Infographic: People Will Pay To Support Creators, Even When Free Is An Option

from the reason-to-buy dept

Wed, Dec 12th 2012 4:08pm — Leigh Beadon

Back when we first launched the Insider Shop, we made two PDF ebooks available at any price you choose: Mike's Approaching Infinity (on new business models and the economics of abundance) and our Sky Is Rising report on the state of the entertainment industries. More recently, we launched three fiction titles by our own Tim Geigner—Digilife, Echelon and Midwasteland—also available on a pay-what-you-want basis. They were an instant hit, and we're in the process of preparing new ePub versions.

The thing we noticed right away was that a lot of people were choosing to pay, even though you can download all the books for free. Almost half of all book downloads were paid, with most people choosing the default $5 per book—even when buying four or five books at once—and several going above and beyond, with a few even paying $20 for a single title.

At this point, there's plenty of evidence that people will gladly, even eagerly, pay to support creators despite being given the option of getting something for free—and we're glad to add the success of our Insider Shop ebooks to the list. For those who want a closer look at the numbers, I put together a quick infographic:

Embed This:

<a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121210/12422821338/infographic-people-will-pay-to-support-creators-even-when-free-is-option.shtml"><img src="http://cdn.techdirt.com/i/ig/ebook-infographic.png" title="Techdirt Insider Shop Pay-What-You-Want Ebook Sales" width="560" /></a>

Thanks to everyone who has downloaded our ebooks, whether you paid $0 or $20 or anything in between! If you haven't gotten your copies yet, head on over to the Insider Shop and check them out.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: ebooks, free, pay what you want, support

78 Comments

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Matt (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 2:21pm

# of downloads
Very interesting data. Can you comment on the number of downloads?
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Mike Brown (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 4:00pm

Well, that is sort of like asking "how much money did you make." Not very polite. Not that I'm not curious myself, of course.

Mike and Tim would never say this, but 51% paid nothing? For shame. Have you read this blog? Oh nevermind, I'm sure it was AJ, OOTB, and Bob, downloading tons of copies in order to skew the results in their favor.
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Zakida Paul (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 4:12pm

Cue this evidence being ignored by idiot bob, ootb and co.

On the plus side, their stupidity is entertaining.
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sehlat (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 4:18pm

Link to image not working
http://cdn.techdirt.com/i/ig/ebook-infographic.png
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 4:33pm

Re:
You kidding? They're going to use the fact that 51% of people didn't pay anything as evidence that this failed miserably and use it as evidence that we need stricter copyright laws.

Then they're going to ignore everything else.
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Rottweiler (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 4:39pm

Now I wait for the usual simpletons like ootb, bob and average joe to come and make their usual ramblings without reading the article.
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Bill W (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 5:12pm

ePub!
Thanks for the ePub versions. Please let us know when they are out. PDF on my iPad is OK but you van't adjust the type size. Converting from PDF to ePub is only OK, it's not perfect yet.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 5:38pm

Re:
Ah, come on. ootb is certifiable which is not usually the definition of a simpleton. Average Joe is burried very deep in the subject of law, but he is not stupid at all. With a litlle less ad hom he would be a fair voice of the opposite point to Mike Masnicks economic free market opinions. Bob is somewhere inbetween with a lot of rambling about the general crowd here and other bait. He could actually be called a simpleton, but mostly I think he is the archetypical troll.
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Mesonoxian Eve (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 5:52pm

The only thing copyright supporters will see is the 51% and how this translates into corn farmers who can't feed their family or fight patent lawsuits served by Monsanto.

They'll scream out how TD's own supporters can't even pay a single penny, churning out a 51% loss of potential revenue.

Chris Dodd's probably penning his blog right now, fully prepared to ignore the obvious.

Sherman's probably on the phone right now to whoever's in his pockets, readying another SOPA-like bill using this data as "facts" (he's going to add millions on the number, so be prepared).

But if there's anything I'd like to say to all this, it's...

