by crafter2243 Moderator 22 Nov 2010

Interesting fact

I recently downloaded the latest addition from one of my favorite sites. They don’t sell anything but do it for the fun of it and share with us. After the download I clicked on the button for feedback to let them know how much I appreciate their designs. I found links to make a contribution with PAY PAL etc and also came across a stunning statistic.
747000 downloads from 70000 IP’s
The most popular design was downloaded about 21000.
500 feedback emails

And 9 people donated.

I felt so ashamed because I had been at this site many times without using the feedback button and after reading this I was even more ashamed. Most sites sell their designs as well as giving freebies and I will purchase from them. In the future I will look more often for a feedback button especially if the site is as popular as this one. I see their designs everywhere.

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by sewlikedawn 26 Nov 2010

I went to this site a long time ago and downloaded the designs and sent an e-mail and thanked them for the designs and she sent me back a really nice e-mail and I was going to donate. So I went back to the site and for some reason I got scared and didn't donate. I was brand new to freebie designs and was trying to figure out what sites were safe and which ones I could trust. Someone bought 6 cell phones with my husbands name so we are really leary and second guess everything now. I kept her e-mail for a long time and then truthfully was going to at least send stamps when I some how deleted it and because I had been to so many sites I didn't have the address any longer and hoped that I would come upon it some how! I remember thinking that I would be the first to stitch out something that had their designs on it something that they could post. But I fell and hurt my knee and spent the next 6 months on the couch!!! I had to keep my knee straight and couldn't bend it at all. I couldn't sit in any chair in my house and sew!!! So I had to wait. Now I feel like such a heel. But I am also so happy that you posted this!!!!!! I am on my way to donate right now!!!

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by bejoscha 26 Nov 2010

Hi, as the owner of the design.tavernmaker.de site we thought that we should quickly comment on this thread.
First of all, thank you (-plus flower-) to the thread-starter for rising this issue on everybody’s behalf, and bringing back the awareness that "for free" does not equal "without value". We think everybody - including ourselves - every now and then falls into "greedily grapping all that is possible"-mode and this posting is a nice reminder that also in the huge anonymity of the internet there are always real people behind the pages. At this point, we would also like to thank “all others” for sharing their work, might it be images, designs or ideas, as those things are often the inspiring spark for our own projects.
As for our own page, it is true that all donations so far do not cover the costs of the webpage, nor would they finance our hobby, but then again, we never started this page with this intention. It is on purpose that we have put the statistics/feedback/donations page at a – hopefully – low profile position, as we do not want anybody to feel obliged to use it. By doing so we know that each feedback email reaching us has been sent with thought behind it, and that the sender really appreciates our pages. It would be dishonest to write that we don’t appreciate donations – it is always a big boost to our motivation and brightens our day – but we really believe that only a freely given, fully voluntary donation gives the money (whatever the amount) its value. Some people might regularly spend money on commercial designs. Receiving voluntary donations from those gives us a clear impression of how our designs are judged in comparison, which is obviously highly encouraging. Others might rather spend their money on actually creating things (with our designs) to share it with less blessed people, a fact which fills us with joy as well. An others again might simply not have the resources available, in which case we are even more glad to be able to provide them with our designs. All donations received so far – small or big – have really, really pleased us a lot, but we have also received several kind emails which pleased us as much, because we felt that the author had written it with true feelings. The important thing is that it is _you_, who feels the wish to thank us, and nobody else can judge better what is appropriate than you yourself. We also won’t be mad at anybody who doesn’t say thank you at all, as long as he sticks with the few rules we’ve laid out for our designs. (No commercial use. No file-sharing outside our site. No claiming of false copyright.) In short, we don’t want anybody “forced” into writing feedback or even donations for the false reasons, because we can thus appreciate everything we receive at its true value, and that pleases us a lot. As do, btw., all the nice comments we are reading from time to time here on cute.

1 comment
fannyfurkin by fannyfurkin 26 Nov 2010

Wow. You sure are an amazing kind hearted and very balanced person. I personally don't download designs as I have no need to but Reading what you have written here has really moved me, and I would like to say thank you for that.
Alice

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by marleymoo 22 Nov 2010

Thanks Deeside for the website address. I dont do FSL either, but did leave some feedback telling them how nice their site was and how generous it was that they offer designs for free.

