250,000 downloads - Donate all you GOOD PEOPLE :)

[DDogg]

Folks, just like many of you, I have started to dislike all the people that spend a few hours on some half-baked project and act like they expect to make a million bucks for some crappy effort via donations. It doubly irritates me as because of them, you may have a poor attitude about donations to people that actually DO deserve them.

Just to make the point because I know D2S will not, if you can't open a PayPal or Kagi account and donate a few bucks to somebody that has worked for nearly THREE YEARS on this project and has spent literally THOUSANDS of hours on it, you must not fully appreciate the amount of work that has been done so as to make your life easier :) [Edited so as to keep the peace]

Also, see the Amazon wish-list. Hey, the guy NEVER EXPECTED to make a bunch, but he SHOULD be able to pay for the freaking bandwidth and buy a few toys as a small reward. I don't think that is asking anything excessive in any way, so why not take just a couple of minutes and do it now?!

Please pardon the aggressive tone, but I think this community of OURS can try a little harder to help. We can do a better job.

Note: KAGI is supposed to be real easy
http://order.kagi.com/cgi-bin/store.cgi?storeID=8XD&&

[The Edge]

Done and done! ;)
I was only thinking the same last week. What a cracking program.
Is it 3years already? :eek:

[DDogg]

That's the spirit we need, The Edge. Thanks for posting and setting a good example.

[windtrader]

OK DDOG - 20usd via KAGI - done - Thx for the reminder.

[ralphthedog]

$10USD(to aid in the exessive consumption of alcohol only!!!).

[telemike]

Kagi works great!

I sent DVD2SVCD $5us, I might scrape up a few more later next week.

I also support VCDeasy as well.

If people would just KaGI him a buck, I think you could even do a quarter

[dwflo]

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
The first of the month is near, and my VA check was deposited. Timing couldn't have been better.
Think I can give up 20 bucks to help a worthwile project.

It has been done!:D

dwflo

[DDogg]

This is great folks. I bet it was even painless :) Let's just keep the momentum going. This is just about playing fair and doing the right thing.

[DDogg]

By the way folks, just for the record, those of you who know my Southern Texas style of English (I think it is English? :) )will realize the word "bums" with a smiley is a friendly kind of dig. I guess it could mean different things to non-native english speakers so I hope I gave no offense. I was just trying to get your attention :) Using American slang in an international audience can be a bit tricky.

Reminds me of the time my older and most proper sister used the word "fanny" to a South African. I am told it means something quite different from a polite reference to one's backside. She was mortified when she found out. I thought it was kinda funny.

Still the message still holds, you should try to help if you find D2S's program useful to you and a small donation is the right thing to do. Maybe the price of a six-pack of beer would be a good international trading unit? :)

[First message edited to "all you GOOD PEOPLE" in order to keep the peace]

[ralphthedog]

Beer as currency?.......Maybe I can patent the refrigerated safe?!

[mrbass]

There's been a huge amount of work that has gone into this program over the years..for those too **#*** to read the changelog here's just the release dates to give you a glimpse