... you're welcome, TD, and thank you for standing by the practice of CwF+RtB.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 6:08pm

I see the 51% as typical freeloaders. These are likely the same lowlifes who pirate other content. I'd be interested to hear from the people who bought the works. I'd be willing to bet that they're not big into infringing. Any takers?
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That One Guy (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 6:26pm

It'll be interesting to see how many of the 'paid nothing' crowd go back and pay money later, or in other words how many were simply pulling a 'try before you buy'.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 6:48pm

I also think that because this is a transaction within the Techdirt "community" that the instance of people paying nothing is lower than in the outside world. There is an affinity here that doesn't exist were it MPAA movies and RIAA songs. Given that fact, I think 51% is a shockingly high number.
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Milton Freewater, 12 Dec 2012 @ 7:02pm

Re:
AJ, OOTB, and Bob pay nothing for the copyrighted articles on this blog and they pay nothing to support the professionals who maintain these threads.

They don't believe in paying for content. They believe in picking fights, and they sort of believe in people other then themselves being forced to do things.

They're bullies, not advocates. Their posts are filled with fiction intended only to get attention and upset people. They don't understand the subject and they don't care.

It's funny how many trolls come onto TD and other similar sites and confuse passion with weakness. "If you care enough to respond to me over and over, I've won." Not if the subject is important, chumley.
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Milton freewater, 12 Dec 2012 @ 7:05pm

Re:
"I see the 51% as typical freeloaders. These are likely the same lowlifes who pirate other content. I'd be interested to hear from the people who bought the works. I'd be willing to bet that they're not big into infringing."

So you see no difference between legal and illegal downloads?

You may be right.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 7:30pm

Re: Re:
Sorry Mildew; I see no difference in freeloading here and freeloading elsewhere. It's all about getting something of value for nothing. I'll bet you're the kind of loser who goes to a high school car wash fundraiser where they accept donations- and drop a quarter into the can, if anything at all.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 7:48pm

of course Copyright Maximalists will see 51% got it for free and call it an epic failure.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 8:01pm

Re: Re: Re:
And you're the kind of person who calls people losers, on the internet.

I'll let that one sink in for a moment . . .
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out_of_the_blue, 12 Dec 2012 @ 8:08pm

Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
First, you fanboy-trolls show who has the influence here: you actually WISH for opposition to show up so you can be vile, and even do so in the absence.

2nd, if there were "lots" it would not be easy to skew the results to 51%. -- Nor do I WISH the experiment to "fail"; I'm sympathetic to authors who only want some gruel, but not to grifting weenies getting millions off starving authors; and as said before, anyone is free to give away their own material. I even refrained from advising knee-pads for the required fervent praying, so as to not at all affect results (with my huge influence).

3rd, @ "AJ, OOTB, and Bob pay nothing for the copyrighted articles on this blog and they pay nothing to support the professionals who maintain these threads." -- Huh? Is the material here under active copyright after all, MIke? Or has that boob totally missed your philosophy besides statement that you're (somehow) making a living by writing (somewhere)? Been telling ya, need a Features statement of bullet points of your beliefs: though I've tried for two years to glean them, your positions remain vague.

4th, I too would like a more precise number than "a lot". That's just weaselly, and leaves me even more in doubt. Bet if were large, they'd state it. BTW, as usual the fanboy-trolls can only see ONE side: results were more likely skewed by true believers buying "lots", say five at a dollar each, plus running up the peak to all of $20. We don't know, and obviously Mike ain't gonna tell us any totals. We're left with Techdirt's standard baseless accusations and dimensionless "data".

5th, why does the graphic only cover 2 days, to Dec 7? Will you at all tell us how 2nd week sales went? -- We could see if the postulated try-before-buy effect is real.

6th, only "BillW" mentions buying, and (echoing an above comment in plain language) if 51% free is the response on TD (one might say, by the choir), then logout for the last time, Mike: you ain't having any useful effect.

