Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Kickstarter - I STILL just DON'T care


Figures on the way ASAP I'm SURE....
As the Kickstarter panhandling continues to pile up on TMP, I was going to mount another theraputic vent, further to this guest post I shared on Curt's blog recently.  But this Gawker story underlines the superflous absurdity of Kickstarter perfectly, and why I can't wait for the trend to flame out and leave the hobby alone....so why double up? Go read the Gawker story instead, and keep it in mind the next time you see a panhandling Kickstarter project appear as some kind of legitimate "news", as though it will really happen, on TMP.

7 comments:

Bill said...

Funny. Every kickstarter I have participated in has completed and I received the products. It seems like a great way for people to a) gauge interest in products they are thinking about producing, and b) put together enough starting money to actually produce those products.

But hey, if hating on it makes you feel better, go right ahead.

Also, the kaptcha you have on here is really a pain in the ass. It would be great if they used letters that were actually readable.

vargr said...

I'm not sure I understand the hatred either. As far as the Gawker article that was referenced - it sounds like sour grapes to me. If a Kickstarter project exists for something I'd really like to see succeed, I back it. And in every case so far I received whatever product was offered at the dollar amount I selected. It doesn't matter to me if a million other people back it at the same level. If there were no Stretch Goals added to Amanda Palmer's Kickstarter for reaching exceptionally high dollar amounts - then you as a backer can feel content with your pledge or bail. Don't whine and bitch about what is happening with the money after the fact.

I'd say count me in the pro-Kickstarter camp. I was able to help get a number of great projects off the ground that might not otherwise have the funds to do so. And I've gotten some great swag along the way.

Greg B said...

Perhaps I am just displacing anger at the NHL lockout.... :-)

Dallas said...

The gawker piece was interesting. To summarize: AP goes on kickstarter to ask for $100k to go on tour. She raises $1.2m (!) and now says she'd like musicians to play on her tour for free. This seems to me like a bit of an abuse of the kickstarter concept...

Maybe she gets a pass because she's married to everybody's favorite comic book guy Neil Gaiman...?

Having said this I am still seriously considering those 28mm hockey players currently on kickstarter... :-) plus has anybody started a "let's raise $$ to assassinate Bettman" kickstarter yet??

Dallas said...

ps Bill, sorry about the kaptcha. We'll look into that.

Dallas said...

pps If you haven't yet done so, please surf over to Analogue Hobbies (link in the original post) and read the unexpurgated rant. There's a lot more to Greg's argument than you read above.

Greg B said...

Dallas - that "Bettman project" is one Kickstarter I gould get behind!

@#!$!#$ing NHL lockout...