Making a difference
Yes! It is occasionally satisfying to be able to make a difference. I don’t know what Diane Duane would have decided to do if I hadn’t made my offer (I was the “mystery mailer”), but it is definitely a nice feeling to know that I had a hand in making it possible for a piece of art to enter the world.
It would be really cool if this posting helps to encourage more people to help sponsor (or subscribe) to this book, and to become sponsors and patrons of the art and artists that they love in general. I suppose the publishing and recording industry has their place, but IMHO self-publishing and direct patronage of artists is critically important if for no other reason than to keep the publishers honest — competition is a good thing. The alternative is going to be more Sony Rootkits, computers which are no longer under the control of their owners, but rather the RIAA and MPAA, and only books/music suitable for the mass-market (my theory for explaining Britney Spears) getting published. It’s a real shame that ‘s Open Culture idea never got fully off the ground.