BTW: who'll put all those up on TPB to "promote" them? I actually checked there for two of Timmy's books, and they ain't on. Why won't someone share them? ... Or are we doubters right after all: that's a SURE way for Timmy to NOT get a cent from them?
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 8:34pm

Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
Well played. The freetards are now writhing in the crushing grip of reason.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 8:35pm

Re: Re:
I wonder if there might be people who downloaded it twice. Once for free to check it out, then paid because they liked it.
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Matt (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 8:43pm

Re:
Sorry, not trying to be impolite and could care less about the actual sales figures. Just wanted to get more clarity on the trends presented by having a better understanding of the sample set.

Personally, I have been a fan of the site for many years and always looking for new ways to support it.
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Just John (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 8:57pm

Re:
Sadly, I am one of the ones who paid nothing. Not by choice, but because I lack the ability to pay. If Tim ever comes to Taiwan, I will gladly give him the money for the books though (Or if he can figure out how to let us pay at 7-11).
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 9:42pm

Re: Re:
Same here.
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anonymouse, 12 Dec 2012 @ 9:51pm

Re:
I personally dont think it is a problem downloading for free, a lot of people will be trying them out and may pay next time while some may just not have a paypal account or an easy way to pay or just dont buy of the internet , i know a few people like that. In fact i would encourage people to download the book or books and read them at least then when someone asks you can recommend or not. I dont like it when people say that those not paying are scroungers, just like the the guy recently on here that put a message if people took his stuff for free, how he called then scroungers or something like that, people who download for free have many reasons and i dont think there is anything wrong with it.

I wont download it, I have loads of books to read on my kindle and honestly dont need any more for a while.
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Emil Ole William Kirkegaard, 12 Dec 2012 @ 10:04pm

Re: such hypotheses have already been tested
Such hypotheses have already been tested. They always fail tests. Hell, studies usually show the opposite trend: people that download more for free, also buy more.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 10:18pm

Re:
Except the point isn't that everyone would do that, only that their would be those who do.
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anonymouse, 12 Dec 2012 @ 10:39pm

Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
Lets get one thing out of the way, sharing is not going to stop. In fact it is going to become more and more popular as more and more people get to realsie how simple it is to share anything in digital format. The only way any of the future authors are going to be successful is to embrace it and accept it and use it to there advantage, this site has shown how it can be done, but just remember one simple point that a lot of content creators seem to forget, you have a lot of competition, there are a lot more authors being published now than every before as a result of places like Amazon.
And an important thing to remember is that for every musician or actor or author that is successful there are thousands and thousands that are working in coffee shops and McDonald's for a living. Dont think just because you have made a good living from being an author in the past you are going to be successful in the future. Previously publishers chose who would be successful, now anyone can be if they have the right business plan for them and they accept that things have changed. I can see the legacy authors the Clive Cusslers and Stephen Kings being negatively affected, but some new authors can and should be able to make a success if they invest there time in expanding there knowledge about the internet or get someone who really knows what he is doing to market them on the internet. And remember success is not necessarily making a lot of money, to many success is if they are well known and people write about how they enjoyed reading there books.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 10:45pm

Re: Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
Or it would be well played, if ootb didn't completly miss the point
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Ophelia Millais (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 10:52pm

Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
I'll just semi-respond to the last point, since that leapt out at me. So it's not on TPB yet...sure, but doesn't that just prove the CwF+RtB philosophy referred to on the Insider Shop page? I mean, TechDirt's Insider Shop has positioned itself as the primary, if not exclusive distributor during the work's period of greatest marketability, and made money doing it, without resorting to any technological or legal contrivances and finger wagging in an effort to stop piracy. All they had to do was make it available in a way that respects what people actually want (in this case: pay-what-you-want, unlocked PDF, no handing over personal info) on a site which, for other reasons, attracts an enthusiastic pool of potential consumers. The stock photo sites more-or-less get this, but last time I looked at a major publisher, label, or studio website, all I saw was a bunch of ads.
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Bas Grasmayer (profile), 12 Dec 2012 @ 11:08pm

Re: Re: Re:
Maybe you should start paying for being able to comment on Techdirt, because obviously you value it...
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2012 @ 11:49pm

Re: Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
I wish people would break their posts up into more readable chunks. >_>
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PaulT (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 12:56am

Re:
"Mike and Tim would never say this, but 51% paid nothing? For shame."

