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$53 Million Pledged To Kickstarter Over Two Years

Posted by Soulskill on from the money-for-nothing dept.

fangmcgee writes "Kickstarter, a website which collects donations for creative projects, said Thursday that it has received pledges of more than $53 million since its launch two years ago. 'Of the $53 million that has been pledged, $40 million has been collected by successfully funded projects and $6 million is still live (meaning pledged to projects that are still funding). The remaining $7 million is the amount of money not collected — pledged to projects that did not meet their funding goals. Of the $47 million pledged to projects whose funding has ended ($40M collected + $7M uncollected), approximately 85% of the funds ($40M) were collected. This 85% collection rate has stayed quite steady over the past two years.'"

73 comments

  1. Consistent placement of symbols please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    It is a %85 collection rate.

    1. Re:Consistent placement of symbols please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      yer mom has a consistent placement of dildos

    2. Re:Consistent placement of symbols please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mod parent incorrect, percent signs follow the number. You can argue whether SI or Chicago is correct and there should be/not be a space between the number and the percent sign.

    3. Re:Consistent placement of symbols please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think his point is that these three claims are inconsistent
      1. percent signs follow the number
      2. dollar signs precede the number
      3. symbols have consistent placement

      You can't have all three, you have to pick two, and abandon one. You claim (1), so which of (2) or (3) are you abandoning? Why is it less important than (1)?

    4. Re:Consistent placement of symbols please by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      None of those are inconsistent.
      1. percents signs follow the number
      2. dollar signs precede
      3. Symbols (each) have consistent placement

      Consistent placement of symbols does not mean they all go in the same place only that each symbol has a consistent and recognized placement.

    5. Re:Consistent placement of symbols please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3 obviously. And it is less important because it is wrong.

  2. So What by Anonymous+Cowar · · Score: -1, Troll

    Ok, so this is a slashvertisement for a service that specializes in angel investments, but what was the impact? How many businesses were successfully funded? How many of those continued to provide a living and way out of poverty or novel, useful product to society? How many year one businesses beat the 90% failure rate that most small businesses fall to in the first year?

    What good has this service done with its 85% collected funds?

    Would it matter if 25% of 188 million was collected vs 85% of 53 million? What if the collection rate was 100% of 47? Do these metrics mean anything to anybody besides kickstarter? All told, this summary leaves us with a massive case of slashdot blueballs.

    1. Re:So What by cruff · · Score: 1

      It isn't just businesses that get funded, but groups of interested parties that wish to accomplish a goal. An open source USB analyzer and JS Bach Goldberg Variations score and recording are two that caught my eye. Neither one proposed to found a business on the project.

    2. Re:So What by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "How many businesses were successfully funded?"

      Musopen for one was funded and is now able to hire professional orchestras to public domain music. Believe the original goal was 10k and they received 53k through kickstarter.

    3. Re:So What by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If funds were collected then that means that the project's funding goals were met (aka :successfully funded). The interesting number would be how many were successful in their endeavors.

    4. Re:So What by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you RTFS you'd see it's not a site that specializes in angel investments to businesses, it's for funding of creative projects. The money goes to films, music, and art projects. I don't know of any that have been funded and then abandoned, but a number are still in production. Crowdsourced business investment would be borderline impossible due to the legal implications to the investors.

    5. Re:So What by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Found their Kickstarter page (long since closed). Was way off, they got $68,000.

    6. Re:So What by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All told, this summary leaves us with a massive case of slashdot blueballs.

      Solution: RTFA

    7. Re:So What by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      Ok, so this is a slashvertisement for a service that specializes in angel investments,

      No it is article about a crowdfunding website. No investment, just buying stuff ahead of time.

      but what was the impact? How many businesses were successfully funded?

      Has nothing to do with what they do

      How many of those continued to provide a living and way out of poverty or novel, useful product to society?

      Most businesses don't do that, you have some oddly high standards.

      The rest of your comment is just as useless so I won't bother responding to it in that way.

    8. Re:So What by Kilrah_il · · Score: 0

      And why is the summery so roundabout?

      Of the $53 million that has been pledged, $40 million has been collected by successfully funded projects.. The remaining $7 million is the amount of money not collected — pledged to projects that did not meet their funding goals. Of the $47 million pledged to projects whose funding has ended ($40M collected + $7M uncollected), approximately 85% of the funds ($40M) were collected.

