Quote - Please point out where I said that no one makes money at this. The difference is in how much is made, and the motivations behind it.

 

As for the "motivations behind it", I can suggest a few.  Eating is one that comes to mind.

Since you insist on being reminded of your own words from an earlier post, here we go:

Quote - There was once a time when volume made up for price; back when the RMP here had less than 300 "merchants". There was a time when a solid modeller with an eye on the community could rake in a solid living from just selling stuff here.

Now - it's a flood. Just like a Gold Rush, most of the money has been made; there is still some to be made, but very few will reach the heights once held by the 'big hitters' of 5 years ago. Of course, that doesn't stop the masses from giving it a go.

The obvious implication here being that potential newbie marketeers shouldn't bother; the mines are now exhausted -- every bit of ore that there could conceivably be is already gone. :rolleyes:  About like the old saw about the man who supposedly proposed closing down the patent office -- because everything that could be invented had already been invented...........

Just keep thinking that way -- (the converse philosophy is one reason why Rendo is successful & growing).  There are entrepreneurs: and then there is the 'sittin' around the bus station crowd'.  It's all hopeless and bleak anyway -- and the clouds in the sky are all gray sigh.  So don't anyone trouble themselves to "give it a go".  You've already lost before you even begin to play the game.  The deck's all stacked against you.........sob sob..........:crying:......it's just so incredibly unfair.

In the meantime: please hand me the pan -- I think that I detect a sparkle in the stream.

Quote - > Quote -

Free stuff is great.  I love freestuff.  Many vendors provide it to us on a regular basis.

Tell me -- if free stuff is so bad for business, then why is Rendo hosting it?

I have instead a question for you: Tell me what percentage of Poser freestuff posted here doesn't require purchasing anything beyond Poser (or downloading D|S).

Tons.  I've downloaded a lot of it myself.

So now you answer my question.

 

Quote - > Quote - And a website which wouldn't exist without the vendors providing the financial wherewithal to run it.

Really? Why do you insist that such a thing must be true? After all, how many consignment or direct merchants sell things from sites such as Tom's Hardware? Slashdot? Drudge Report? Craigslist? MySpace? Facebook? These sites make quite a bit of bank on advertisement alone... and Craigslist doesn't even do that, IIRC.

I insist on such a thing because it's true -- or I suppose that Rendo could become a subscription site like some other 3D sites are.

A store is one business model.  And the great success of Rendo's store demostrates just how effective that business model can be.  Then there are websites with other types of business models -- which collect their operational budgets in other ways.  So what?  The money still has to come from somewhere.  But I suppose that in your worldview: it's all run by magic.

Does a website need to be the size of Drudge or Youtube, etc. before it qualifies as a successful one?  Drudge and Youtube -- as well as those few extras on your list -- all cater to different tastes & to different public desires/needs.  For Rendo to become more like Drudge, Rendo would need to drop the 3D entirely and become a political newslink service with commentary sprinkled in.  I.....doubt that's in the current business plan.  Or for Rendo to become more like MySpace (yechhhh), Rendo would need to re-invent itself into a personalized pure-blog site.  I don't think that's in the business plan, either.

Quote - No, that is exactly what I said - sits right in the post.

Sittin' on the post isn't a comfortable place to be........sittin' IN the post must be downright painful.

Now I really need to go do something productive for awhile.  I'll check back in later to get my dose of forum follies -- complete with loud circus-type calliope music being played while painted performers put on a spectacular show of balancing themselves precariously on top of posts.

Something To Do At 3:00AM