Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Here's how I deal with users who steal

pud.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 225 posts

Re: Here's how I deal with users who steal

#111

Post by caf »

ballard wrote: post #86
caf wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This - rewarding deviousness - troubled me about the system too. Perhaps, instead of explicitly mentioning the Scholarship accounts on the homepage, there could be text along lines of "Struggling to get by and can't afford it? Email us and we'll see what we can do."

TL;DR - this is a shrewd play for a number of reasons. You don't understand, it's just business. Furthermore, the conversion of requiring people to beg via email to explain they're broke is next to zero. People won't do it. They'll take the POLR: fake accounts. Kicking them out also won't help: they can attack the brand and also if they succeed, the service looks like the bad guys. Furthermore, it builds stats by hav…

I wasn't suggesting doing this instead of offering Scholarships to detected referral cheaters - I was suggesting doing it in addition to that.

Re: Here's how I deal with users who steal

#112

Post by 001sky »

hackerboos wrote: post #46

Maybe I don't understand your business model correctly but why not just take the first $20 of royalties from users that steal?

or even $10. but yes, this is a really good idea. its not like taking an extra % indefinitely or something. more just keeping things honest. which in the long run is health for everyone, imho.

Re: Here's how I deal with users who steal

#113

Post by larrys »

laureny wrote: post #101

Very clever. I wonder if you could make this official with something like this on the home page: "If you are interested in our product but you can't afford it, please send us an email explaining why you can't afford it and we will give you a free license". That's it, no conditions ("at least two paragraphs, and it has to feel real!"), no lecturing, just asking people who can't spend money on the product to spend some…

Maybe. But keep in mind that gaming the system to some people is it's own reward. In that someone might feel like they got away with something or pulled the wool over someone's eyes. Which could make them feel good.

Writing a "hardship" letter doesn't provide the same feedback (to those people). And while in some respects "gaming" can be cheating writing a hardship letter (when there is no hardship) would feel different to some people.

Would be interesting to test though for sure.

Re: Here's how I deal with users who steal

#114

Post by sitkack »

ced83fra wrote: post #65

It's a good idea. People don't want to think they can't afford it, so they will probably pay for it. However, I think another pricing plan could be great : It costs virtually 0/year, BUT, 50% of the first $40 of royalties are taken by the site, and the rest sent to the user. Thus the user can still see he is earning something from the first track sold.

This hurts his pricing plan effectively moving EVERYONE to the "pay us when you make money" plan. I'd say 50% of the first 80$, that way they still get a check on their first sale but they ended up paying a little bit more ($20).

Re: Here's how I deal with users who steal

#116

Post by eruditely »

marincounty wrote: post #75

This is a good business plan. The larger music companies should hire some new blood? or, Not--I coukd care less; 90% of artists were screwed out of royalities on their music by thiefs. The successful ones are were rare, and if they made money, they just ruined their health with drugs and alcohol. Napster ruined the music industry model. Maybe it should stay that way? A good band, Protools, and a little effort will pu…

What are you even saying?

Re: Here's how I deal with users who steal

#117

Post by monksy »

mooreds wrote: post #98
judk wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually a market is a place to negotiate prices. Seller-fixed prices are an American curiosity.

Fair enough. But even in negotiated transactions, the seller sets the final price that they will or won't accept.

In a fixed market the fixed price still remains the upper bound for the negotiation. [Until there are more demands outside of the predetermined terms]

Re: Here's how I deal with users who steal

#118

Post by voltagex_ »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #108
ballard wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TL;DR - this is a shrewd play for a number of reasons. You don't understand, it's just business. Furthermore, the conversion of requiring people to beg via email to explain they're broke is next to zero. People won't do it. They'll take the POLR: fake accounts. Kicking them out also won't help: they can attack the brand and also if they succeed, the service looks like the bad guys. Furthermore, it builds stats by hav…

" Any concern about mass defection of paid users to unpaid is unlikely if the service is good and shows trying to take the high road. " In my experience, this works until a user hits a moment of hardship or "meh". Then they cancel and find it's easier to reallocate those consumption dollars to something new than reboot the subscription.

But if you're not providing an essential (Mazlow) for life, isn't this going to happen anyway?

Re: Here's how I deal with users who steal

#119

Post by e12e »

hackerboos wrote: post #46

Maybe I don't understand your business model correctly but why not just take the first $20 of royalties from users that steal?

There could be legal issues with that. Might be fine as an option (either pay up-front, or buy "on credit") -- but it complicates the legal relationship somewhat -- did someone pay you for a service? Are they your customer? What happens when they demand a refund, but have only had 10$ paid out?

I can understand wanting to keep hands off the royalties and sell the service as a separate product.

I agree it might be an attractive option, to some customers. Might not be as attractive an option to the customers you want the most.

Re: Here's how I deal with users who steal

#120

Post by EdgarVerona »

Kudos, that's great! I think that's a very cool option - I feel like there's a lot of musicians out there who are dirt poor, trying to find a way to break through. It'd be interesting for you to offer the option to scholarship accounts to donate later - and then see which ones actually make it big enough that they decide to pay you back for your service!
Post reply on HN