      So we have $40 million + $ 7 million. And of the $47million, $40 million were collected. Very informative!

      --
      Whenever in an argument, remember this.
    9. Re:So What by iamhassi · · Score: 1

      "Ok, so this is a slashvertisement for a service that specializes in angel investments, but what was the impact? How many businesses were successfully funded? "

      Well, let's look at the kickstarter project that has been on slashdot many many many times, Dispora. (8 times in 11 months! Is that a slashvertisement record?)

      It received $200,000 in June 2010 and was suppose to be a summer project: "We promise to you that Diaspora will be aGPL software which will released at the end of the summer."

      Here it is, 11 months later, and where is it? Diaspora is still not available, you still have to "sign up for an invite".

      So forgive me if I'm not impressed by Kickstarter when their biggest project is a EPIC FAIL.

      Slashdot, I don't know what Kickstarter is paying you for these ads but please stop

      --
      my karma will be here long after I'm gone
    10. Re:So What by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey, it's a /. summary; you should be grateful the redundant numbers don't contradict!

    11. Re:So What by WilCompute · · Score: 1

      Diaspora is a DISTRIBUTED social network. The project sets up micro Facebook sites and federates with other Diaspora sites. So in theory, You have a Diaspora server, and your friend has one as well. Yours will connect ot his, and his to yours, only giving out the info each of you set up. You can have it set up to get all your post from Facebook and whatever.

      The source code and install instructions are on the Diaspora site, and gitHub for you to use. However, it is no trivial to install. I have not been able to get it ot work in the virtual machines I have created for that purpose. So in reality, what you will end up with may be small sites that focus on a small number of people, then federate to other Diaspora sites, versus everyone and their mother having their own.

      Still, it is available, and has been available to those that donated since the summer, as the Diaspora team is using them as guinna pigs.

      --
      NDxTreme Content on the Edge.
  3. Here is a great example by Shivetya · · Score: 1

    http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1803756771/trebuchette-the-snap-together-desktop-trebuchet

    I recently bought into this one after seeing the story on hacker news. So they can be about anything, this one just happens to be fun for both contributors and those who receive the contributions. Besides being totally geek oriented, after all who would not want a toy to fling stuff at co workers?

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
    1. Re:Here is a great example by JohnQPublic · · Score: 1

      w00T! Can't wait for mine to arrive!

      On a more serious note, the Trebuchette project got funded to double its goal. Cool.

  4. Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A place for self-absorbed starving artists to beg for money.

    I was so disappointed to learn that the majority of Kickstarter projects are stupid and have no actual value. I was expecting a community of charity workers with great ideas to help developing nations, or something along those lines, of people with really awesome ideas that just need some money to get "kickstarted".

    What I found was a bunch of art majors talking about how awesome their stupid art project is, and if they only had a couple more thousand dollars, they could totally express their creative impulses for the world to trip over themselves to experience. Ugh.

    Not all the projects are terrible, but the vast majority are. A huge disappointment.

    1. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by h4rr4r · · Score: 5, Insightful

      When you grow up your will realize no matter the topic, form, kind or type of thing anything is 90% of everything is crap.

    2. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Congratulations. You have re-discovered Sturgeon's Law.

    3. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by tacokill · · Score: 2

      Very interesting comment. It's interesting to me because there are many "alternative" finance markets out in the world from micro-loans to setups like this.

      The simple fact is this: if things like this had any merit, they would have already gotten funding from traditional channels. That they don't is an indication of the lack of value. It's not some grand conspiracy to "keep artists down". It is simply reflective of the value artists are perceived to bring to the table. If these projects were viable, then *ANY* charity would want to embrace and extend a project like that. Again, since they aren't doing that.....what does that tell us?

      Sometimes it works out but like you say, most of the time it doesn't and the reason is obvious: the loaners of the money do not see the same value in the projects as the people working on them and desiring funding.

