, and to consider contracting a development shop to write 2 or 3 custom applications for them. Code ain't cheap. ;)

Maybe that helps you someday, maybe not /shrug/.

Good luck out there!

[Hiperia3D - Jordi R Cardona]

ExitReality has some flaws that have to do with this. I think that the recognition of authors can be improved. My critic and possible ways to solve this are here expressed:

http://news.hiperia3d.com/2008/09/worst-of-exitreality.html

Take it as constructive criticism. I like ExitReality and would like all this fixed

[Taranis]

Sad news I have to tell : according to the raw logs from my servers , it appears that the exitreality spider does just not exists : it's a mozilla that scan url and sites submitted to their site.

It does NOT look at the file robots.txt.

According to this, I can say that beside being deeplinkers and probably more, exitreality are liars.

[Catman]

"There is a lot is misunderstanding about the talent and work it takes."

Musicians suffer from the same problem. Everyone on the internet insists that all music should be free. They set up P2P networks and rob musicians blind.

Although I am not a very good musician. there is alway at least a half dozen sites that access my music from my own site, where I post my work and ask only that downloaders toss a buck or two into Paypal for the Wildlife Sanctuary. They can take all they want then. Although many take the songs and actually never part with a dollar or two, the opportunity is there next to the links.

Some have though, just not many. (Feeding and properly keeping tigers and wolves is far more expensive over the long run, than any art programs). They at least see my page and other content. Or, get linked to the Nonprofit Wildlife website.

I use to email the "give-away sites" asking to remove my work and links. Some complied (just to put it back up in 30 days) others just ignore the complaints, knowing that poor musicians have no funds to sue. LOL, try to find someone to complain to, that's a joke if your not signed with some big record company.

There are the costs of purchasing musical instruments, amplifiers and many other add-ons such as microphones and cables. Then studio time, for which just a few days can be very costly.

Then I see sites covered with ads, listing mp3's and allowing the world to take musicins work for free, like it's their right to use other people's work and profit from it. They excuse themselves, by stating they are using an "outiside server link". Basically, their philosophy means that not only do they give away other's work for their own profit, they also chew up other's bandwidth as well.

A musician offering an opportunity to hear their work while in their own website does not imply they want that link used to profit others. They want people to explore their efforts while in their own site in the hopes the public will purchase their music (and in my case, toss 2-3 dollars in to feed big cats and such, or buy my CDs to do the same). These many sites doing this, do not even give credit or link back to the originating sites so people can buy a CD and/or in my case make a donation).

The Napster type P2P "everyone steal all you can get" is totally shameless exploitation of other people's art. Especially when considering the indie artists who have never seen (or never will see) any break even for years of work and enormous financial investment.

So, for anyone complaining of people stealing their graphics, art, programs, or even 3d worlds,,, without even a link-back or proper credit... Do these same folks freely download music off of the internet?

Are people saying they are confused or play the "I didn't understand it was wrong" card? Or do they know it's wrong, but just don't care?