I know this is an old topic, but thought I'd add my 2 cents. Why only give the first chapter for free? If the book is good give the first half of the ebook for free.
I stumbled upon the author Jim Butcher and his Dresden Files series. Each book is fantastic and I hate when I get to the end.
I found this article as a result of me getting pissed that all of his ebooks I can find are $9.99 or more. As much as I love his work, I wont pay that kind of price. I'll be visiting either a public library or a used book store today or tomorrow.
@Dark Helmet, if your writing is in the fantasy/scifi genre and your also in IT and add that into the stories, I'd likely love to read your work. Hell, from what I've read author's get diddly for each book sold. So if you made a simple, static website, that you only updated with new books you've written, linked to a paypal account, you could easily sell your books. Maybe not a lot, at first. But if your a good author that'll change as you gain fans. Hell you could likely get a fan to make you the web page.
Put that web page up and sell for $1-2 each and you'd likely have my money. That is if you did as I said above, 'fantasy/scifi' and tech are my passions. plus offering half for free. It gives a reader a chance to fall in love with the characters and overall story.
Sorry, I know this is out of date but it was inline with my mood. Gotta run to the library now.
I think we should take this even further. We should put web cam's in ALL public job locations, except the bathroom. Imagine the improved work performance of public employee's if they knew not only the public was watching them but that their supervisor/boss might be too. Mayor's Office? Camera it! DMV facility? Camera it! Police Department? Camera it! etc...
Although I have not thought out all the in's and out's. It seems it would help in many ways. Sexual harassment? Not while your being monitored and your spouse/employer might be watching.
I love this. After reading this I thought of the Titanic. I was imagining most of the 'well to do and/or influential' passengers remaining on board, refusing to believe this could be happening to them. While the intelligent ones headed for the life boats. It cracked me up.
Not that I laugh about tragedy. I do not find what happened to the Titanic or anyone involved humorous in any way.
What I DO find humorous is that the big labels and the *IAA's and such are clinging to the rails, or anything else bolted down, and waiting for the hole to plug itself because this shouldn't happen to them. And to further that analogy it seems they are demanding that those who run the ship, and even those who are smart enough to leave, should be plugging those rift's with the people that ARE leaving. How dare they be smarter than them after all? LOL
I'm rather new around here. I've only been coming here for a few months. The feeling I get about Techdirt is it's like back in Socrates's time in Greek history when they'd sit around and talk about.... well, anything of importance, or interest, to them.
I enjoy most of the stories I've read here, and the comments give life to those stories.
I believe that most exec's could do well by their company by visiting here and joining relevant discussions. It'd be like the wise king that dresses like everyone else and goes among the people to find out how they feel.
Not that I'm saying anyone here is a 'commoner' or 'peasant' lmao. It's the feeling that Mike, Techdirt and people like DH bring to the 'Plaza' or table. Those people include everyone... well, except maybe the kids from the *aa's....
I just want to express my appreciation for these videos. Thank you UPS for sponsoring them. And thank you Mike for doing such an excellent job on both.
I'm new here at Techdirt and love your articles. When I read this, before getting to the video, I thought there's no real way to explain it effectively in 2 minutes. WOW GREAT job!.
The thing is, they'd feel the need to DRM the offerings. And by doing so it would limit what could play that music. Those who know what this means see it's NOT worth the fee. Or at least, not worth any fee the *AA's would institute, or accept.
I don't agree with this. sharing is here and from all that I know about computers, which admittedly isn't everything, by any means, it cannot be stopped.
Already there are a some creating encrypted p2p networks and experimenting with private vpn's.
Even if somehow the *aa's stop that, which I doubt even more, another way will come up, and another etc...
As MM says, the old model is dead/dying. Either adapt or dye. Someone will fill the need and life will go on, as it always has.
You also get to meet your neighbors and get to know them. Not to mention some neighborly comments on already rented movies and recommendations of something new to watch you might not have considered already.
LMAO I think what he means is 1)He'll open a store with all the video's Redbox will want/need. 2)He'll order and sell to them all they want. 3)He'll get nice and rich AND help keep Redbox's right to innovate.
Maybe we should all call our favorite radio stations or email them and tell them to please NOT play, or pay for, any artists that are affiliated with RIAA. This way RIAA will hopefully die faster. *crosses fingers*
I caught the sarcasm too, but it was nice and subtle, at least most of it was, so it's understandable that some might miss it.
Just glad to see that someone was willing to refute the claim. And that someone got to point out the sarcasm as well. Now other who may not have caught it can do a re-read and see it too.
Maybe they mean the points moot because knowledge of their screw up has gotten out to the 'general population'. Meaning us...
Once they realized someone noticed, and that their clients might have heard about their screw up, they decided to contact them all, as they should have in the first place. Now their hoping to avoid further potential legal damages by getting the account reactivated.
I'm just throwing another idea out there everyone. I don't know this is the reason. But it seems reasonable.
I've been trolling here for a week or two and finally decided I liked Techdirt enough to register.
I agree, DRM isn't an effective business enabling model. It's just another attempt, failed attempt, that is, to try to keep from changing with the times. The old ways may have been very profitable for them but every business has a turning point.
Back when Napster first hit the scenes. Instead of hooting and hollering, they should have taken the opportunity to change. By doing what they did, it just got the word out about P2P sharing that much quicker. But opportunity always exists, it just doesn't have the same possible returns.
The way things were done has had and continues to have a negative effect. I for 1 have not bought a single music cd since the original Napster was shut down. I get my music on the radio, via the net, so I don't have to deal with static.