    4. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think perhaps you misunderstand the ideas behind kickstarter. Yes sometimes the ideas seem pretty stupid and frivolous, and you might feel even more disappointed at the fact that some of these ideas actually meet funding goals and go about their merry way to using said money in the expected endeavor. If the project was a legit business idea that has an acceptable risk and reasonable return on investment, there are already avenues for investment. For some artist who wants to make a student film about bunnies, regular investors wouldn't even take the time to laugh them out of their office. For such projects they usually end up turning to government grants, but given the fact that a number of right leaning people are rather critical of sending money to artists to fund projects that they do not just see as stupid, but actually offensive to them, they have been attempting to choke the life blood if not kill such programs altogether. Whether thats right or wrong doesn't really matter.

      If I pitched to do a huge painting of Jesus giving handjobs to the 12 apostles and got money from some public fund, I could see where a large percentage of people might be rather pissed about having funded through taxes my largess to religious offensiveness. But if I got successfully funded through kickstarter well only the people who expressed an interest in such a piece of canvas existing in the world would have been instrumental in its funding, and while it would still be offensive, and people could bitch and yell and moan, they didn't fund it.

      Humanitarian Causes usually seek funding through larger charity organizations or make their own organizations where possible. As Kickstarter is seen as a potential funding source more groups will use the platform for it. Though the all or nothing aspect of kickstarter might deter more than a few regular sorts of charities, as a cause would like to receive any of the money even if they don't hit the funding goal, yes $100,000 is a nice round number but even $40,000 would help. Because of this it becomes very 'project' oriented. We need $100k amount to build an aqueduct, $40k won't build 40% of an aqueduct so the money would be best not delivered (it actually might get 40% built for that, but I hope the point is getting across).

      Its another avenue for particular types of funding, and because its voluntary, you can fund only the projects you deem worthy, and if its successful you can be happy knowing they money was used for what you deemed a good idea. And so can everyone else, even if they deem the Jesus Painting worthy.

    5. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by mapuche · · Score: 1

      I was so disappointed to learn that the majority of Kickstarter projects are stupid and have no actual value. I was expecting a community of charity workers with great ideas to help developing nations, or something along those lines, of people with really awesome ideas that just need some money to get "kickstarted".

      They don't have value to you. Kickstarter is clearly stated as a site to rise money for creative projects, not for charity or help poor countries. We all can create a better world in so many ways, and this is only one.

    6. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OP here.

      I agree that the system is fair. I'm certainly under no obligation to participate. In fact, I guess you've outlined why I should actually like Kickstarter: My tax money (ideally) should no longer be wasted on these art projects. Let the artists compete for funding on Kickstarter, and leave me out of it. Sounds great to me.

      I guess I was disillusioned about the purpose of Kickstarter. Around the web, I hear about a couple random awesome projects funded through there, so I had high expectations. I had incorrectly assumed that Kickstarter was this place where awesome ideas are elevated. It was very eye-opening to actually visit the site and realize that (as others have pointed out): 90% is crap. I would argue 99%. There are a few projects that are worthwhile, but they are the vast vast minority.

      So the social value of Kickstarter is to stop artists from leeching tax money, and every once in a long while elevate a decent project. Like I said, not what I was expecting, but I guess I'll take it.

    7. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's true - 90% of Michaelangelo's sculptures are crap once you've seen David. 90% of Da Vinci's works are crap once you've seen the Mona Lisa.

      A better rule would be:

      "When you grow up you will realize no matter the topic, form, kind or type of thing, once you've seen the best, you'll think 90% of the rest is crap."

    8. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by s73v3r · · Score: 1

      So don't fund the ones you think are stupid, and fund the ones that are worthwhile. And realize that the site was started as a way for artists to get funding for their work.

      Or, go start your own Kickstarter project, and show us what an worthwhile project looks like.

    9. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by s73v3r · · Score: 1

      I think you are very, very, very wrong. Just because someone decides to use Kickstarter, or something similar, is NO INDICATION OF IT'S LACK OF VALUE.

    10. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it is certainly an indication; just not a final arbiter.

    11. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by SocialEngineer · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I myself am one of said artists, to an extent, but I am a firm believer in Kickstarter being a great tool for artists. I myself have been funding the production of my new album (blues) for a couple years now out of pocket. I've been trying to figure out how to handle preorders, and after seeing the Asylum Street Spanker's campaign, I realized a great way to do it - a Kickstarter campaign. The money goes towards equipment for live shows/touring, and also gives fans of my music a chance to snag copies of the new album (a month early, in fact), get commissioned tunes, or even get one of my old beater guitars should they feel generous enough (or think I'm famous enough to warrant it's purchase). Essentially, I'm turning the fans into the record label. They front the project, and get what they want in return. I love the idea of being able to directly support my favorite bands without dealing with a record label taking an obnoxious cut, and Kickstarter is the perfect way to do it.

