This post is a tad more serious than many of my other posts but I feel that this important for people to recognize. For several years now I've been a long time reader of a web comic called Questionable Content by the very talented, Jeff Jacques. I've been reading this comic for so long that reading the newest issue has become part of my morning routine. After today’s comic I was surprised to see a note from the author expressing concern over a certain application in the Android marketplace. The application is a comic reader that collects many web comics and centralizes all of them into one convenient place for easy viewing. Sounds great, except for one thing, the developer never quite got the permissions of the authors to use their content. I've taken a look at the application and reviews for it. Not surprisingly, the app has received quite a bit of negative feedback due to this realization. What I was surprised to see was how many people who supported the app after knowing the content had all been used without permission. The arguments for the application varied in their delivery but the main two points kept reappearing, that it was no different than pirating a song or that it was the artists own fault for putting an RSS feed on their site and it in no way hurt the artists.
While it is everyone’s personal choice to support the app or the artists, I do not agree with the arguments made against the artists. I’ve been blogging for a few years now; I’ve had my own blog for a little over a year. Before that I followed many, many others. I have looked quite extensively into blogging, along with its place in our current media. Blogging, web comics, web series, they’ve all hit a new stride with today’s media. For many it’s an easy creative outlet, for others it’s a source of revenue, sometimes one of their only sources of revenue. These publications don’t make their money the same way print publications do, some will make money through merchandise, but that tends to be rare and only reliable once the blog gains enough popularity. The main source of revenue for blogs and web series come mainly through page views. Advertisers will post their ads on the pages of these sites and pay the authors based on the number of page views they get and how many times the ads are clicked on. There’s a bit more to it but that’s the gist of how it works. The problem that arises from an application like this is that it does not require people to visit the sites in order to read the comics. While using the app isn’t stealing directly from the artists, it does mean that they do not get the revenue from the page views they would have gotten had those readers visited their sites. Even putting an RSS feed on the site will count towards the number of page views. To put it very simply, no visits means no page views. No page views, no money.
Well in that case, how is it any different than pirating music? Well for one thing, you aren’t paying to view their pages. While I can’t speak for every web comic on the internet, many do not require their readers to spend money in order to view their materials. While the readers don’t spend any money either way from using the application over going directly to the sites, the creator of the application is making money off the web comics. In pirating music, you are forgoing paying for a song to get it for free. With this particular application, it simply allowed someone else to make money for something that wasn’t theirs.
I can’t say that I know the intent of the app’s creator. Perhaps they didn’t realize what the ramifications were in making the application and using the content without the permission of the artists. The developer of the app has been confronted by many of the artists and is taking down a good portion of these comics off the app. What I find incredibly unfortunate about the situation is that some artists have said that had the developer asked, they would have gladly come to an agreement in order for their comics to be featured on the application. They thought it was a great idea and many would have been excited to be a part of the application, but they just would have liked to be asked. It is entirely possible that this whole mess was the result of a developer with a great idea, and was just simply unaware of the steps needed to make it possible.
The internet has evolved greatly over the last few decades, and even in the last year alone. As new technology develops, new opportunities arise for those who want to create and share their creations. Unfortunately these opportunities also bring new, sometimes unintended, risks to the authors, developers and their work. There are a million and one arguments that can be made for why this isn’t that big of a deal but the long and short of it is this: These artists, bloggers are doing all of this for their audience, and do it for free. The most they ask is that we visit their pages and support their original work. If you enjoy Questionable Content and other web series, if you want them to be able to continue what they’re doing, then support them. Visit their pages, if you see an advertisement that catches your eye, go ahead and click on it. As far as applications go, when you download an application, make sure you know where the app is coming from. App markets are huge, and like any product you should be aware of where and who your apps are coming from. In addition to keeping an eye out for some shady practices, you may also find some developers you really like and want to follow. There are some amazing developers in the mobile market creating everything from convenience to enjoyment in our everyday lives. So if there’s anything to be learned from this unfortunate scenario, I think it’s just be more aware of what we’re downloading.
While it is everyone’s personal choice to support the app or the artists, I do not agree with the arguments made against the artists. I’ve been blogging for a few years now; I’ve had my own blog for a little over a year. Before that I followed many, many others. I have looked quite extensively into blogging, along with its place in our current media. Blogging, web comics, web series, they’ve all hit a new stride with today’s media. For many it’s an easy creative outlet, for others it’s a source of revenue, sometimes one of their only sources of revenue. These publications don’t make their money the same way print publications do, some will make money through merchandise, but that tends to be rare and only reliable once the blog gains enough popularity. The main source of revenue for blogs and web series come mainly through page views. Advertisers will post their ads on the pages of these sites and pay the authors based on the number of page views they get and how many times the ads are clicked on. There’s a bit more to it but that’s the gist of how it works. The problem that arises from an application like this is that it does not require people to visit the sites in order to read the comics. While using the app isn’t stealing directly from the artists, it does mean that they do not get the revenue from the page views they would have gotten had those readers visited their sites. Even putting an RSS feed on the site will count towards the number of page views. To put it very simply, no visits means no page views. No page views, no money.
Well in that case, how is it any different than pirating music? Well for one thing, you aren’t paying to view their pages. While I can’t speak for every web comic on the internet, many do not require their readers to spend money in order to view their materials. While the readers don’t spend any money either way from using the application over going directly to the sites, the creator of the application is making money off the web comics. In pirating music, you are forgoing paying for a song to get it for free. With this particular application, it simply allowed someone else to make money for something that wasn’t theirs.
I can’t say that I know the intent of the app’s creator. Perhaps they didn’t realize what the ramifications were in making the application and using the content without the permission of the artists. The developer of the app has been confronted by many of the artists and is taking down a good portion of these comics off the app. What I find incredibly unfortunate about the situation is that some artists have said that had the developer asked, they would have gladly come to an agreement in order for their comics to be featured on the application. They thought it was a great idea and many would have been excited to be a part of the application, but they just would have liked to be asked. It is entirely possible that this whole mess was the result of a developer with a great idea, and was just simply unaware of the steps needed to make it possible.
The internet has evolved greatly over the last few decades, and even in the last year alone. As new technology develops, new opportunities arise for those who want to create and share their creations. Unfortunately these opportunities also bring new, sometimes unintended, risks to the authors, developers and their work. There are a million and one arguments that can be made for why this isn’t that big of a deal but the long and short of it is this: These artists, bloggers are doing all of this for their audience, and do it for free. The most they ask is that we visit their pages and support their original work. If you enjoy Questionable Content and other web series, if you want them to be able to continue what they’re doing, then support them. Visit their pages, if you see an advertisement that catches your eye, go ahead and click on it. As far as applications go, when you download an application, make sure you know where the app is coming from. App markets are huge, and like any product you should be aware of where and who your apps are coming from. In addition to keeping an eye out for some shady practices, you may also find some developers you really like and want to follow. There are some amazing developers in the mobile market creating everything from convenience to enjoyment in our everyday lives. So if there’s anything to be learned from this unfortunate scenario, I think it’s just be more aware of what we’re downloading.
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