Hell Yeah, I'm Greedy

Apparently, because I'm a designer, I'm greedy.

If enjoying creating new kits makes me greedy, then hell yeah- I'm greedy.

If kicking the biggest kick out of seeing what someone else does with my designs makes me greedy, then hell yeah- I'm greedy.

If making less than minimum wage makes me greedy, then hell yeah- I'm greedy.

What I find oddly amusing about this whole thing is that I don't think most designers are greedy. Sure- there are a few that might be, but most of them- especially those that are considered 'hot' right now- aren't. If designers were truly greedy, the average kit price would be a lot more than $4-7. Many designers are UNDERPAID.

What prompted this? Someone (who shall not be named) informing her little 'club' that she's not wrong for giving away designers' kits for free... because designers are 'greedy'. It's a Robin Hood complex... except that designers aren't rich.

Most customers are completely innocent- they just have no idea that this type of sharing happens or that it's illegal to share someone else's kits this way. So- for those of you who happen to join Yahoo or Google or MSN groups, or forums for sharing, here's some things that you need to know.

1. Beware ANYTHING that says 'Snag.' This means that the person sharing it snagged it from someone else. Chances are- they are sharing something that they shouldn't be sharing. Designers do not care if someone snagged it from someone else- ignorance isn't a reason, it's an excuse.
   
2. Most designers put their intials or full name in their file names. If you see someone sharing something that doesn't include their own initials or name, chances are- they aren't supposed to be sharing it.
   
3. Download freebies only from reputable sites and groups, like stores, SBB, DSP, RAKScraps, and ComputerElements2 mailing list at Yahoo etc. Often, the stuff being shared there is stuff that was made by the person sharing it. This is the ONLY way that sharing should be done- period.

Before you share anything- ask yourself how you would feel if the tables were turned. This isn't a game.

PIRACY IS ILLEGAL.