100 reasons not to upload the ca videos to torrents thread

[Jason Manley]

Hi All,

I wanted to take some time to better explain why it is so important that those of you purchasing videos do not upload them to the torrents. I am hoping that you all will provide reasons too. Since we have been discussing this, and people understand the reasons we have seen great support and much of the uploading stop. Thank you all for that. Truly.


So...that being said, I will start with a few reasons and will add more as it goes along. Please feel free to contribute your own well thought out ideas.


1. ConceptArt.org is a volunteer run community. CA puts it's proceeds directly back into the site in the form of additional tech, servers, and educational goodies.

2. The 3 CA founders are not "the man" and have given more than 30,000 volunteer hours into the community to help teach, share, and keep this place going forward. For example, over the past seven years, coro, andrew, and I have not recieved one dime of salary or compensation for our work in the community. We could have easily done so at the expense of the community but instead chose to do what we could to help instead. We are open up working late at night on this stuff and think about how to improve things here every single day.

3. The moderators, admin, and helpers in the community all give their time and efforts for free and without their help this site would not be what it is. We all owe them a huge thanks. If CA cannot pay for the site upgrades or server improvements or the like, it makes it hard on them since new features can make all their lives easier around here.

4. CA does as much as it is capable of to protect artist rights...yours, ours, and everyone elses. Without the download funds, we could not do this.

5. CA sees 1.3 million visits a month and about 80 million page views a year. When people are bothered about streaming a 200 meg video, they should consider that CA transfers five terabytes of data each month and runs a large and costly server system (paid for by these downloads) to keep the site going and up every day.

6. Bandwidth is very expensive. Server maintenance and code maintenance is very expensive. Without the support of the community on these downloads and educational materials CA would have to become a pay site.

7. The downloads were designed to do two things. Offer a way for artists to come into the community, become leaders in the community, learn to teach in the community, and to become more financially independent by having the ability to create content, their own content, and be able to take care of themselves.

8. The CA downloads are open to any professionals who do great work and want to teach. The whole program is set up so folks like you can do well here in the community...is the same reason we promote artists on the site too.

9. We are doing what we can to help artists and the community be independent. This is a very unique thing, where the company is volunteer and the community has an opportunity for such success. Usually it is the other way around. Our efforts are in good faith.

10. The downloads are already affordable. Considering it took me a hundred thousand dollars to get my education and one day of class in art school costs more than a download here, we are happy with the success ca has had in helping artists get this information cheaper than ever before. Just four years ago, this info was not easy to find. CA is serving it up on a plate as cheaply as it can.

11. CA has a long term plan for improved online and real world art education. We have always worked to undercut the private art schools which are so costly. We are giving all we can. Without the small fees, we could not pay for the overhead of running this community.



More to come....

[FraserMcT]

12. Piracy is illegal.

I hope we are allowed to add to this, if not, just delete this post.

[Jason Manley]

13. Because if it was your artwork being stolen you would be livid mad and the artists here on conceptart.org would have pitchforks and torches in protest.

[Ian Miles]

15- People who steal from others will be stealed someday too. And being stealed is not what you want.

[Iridyse]

16. Even after pricing the downloads so ridiculously low, CA rewards its members with free downloads.
Seriously, why would you hurt a community that does so much to help you?

[kikindaface]

17 - Someone who is uploading torrents will run the risk of lawsuits, and will have to pay hundred of thousands of dollars ! ( it should really scare the uploaders ! )

18 - Someone who upload torrents will be haunted by the jason's ghost for the rest of his life ( You don't need to count this one lol )

[Mock]

19. Getting caught will likely get you banned from the site and blacklisted from future CA events and workshops. For an aspiring artist who needs all of the education and exposure they can get, torrenting CA vids is roughly equivalent to taking a running start and giving your art career a swift kick in the nuts.

[kraal]

20 supporting the downloads improves your skill. meaning some time in the future it may be your download people are looking for.

21 (this was already touched on but) These are fellow artist making a living just like you

[Jazz]

I think we missed 14:

Because it makes ya look STUPID!! Come ON!!

22. Artists working for years on their craft are showing you a nice taste of what good learning and practice will do. You do want to show how much you respect them for it, don't you?

[dcorc]

23. Forcing CA to go subscription to support itself sets a bad precedent for other sites. Many members here are also members elsewhere (mostly also free, but few either as large or as educational as CA) - imagine how expensive it would get if all the artsites went subscription-only.

The fact that CA (and some other sites) provide such an amazing educational resource for free is a very good thing. When a site gets big like this, it becomes costly to run. Basically there are three choices - subscription-only; festooning the site with advertising; or, as here, supporting it by very modestly-priced downloads with very solid educational content.

