Tim, In the past you and I have often times found ourselves at odds with one another over various things, none of which really need to be stated for that is water under the bridge, and through it all, I think we've managed to retain some sort of understanding and respect for each other. Unfortunately, once again, we find ourselves at odds with one another. I am sitting here, stunned in regard to the current developement that has occured regarding the numerous Merchants and Vendors that are the major supporters and contributors of Renderosity and help to increase Renderosity's profit margin so that your company and Renderosity can continue to provide the income necessary to absorb those costs. These are Vendors and Merchants (like DAZ3D, Diane Griffith from DSI, Mehndi from PoserPros, LadySilverMage from 3D-Arena, Staff of 3D Commune and many others) who help to generate the income sufficiant and necessary to increasing your Company's product: Renderosity and the services that it lends to this great and power Community. Granted, these individuals also sell their products here on Renderosity in order to increase product, income potential and awareness of and for their own companies, however, they do so while still maintaining support for your company and the Community that it services. These are also some of the very individuals who helped to increase this Community by generating traffic and public awareness to your Community site, initiated in the overall structure of your business and have inspired and encouraged others to visit and interact with this Community and also take part within Renderosity's Market Place. Though these individuals may have competitive brokerage sites, stores and companies themselves, they have allowed the Community and the Merchants within that Community to seed product within your Market Place and cross advertise those products further increasing income status and potential within Renderosity. And, furthermore, they will likely continue to do. However, the actions that you promote today by segragating certain individuals from taking advantage of the same benefits befalling other Merchants and Vendors within your Market Place further strains this Community by forcing individuals to "choose sides", as represented by the volume of Merchants now pulling out of your Market Place. Sir, what you have effectively accomplished is punished the very individuals who strive to add benefit, not just to line their own pockets, but increase the market revolving around this Community. You have taken away from them, and yourself, the ability to build the Community and the income potential within this Community by removing their ability to share with each other and your staff, marketing plans and implementations that could benefit this Community and your Online Store. You have always struck me as a person who always sought ways to increase business, not reduce it. However, by your actions of Discriminating certain individuals from the very same benefits as other merchants are able to receive, is Restricting Trade within this Community and interaction. You are effectively "cutting off" possible income streams and revenue to the very Community that you seek to service and will be forcing many vendors to consider selling their products elsewhere and forcing members to choose to go elsewhere, to the very people who you view as competitors, to obtain those products and/or services. Being in the "loop" as I am, with regards to certain possible benefits that are rapidly approaching this Community, I think you are making wrong decisions here and limiting and constraining your business and the ramifications of this will eventually end up taking a serious toll to the very Community you seek to service and profit from. By saying: "As a Merchant of a Competitive Market Place, you are not free to utilize the same tools that benefit other Merchants, or help improve your items, and possible our Store" what sort of message are you trying to send? Where will it end? Where will the line be drawn? Who is in charge of decerning who will be Discriminated against or who provides benefit and doesn't in regard to taking part in the use of Merchant tools and increasing business and Community standards? What if DAZ or DSI or 3D Commune or PoserPros or BBAY adopted these same principles you are trying to set? Is the Community going to be forced to restrict their involvement and trade with certain sites or individuals before they can ever be accepted as Merchants at these stores? I am disappointed in this, most recent, turn of events and hope you will reconsider your present course, as that this effects more than just the Merchants within this Community, but the Community itself. Sincerely, Jack D. Kammerer DSI Representive

I aint tryin to ruffle nobody's feathers...but I think I'd like to post an opinon on the "controversy". Ya know....I live in a country where there's an amendment to the Bill of Rights that protects me and others from being prosecuted for breaking a newly formed law because we committed what would not be a crime back before it was against the law. I think it's called habeus corpus (spelling?). In essence, if they passed a new law today that made it illegal to purchase more than ten dollars worth of gas at once then they couldn't turn around and arrest me for filling up my tank yesterday because it wasn't illegal yesterday. This is my warped analogy of restricting merchants from the merchant's forum because of a new "law" implemented recently but being made "retroactive" rather than "from this day forth, new merchants....(etc., etc.,)". The new rule would be alot easier to swallow if it weren't cascaded to merchants that signed up years ago who did nothing wrong all that time but now have been found to be in violation of a new code of conduct and are being penalized for it.

To Whom It May Concern,

I am not a merchant here but I this "event" can and probably will affect all Renderosity members as a community.

I agree with edriver's message above. Renderosity had accepted them in the past knowing that some merchants are from "Competitive Market Place" and gave them full privileges due to members, so by revoking them now in my opinion is just plain wrong and unfair.

In addition to that, the old rule seemed to have worked pretty well considering how Renderosity has developed into such a huge community, so why the sudden change? as I understand it, Renderosity is already taking 50% from the merchants who dont sell their items exclusively in Renderosity, isn't that enough?

anyone can see from all the negative responses that this change is not exactly a positive one. In my opinion, this change is taking Renderosity backwards and I hope something will be done about this.

Sincerely
P_T

I had to do a lot of reading to form an informed opinion, but all I can say is, Ditto to this thread thus far.

Jack, Well said.