      Also, once the album is out and I've got my gear, I'll be using Kickstarter to not only sell my album (outside of Amazon/iTunes/physical locations), but to help with another project I've been dreaming of.. A way to get guitars to kids in low-income families. I'm guessing that's probably more in-line with what you'd like to see Kickstarter being used for. There are a lot of kids who love music, and want to get into it, but don't have the financial means to do so. Guitars are relatively cheap, and are quite prolific in the music industry.

      Not all of us self-absorbed starving artists are complete bastards :)

      --
      "Better to be vulgar than non-existent" -Bev Henson
    12. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, clearly if there was any value in what they are doing then investors would have used their magical opportunity detector to find them without them having to advertise themselves.

      You, sir are a putz. The op doubly so.

    13. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by tacokill · · Score: 1

      You can think whatever you want. However, my description matches what actually happened.

      Isn't it obvious that if these projects were "valuable", they would be pursued by many parties who want to develop them? Why do you think the project is valuable when, presumably, it has not gathered enough support to acquire funding?

      Do you think reasonable people look at opportunities and just turn away when they are good opportunities? Maybe in the fairy-tale land that many /.'ers live in that is the case. However, in real life....people take advantage of good opportunities if they recognize them for what they are. There is always a possibility of not recognizing the opportunity but that's when you get into "one man's trash is another man's treasure".

      And to the other posters point: agreed that it is not the final arbiter. But it is the primary arbiter.

    14. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by vadim_t · · Score: 1

      So is most of the Internet, and everything else really.

      But I don't see anybody arguing that an internet connection has little value to it.

      I think Kickstarter could be much improved by allowing people to set up filters to search for, and exclude stuff. For instance, I'd subscribe to the following:

      project under an open source license, project is a physical product, project is related to 3D printing or arduino.

      I'd probably spend even more money that way and I already overdid it a bit.

    15. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OP here.

      That doesn't really bother me. Like I've said in a sibling thread, I'm certainly under no obligation to fund anything. My original post was intended to highlight my own disappointment and misunderstanding of what Kickstarter's actual function is.

      That being said, you're right: Your second project sounds closer to what my original expectations were. I think it's great you can fund your music, but I honestly couldn't care less about your success outside of a general "good luck" from one human to another. Your contributions are in the entertainment industry, which I feel is mostly a waste. Not that entertainment isn't nice - I enjoy entertainment as much as anyone else. But the field as a whole is saturated, and serves no utility other than relaxing people via distraction.

      Sorry to view your profession so negatively, and I know I'm a judgmental asshole. I guess I've just grown cynical over the years.

    16. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by s73v3r · · Score: 1

      You can think whatever you want. However, my description matches what actually happened.

      No, it doesn't. Your description is a wild leap to conclusions. Because someone chose funding route X, obviously they are less qualified than someone who chose funding route Y, right?

      Do you think reasonable people look at opportunities and just turn away when they are good opportunities?

      Do you think it's reasonable that said investors know of every single opportunity in the world with which to support art?

      However, in real life....people take advantage of good opportunities if they recognize them for what they are.

      Because supporting art is a huge investment opportunity. You realize this is a way to get funding for creative endeavors, which gives no real return, except maybe a copy of the item, if it is funded, right?

      And to the other posters point: agreed that it is not the final arbiter. But it is the primary arbiter.

      Again, no. It's no arbiter at all.

    17. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by WilCompute · · Score: 1

      You assume that every valuable project will be invested in, which is not strictly true. Many ideas are passed over not because the idea is worthless, but because the large company cannot make a large enough percentage from the investment. Many scripts are passed over thanks to this, yet the script may win many rewards at Sundance Festivals; big investors think in terms of quick recoup on investment, and not everything qualifies.

      The publishing industry abounds with tales of authors submitting their book to twenty publishing houses, and then the twenty first picks it up and it sells 600,000 copies. Tyler Perry started out on the streets before he was able to do his first play, yet those Matilda plays have made his career.

      It is easy to dismiss things because it must not be good if our corporate overlords don't buy them; the harder path is to think for ourselves.

