3D Charity? (Was: "View Master")

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is something in Bob Shotsberger's recent posting that bothers me.  
It appears that we have crossed the line of 3d interest and have reached 
3d charity.  This list of questions, "have you done this, have you done 
that?"  "What are you doing to keep VM and those who profit around it 
alive?", is a bit too long even for Dr. T to digest.  

Lets not forget that 3d fanatics like some members of photo-3d are 
working on limited resources and there are many areas and aspects of 3d 
to invest in.  We cannot support everything and everyone.  We cannot buy 
every damn 3d product, especially when we don't care much about the 
subject or quality of it.

Dr. T on 3D Economics (see recent posting) claimed that there are not 
more than 5000 in the world with active interest in 3d.  Many of those 
are only stereo view collectors.  Many are only stereo photographers and 
do not collect anything.  From the remaining, how many people care that 
much for VM to call themselves VM fans?  Not many!  Let's say that 10% 
of those 5000 3d people are good VM fans that will buy most VM-related 
products.  That leaves only 500 people to support the 1000 run VM custom 
reels.  Good luck!  (Side story:  I had 50 reels from Guy Martin's 
custom-made reel on glider flying trying to sell for $5, not for me but 
for Guy.  After 2 years of advertising in photo-3d and attending NSA 
conventions, etc., II managed to sell most of them.  Imagine if I had 
500 reels to sell.... It would have taken me a life-time!)  "Life is 
tough!"  (Dr. T quote no. 3245).

To Bob's list I have an even longer list to counter-offer.  List with 
other 3d products, not VM related:  How many people bought a FED camera 
to support the only company today that makes a stereo camera?  How many 
people bought a View-Magic viewer to support this innovative product?  
How about a 3Discover?  (Side question:  What is more important, support 
an old dying company or idea like VM or a new startup company?)  How 
many bought the book 3-D Movies?  How many order $100 worth of stuff 
from Reel 3-D every month to support one of the very few companies in 
the world which specialize in 3d?  How about the EMDE mounts to keep 
this operation alive?  How many support Joel, Bob or Lincoln, just to 
name a few photo-3d people trying not to make a living, but just 
generate enough capital to spend in other 3d projects?  How many bought 
Dr. T's viewer books?  His power supplies or light bulbs?  How many from 
the 3000+ NSA members responded to his Stereo World ad?  (The answer to 
this last question is 5 and let the record show that Dr. T does not need 
charity to survive!)

Bob, I appreciate your interest and concern for VM.  But life if filled 
with tough choices when it comes to disposing our hard-earned income.  
Instead of buying every 3d product in the market, perhaps we should be 
putting more effort to introduce new people to 3d, a new market to 
support those products.

With all due respect,  George Themelis, 3D fan in general.


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