I don't think anyone disputes that some alternatives exist, but they are not widely accepted, and most sites that accept them aren't used. I have bought some items using eBid via PPPay with no issues - http://us.ebid.net/help_payments.php The issue is that not many items are being listed on eBid compared to eBay.
In my case with online auctions, I'd be happy for now if you could just do offline payments (which worked fine in the late 90's/early 2000's). I don't mind using Western Union or sending a money order in the mail, but eBay has even destroyed that; you are stuck with Paypal or nothing. My problem with Bitcoin is that the value fluctuates too much and it takes more electricity to mine than the value I get in return, hopefully there will be a viable third option.
I don't have much to add, but I just wanted to say thanks for writing this, Karl. I got into it a bit in the comments on one of the Title II articles with that Telecom employee who criticized Mike's reporting. His argument was that the old rules were such a great success for America that regulation risked stopping that progress. Of course, as anyone like myself who lives in Appalachia will tell you, we've been regressing for years. In the dial up era, we were on a near equal playing field with other states in terms of communication infrastructure. Now, we face an impossible battle in luring business to the region due our lack of infrastructure, but no one in the press seems to care. I hope you keep on this, I realize covering us doesn't exactly bring in page views, so it's much appreciated.
I have to say, the monopoly Paypal has on online payments is really troubling. I already quit using ebay for this reason, but the fact is that are very few alternatives in some cases. I wish people would support competitors like eBid (I already went to Etsy where possible). This isn't just a Mega issue either; I've run into this with VPNs in the past as well, I used to use iPredator but ended up switching to a different VPN after Paysafe dropped them (Paypal already wasn't an option).
I think you are missing the point - software released under a free license (the GPL) does not generate revenue based on usage. The issue is making the people who use it understand that this isn't a shareware model, if you use and care about software, but want it to continue existing, you should support it financially. It may not happen, sometimes great projects go away, but applying anything like Smithian economic theory to FSF software is just sily.
I use GPG regularly as a Linux user (it's an excellent option for protecting your documents in cloud storage and IMHO handles large files better than OpenSSL), this is a good wake up call for me. I donate annually to the FSF, but I'm not sure how that money gets dispersed to all of the GNU projects. I do find it it sad that the FSF has to set such low fund raising goals as it is, so I don't mean that as a criticism of them at all.
I would just add two more things: 1. I was the Anonymous Coward in comment #23, just to make that clear, I have my cookies auto-delete every 30 minutes and didn't realize I was logged out. 2. To clarify my position, I support both net neutrality and treating the Internet as a utility.
By Dan's logic, the EPA and FDA regulations are REALLY holding back the industries that do consider my region valuable. Surely things would be even better if we just let Duke Energy go back to the pre-regulation days, right? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_1S4Ya3F64 And if our local factory pork farms could just produce sausage onsite without costly and time wasting inspections done in sterile plants, we'd get more great literary output celebrating it like this, right? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jungle
Re: Wheeler has made it clear that his plan is to avoid those ...
Dan, I would like to ask you in response, do you feel that the status quo (where your industry ignores the rural and poverty stricken regions of our country due to economic issues) is acceptable, specifically in Appalachia? The products that you claim "owe their existence" to the status quo do not in fact exist for us, and I'm not sure that they ever will without regulation. That status quo is creating an unbreakable cycle of poverty and driving business away from our region, quite frankly.
I agree entirely. I live in the southeastern, Appalachian region of Ohio (near WV) and we currently have no cell phone reception, one provider of landline phone, one provider of cable/Internet/VOIP (that being Time Warner), and of course no wireless to go along with no cell phone reception. If they let the POTS network go, we will have to rely on a Time Warner monopoly for all communication. If you've ever driven through Appalachia, you'd know satellite is a terrible option due to reception issues with hills and trees.
The point being, it's almost like there is a reason regulating the old POTS network as a utility worked in the public interest. There are going to be huge swaths of the country left in the dark without more regulation, despite the fact that our energy (coal and natural gas) and agricultural goods are apparently sill valuable and worth subsidizing for the rest of the country.
Just adding to that, I find this whole situation hilarious as an American who has NO options for wireless. I have one wired option for anything that is not telephone, that being Time Warner.