      --
      NDxTreme Content on the Edge.
    18. Re:Kickstarter a huge disappointment... by KingBenny · · Score: 0

      i'm sorry to interrupt but art ads no practical value to anything. art is a form of expression that becomes possible only in an environment that has the luxury of being able to allow it. art could help improve awareness but because of the numbness of todays society and the select specific public it reaches it's mostly useful for keeping the loudmouth pseudo-intellectuals down. Don't get me wrong, i do love art and i'm all up for creativity, but creativity itself does not need funding, and (in my not so humble opinion) art should not get public funding when there's real practical problems that need tackling. As far as i have seen, a real artists creativity is not bound by lack of funding ever. All too often it is an obscured form of marketing and lust for attention (they call it mediageil here). Private funding is private, i dont think its anyone's business who gives hir or her personal money to whatever they give it to.

      --
      Free speech was meant to be free for all... how can anyone grow up in a nanny state ?
  5. Slashdot-related Kickstarter projects by Subm · · Score: 1

    It's not just businesses and it has many Slashdot community projects.

    This Kickstarter project -- http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/492851406/big-beautiful-public-art-by-parsons-class-in-union -- is by a techy art project by a guy first profiled in Slashdot for a related business -- http://slashdot.org/story/02/08/16/1833215/Animated-Ads-in-a-Subway-Near-You -- about ten years ago.

    There's also Diaspora, inspired by Eben Moglen, which was hugely successful, generating press in the NY Times and more -- http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/196017994/diaspora-the-personally-controlled-do-it-all-distr

    1. Re:Slashdot-related Kickstarter projects by Randwulf · · Score: 1

      And for the gaming nerds, DungeonMorph Dice (Dungeon Geomorphs): http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1764845067/dungeonmorph-dice-dungeon-geomorphs

    2. Re:Slashdot-related Kickstarter projects by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And for the hacker-conference-going nerds, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1742965716/openamd-open-source-location-tracking-and-social-n

    3. Re:Slashdot-related Kickstarter projects by jedijacket · · Score: 1

      That's my project. Thanks!

  6. It is far better than by Shivetya · · Score: 3, Interesting

    these same artist convincing your local municipality into funding their lack of taste and having it rubbed into your face each time you drive past a public building or go to the airport. Far too many "artists" are self important snits who goad society into funding them by making it to be "if you don't fund the arts your just cavemen/bigots/etc" so that we end up paying stupid sums of money to people who can't sell their product to anyone with a sense of sight or taste.

    Like I posted elsewhere in this thread, I didn't go there to save the world or community. I contributed to something that sparked my fancy and at the same time let me have some fun. (speaking of the trebuchets). However this type of site will also go along way in teaching these artists just what society values, not just what they think society should value. It does this by giving them immediate exposure to their peer's successes and failures.

    If your looking for something to change the world or benefit other nations there are hundreds of charities that can use your money, some can use your time if your willing. give.org lists thousands of them so can check to see if the one you chose is worthwhile.

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
  7. Kickstarter could do much better. by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A huge problem with Kickstarter is that it requires an Amazon account before it will take your money. If they used PayPal or some other service, they could just take credit cards, with no membership required.

    Some people will simply not contribute if they have to sign up for an account first. I know that I usually won't. So by adding unnecessary requirements before they will even accept your money, they reduce contributions.

    And to those who say it is a place to "buy things beforehand": no, it is not. You are contributing to a cause. In exchange, you might be offered something of value. But it is not a matter of "buying things". It is a matter of supporting good causes.

    1. Re:Kickstarter could do much better. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who doesn't have an amazon account?

      I would rather that than use paypal.

    2. Re:Kickstarter could do much better. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If they used PayPal or some other service, they could just take credit cards, with no membership required.

      Except the PayPal membership.

      Some people will simply not contribute if they have to sign up for an account first.

      You mean like an PayPal account?

    3. Re:Kickstarter could do much better. by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 1

      No, you can pay into a PayPal with just a credit card, no membership. You need a PayPal membership to TAKE money, but not to pay.

    4. Re:Kickstarter could do much better. by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 1

      "Who doesn't have an amazon account?"

      A lot of people. But the point isn't whether an Amazon account is desirable. The point is whether you can just pay with a credit card, no membership required.