Members need to recognise the great generosity and wisdom of this, and support it, not undermine it. The selfish actions of a few risk spoiling it for everyone.

[Arshes Nei]

24. Because it is GHETTO. We have enough ghetto people around.

[-Zer0-]

25. It's morally wrong, disrespectful, dishonorable, and unfair to everyone. Everyone makes an effort and plays a role in this community, and no one likes to be cheated.

[Kaffinated]

26. It supports Fox News... seriously why the fuck would you go and do that?

[Choob]

27 = It's bad.

[Φ]

28. because its only 15 bucks. seriously, what are 15 bucks? 3 hot dogs? dont tell me that 3 hot dogs are more important to you than your art education!

[Ian Barker]

29. My guess is that piraters are justifying themselves by thinking that they are helping the art community by allowing those who can't afford vids to see them. This is extremely short-sighted; while you may be giving people a video or two, you're going to be robbing them of their ability to access CA for free if CA has to switch to a subscription. CA itself probably has more information to learn from than the downloads. By trying to help the poor people out, you're eventually going to be doing them a lot more harm than good.

[KonnA]

30. Your just stealing form yourself in the long run, if you pirate an artists efforts and you either are or want to be professional then you may as well just start working for free. In downloading the items illegally you are consciously expressing that you think all artistic effort should be regarded as free (including your own)

So just don't bother.

These downloads aren't for corporation profits. These are for the community, by purchasing the items. You are helping an ARTISTS community, and if you want to learn about art (those being tutorials) then you obviously want to be a part, so don't hurt what you want to be a part of.

Kind of rambled, but I just wanted to express what I think.

[Noah Bradley]

31. You can't take pride in knowing that your money is going to support the best art community on the web.

[Liam Harvey]

32. The solid gold content of the downloads for such a low price is incredibly generous-Be kind in return and pay that small sum, give these artists credit where credit is due.

[Brashen]

33. Because one day I'll be knocking on your door with a bat in hand if you do.

[Jason Manley]

34. because those uploading are going to cause the downloaders to also be banned, as is happening now.

[KarylGilbertson]

35. BECAUSE THEY'RE CHEAP!!! (As has been said before) Paying 15 dollars for these downloads is almost like stealing anyway. Think about how much these top-notch, professional artists make per hour when they're doing paid work. Then think that the average download is at least 45 minutes long. You're getting a hell of a deal.

Plus, you can watch them AGAIN and AGAIN! you're not going to learn everything they have to teach on the first go through. To use a video game term, there's tremendous "replay value."

And even when CA stops offering downloads in favour of streaming-only videos, for a higher price, there's still going to be value like crazy. Stop buying 4 dollar coffees for a couple days and get yourself some education.

[walnut]

36. Because it pisses all over your karma.

[m0uS3r]

37. just because you will feel like and ass and you will come to your senses right now and you will pass the workshop just to buy all that you downloaded and recognize to all what you did

P.S. Mr Manley i send ya an important pm please check and confirm if possible

[Ian Barker]

38. You are not offering Massive Black any exposure by uploading these videos. Everyone who downloads these videos does so because they already know exactly what they are getting. So don't try justifying it.

39. These downloads have a perfect track record for being worthwhile. There is no need to distrust MB or even to try before you buy.

[galumar]

39. Because some of you who got/get banned will be missed :C

[Pandanus]

40. Because Coro will come and get you.

[Igor Sandman]

41. Because free stuff makes you blasé. You are excited by art, remember?

[Newman101]

42. Not only will you get banned from CA and black listed from all of their workshops and forums, you also run the risk of being black listed by the art community and, there by, risk making it very hard for you to find work for yourself in the visual field.

43. You will cause, or already have, the switch over to streaming content instead of downloads, making it nigh impossible for many people to access the content due to their bandwidth capacity.

44. Along with the streaming switch, prices will have to go up to pay for the cost of the new technology.

[The Crazy Dude SRD]

45 - Because you are/will be a complete, foolish, stupid, piece of shit asshole; and note that is insulting all assholes of the world calling you such... (sorry for the language but it is my personal feelings on this.)

46 - If you have a iota, a fragment, a molicule, a figment of respect to these artists and their hard work to this very influencial and powerful craft... you wouldn't even have the thought of doing so.

47 - Peace, love, and harmony will ensue around the world because CA can spread like the wild fire it is and should be... well, other than the occasional political debate where someone get's on someone elses 'bad' side...

48 - The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of [the CA Videos] is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringment without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in FEDERAL prison and a fine of $250,000.