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by ansalu 22 Nov 2010

Now I know why I wasn't there: I do no FSL :o)
But I think it is a little sad what they wrote and when I read that here are so many projects posted with thier designs: Why don't send aome pics to them? Let's erase the last sentence...
Greetings, Bettina

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by crafter2243 Moderator 22 Nov 2010

Deeside is correct. It is tavernmaker.de. I was hesitant to post the actual site, but she i right. There is no reason not to. The stats have gotten even worse in the meantime. Cuties go there and at least give them a feedback if you can't make a small donation.

2 comments
ansalu by ansalu 22 Nov 2010

Hello Angie,
was curious and turned to tavernmaker.de but this is a page for online-roleplay ;o) Was just a little bit wondering what you did dl there *lol*
Thought you may play a princess or a gnom...
Greetings, Bettina

crafter2243 by crafter2243 22 Nov 2010

Ha, Ha my fault. I should have been more specific. Thanks to deeside there is a better link.

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by marleymoo 22 Nov 2010

Is it possible that someone could tell me the name of the website? Or even PM it to me. I think considering the amount of downloads that I should maybe donate something if I have used the site before.
Thank You

2 comments
deeside by deeside 22 Nov 2010

http://bejoscha.tavernmaker.de/DE... Can't think of any reason why it can't be out in the open. Have a look at the Interactive Digital Art when you visit - fascinating. Has anyone on this site ever been disappointed with one of these designs ???

marleymoo by marleymoo 22 Nov 2010

Thanks Deeside!

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by deeside 22 Nov 2010

Thank you so much for raising this. The site supplies some of the best fsl designs totally free. When new designs were shown in cute projects, many people wanted to know where from? when? All the available designs are appreciated by so many on this site. I sincerely hope that crafter2243's comments will encourage EVERYONE who regularly uses the designs to donate. The figure is actually 11 donations - let's aim for 111 before Christmas.

1 comment
crafter2243 by crafter2243 22 Nov 2010

They must have updated the stats and counted my donation. Thank you for your comment

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by shirlener88 22 Nov 2010

My that is interesting - I have never even noticed a feedback botton - on the sites - but I don't dowload many freebies any more - but have alot in the past. It isn't because the designs aren't nice - it is because I just don't have time - to look through the freebie's for the great designs. I feel awful for this site owner. *4U

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by babsie 22 Nov 2010

Very interesting! Maybe we should all take the time to donate, however small the amount may be because we downloaded for free. Thanks for pointing this out to us. Please supply the name of the site so that we can make a point of donating if you think it appropriate to do it. Hugs.

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by fannyfurkin 22 Nov 2010

I am really not surprised by this, I think other website owners may agree, It is a little disappointing when hundreds of people download freebies from a site and maybe one or two a week may actually spend a dollar or two and buy something. It really puzzles me considering that embroidery is not an inexpensive hobby, but embroiderers just don't seem to want to spend money on there designs. Sorry for taking this opportunity to have a whine about this, but it can be a bit sole destroying.

1 comment
ansalu by ansalu 22 Nov 2010

Can imagine that it is not funny seeing all the numbers but not on your bank.
I love the page of embroiderynurse and I think most of us know her. Once I made a donation for the wonderful freebies I dl there and I was ashamed when she wrote to me and says thank you to me...

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by ansalu 22 Nov 2010

Yes you are so right. Not only that the number of donation is so small when you compare the number of dl to the feedback... :o(
Sometimes it is the same here. Meganne wrote a post about giving flowers to people who write a comment and do some research for helping another cutie. I see it often last time: The person writing the post has a large number of flowers and those who try to help none; that means that even the person with the question did not give a flower for the help. So here is one more for you cause I know you are one of those who gives flowers with wide open arms and heart :o)
Greetings, Bettina

3 comments
crafter2243 by crafter2243 22 Nov 2010

Bettina that happens because people give flowers to make them turn orange so they know they have read the post. Convenient to be able to see at a glance what one hasn't been read but not neccessary fair.

ansalu by ansalu 22 Nov 2010

But the person who asked for help should give a flower. I have not much time at this busy pre-christmasperiod but always try to help searching designs and so on. So I think the querist can honor this with a flower :o)
Greetings, