Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcCunney
How about it, Steve? Which way do you jump? Do you trust the overall market, or not?
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Have you ever seen a movie scene, where the hero is carrying the villian's money, and being chased by the villian? And just before he gets caught, he throws the money into the air in the middle of a calm, law-abiding crowd... and suddenly, that crowd becomes greedy crazed lunatics leaping into the piles of free money, knocking each other over to stuff as much of that money into their pockets as they can before it's too late?
That's the market.
The Darknet is the free money in the air, with nothing stopping people from grabbing what they can. So they do. Are they evil? No... they are just taking due advantage. That's human nature at work.
There have been plenty of documented examples of people who have put digital products on the internet, and solicited donations after the fact... and received effectively nothing for their product. People took the free money, and walked away. Human nature at work.
It's in my best interests to make sure my profit-intended product doesn't become free money in the air... because when it does, I will have no control over people taking that product and not giving me anything for it. I will certainly lose out.
As for concerns about the quality of my work, and how that affects sales: Sure, I'm concerned with whether or not I'm good enough to garner a single sale, much less enough to make a living. But that's really beside the point. The point is, there is a source of loss out there, and it should be quantified, so we will know whether or not it's something that needs to be dealt with.
Personally I think that, based on the demonstrated traits of human nature, the Darknet does represent a significant source of loss that should be dealt with. Those with a rosier view of human nature will differ (as will those who share that human nature). But none of us will know, unless and until the problem is quantified.
And believe it or not, I can afford to be rational about this, because my livelihood is not on the line. I am not desperately clinging to my sole source of income, here... 2008 marks the first year I actually made a profit on this project, and it's projected to be a grand total of less than $500.
This is a hobby for me. I have nothing to lose, except the time I spend writing stories, packaging e-book formats, updating web sites, and putting this stuff online.
I wonder if those who would be inconvenienced by regulations put in place to make sure they could not take my books for free, are being as rational about the question... or voicing a fear that they will no longer get free money.