    5. Re:Kickstarter could do much better. by McKing · · Score: 2

      I wonder if Kickstarter went with Amazon because Paypal may not have the concept of a delayed payment. Essentially what you do with Kickstarter is escrow a contribution until the "critical mass" of contributions is reached within the time frame of the campaign, and only then is everyone's credit card actually charged. Kickstarter could do that themselves (charge at donation time, refund if critical mass is never reached), but then they get into a gray area of accounting for that escrowed money themselves, dealing with returns (which incur fees), etc..

      --
      If only "common" sense was actually that common...
    6. Re:Kickstarter could do much better. by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 1

      That may be true, but regardless of their reasons, I think it still costs them a lot of contributions.

    7. Re:Kickstarter could do much better. by hitmark · · Score: 1

      Quite likely as i recall Openpandora got into trouble with Paypal because they could not report shipment sent after x days of payment.

      --
      comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
    8. Re:Kickstarter could do much better. by fean · · Score: 1

      Amazon also offers the lowest processing %.

    9. Re:Kickstarter could do much better. by igreaterthanu · · Score: 1

      PayPal does support authorizing merchants to withdraw funds from your account though, I don't think there is any way to limit how much they can take though.

      --
      I dream of a nation where a man is not judged by his skin color but by an number assigned by a credit rating agency.
  8. think i've heard of this before by Hazel+Bergeron · · Score: 2

    So it's a place where people can pay... money for... bespoke services. That's novel.

    Except that they take 5%, plus another 3-5% for Amazon payments, and there's a big list of rules.

    No thanks.

  9. Robots Or Fingerpaint.....? by IHC+Navistar · · Score: 2

    How, exactly, is this money going to be used? As long at it gets spent on projects that are innovative, I have no problem.

    However, if they wind up financing some art junkie's skidmarks, or a large percentage of each dollar gets spent on "administrative costs" (like the Red Cross), and not something that will actually contribute anything of practical value, they will lose credibility rapidly. Knowing the kinds of incredibly stupid mistakes that wealthy organizations can make is why I am undecided on how this will turn out.

    --
    Knowing Google's lust for data collection, the Soviet Union is still alive and well inside the psyche of Sergey Brin....
    1. Re:Robots Or Fingerpaint.....? by s73v3r · · Score: 2

      If you don't think a project has any value, then don't donate to it. Simple.

    2. Re:Robots Or Fingerpaint.....? by McKing · · Score: 1

      They don't finance the campaigns, the fans of that project do. It's that simple. They provide the framework, the artist themselves try to drum up support for their own project, and if the campaign isn't fully funded by the end date of the campaign, no one gets charged any money at all.

      A friend financed his latest album via Kickstarter, set a target for $2500 and ended up with over $4000!! He was able to record the album, get proper artwork, distribution, etc... and in return everyone who donated received prizes in addition to the pre-ordered album.

      --
      If only "common" sense was actually that common...
    3. Re:Robots Or Fingerpaint.....? by godrik · · Score: 1

      On kickstarter, you give money to a particular project. It is that person moral responsability to do something clever with the money. kickstarter takes a constant fee of 5% (if I recall correctly)

    4. Re:Robots Or Fingerpaint.....? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not up to Kickstart to spend it. You donate to the specific cause, not to Kickstart and they decide...

      For example, my friend is lead singer in a band based in the midwest, they asked their fans to help them tour the west cost. Depending on the size of the donation you could get things like, for $5 you got MP3s of rarities/outtakes/covers mailed to you. For $10 a copy of an out of print CD (and the MP3s). For $20 a signed copy of their current CD (and the out of print CD and MP3s)...all the way up to them actually writing a song about you if you donated enough...

      In total they were trying to raise $1500 dollars to finance the tour...they made their goal and I'm both happy and proud to help support it...and woot! I even got a very cool song written about me.

      I gave to them because the lead singer's a friend, I like their music and unlike when I buy a CD in the store, I *know* this money I spend is almost entirely help out the band I like and actively want to support.

    5. Re:Robots Or Fingerpaint.....? by hitmark · · Score: 1

      And one is free to give as little or as much as one is willing to risk loosing.

      --
      comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
  10. The perfect Kickstarter project. by Remus+Shepherd · · Score: 0

    I had an idea for the perfect Kickstarter project, one that would be sure to reach its funding. Sadly, I cannot do it myself.

