Open Video Toaster Instant Download ISO going up in price

[AmigaHeretic]

From the website:

Vistors to the site downloaded over 57 Gigabytes of source code in February alone! When you consider that the code to the Amiga Video Toaster Flyer is only about 30MB that is a lot of unique downloads.

As we suspected there has been a very high demand for this code ever since it was first promised and we are now pleased to fulfill that demand.

Bandwith overage fees for February were $387.01. We have many exciting ideas that have yet to be implemented for this site but can't continue to pay such high monthly bandwith costs alone.

Couldn't you guys just make this ISO a torrent? Seems like a perfect use of bit torrent to me.  Community helping share bandwidth.

[AmigaHeretic]

He'd have to seed the torrent just like he hosts the ISO image.

??

[AmigaHeretic]

Of course we could make it a torrent. The price is not going up do to bandwith issues. It's going up to put more funds into Open Video Toaster bounties and thus generate more interest in the code.

Then why does your post start out: "Sadly we have to raise the price..."

[AmigaHeretic]

We don't like raising prices but do it when necessary.

I understand that, but if you are not raising prices for bandwidth then what is the reason?

My understanding is Newtek released the source code to Amiga Users "to thank them for their support."  Not for someone to sell.  If you are covering bandwidth costs I think that is fine, but you don't need bandwidth so what is the reason you "Sadly we have to raise" the price?

[AmigaHeretic]

The price increase is to add more funds into the bounties to help Amiga OS 4.x, MorphOS & AROS get more advanced video editing/production software.

Putting aside the ethics of selling Newtek's source code for more than just the distribution costs (even if it's for a project that may benefit many of us)

It seems a little disingenuous to post that you "sadly have to raise" the price when it seems like you really are just saying you want to.  

I'm not trying to put you down or the work on getting the source code released.  The whole things seems a little strange though.


That and the fact that it appears (don't know how current the site is) that 11 people have ever even bought the CD, wouldn't you think it would make more sense to drop the price down to something like $5 and make an announcement to try to get more people to DL it?  If they ain't getting it at $10 how likely are they to decide to get it when you raise the price more?

[AmigaHeretic]

No long drawn out megadramatic threads on Amiga.org AmigaHeretic like you did on amigaworld.net


You have been warned.





The ISO includes much more than just NewTek stuff. New price will be $19.95 for those that are just dying to know now.

Wow... so professional.

[AmigaHeretic]

We aim to please.

As long as pleasing isn't defined as getting people their AmiZilla bounties back. :-)

[AmigaHeretic]

I don't think I know of any other "Community" of fans

I'm just saying the whole thing stinks of rotting fish.

First the "sadly we have to" then when I make a suggestion to help out with bandwidth (that is the last news post on the OVT site about bandwidth costs) I get slagged off and get a "different" story.  More funds for the bounty.

Then when I asked for clarification I get, slagged off some more, warned, unprofessionally bringing up a site that is not his nor any of his business.  The whole thing is shady.


Yeah, sorry I offered to help with bandwidth ideas.  What a jerk I am.  Geez...

[AmigaHeretic]

@AmigaHeretic

Did you also read the message below on openvideotoaster.org?

It has also been on the site for over six years.

"If you would like to help support Open Video Toaster you can do so via Paypal. Bandwidth charges have been met for now. Future donations will begin to go into the bounty pool so that the source-code can be updated. "

I saw that second part too, but thats part of what made it more confusing.  With your first post in this thread and reading what had happened, it looked like you guys were 'again' having bandwidth charge issues, hence the need for a price change in the ISO.  

Again, my suggestion was meant to help get donation in forms other than cash, i.e. bandwidth.

I apologize for any hurt feelings here.  But can we agree your original posts wording is strange for just wanting to grow support for bounties?

I still stand by the belief that if you wanted to bring in more money for the bounty quickly, than making it $5 for a time combined with announcing your want to grow the bounties quickly.  The full NewTek source code in a single ISO I think would has Historic value, and at $5, all those that have no actual need for the source code could be enticed to help out knowing they get something.

I just can't see how you get more people(that don't already have the ISO) interested in downloading it for 2x the price.

[AmigaHeretic]

BitTorrent only works as long as at least one peer has the bits you need. The only way to insure that is to host a permanent seed. The Video Toaster sources do not share the same level of popularity as World of Warcraft or Lady Gaga, so in all likelihood, Bill would have to seed the ISO image indefinitely. In any case, he's already said bandwidth charges weren't the impetus for the change, although he certainly implied that at the beginning. ;-)

EDIT: Mini-rant not directed at anyone in particular: We all pay for bandwidth, and the only "winners" are the large telcos, who whine whenever anyone tries to use the bandwidth that's already been paid for.

I see where you were going.  I was thinking/suggesting the community does the seeding and the OVT site could still have the regular download too.  Many sites I've seen that need large bandwidth for something like this usually have the bittorent link listed first with a message asking to please use that if possible. Then the standard http/ftp download option listed a little smaller and second.

The message had said they paid over $300 in a single month for bandwidth overages.  So in effect they'd still have the file for those that don't want to use the torrent, but we would be helping relieve that overage.  Hence in effect donating $300+ a month.