Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
So do you give away all your work for free? Should plumbers plumb for free? Should brick layers lay bricks for free? Should accountants account for free? Why do you make authors a special case? Writing is just as much a valid way of attempting to make a living as any of these other trades and professions.
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I think the argument is the pipes and wrenches used by plumbers are paid for. While a writer pays for pencil and paper the use of the culture around them didn't cost them a penny.
I suppose there's also an argument to be made for making art for its own sake rather than to please a customer base. Personally I see nothing wrong with trying to turn a profit, my problem is with all the excesses that have entered into it in recent years. They're bad enough that I wouldn't' cry if the pendulum swung back the other way and destroyed the current copyright system before finding more balanced point.