Underlore

https://plus.google.com/115056313943520401920/posts/fpZWmoy2Yh4

I’m attempting to monetize my writing via a free-to-read, no DRM, donation accepted model that is in line with my ethics and behaviors regarding intellectual property law. I feel stalled due to a lack of information about the people I am in contact with.

Setting aside the issue of quality as it is subjective, I have a couple questions for everyone.

What would it take in theory to get you to donate if you could afford it?

Other than high donation or readership figures and other social responses, what would signal legitimacy in your mind?

Is this approach even viable for non-fiction, essays, subversive texts, etc?

Is this approach preferable to a pay wall of some kind from your perspective as a reader?

What do you say to the speculation that people are less likely to donate than they are to buy simply because we’re a culture of consumers trained to equate price with worth?

Is it possible for excellent work to be totally ignored or is recognition inexorably bound to quality?

At what point does market research of this sort turn into spam? When does self promotion become obnoxious and rude?

Am I asking the right questions? If not what do you think I should be asking?

Any answers would be very much appreciated. If you are reading this then by definition your opinion is important to me because you’ve encountered me and are a potential reader/donor.

Apparently the world’s computing community is totally flummoxed by wmv DRM.

Though several products both commercial and open source claim to be able to remove DRM, none actually can. They either return an authorization error, which is basically hilarious since we’re removing drm, or they require the key which is equally hilarious.

Basically we’re picking a lock here and one camp says “but I’m not allowed” and the other says “I can pick this lock but I’ll need the key.”

Feel free to prove me wrong in the comments.

Where did all the content go?

Two places.

My (hopefully first) book is complete. I’m exploring options on how to publish it.

And my G+ page. https://plus.google.com/115056313943520401920

So few people comment here, I feel like I’m talking to myself.

I can’t afford to monetize it.

In time this may change.

For now, it sleeps.

Find me on G+