[nycbug-talk] SOPA DOA

[Chris Snyder]

On Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 3:56 PM, Michael W. Lucas
<mwlucas at blackhelicopters.org> wrote:
>
> 2) We can decide that it's important that content creators get
> compensated, and develop a technical means for that to happen. I would
> really, really like to see this happen.

A myriad of technical means already exist for this to happen. From the
Kindle and iTunes stores to the local Walmart, millions of people
purchase things every day that they *could* download for free on the
internets. It's a business issue not a technical one.

Or to put it another way, if piracy could kill big media we'd be rid
of the bastards by now.

> b) a kickstarter-style project that says "This book is six man-months
> of effort. I will release it to the wild and as a $2.99 ebook in
> exchange for $20,000." (Numbers are rectally extracted, but you get
> the general idea; a survivable professional-ish wage in exchange for
> content.)

Yes. But you need to raise enough to pay for yourself, an editor, a
designer, and a typesetter. Or you could just stick with No Starch and
hope their progressive outlook and association with O'Reilly helps
them figure out a digital business model.

I think it's really interesting to approach publishing from the
mindset of the free software movement, because a lot of us went
through this already as programmers:

1) Get paid to be a writer, not to sell copies of what you write.
2) Use copyright law to protect your claim of authorship and prevent
derivatives from being published under your name.
3) Make it free and easy for people to copy and redistribute the work.
4) Sell nicely-packaged copies in various media for bonus income.
5) License the work to commercial entities and publishers for bonus income.
6) Use your status as an authority for bonus income and perks.

The first step is the hardest one, as long as publishers persist in
using royalties as the sole means of compensation for authors.