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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Frylock" data-source="post: 5978816" data-attributes="member: 38140">Kickstarter = the LaddersI'm sorry if I'm rehashing arguments -- I haven't read the entire thread -- but I've been contemplating a blog entry on this for some time now.I got blasted for suggesting that Kickstarter is, or will soon become, like this commercial for "the Ladders" job hunting site: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhqqAUh1VPU]The Ladders Ad - YouTube[/ame].The arguments we're even on point, showing that the people (who I later found out, not surprisingly, to have Kickstarter projects) weren't even listening to what I was saying because they didn't want any chance of having to admit it was true.I've contributed to a couple of Kickstarter projects, and so obviously I concede that there's a time and a place for them; however, the model will eventually collapse on itself because a necessary component of business is missing from these projects: risk. If you take away risk by having other people contribute the entire start up capital without giving them a well-deserved ownership stake in the project, then you're going to get far too many projects getting financed that never should see the commercial light of day. What's to stop me from doing a half-a$$ed job on an expensive project with little chance of success or marketability? Not my finances, because I'm not paying for it. Of course, if I'm trying to break into the gaming industry, I don't want garbage out there with my name on it, but I don't fall into that category. I might as well go for it, especially if things are so bad that I need help paying my phone bill. Fortunately for you, I have some sense of ethics, but far too many people don't.If Kickstarter merely asked a few questions and held people to a certain standard (e.g., at least tried to require backers getting either a) an ownership stake, or b) a good value for the money they've put in), then the system would improve even though it would be impossible to enforce perfectly either option. Anther option would be to require an accounting so that a significant portion of the project is being financed by the creator him/herself, though that would hurt too many of the projects for which Kickstarter was created. All of this might be more trouble than it's worth for the Kickstarter powers-that-be, but if so, as I said, it's a doomed endeavor. There are going to be too many people with projects simply because they can, like the teenage girl putting on make up on the tennis court at Wimbledon. Why not?As I said, I don't know whether Kickstarter is there yet or just headed there, but it's already to the point where it's so crowded, I don't even bother to look anymore. When i get announcements via email, I don't even read them. I delete them as if they're spam. I'm still on the mailing list because, well, you never know.... I predict that the entire community will reach that breaking point eventually. That's a shame for those creators that really have something to contribute but otherwise couldn't without this basic model in place; not because they're cheap, but because they really don't have the money to get a great idea off the ground.</blockquote>

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