I understand why people in urban areas feel that way, but I really hope it never happens. As someone who lives in Applachia, I currently have one - that's it - provider for cable television, Internet and VOIP, that being Time Warner (granted I could use Vonage over Time Warner). Because of how rural the area is (southeastern Ohio, near the WV border), we have no cellular/wireless coverage and getting satellite television or Internet reception is nearly impossible due to the hills and trees. If we lost free through the air TV, Time Warner would have absolutely no competition, free or paid, for television. Speaking for myself, I don't pay their ridiculous cable fees and just watch my TV OTA, losing that ability would not be in our public interest, even if Appalachia is a unique example compared to the rest of the country.
I appreciate the clarification on some of the indie titles (and will vote), but I just wanted to say that my original point is getting lost a little bit. I get that indie publishers are supporting GOG (and am glad for it), but the games that are going to turn the tide in killing DRM will be major publisher, marquee titles released same day. We're still a long way off from a high % (let's say 51% at least) of new, major titles being same day on GOG.
To back that up, I just checked the current Steam top 10:
GTA V - Not on GOG. H1Z1 - Not on GOG. Counter-Strike Global Offensive - Not on GOG. Resident Evil - HD Remaster - Not on GOG. DayZ - Not on GOG Saints Row GOOH - Not on GOG. GRID Autosport - Not on GOG. Evolve - Not on GOG. Dying Light - Not on GOG. Rust - Not on GOG.
0 out of the top 10 Steam titles shows (at least to me) big name publishers aren't feeling any real need to support GOG yet. Don't get me wrong, I hope it changes, I'm just trying to paint a realistic picture.
Speaking of same day Linux releases, that's the other issue. I am Linux user myself, but I tend to buy games for Windows and just run them via WINE rather than wait/hope for a Linux port. But, that clouds the figures about how many Linux users are actually using GOG, which is another issue altogether.
You make a good point about that (in terms of it being a bad example for publisher adoption), but I do still think the figures will let us know how many people have made the jump to GOG for new release titles (which is why I picked that game as an example). In other words, CD Projekt Red have a vested in interest in making this a same day release with GOG, so presumably the only reason people are going to buy on Steam is due to the fact that they prefer the Steam platform. Then again, it's telling that the only upcoming marquee title to get same day release on GOG is one developed by the owners of GOG.
On a side note, I wish they would have had a same day Linux release ready. I'm pretty sure a decent percentage of anti-DRM advocates are going to hold out for a Linux port, so I still wouldn't put too much stock on initial sales figures if/when we see them.
I would agree with that also, the point I was (trying) to make is that the lack of new titles means that gamers probably aren't dumping DRM platforms (Steam, consoles, etc.) in a large enough number to matter. An earlier commenter took issue with my suggestion that there don't seem to be that many of us who are using GOG exclusively, that's who I was posting that for. GOG doesn't have to release figures for us to know that many of its users are only using the platform for old games, I think. But, on the flip side, if The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt sells enough copies it could entice more publishers to go DRM free simply for added sales (even if they are happy with Steam sales numbers already).
What I'm getting at, is this; 1. GOG mostly gets older titles right now. 2. A lot of gamers might normally use Steam, but occasionally grab old games (especially these LucasArts ones as PaulT mentioned) on GOG. They are not the GOG users I was referring to. 3. A -very- few publishers are embracing GOG with new titles. If those sell, we might get a better figure about the people who are choosing GOG for philosophical/ethical reasons (i.e. if The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt hits GOG and Steam at the same time, the sales ratio of Steam to GOG will be telling).
I am a GOG user actually (probably didn't make that clear enough), but I think GOG has a long way to go in becoming a true Steam competitor. Look at the number of new titles (not re-releases of old titles) on GOG compared to Steam (or for the PS4/XBone/Wii-U for that matter). I'm grateful we're getting anything at all, but GOG just isn't a major release platform for new games right now.
Having said all that, GOG is turning a solid profit and getting some notice, I am hoping that they can start landing some major new titles down the road. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is coming DRM free in May, and that is huge. I think that if it is a hit on GOG, that could start to get the ball rolling. I'm pre-ordering it knowing that I may have to wait for it to run via WINE (or get a Linux port) just to support the developers for embracing a DRM free platform. http://www.gog.com/thewitcher3/en
The only good metric for whether people are buying DRM free games right now (on a large scale) that I can think of is going to be GOG. The problem is (as far as I know, I could be wrong) they don't make those public, you just have to rely on an individual publisher making their sales figures known for now.
I respect your points, I think I should have said "a critical mass of people who buy games, in a large enough % to force change" or something along those lines. I'd just point out that I am one such person who is buying non DRM games, but there just don't seem to be very many of us right now.
