undefined | Better HN

0 pointscscurmudgeon12y ago0 comments

Ah. This old argument again. It would make sense if people actually support artists. Every time some one brings this up in real life, I ask them for instances where they have actually supported somebody.

0 comments

ElDiablo66612y ago

Ah this old misdirection. There is no shortage of evidence of voluntary payments for creative works so stop spreading bullshit. How far do you move the goalposts when people mention examples like the Humble Bundles, Nine Inch Nails, etc.?

freyr12y ago

Nine Inch Nails, etc.?

Go on. You might be able to cite Radiohead's In Rainbows. Did these new distribution models flourish, or were they one-off experiments? NIN's new album is available online now for a fixed price.

themoonbus12y ago

Nine Inch Nails? Seriously? I'm pretty sure they had already found success through the traditional channels before they had the ability to do something like that.

Crowd funding works in certain contexts, but it's no magic bullet.

cscurmudgeonOP12y ago

Don't get me wrong. I like the crowd funding model, but the real world is not so perfect. We should not say "I won't pay for this, since somebody has already paid for it. " That puts everyone in a bad situation.

My policy: Enjoy something? Contribute back (or pay forward) in some tangible way.

There is also the aspect of risk. Do you pay someone before or after they make a product in an unknown market (E.g. Will this game be successful?). Paying for it rewards them for taking that risk.

Of course, if you commission something beforehand, you take away some of this risk, and the artist should gladly part with some of the rewards.

g4m8i712y ago

Just 2 days ago, I commissioned a work from a local painter.

People support artists in many ways. One of those ways is paying to enjoy the things they produce.

Glyptodon12y ago

Commissions are the same as Kickstarter, IE you pay before it's created. In no way does something like this have any bearing on works by commission, in fact it puts things back on the path of human traditions, which have typically relied on commissions, patronage or performance, rather than ownership.

psykovsky12y ago

Supporting them doesn't mean paying for million dollar mansions and vehicles.

judk12y ago

The gaffer doesn't have a mansion.

awj12y ago

90% of the people who work on a movie couldn't hope to own a million dollar mansion.

psykovsky12y ago

Exactly my point. Because there are 10% who can own them. Seems fair...

ds_12y ago

And I bet most people can give you several. Can't remember the last time I bought a DVD or vinyl record, without having enjoyed it somewhere else first, for free.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

ElDiablo66612y ago

freyr12y ago

Nine Inch Nails, etc.?

Go on. You might be able to cite Radiohead's In Rainbows. Did these new distribution models flourish, or were they one-off experiments? NIN's new album is available online now for a fixed price.

themoonbus12y ago

Nine Inch Nails? Seriously? I'm pretty sure they had already found success through the traditional channels before they had the ability to do something like that.

Crowd funding works in certain contexts, but it's no magic bullet.

cscurmudgeonOP12y ago

My policy: Enjoy something? Contribute back (or pay forward) in some tangible way.

There is also the aspect of risk. Do you pay someone before or after they make a product in an unknown market (E.g. Will this game be successful?). Paying for it rewards them for taking that risk.

Of course, if you commission something beforehand, you take away some of this risk, and the artist should gladly part with some of the rewards.

g4m8i712y ago

Just 2 days ago, I commissioned a work from a local painter.

People support artists in many ways. One of those ways is paying to enjoy the things they produce.

Glyptodon12y ago

psykovsky12y ago

Supporting them doesn't mean paying for million dollar mansions and vehicles.

judk12y ago

The gaffer doesn't have a mansion.

awj12y ago

90% of the people who work on a movie couldn't hope to own a million dollar mansion.

psykovsky12y ago

Exactly my point. Because there are 10% who can own them. Seems fair...

ds_12y ago

And I bet most people can give you several. Can't remember the last time I bought a DVD or vinyl record, without having enjoyed it somewhere else first, for free.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse