I was asked some time ago for my permission to include comments that I made, and I gave that permission freely. At the time, though, Hacker Monthly was free, as I recall, and I'm now wondering about re-thinking that stance.
If my comments are used, how would I know? Should I now? Should I care?
Perhaps those whose comments are used should be offered a free copy, even if only of the pages containing their words.
When I was using the comment I never thought the authors (graciously) gave me the permission while the issues were still free for digital download.
I will personally contact the comment authors that appeared in the paid issues (#4 - #6) who given me the permission the their comments in the free issues (#1 - #4) to see how we could resolve this.
I'm a BSD kind of guy, so if I was asked, I would still give it freely, anyway. I'd rather help someone out, and I'm already giving what I say away freely right here. It seems kind of silly to me that someone could read what I say freely here, but I'd expect payment elsewhere.
Then again, that's just me. Some people want to get paid for everything. Tomorrow, I'm guest lecturing an English class at a university, for example. I've found two reactions to this, when I've told people: One group says "Oh, how exciting!" and the other says "Are you getting paid?" Here's a follow up I got to my answer, yesterday: "Too many people from your generation have too clever of an answer for that question."
Both are valid reactions. I just happen to think that the first fits me and my goals better.
also since the debate PDF is free to download, Cheng Soon didn't make a clickable table of contents for it on the site, but here are links to original articles:
$120/yr for recycled content from HN/other sites seems very pricey...do you think you are really creating more value than the Wall Street Journal that costs $119/yr?
I don't think that is a valid comparison, doesn't take into account scale where the marginal cost is very small.
It's not uncommon to see $20+ niche magazines in comparison to something like wired which is far cheaper but arguably is creating the same value.
As a pretty active Hacker News member, I think HM can be worth $120/yr.
Here's my particular case. I've been a subscriber since the third issue and 90% of the magazine content I've seen on HN, but the presentation and centralization of the best is of wonderful value. They really do a nice job on the design front. The issues also function like a library of cool articles you can show to a friend or colleague and say "Here's HN in a box, at least one particular filtering of it." I have brought at least a couple contributors to Hacker News, just because they read through an issue of Hacker Monthly.
Price and value are not the same thing. Google, for instance, charges me $0 to use gmail.
Whenever you hear the word value, you should ask yourself, "of value for what, and to whom?" The hedge fund manager who reads the WSJ may get millions of dollars worth of value out of it. The business school student may only get the $199/yr he pays.
Really? I mean, I guess I've never purchased a Hacker Monthly, either, but $10 seems pretty standard for a magazine. Then again, I'm going by the cover price of something like a video game magazine, the only ones I've ever really bought. I don't think it's too exorbitant.
Actually I think $10 is on the upper range of magazine prices I've seen. Most video game magazine get away with charging that because they also include a CD (worthless but whatever). Other than that, I rarely see magazines above $8, most of them are in the $6 range.
If you subscribe you usually get 70% off that too.
This is my personal experience.
You guys gotta make enough to cover expenses and time so charge what you need.
The problem is, it's marketed almost exclusively to people who have no problem getting the same articles for free.
Not that I have a problem with them charging whatever they like - I'm just saying, I would hesitate to pay so much for something that is so easily accessible for free.
If my comments are used, how would I know? Should I now? Should I care?
Perhaps those whose comments are used should be offered a free copy, even if only of the pages containing their words.
I'm not sure.
What do you think?