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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 (...) (24 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 (...) (24 years ago, 2-Apr-00, to lugnet.cad.dev) ! 

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