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Subject: 
Re: Influencing what parts people work on
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.cad.dev
Date: 
Mon, 3 Apr 2000 17:27:13 GMT
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Larry Pieniazek <lar@voyager.net> wrote in message
news:FsEvqJ.1pI@lugnet.com...
> As you know, The Guild of Bricksmiths,
> 
> http://www.lugnet.com/announce/?n=537
> http://mrfws1.innovation.com/~larryp/guild/guild_blurb.html
> 
> is a big user of LDraw compatible tools, since Guild members are producing
> instructions for almost all of their kits.
> 
> From time to time a Guildsman runs into a part he or she would really like • to
> use in a model, but for which no .dat file has yet been created.
> 
> Parts authors currently work on what they like to work on, as parts • designing
> is a very very hard thing to do. And that's as it should be. Who, properly,
> should decide what to work on other than one's self, if there is no
> compensation whatever and it's a labor of love?
> 
> However, I personally am wondering if, perhaps, some sort of arrangement • with
> parts authors might be arrived at to influence their decision. If you're an
> author and you'd like to explore this further, drop me a note.
> 
> This is a vague idea at this point but my thinking is that if a part is • done
> for compensation, we might well want a mock up in a hurry to get some
> instructions out or at least rough drafted, but the part would have to pass
> muster in a parts vote (and thus become part of the community's library of
> available parts, benefitting all of us) before all compensation would be • "paid"
> (the comp might be non monetary, depending on the author's interests...)
> 
> It is hard to put a price on something that takes tens or hundreds of hours • to
> do. Naturally we cannot afford to pay market rates for labor.  Consider the
> compensation as more of an influence on *what* to work on rather than as • pay
> for work for hire, notwithstanding what I just said about wanting to • benefit
> the community by ensuring the parts were high quality.
> 
> What do folks think?


I see both plusses and minuses to such an arrangement:

Plusses:
1.  Guild members get the parts they need quickly.  This is obviously good
for them, but I think it's also good for the community, in that more
widespread use of LDraw is a good thing.
2.  Possibly more parts being authored.  But possibly just different parts
will get authored.
3.  Some form of compensation to authors, who now put in a ton of effort for
everyone's benefit.

Minusses:
1.  Could erode the wonderful "gratis" community spirit that exists here.  Is
it fair for a couple of people to receive compensation for doing certain
parts, while the authors of the other parts used get nothing?--not to mention
the effort put in by programmers, which would go uncompensated.  The example
of the Knudsen book is illustrative:  the authors of the tread hubs and tread
were offered recognition, and maybe a free book, while I got nothing for
authoring the RCX, motor, and sensors.  (Not that I'm bitter--I created those
for the love of the hobby, and so that I could use them.  It just seems odd.)
2.  How would you decide with whom to "contract" to create a part?  First
person to speak up, or first to finish a mock-up/part?  How do you separate
an author's contribution from other community members who critique/improve a
part so that it's ready for submission?

Overall, I guess if two people want to contract to get something done, that
is fine (and I might even be interested, from time to time).  I just would
hope it's done in a way that doesn't erode what has been created here.

-John Van



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Influencing what parts people work on
 
As you know, I tend to see *everything* in terms of paying for it, or at least motivation, at any rate. I think John raises some good points and I don't have answers, but I do have some musings. (...) You made those parts for your own reasons, which (...) (26 years ago, 3-Apr-00, to lugnet.cad.dev)

Message is in Reply To:
  Influencing what parts people work on
 
As you know, The Guild of Bricksmiths, (URL) a big user of LDraw compatible tools, since Guild members are producing instructions for almost all of their kits. From time to time a Guildsman runs into a part he or she would really like to use in a (...) (26 years ago, 2-Apr-00, to lugnet.cad.dev) ! 

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