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CephaloP · 08-19-2002, 10:56 AM

Originally posted by Tiny Turtle
DL, could you define artist for me? To the best of my knowledge, one can be an artist in many different ways. Around here several people (not Jim himself TTBOMK) wields that "Artist" expression around as an explanation to a lot of things. What does it take to call oneself an artist – some sort of exam?

Artist: One who creates a product to make a profit (i.e. to "raise funds for a future movie") yet makes the product as HE wants it as opposed to what the consumer wants.

I have felt for some time that both Jim and others use the "Artist" label to gloss over Jim's somewhat contradictory attitudes toward the Aquarium. Namely, that he has stressed a number of times that the purpose of the program is to make money, yet even when MANY of his customers express intrest in certain features, he avoids them as not corresponding with his vision of what the Aquarium should be.

It seems that if the main goal is profit, you should make what the largest possible number of people will be most happy with, and then they buy it. Jim seems to consider it very much "his" Aquarium, which is fine. But if he's making it to satisfy something artistic in himself, at the expense of customers' desires, he cannot say that the purpose of the product is to make money.

I think this artistic possessive attitude especially hurts when Jim keeps anyone else from the design of the program. Insisting on doing all coding himself slows down the process greatly, again hindering profits.

And more disturbing to me is the effort he has made to keep anyone from adding to what he has done, like SS fans making their own fish. For one thing, no program is so perfect that it can't be improved on, and to think that only Jim has the talent to do the Aquarium justice is unrealistic. Second, I don't see that Jim even has the right to keep people from altering their programs. People have referred to this as "keeping others away from his canvas" and "protecting the Mona Lisa from the spraypaint." Thing is, it stopped being HIS canvas as soon as he accepted my $19.99 for it. If I bought the Mona Lisa, or a copy of it, I could draw a mustache on it if that's what I wanted to do. It's mine; Da Vinci has nothing to say about it. Which is why I think we will see non-Jim-approved fish and features being circulated underground regardless. If the people want it badly enough, and Jim doesn't give it to them, someone else will. Happens to video games all the time.

*DISCLAIMER*
All that being said, I mean no offence to anyone and am grateful to Jim for giving us the best screensaver I've ever seen. These are just feelings I've kept to myself for a long time and I'm freedom-of-speeching them now. They certainly won't stop me from getting the Aquarium plug-ins and possibly later screensavers as I support Jim's work.

So he cried as the good townsfolk, torches and pitchforks in hand, closed around him in an angry mob to exterminate the monster in their midst.

08-19-2002, 10:56 AM	#15
CephaloP lurking in the shadows... Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: just a few paces south o' the old willow Posts: 151	Originally posted by Tiny Turtle DL, could you define artist for me? To the best of my knowledge, one can be an artist in many different ways. Around here several people (not Jim himself TTBOMK) wields that "Artist" expression around as an explanation to a lot of things. What does it take to call oneself an artist – some sort of exam? Artist: One who creates a product to make a profit (i.e. to "raise funds for a future movie") yet makes the product as HE wants it as opposed to what the consumer wants. I have felt for some time that both Jim and others use the "Artist" label to gloss over Jim's somewhat contradictory attitudes toward the Aquarium. Namely, that he has stressed a number of times that the purpose of the program is to make money, yet even when MANY of his customers express intrest in certain features, he avoids them as not corresponding with his vision of what the Aquarium should be. It seems that if the main goal is profit, you should make what the largest possible number of people will be most happy with, and then they buy it. Jim seems to consider it very much "his" Aquarium, which is fine. But if he's making it to satisfy something artistic in himself, at the expense of customers' desires, he cannot say that the purpose of the product is to make money. I think this artistic possessive attitude especially hurts when Jim keeps anyone else from the design of the program. Insisting on doing all coding himself slows down the process greatly, again hindering profits. And more disturbing to me is the effort he has made to keep anyone from adding to what he has done, like SS fans making their own fish. For one thing, no program is so perfect that it can't be improved on, and to think that only Jim has the talent to do the Aquarium justice is unrealistic. Second, I don't see that Jim even has the right to keep people from altering their programs. People have referred to this as "keeping others away from his canvas" and "protecting the Mona Lisa from the spraypaint." Thing is, it stopped being HIS canvas as soon as he accepted my $19.99 for it. If I bought the Mona Lisa, or a copy of it, I could draw a mustache on it if that's what I wanted to do. It's mine; Da Vinci has nothing to say about it. Which is why I think we will see non-Jim-approved fish and features being circulated underground regardless. If the people want it badly enough, and Jim doesn't give it to them, someone else will. Happens to video games all the time. DISCLAIMER All that being said, I mean no offence to anyone and am grateful to Jim for giving us the best screensaver I've ever seen. These are just feelings I've kept to myself for a long time and I'm freedom-of-speeching them now. They certainly won't stop me from getting the Aquarium plug-ins and possibly later screensavers as I support Jim's work. So he cried as the good townsfolk, torches and pitchforks in hand, closed around him in an angry mob to exterminate the monster in their midst.