[mythtv-users] Written proof that we've all been conned about SD

[Gavin Haslett]

On Sep 9, 2007, at 8:34 PM, Chris Petersen wrote:
> ... I really need to stop reading this FUD.  It just annoys those  
> of us
> who are involved in the process of things, and care about how  
> MythTV and
> the FOSS community are perceived.  Because SD is a business, there are
> just some things that the members can't talk about, often because of
> NDAs that we've had to sign with various parties, or because lawyers
> have advised us not to.  It's a real pity to see a tiny number of
> individuals causing SO much noise about "their issues" with
> SD/TMS/whoever.  The other group (which numbers well into the
> thousands), thankfully sits there quietly enjoying whatever listings
> data source they chose to use (be it SD, a legal/illegal scraper, EIT,
> or whatever), and we as MythTV developers, MythTV community members  
> and
> even the SD board, really appreciate it.
>

You know, Chris; don't stress about it. No matter what you do, there  
are just some people out there who are going to cry "foul" (and often  
"cover-up"!) when anything occurs in any community. It happens all  
over the world and you just have to gain a REALLY thick skin.

I've started my own business, I know how tough it is. While SD is a  
relatively low-cost venture compared to others, I understand it's  
definitely a long way from a no-cost venture. My own business was  
zero cost to set up, but administrative costs mounted rapidly  
especially as the company grew. It was an experience that taught me  
the value of money, the value of my time and taught me a lot about  
other people. It also taught me to have an extremely thick skin  
because no matter what you do, if you provide a valuable service  
there are going to be those who want it for free.

When I first heard about the Zap2It feed getting shut down, I was  
concerned... but I also had hope in the community to find a solution.  
Well, from my perspective one came out; SchedulesDirect. I gladly  
paid the initial "beta" fee and spent less than 30 minutes writing a  
"fetch and fill" script as well as modifying the database. My family  
never knew there was an issue; there's still guide data today and so  
far the only negative impact has been a few shows re-recording, and a  
few I've had to tell the system to "forget" in order to get new  
episodes. That's reasonable.

I'll also happily spend the monthly / annual fee required to keep  
this feed going. I find this of value; I'm willing to pay for things  
I find of value. I pay for any software I use, that's just the way I  
am. Just bear in mind that especially in a public forum, you're going  
to get people like the GP making noise about conspiracies that don't  
exist.

Just to sate the GP though, even if a conspiracy does exist I for one  
don't care. As I said, I find the SD feed of value and therefore I am  
willing to pay for it. That's the very essence of a capitalist  
society. If you don't like it, there are other options. I could have  
switched a scraping script, or I could have used many of my contacts  
in the cable industry to find me a "morally questionable" source for  
my listings data, but I for one chose not to. From my perspective, it  
also appears that kijuhty kijuhty also chose not to take any other  
route, but decided instead to take the route of self-righteous  
indignation. I didn't see any suggestions coming out of said user at  
the time that the Z2L feed announced it was shutting down.

To all on the SD board, I salute you. I saw you guys making a valid  
and eventually fruitful attempt to continue providing a valuable  
service to the users. You picked a price point I think is reasonable,  
and you provide a service that I'll say most of us find valuable  
enough to pay for. I really don't care if the whole thing is a con; I  
would've gladly paid Z2L for the data myself since I find it useful,  
but they didn't want to be in the retail business. So what if SD  
becomes a retail front; is that really so different from any other  
retail front? Just because a company is set up as a wholesaler, and  
another then sets themselves up as a retailer it does not  
automatically follow that there was collusion. In this case, I just  
don't see it; I think SD is a good thing for the community.

SD gives us the data we need to run our devices. We pay money for  
that service. How much more simple can you get? Can you get the data  
other ways? Sure! You can also slaughter cows with your bare hands  
and prepare the meat... but it's a lot easier for most of us to go to  
the grocery store and buy a steak.

Sorry for the rant... the original rant just kind of annoyed me and I  
wanted to show that some of us are serious about Myth, serious about  
the community and serious about Schedules Direct.

Gavin