Netflix had the right idea where movies were concerned. Instead of making renting movies obsolete, it's grown like mad. Now they are beginning to stream movies instantly over the net.
In pre-net days you could easily take your jambox and tune in your favorite radio station. Then pop in a blank tape and record to get a lot of good songs. And those with the inclination could edit those tapes to string their favorites together. Now it's just easier and you get what you want instead of waiting for it to be played.
But now artists(at the urging of RIAA to be sure) are trying to go after radio now.
I'll be happy when this is all over and they finally change with the times. I guess we just have to wait for the older moguls to die off before that will happen though.
Anyway, that's my $.02 worth, though looking back it looks more like a buck and a half...
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by Kyote.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
I stumbled upon the author Jim Butcher and his Dresden Files series. Each book is fantastic and I hate when I get to the end.
I found this article as a result of me getting pissed that all of his ebooks I can find are $9.99 or more. As much as I love his work, I wont pay that kind of price. I'll be visiting either a public library or a used book store today or tomorrow.
@Dark Helmet, if your writing is in the fantasy/scifi genre and your also in IT and add that into the stories, I'd likely love to read your work. Hell, from what I've read author's get diddly for each book sold. So if you made a simple, static website, that you only updated with new books you've written, linked to a paypal account, you could easily sell your books. Maybe not a lot, at first. But if your a good author that'll change as you gain fans. Hell you could likely get a fan to make you the web page.
Put that web page up and sell for $1-2 each and you'd likely have my money. That is if you did as I said above, 'fantasy/scifi' and tech are my passions. plus offering half for free. It gives a reader a chance to fall in love with the characters and overall story.
Sorry, I know this is out of date but it was inline with my mood. Gotta run to the library now.
Re: Re:
Although I have not thought out all the in's and out's. It seems it would help in many ways. Sexual harassment? Not while your being monitored and your spouse/employer might be watching.
Makes me think of the Titanic
Not that I laugh about tragedy. I do not find what happened to the Titanic or anyone involved humorous in any way.
What I DO find humorous is that the big labels and the *IAA's and such are clinging to the rails, or anything else bolted down, and waiting for the hole to plug itself because this shouldn't happen to them. And to further that analogy it seems they are demanding that those who run the ship, and even those who are smart enough to leave, should be plugging those rift's with the people that ARE leaving. How dare they be smarter than them after all? LOL
Socrates style
I enjoy most of the stories I've read here, and the comments give life to those stories.
I believe that most exec's could do well by their company by visiting here and joining relevant discussions. It'd be like the wise king that dresses like everyone else and goes among the people to find out how they feel.
Not that I'm saying anyone here is a 'commoner' or 'peasant' lmao. It's the feeling that Mike, Techdirt and people like DH bring to the 'Plaza' or table. Those people include everyone... well, except maybe the kids from the *aa's....
Good job Mike and UPS
I'm new here at Techdirt and love your articles. When I read this, before getting to the video, I thought there's no real way to explain it effectively in 2 minutes. WOW GREAT job!.
Re:
LMAO
Re:
Re: Re: Re: Re: I wonder how it was downloaded
Re: Re:
I don't agree with this. sharing is here and from all that I know about computers, which admittedly isn't everything, by any means, it cannot be stopped.
Already there are a some creating encrypted p2p networks and experimenting with private vpn's.
Even if somehow the *aa's stop that, which I doubt even more, another way will come up, and another etc...
As MM says, the old model is dead/dying. Either adapt or dye. Someone will fill the need and life will go on, as it always has.
Re: Re: Redbox
Netflix and Redbox *thumbs up*
Re: Re: Redbox
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Price...
Call our Radio Stations or email them
Re: Re: Re: Forged docs ok
Just glad to see that someone was willing to refute the claim. And that someone got to point out the sarcasm as well. Now other who may not have caught it can do a re-read and see it too.
Re: Re: Re: Re: WTF
Rebellion/violence IS a way to make the voters sit up and take notice.
Crap... I think the FBI is at my door, gotta run..
Re: Re: Re:
Sad that it may indeed come to war3.
Maybe because of the publicity?
Once they realized someone noticed, and that their clients might have heard about their screw up, they decided to contact them all, as they should have in the first place. Now their hoping to avoid further potential legal damages by getting the account reactivated.
I'm just throwing another idea out there everyone. I don't know this is the reason. But it seems reasonable.
Finally I registered
I agree, DRM isn't an effective business enabling model. It's just another attempt, failed attempt, that is, to try to keep from changing with the times. The old ways may have been very profitable for them but every business has a turning point.
Back when Napster first hit the scenes. Instead of hooting and hollering, they should have taken the opportunity to change. By doing what they did, it just got the word out about P2P sharing that much quicker. But opportunity always exists, it just doesn't have the same possible returns.
The way things were done has had and continues to have a negative effect. I for 1 have not bought a single music cd since the original Napster was shut down. I get my music on the radio, via the net, so I don't have to deal with static.
Netflix had the right idea where movies were concerned. Instead of making renting movies obsolete, it's grown like mad. Now they are beginning to stream movies instantly over the net.
In pre-net days you could easily take your jambox and tune in your favorite radio station. Then pop in a blank tape and record to get a lot of good songs. And those with the inclination could edit those tapes to string their favorites together. Now it's just easier and you get what you want instead of waiting for it to be played.
But now artists(at the urging of RIAA to be sure) are trying to go after radio now.
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/25/business/fi-music25
I'll be happy when this is all over and they finally change with the times. I guess we just have to wait for the older moguls to die off before that will happen though.
Anyway, that's my $.02 worth, though looking back it looks more like a buck and a half...
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by Kyote.
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