CompuServe Messages

John, You've clouded the issue here with your erroneous perception of my thoughts. Nothing I said ignores talent. Talent deserves to be rewarded. You say: < there are lots of companies selling models as part of their PR, > < marketing, upgrade or bundle. > No, what I believe you said was you " gave away hundreds of discs." and… "we gave away dozens of discs to contributors, and dozens more as promotional items." You didn't say much about selling them. But, you do. For hundreds of dollars. The question at hand is: How do 3D Studio users make money selling their models? Answer: They can't if they give them away. I'm not saying they shouldn't give some of their work away. They can do whatever they want. It's the product of their labor. I've given lot's of my time and energy to promoting local bulletin boards, and commercial concerns without any recompense. It is by choice. And it is with the understanding that I am spending my time doing something that I am not earning money for. Let's reverse the scenario you've described regarding your friend's model. If he had given it to you first to distribute it freely on your CD-ROMS do you think it would have much value in a catalog offering it for sale? Why would anyone buy it if they could get it for free? Why would Viewpoint or anyone else spend money promoting it? Your friend offered his model to Viewpoint in an attempt to make money. I assume it is still in their catalog. And still available for sale. Viewpoint spends a lot of money promoting his and other people's work. You've already noted their presence in trade shows, and you're aware of the costs of distributing catalogs and CDs. Your concern stems from the fact that your friend was restricted for a temporary period of time from giving it to you so it can be distributed for free. John, you're a businessman. This should make sense. < we spend our dollars to promote … > You spend your dollars to promote Syndesis. Which is as it should be. < it denies there might be any middle ground between what someone's selling > < for thousands of dollars versus what some hobbyist is giving away because > < it gives them pleasure… > There's lots of middle ground there, John. As you are already aware, the forum libraries and bulletin boards around the world are filled with the contributions of those who give their work away freely in exchange for the recognition, as good p.r./advertising, or just for the pleasure of it. I've got no problem with that. My presence here is on that basis. I've even offered to provide you with a sample of my handiwork. I'm working on it now. And if individuals want to contribute their work to Syndesis' and Autodesk's collections on CD, I have no problem with that either. I would love to see my work in the company of the talented individuals whose work has appeared there. I am still refining my skills… You say: < At Siggraph, the leading computer graphics conference, his > < closest competition (in his view) was in a little 10 x 10 booth. > No need to tell me about SIGGRAPH, John. Or about 10×10 booths. I remember when Viewpoint was in a spartan booth at SIGGRAPH, Las Vegas only three short years ago. As you point out, they've grown considerably. They must be doing something right. I think competition is healthy. It would seem that you would be an ideal candidate for launching a rival firm or helping Nuomenon or someone else to "legitimize" the industry. Sounds like an idea worth exploring. < Others want perfectly accurate hands with morphable muscles and > < pre-programmed restricted ranges of motion, and hair on the knuckles if > < they can get it. > I'll take two! Especially if they're free! <G> You jumped on a thread I started in an attempt to identify another source of revenue for 3D Studio users and the forumites gathered here. You saw it as another chance to whine. That's okay. I guess that's a format you and I can play to our advantage. We can do the pro/con thing. I enjoy it. I think it's healthy. It keeps the mind sharp. As long as everyone recognizes that it's just part of the continuing quests; "the search for knowledge and the creation of beauty." (Arthur C. Clarke) I really do like you, John. No smiley faces needed. Remember, public relations and advertising doesn't pay the rent unless that's how you make your living. My question remains: How does the 3D Studio user make some additional cash? The name of the thread is "Money Making Opportunity?" Kevin