    Think -- what, above all else, does the internet desire? The answer is porn. And what has been the unreachable goal, as far as porn is concerned? Zero-gee porn. People want to have sex in zero-gee, they want to know what it's like to have sex in space, and they will pay to watch the first ever porn made in outer space.

    The new commercial spaceflight company Virgin Galactic is selling tickets to the edge of space for $200,000 a pop.

    I'd need three tickets -- one for myself, one for my partner, and one for a cameraman. We'd have 5-10 minutes of zero-gee to make our film. Virgin Galactic's permission might be a problem, but I get the feeling they'd do almost anything for money.

    I'm certain that a Kickstarter project for amateur porn filmed in space could bring in $600,000 worth of pledges. For incentives we could give still shots at low contributions, a copy of the film at higher levels...maybe give away articles of clothing that were discarded during the flight to the big sponsors.

    I think it's a terrific idea. I think the concept could go viral. I think the pledges might actually appear.

    I also think my girlfriend would kill me for even suggesting it, so I can't do it myself. But someone should. Preferably someone with a hot, porn-star girlfriend.

    --
    Genocide Man -- Life is funny. Death is funnier. Mass murder can be hilarious.
    1. Re:The perfect Kickstarter project. by DamienRBlack · · Score: 2

      You'd probably get more cheaper from hiring a plane to fly a parabolic path.

    2. Re:The perfect Kickstarter project. by Metabolife · · Score: 1

      Vomit Comet

    3. Re:The perfect Kickstarter project. by Zenaku · · Score: 1

      That's already been done. I would google up a link for you, but I'm at work and don't think I want to be logged typing the necessary search terms into my search box.

      --
      If fate makes you a motorcycle, you become a motorcycle.
    4. Re:The perfect Kickstarter project. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      A vomit comet can get you about 30 seconds of zero-gee. If you can climax in that amount of time, feel free to make your own film.

    5. Re:The perfect Kickstarter project. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Virgin Galactic's permission might be a problem, but I get the feeling they'd do almost anything for money.

      In other news: Virgin turns down $1 million for galactic porn movie

      I'm certain that a Kickstarter project for amateur porn filmed in space could bring in $600,000 worth of pledges.

      Great, but you need a lot more than that.

    6. Re:The perfect Kickstarter project. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well... I'm not at work...

      Private Black Label 6: The Uranus Experiment 1

  11. burning man stuff by lemur3 · · Score: 2

    This site has been used to make a lot art at burning man possible as of late.

    some of the stuff sucks but there is some fancy high tech art out there that is quite involved... lotsa technical/engineering smarts to make some of the things happen... and survive for the whole event.

  12. Don't make things up about the Red Cross! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A large percentage of each dollar does NOT get gets spent on administrative expenses for the Red Cross. Only 4.4%. Seems reasonable to me. http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3277

  13. I used Kickstarter for the first time today! by necronom426 · · Score: 1

    I'd never heard of it until a couple of days ago, but today (before seeing this article on /.) I pledged some money to an Amiga documentary ( http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vivaamiga/viva-amiga-the-documentary-film ). With today being 17 years since Commodore went bust it seemed a good day to pre-order it.

  14. Kickstarter only supports US citizens. by howzit · · Score: 1

    Kickstarter should boldly state that it only supports US citizens---although it receives donations from around the world. This would save a lot of us spending our time, effort and hope...only do be told we are illegible.

    1. Re:Kickstarter only supports US citizens. by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      Kickstarter should boldly state that it only supports US citizens

      Uh oh. Didn't know that.

      Well, I looked in the FAQs and found this

      "I'm not in the US. Can I fund my project on Kickstarter?

      Currently a US bank account is required to start a project. This is a restriction by Amazon Payments, our payments processor. If you don't have a US bank account and are interested in starting a project, we appreciate your patience (we're working on it!)."

      So they seem to be pretty up-front about it (now ; I can well imagine that they didn't mention this so bluntly in earlier iterations).

      I also note that the specific restriction is not on US citizens per se, but on having a US bank account. Getting an account at a US bank as a foreigner might be a PITA, but it should be do-able. (It might be less hassle to have a US-based front man/ woman/ gerbil though.)

      I wonder if there is a Kickstarter project for getting round this restriction? Would be appropriate.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"