P3D Re: free information

[Peter Davis <pd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 03:22 PM 8/22/98 , Steve Dudley wrote:
>     You know George, a while ago I bought a nice TDC projector from a fellow
>club member who happens to be a "Master IV Stereographer".  I have also
>learned a great deal about shooting stereos from him and other experienced
>club members.  Can you imagine how much money, time and dedication -- not to
>mention the skill and expertise it must of taken him to earn this rating?  It
>amounts to over 220 different titles and over 788 acceptances at PSA
>sanctioned exhbitions over 30 + years!  Nonetheless, he gives his advice
feely
>to me and he even sold the projector to me for his cost of $300 with the
nice 
>  -- harder to find -- 4" lenses.  He could have gotten more $$ out of it,
but
>he knew I would make good use of it as a HOBBYIST.  You on the other hand,
>George, justify making a profit to support your "hobby".  It makes me wonder
>about your true motives.    Are you in it for the love of a hobby -- or is
>this a business?  I suppose a real "litmus" test would be whether you write-
>off your expenses to say --- the NSA/PSA conferences on your taxes.

This is really unfair.  George has been EXTREMELY generous with his
services, his inventory of equipment, and his advice and knowledge of 3D
over the years.  I can think of no one on this list who contributes more in
terms of offering his time, his knowledge and experience, and his offers of
equipment at reasonable prices and with full warranties.

Would you argue that if someone wrote a book on 3-D, they should
automatically publish it for free on the internet?  There's a difference
between a) freely offering advice and equipment and b) undertaking a large
concerted effort to present a body of information in an organized fashion.
I think the labor involved in the latter task entitles the author to some
compensation.

-pd


--------
                             Peter Davis
               Funny stuff at http://world.std.com/~pd

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