It might be worth noting that one piece of evidence I remember from Radiohead's experiment with In Rainbows was that there were multiple "sales" to the same people. That is, people downloaded for free, then listened to the album, realised they liked it, then downloaded again for a paid amount in order to compensate the artist. In other words, people were previewing the content before deciding what it was worth and what to pay. Nothing wrong with that.

Either way, there's really nothing wrong with downloading for free if that option is available. Anyone who offers such a deal is going to aware that many people will take the free option, perhaps even a majority of people. But just because they don't pay up front, that doesn't mean that those people won't pay in future - another reason why the content industry's insistence on suing people is counter-productive. The trick isn't to get 100% of people to pay, the trick is to build a business where the freebie downloads aren't necessarily a negative. If the revenue generated by this model is higher than the amount they would have made through traditional sales or by selling locked-down $20 eBooks, who cares how many people got a free copy on the side?

"Oh nevermind, I'm sure it was AJ, OOTB, and Bob, downloading tons of copies in order to skew the results in their favor."

Judging by ootb's obsessive linking to a piece of factual information about Mike as though that's some kind of negative, I wouldn't be surprised if they did this thinking they were "costing" Mike money every time they downloaded. Such is their lack of understanding about the realities of concepts discussed here.
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PaulT (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 1:20am

Re: Re: Re:
Did you pay for one of the books? If not why do you insist on consuming content for free here, you freeloader?
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PaulT (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 1:26am

Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
Those strawmen are looking awfully threadbare right now. perhaps you'd like to switch to reality and give them a break? Besides, I thought you were the one who hated ad hom attacks, yet here we see they're all you have. Sad.
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Any Mouse (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 1:29am

Re: Re: Re:
That's my general M.O. If I like the first title, I go back and buy it and the rest. Just sayin'.
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Any Mouse (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 1:39am

Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
Okay, by the numbers, then.

1) This is an instance where you had the opportunity to show up and at least admit that you could be wrong. You're not doing that, so you're just showing yourself up to be the troll we all know and love.

2) The weenies you speak of, those would be the middle-men, yes? The publishing houses, the recording studios and their ilk? Because they 'steal' a hell of a lot more from artists than any infringement ever could. (Huge influence my ass.)

3) Copyright is automatic, as you well know. Otherwise the barb was rather pointless, but in the spirit of you and others accusing everyone who posts here of being a pirate.

4) I agree that numbers would be nice, but from there you just devolve into a little jerk, again.

5) No idea where you got the notion it only covers two days. It says 'based on ebook sales as of December 7,' which says nothing of when it started. You are suggesting that the Insider Shop started offering ebooks on the 5th, and never once before that? Care to back that up?

6) More baseless supposition attacking stated facts.

Of course, in your world everything will show up on TPB to be pirated away without a care, even if it's already being offered legally for free.

Keep being classy.
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PaulT (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 1:44am

Re: Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
Yes, those fictional characters you people attack are now writhing in agony. Would you like to address the rest of us for once now?
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Tim Griffiths (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 1:48am

Re:
51% not paying here is a bit of a pointless number because you have no idea how many of those people represent those who would have other wise paid or those that would never have. For example there are a good number of free ebooks I have and almost all of them are books I'd never have read if I'd had to pay for. (As a side note this has often lead to me buying other books from a series.)
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Paul Keating, 13 Dec 2012 @ 2:36am

How much total was received?
Mike, Can you please update the graph to show how much in total was received by all? This would be a very important aspect to the data. While I would hope it to show that the authors made a good or reasonable profit, the numbers will be what they will be and should still be disclosed. Otherwise, it is only percentages with little real meaning (at least for me).
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Paul Keating (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 2:57am