6/16-2001 version 1.0.0.12
6/17-2001 version 1.0.0.18
6/22-2001 version 1.0.0.34
6/26-2001 version 1.0.0.40
6/26-2001 version 1.0.0.41
6/27-2001 version 1.0.0.43
6/27-2001 version 1.0.0.47
6/27-2001 version 1.0.0.48
6/28-2001 version 1.0.0.49
6/28-2001 version 1.0.0.50
6/28-2001 version 1.0.0.52
6/29-2001 version 1.0.0.53
6/29-2001 version 1.0.0.54
6/29-2001 version 1.0.0.55
7/02-2001 version 1.0.0.57
7/04-2001 version 1.0.0.58
7/05-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 1
7/05-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 2
7/05-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 3
7/06-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 4
7/09-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 5
7/10-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 6
7/10-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 7
7/12-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 8
7/14-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 9
7/23-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 10
7/27-2001 version 1.0.1 beta 11
10 aug 2001 version 1.0.1 build 1
13 aug 2001 version 1.0.1 build 2
14 aug 2001 version 1.0.1 build 3
16 aug 2001 version 1.0.1 build 4
20 aug 2001 version 1.0.2 build 5
20 aug 2001 version 1.0.2 build 6
21 aug 2001 version 1.0.2 build 7
21 aug 2001 version 1.0.2 build 8
23 aug 2001 version 1.0.2 build 9
28 sep 2001 version 1.0.3 build 1
01 oct 2001 version 1.0.3 build 2
05 oct 2001 version 1.0.3 build 3
11 oct 2001 version 1.0.3 build 4
26 oct 2001 version 1.0.3 build 5
22 nov 2001 version 1.0.4 build 1
25 nov 2001 version 1.0.4 build 2
12 dec 2001 version 1.0.5 build 1
19 dec 2001 version 1.0.5 build 2
23 dec 2001 version 1.0.5 build 3
30 dec 2001 version 1.0.5 build 4
15 jan 2002 version 1.0.6 build 1
01 feb 2002 version 1.0.6 build 2
02 feb 2002 version 1.0.6 build 3
05 feb 2002 version 1.0.6 build 4
22 feb 2002 version 1.0.7 build 1
25 feb 2002 version 1.0.7 build 2
26 feb 2002 version 1.0.7 build 3
05 mar 2002 version 1.0.7 build 4
11 apr 2002 version 1.0.8 build 1
02 may 2002 version 1.0.9 build 1
14 may 2002 version 1.0.9 build 2
25 jun 2002 version 1.0.9 build 3
07 nov 2002 version 1.1.0 build 1
12 nov 2002 version 1.1.0 build 1a
28 nov 2002 version 1.1.0 build 1b
01 dec 2002 version 1.1.0 build 1c
29 jan 2003 version 1.1.1 build 1
30 jan 2003 version 1.1.1 build 2
17 feb 2003 version 1.1.2 build 1
03 apr 2003 version 1.1.3 build 1
04 apr 2003 version 1.1.3 build 2
28 aug 2003 version 1.2.1 build 1

If you donate you won't have a guilty conscience that haunts you throughout the night as you sleep while dvd2svcd does it's batch operation magic converting your dvd.

[cyberef]

that post was so evil that even though I dont use dvd2svcd I will now donate a huge amount of money!

[CHAOSMAN33]

i donated $5 bucks via paypal a few weeks ago, not much but it was whatever i had left when i had to pay for auction, ill be sure to donate in the future also

[DDogg]

Just updated the header to reflect the download count. Hardy any contributions. I wonder if everybody is thinking somebody else is donating and so nobody does. Strange.

[telemike]

Has DVD2SVCD said how many have donated for the latest release? I am curious as to the stats.

[dvd2svcd]

I can't off hand tell you how much I've received in cash, but I can tell you that I've received donations from 18 people since 29 sep.

Edited:
29 aug. 2003, my bad.

[telemike]

18/50000 = .04% donated

:(

[KungFuCow]

29th of Sept LAST YEAR??

1 of 18 :)

[dvd2svcd]

no no, this year. Sorry, my mistake it's 18 since 29 aug. 2003 of course.

[KungFuCow]

So... you have a time machine?

Bah.. editted before I could get that posted.

[Nick]

I ain't got a DVD writer yet (when I get another job!) so I'm sticking to 1.1.3 B2 for now. It does everything I want, very few bugs/probs. I reckon by the time I can afford a writer the major new developments should have been tweaked to perfection and any teething troubles ironed out.

In the meantime to encourage that tweaking along you'll find another $10US in your PayPal account.

I have to point out though, 45000 downloads and 18 donations so far is nothing short of pathetic! If I can afford ten bucks when I'm out of work the other 44982 of you can afford to put your hands in your bloody pockets!

DDogg gave you a link but seeing as this post starts a new page here's another!

https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=dvd2svcd%40notrace.dk&amount=10

[telemike]

Maybe DVD2SVCD should have set up a Donate a Penny button!

[Doom9]

@Nick: welcome to the real world. I have some 85'000 to 90'000 visitors per day (not hits!), and I got 148 paypal donations since the beginning of the year (and perhaps 30-40 kagi donations) and comparing with the donations stats of the other two big sites in this business I think I'm not doing too shabby (in relative terms of course.. if you divide the donation amount by the hours invested I better start looking for another hobby).

[telemike]

Alright, $5 to Doom9 via Kagi :D

[DDogg]

Well I am not going to keep beating this dead horse, nor should anybody else, as I think it is embarrassing Dvd2svcd. I think he feels it is unseemly and should not be needed. Just do whatever you think is right. At least visit his page and check out his great sponsors :)

[Nick]

@ Doom9 - In fairness I didn't expect to raise him a half a million bucks! No-one likes voluntarily parting with their hard-earned cash. There's no harm in a rallying cry though.

