skeletonbow: Lengthy reply part 2 of 2 (continued from
Part 1)
skeletonbow: Ultimately GOG is pure evil in someone's eyes at all times even if they just gave everything away for free and the employees paid for it all for everyone instead, and then donated any other money they had to feed the hungry. Someone would then complain that they are donating the money to feed the hungry, but what about the lame?
Talk about your can't-win situations. The way I see it, GOG simply can't do anything whatsoever and have it met with universal appeal and applause. Doesn't matter what it is or how good their intentions will be behind it, some small group of highly vocal people will feel disenfranchised, complain and make GOG have to back out of it or eat the costs of it. I don't envy the good folk at GOG and the difficult decisions they have to very carefully make to grow their business. In some ways they've backed themselves into a hole they can't get out of now.
If you want to make an omelette, you have to break some eggs. If GOG wants to make an omelette, they have to deal with an angry mob of PETA members protesting them for taking chicken's eggs, an angry mob of people who wanted duck eggs, another mob that wanted ostrich eggs, another mob that thinks the omelette is too small, another mob angry that GOG is selling omelettes worldwide when their government has banned eggs in their country and GOG has to comply with that country's laws anyway, and another group who would prefer to buy an omelette from GOG but will end up just buying an egg McMuffin from McDonalds instead because they want it bad enough and it's the preferred option most people go with in lieu of GOG's omelette availability.
I think GOG has made some errors in judgment in the past about some of their decisions, but mostly communicating them to people well enough and ahead of time. Many of these things they've recanted on due to pressure, but I sometimes wish they'd just go ahead and make some bold changes most people do actually find reasonable and just let people who disagree go shop elsewhere. They might lose some business in the short term, but the progress they make as a result will draw in 10 times as many new customers potentially to make up for the loss.
One of the only reasons I'm even speaking my thoughts on this right now is that I think there are many many people out there who think very similarly to me but either just don't want to get involved, or are too afraid to speak their mind, and so most of what GOG actually sees in the forums is the thoughts of a very vocal minority, and they are afraid of that. I think they do need to be concerned and to try to accommodate people as best as they can, but I think that they cave in to the vocal minority all too often and never know what the non-vocal majority might be thinking. I never see much of a peep in the forums from people who think similarly to myself and so I say my thoughts so that at least someone has said it, and perhaps that makes others come forward who agree and GOG gets a more balanced view of the big picture. Of course I could have everything wrong too - I could be in the minority and the majority could be the ones who fight every thing GOG tries to do to move forward and expand their business and offerings to customers. I guess we all have our feelings about that without a way of knowing, but we can let our thoughts be known and GOG can take it as feedback at least and help them weigh the pros and cons in a more balanced manner.
In closing, I can say that if GOG brings Hollywood type movies/TV Shows etc. here to the GOG store DRM-free and they are things that I would like to own and I am able to purchase them in my region (whether or not any other region can), and I can purchase them in USD or CAD, or even in EUR and the final price I'll pay for the content I consider worth the price for what I get in return, I'll gladly buy it even if someone on Mars has to pay10 times as much. I don't want things to be regionally restricted, nor for prices to be unfair for people, but for reasons beyond my power if that is the way it is, that is the way it is, and I'll buy what I can get for myself if it is a good deal for me realizing and accepting the fact that all of the injustices in the world can't be solved in a day and not by one company overnight even though they certainly seem to try and do their best. If someone in another country is unable to buy or has to pay more, then those of us in a better situation can perhaps help them like happens already bypassing censorship etc. via proxy or one person buying and sending the code to someone else etc.
I highly recommend everyone read "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu also. The wisdom in that is widely applicable to business and any other competitive situation in life where differing opinions come together to resolve problems, especially situations where a disenfranchised minority goes up against a giant goliath where the odds are against them. If us GOGites want to see better practices in the industry and more consumer-fairness, then we need to be more methodical about getting to that point and less emotional. More method and logic, less emotion, and sometimes that means doing things you'd rather not, making compromises you'd rather not, or other things that leave a sour taste in the mouth in order to win the war by not getting caught up in the details of any one given battle along the way. IMHO, it is short term negative emotional reactions that end up being the death knell for long term positive change more often than not. It's just sad to see it happen over and over again when there are other ways to achieve the end goals incrementally and with patience.
I respect everyone's opinions about this whether or not I agree with them, but just want to see a more two-sided exchange about the subject matter as well. I also want to see everyone whose approach to the end game that I disagree with ultimately get what they want. We have more in common with what we'd like to see after all is said and done than we differ on, even if we differ about how to get there after all!
Very well said and very respectfully said. Nothing is ever perfect and I agree that "The Art of War" is worth reading.