How much total was received?
Mike, Can you please update the graph to show how much in total was received by all? This would be a very important aspect to the data. While I would hope it to show that the authors made a good or reasonable profit, the numbers will be what they will be and should still be disclosed. Otherwise, it is only percentages with little real meaning (at least for me).
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2012 @ 4:22am

Re: How much total was received?
Isn't it obvious? The numbers don't support his CwF+RtB thesis. That's why you only get percentages, which you correctly note have little meaning (to anyone).
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2012 @ 4:49am

Re: Re: Re:
So if I work in a soup kitchen anyone who accepts the soup I make is bad?

What kind of fucked logic is that?
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Ophelia Millais (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:12am

Re: How much total was received?
FWIW, the article was written by Leigh, not Mike.
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average_joe (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:17am

Re:
Oh nevermind, I'm sure it was AJ, OOTB, and Bob, downloading tons of copies in order to skew the results in their favor.

Nope. I haven't downloaded a single one.
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average_joe (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:18am

Re: Re:
AJ, OOTB, and Bob pay nothing for the copyrighted articles on this blog and they pay nothing to support the professionals who maintain these threads.

They don't believe in paying for content.

I spend lots of money on content and the arts. Probably more than most, if I had to guess.
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average_joe (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:20am

Re:
Now I wait for the usual simpletons like ootb, bob and average joe to come and make their usual ramblings without reading the article.

Sure, I'll comment. Good for TD for bringing in some money with their "free" model. I like it, and I know already that it works for some people.
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average_joe (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:21am

Re: Re: How much total was received?
Isn't it obvious? The numbers don't support his CwF+RtB thesis.

There could be a total of like 10 downloads, in which case the sample size is too small to be meaningful. It would be more appropriate to give us the actual numbers.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:25am

Re: Re: How much total was received?
Leigh=Jerry Mahoney
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Cory of PC (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:27am

Re: Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
... Who are you and why should we care?
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Cory of PC (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:33am

Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
Blue... I will never allow you to support me. I don't want your sympathy. I don't need someone like you supporting me as a writer when you're going to be bashing people over how they're downloading stuff for free when I should be getting boatloads of money.

Sure you might have a point and you sound like a legitimate supporter, but will it kill you to at least cut the nonsense out and speak like a sane person?
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Cory of PC (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:35am

Re: Ankle-biters yapping at shadows.
Oh, and by the way, check who wrote this article and the picture.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:45am

Re: Re: Re: How much total was received?
Seems like someone with advanced algebra skills could probably figure this out.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2012 @ 6:37am

Re: Re:
I agree with this completely. Please don't lump them together.
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Josh in CharlotteNC (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 6:43am

Re:
I'd be willing to bet that they're not big into infringing. Any takers?

Hi Mr. Anonymous Coward. My name is Josh. I'm big into infringing. I self-identify as a pirate (see my TD profile pic). I was downloading things illegally using bittorrent just last night. I also actively encourage others to break copyright law, as I see it as unnecessary in today's world and harming the distribution of culture and ideas which could be achieved for almost no cost.

Oh, and I bought all 5 of the ebooks in the TD shop for $5 each.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:02am

Re: Re:
As I noted, I was surprised by the very high 51% freeloader ratio because this was transactions within the Techdirt community; essentially freeloading off of friends rather than strangers. You simply bear out my assertion about how amoral and entitled this community is. Thanks!
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:05am

Re: Re:
Bullshit. It's not that you literally have no money, it's that you have elected not to spend money on this. You seem to have enough money for an internet connection, which implies that you have a place to live (though it may be Mom's basement), which implies you have a job. And you're too cheap to cough up a single dollar? That's pathetic.
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Leigh Beadon (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:20am

Re: Re:
I dont like it when people say that those not paying are scroungers

Just to be clear, this is exactly how we feel too. Please, everyone, pay or don't pay, whatever your reasons! We are happy for the books to get out there. Approaching Infinity has been freely available as a series of Techdirt posts for years, Sky Is Rising was dedicated to the public domain on its release, and Tim has always emailed free copies of his novels to anyone who asks.