I don't know how versatile the forum scripts are but I think a nice big "donate" button wouldn't hurt. Whilst you're about it could you move the Search box to the top of the forum and put the word "search" in letters six inches high? That might cut your bandwidth bills down to size!

As for an alternative hobby, try a soccer club fans' forum! Barnsleyfc.net did an appeal after excessive bandwidth charges from their hosts nearly closed the site. They raised £1500 ($2300 USD ish) within a month! You're in the wrong business :D


@DDogg - if that is DVD2SVCD's wish then case closed as far as I am concerned. However, my view is that not enough people do invest time and/or money in helping the authors of free software. My "rule of thumb" which covered VCDEasy and DVD2SVCD is if you download free software and after 6 months you still use it regularly you should seriously consider a donation.

With regards to Doom9's rather defeatist "welcome to the real world, people just don't donate" attitude I would say a hugely popular forum which supports users of hugely popular freeware is exactly the place to try to bring about a cultural shift. That is why I think it is a pity this thread will eventually just drop off the first page of the board and be forgotten.

Meantime, embarassed as D2S may be, I couldn't help noticing the big PayPal logo on the log screen of the new version! And why not? Hidden away on the "About" tab where no useful features reside it ain't going to attract much attention.

[DDogg]

just updating the count and keeping this up where people can see it.

[mrbass]

Originally posted by Nick
[BWith regards to Doom9's rather defeatist "welcome to the real world, people just don't donate" attitude [/B]

A) That's true....seen it happen time over time..people just don't donate for a myriad of reasons. Everyone else does so why me, blah blah blah.

B) Many people will gladly pay $40 for a boxed version of CRAP DVD copy software. It's mostly psychological. Then when versions sell for $20 you'd think more people would buy the cheaper software. Well the perceived perception is that if it's cheaper it must be inferior feature-wise and quality-wise, etc. which isn't always true. When it's free like DVD2DVD is it's purely spread by word-of-mouth. If you didn't hear about using it from a friend then I'd doubt you'd find it by accident (ok it happens but far and few between).

C) I had to get a new web host the other day due to 50GB bandwidth in 10 days. My old webhost limit was 75GB/month. I added google ads and paypal donate to help pay for webhost with greater bandwidth limit. I'm willing to bet there be more $ in ads than donations. But if I'm wrong than I'll yank the ads and just keep the donate button.

I've donated to dvdfab, doom9, dvd2svcd, coujo and a few others. The only regret I have currently is I have never donated twice which I should do. I was the fifth person to donate to Coujo (imgtool author) and there probably hasn't been any donations to him since.

[dimirass]

20 usd for this great tool.
Keep going,

dimirass

[Sissyd]

I sent a donation via PayPal before I could post. I forgot to post a reply when I could.

Thanks so much for a truly great program.

[phidauex]

250,000 downloads doesn't mean 250,000 satisfied users! DVD2SVCD is awesome software, but it ain't user friendly, and it requires the user to own other software for it to shell. In fact, its very existance depends on numerous other pieces of software (most of which were also written by people who gave up their spare time for the project), and that has a tendency to make people unsure of where the gratitude really lays.

Oh, and it doesn't come in a pretty box with shrinkwrap. ;)

However, you are right, I use the software regularly, and appreciate the hard work that has been put into it. It may seem complicated and not very user friendly, but when I imagine doing all of that stuff by hand, I'm grateful that I don't have to! So, I made a small donation. Its not much, but it will buy a few beers, and makes it known that I appreciate the work.

peace,
sam

[r6d2]

Originally posted by phidauex
DVD2SVCD is awesome software, but it ain't user friendly
Really? Try reading this (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=64530) thread and then tell my if a complete newbie and non-familiar with the technology involved whatsoever cannot use the software and get results.
In fact, its very existance depends on numerous other pieces of software, and that has a tendency to make people unsure of where the gratitude really lays.
Just ask yourself, as you did, if you prefer do the process manually or automatically, which is what DVD2SVCD does for you, and then it should be clear anough who should get the gratitude.
Oh, and it doesn't come in a pretty box with shrinkwrap. ;)
And it likely never will. ;) You are not buying a software, by donating you are just showing your gratitude.
However, you are right, I use the software regularly, and appreciate the hard work that has been put into it. It may seem complicated and not very user friendly, but when I imagine doing all of that stuff by hand, I'm grateful that I don't have to! So, I made a small donation. Its not much, but it will buy a few beers, and makes it known that I appreciate the work.
Not being picky, but... Since you know all that, do you think the first part of your post was necessary?