Unrelated to that discussion, two of the Cluetrain authors have written a very good essay on the locking down of the Internet I wanted to post: http://cluetrain.com/newclues/
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On the post: Paypal Cuts Off Mega Because It Actually Keeps Your Files Secret
Re: Pray for Rebellion
On the post: If You Want To See What The U.S. Broadband Market Really Looks Like, Take A Close Look At West Virginia
On the post: Paypal Cuts Off Mega Because It Actually Keeps Your Files Secret
On the post: Stop Saying That The FCC Is 'Treating Internet As A Utility' -- It's Not
Re: digital Rosa Parks in the Fast Lane
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On the post: The World's Email Encryption Software Relies On One Guy, Who Is Going Broke
On the post: Stop Saying That The FCC Is 'Treating Internet As A Utility' -- It's Not
1. I was the Anonymous Coward in comment #23, just to make that clear, I have my cookies auto-delete every 30 minutes and didn't realize I was logged out.
2. To clarify my position, I support both net neutrality and treating the Internet as a utility.
On the post: Stop Saying That The FCC Is 'Treating Internet As A Utility' -- It's Not
Re:
On the post: Stop Saying That The FCC Is 'Treating Internet As A Utility' -- It's Not
Re: Wheeler has made it clear that his plan is to avoid those ...
On the post: Stop Saying That The FCC Is 'Treating Internet As A Utility' -- It's Not
Re: Why ISN'T the Internet a Utility?
The point being, it's almost like there is a reason regulating the old POTS network as a utility worked in the public interest. There are going to be huge swaths of the country left in the dark without more regulation, despite the fact that our energy (coal and natural gas) and agricultural goods are apparently sill valuable and worth subsidizing for the rest of the country.
On the post: Verizon's Last Tiny Shred Of Credibility On Net Neutrality Just Died
Re: Re: Verizon is really trying here...
On the post: Verizon Shows Just How Competitive The Wireless Industry Really Is By Simply Refusing To Compete On Price
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On the post: Cory Doctorow To Push For Ending DRM
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
To back that up, I just checked the current Steam top 10:
GTA V - Not on GOG.
H1Z1 - Not on GOG.
Counter-Strike Global Offensive - Not on GOG.
Resident Evil - HD Remaster - Not on GOG.
DayZ - Not on GOG
Saints Row GOOH - Not on GOG.
GRID Autosport - Not on GOG.
Evolve - Not on GOG.
Dying Light - Not on GOG.
Rust - Not on GOG.
0 out of the top 10 Steam titles shows (at least to me) big name publishers aren't feeling any real need to support GOG yet. Don't get me wrong, I hope it changes, I'm just trying to paint a realistic picture.
Speaking of same day Linux releases, that's the other issue. I am Linux user myself, but I tend to buy games for Windows and just run them via WINE rather than wait/hope for a Linux port. But, that clouds the figures about how many Linux users are actually using GOG, which is another issue altogether.
On the post: Cory Doctorow To Push For Ending DRM
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
On a side note, I wish they would have had a same day Linux release ready. I'm pretty sure a decent percentage of anti-DRM advocates are going to hold out for a Linux port, so I still wouldn't put too much stock on initial sales figures if/when we see them.
On the post: Cory Doctorow To Push For Ending DRM
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
What I'm getting at, is this;
1. GOG mostly gets older titles right now.
2. A lot of gamers might normally use Steam, but occasionally grab old games (especially these LucasArts ones as PaulT mentioned) on GOG. They are not the GOG users I was referring to.
3. A -very- few publishers are embracing GOG with new titles. If those sell, we might get a better figure about the people who are choosing GOG for philosophical/ethical reasons (i.e. if The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt hits GOG and Steam at the same time, the sales ratio of Steam to GOG will be telling).
On the post: Cory Doctorow To Push For Ending DRM
Re: Re: Re:
Having said all that, GOG is turning a solid profit and getting some notice, I am hoping that they can start landing some major new titles down the road. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is coming DRM free in May, and that is huge. I think that if it is a hit on GOG, that could start to get the ball rolling. I'm pre-ordering it knowing that I may have to wait for it to run via WINE (or get a Linux port) just to support the developers for embracing a DRM free platform. http://www.gog.com/thewitcher3/en
On the post: Cory Doctorow To Push For Ending DRM
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
On the post: Cory Doctorow To Push For Ending DRM
Re: Re:
On the post: Cory Doctorow To Push For Ending DRM
Re: Re: Re:
Unrelated to that discussion, two of the Cluetrain authors have written a very good essay on the locking down of the Internet I wanted to post: http://cluetrain.com/newclues/
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