When we say Pay What You Want, we mean it! And we hope you enjoy the books!
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PaulT (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:21am

Re: Re: Re:
What about people who neither downloaded nor paid? In fact, what about people who paid because the books interested them, but have no connection to this site as a regular reader or contributor?

"You simply bear out my assertion about how amoral and entitled this community is."

You heard it here first folks - if you get a free coffee at your next community meeting with the full support of those holding the meeting, you're amoral and entitled! Don';t let you immoral nature be seen next time you pick up a free sample at the supermarket, and god forbid you take advantage of the free Duke Nukem 3D at GOG this week without buying something else from them - it's satanic to take a free copy without paying!

Yes, you do sound this stupid.
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PaulT (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:23am

Re: Re: Re:
How much is $1 worth in Taiwan, or did you miss that part in your rush to attack people with your impotent foolishness? How much have you paid in return for everything you do on this site?
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Leigh Beadon (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:23am

Re: Re: Re:
How is it amoral of them to download the books for free when we invite and encourage people to do so?
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Leigh Beadon (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:25am

Re: Re: Re:
Buddy, there's only one pathetic person here, and it's the guy desperately going around trying to insult everyone who freely downloaded a free book that they were invited to download for free.

I'm officially instituting a "pay what you want to comment" program here on Techdirt. Commenting are free, but this AC is an amoral asshole if he doesn't pay $1 each time.
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Leigh Beadon (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:31am

Re: How much total was received?
I'm not sure I understand why percentages are meaningless to you. The point is to show the proportion of people who chose to pay when free was an option, which illustrates the attitudes of readers.

What would full sales figures provide, other than an excuse for the trolls to claim the whole thing is a failure (which they would do whether it was 1, 100 or 100000 downloads)?
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Leigh Beadon (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:32am

Re: Re: Re: Re: How much total was received?
Seems like someone with advanced algebra skills could probably figure this out.

Whereas only someone who lacks even a basic understanding of algebra would think you can determine absolute totals from relative proportions.
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E. Zachary Knight (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:39am

Re: Re: Re: How much total was received?
In order to have a 51% section of the graph, it would need at least 100 points of data. With only 10 points, the closest it could get would be 50%.
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Steve (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 7:43am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Among my friends and family things are given freely and with no strings. Sometime we will insist on paying it back in full, going dutch or accepting the gift as it was intended... as a gift. As Mike says, download it and enjoy. No strings. If you are a friend/fan/participant then the assumption is that you are part of a community that is growing and giving back in one way or another. It doesn't even ever have to be money. Just participation in the community makes it all richer. How can offering a gift and accepting a gift be amoral?
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Cory of PC (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 8:12am

Re: Re: Re: How much total was received?
Can I ask: WHO ARE YOU REFERRING TO!?
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Leigh Beadon (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 8:23am

Re: Re: Re: Re: How much total was received?
I assume he means the ventriloquist's dummy. It's very clever, you see -- one of the best ways to punch up an insult is by removing it one or two steps from the core message. Like I could call him an insecure child with a tragically wrongheaded concept of where self-worth comes from, but I'd probably get bigger laughs if I said he sounds like a little girl who loses pageants to Honey Boo Boo.
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Cory of PC (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 8:25am

Re:
Yeah, focus on the fact that over half of those who get these e-books are getting for free, while you're glossing over that the other 49% percent of people bought these books. Is that really not important?! This graph is showing that, while there are those out there who don't want to pay, that other nearly-half of people out there are buying these books... and these are the same people you're excusing of being freeloaders!

If I were to take a look at it, I can see that this is a good thing. While on a larger scale it will have an effect because even the smallest things can make a big difference. Sure it probably won't matter to certain audiences, like the MPAA or RIAA since they have the same mindset as you, but if you get the right audience to show this to, then they are willing to go along with this plan.

This may not have an impact now, but this is a step in the right direction. There are others out there that are doing this and they are getting people. I am even going to adopt some of what TechDirt is doing here and apply it to my own works, simply because I do want to have my own audience and I do want people to read my books, while giving me some money if they like my work! I'm not some jerk who goes around telling people that they're criminals for making copies of my stories without my permission! That's completely stupid!

And besides, you're an anonymous coward that's calling us a bunch of freeloaders when you're missing out on something good! Why should we take you seriously?
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Cory of PC (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 8:28am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: How much total was received?
Yeah, I wasn't certain on that, but that would be rather funny to hear that. Now to find that right tone of voice to fit the mood...
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art guerrilla (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 10:33am

Re: @ A non Cow 6:08
so-o-o-o, if you give someone a gift, do you then consider them a 'freeloader' ?
if someone gives you a GIFT, do you then consider yourself a 'freeloader' ?

the cruel and heartless run our society today, you should fit in just fine...
art guerrilla
aka ann archy
eof
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2012 @ 11:12am

Re:
That is the whole point idiot!

You work hard for the trust and love of others and they will pay you, that is what everybody here told you and your kind a lot and you don't seem to grasp the concept yet.

And they proved.

You work hard, create a following and those people will support you no matter what.

On the other hand if you treat people like dummies they will act like ones and get everything for free without regard to your dear feelings or laws.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2012 @ 11:23am

Re: Re: Re: Re: How much total was received?
Seems like someone with advanced algebra skills could probably figure this out.

Unfortunately without some kind of total amount there is no way to figure it out.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2012 @ 12:04pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: How much total was received?
Yes, there are enough facts available to extrapolate the various totals by making some assumptions about the averages and mode provided. They would be rough and could still be an order of magnitude or so off, but it is possible to ballpark the totals from the data provided.

I could do this, but the math is so complex that I've patented it and would not feel comfortable sharing the algorithm without charging an appropriate licensing fee.
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Josh in CharlotteNC (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 2:02pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
I believe I've been called "amoral" because I admitted to infringing copyright, not because I paid for some content, or that the 51% downloaded something for free when it was available for free - although I seem to have been put up as the poster child for the community.

Neither of which I could care less about - there's a sticks and stones thing.

Something that does bother me about his comment:
If he is considering copyright law, or following all laws, as moral, then he should have labelled me as "immoral" and not "amoral" - but I imagine the subtle difference between those terms would be lost on him.

Strictly speaking, I have a completely different set of morals than the AC - one of which is that it is immoral to restrict access to culture, information, and ideas when it would have no cost to provide it (or allow someone else to).
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DCX2, 13 Dec 2012 @ 2:40pm

Re: Re: Re:
Of course you would think that, "if you had to guess". You think everyone is a dirty pirate who just wants free shit, so in your eyes going to the movies once already means you've spent "more than most".
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DCX2, 13 Dec 2012 @ 2:47pm

Re:
Or you could see the 51% as people who never were, never are, and never will be a paying customer. No amount of DRM or other restrictions will ever convince these people to pay.

Given only the choice to pay, or go without, these people would merely go without, blissfully unaware of this content. Pay what you want allows content to be consumed as widely as possible.
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DC, 13 Dec 2012 @ 3:02pm

Re: Re: Re:
So that detergent sample sent to me in the mail makes me a freeloading loser?

That free sample offered in the grocery store? If I accept that I'm a free loading loser?

Let's see your answers, or please claim you're successful troll.
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Just John (profile), 13 Dec 2012 @ 5:15pm

Re: Re: Re:
Actually, it has nothing to do with having the money or not. I guess you have never worked here. I cannot use my debit card online or overseas because of bank restrictions for foreigner accounts. I also have been unable to get a credit card because the process is convoluted and me and my wife have been unable to make it to the bank together to apply for it, especially since unlike me, she has no vacation time. So you are completely wrong in your assumptions. I can afford it, but have�no�way to give the money.
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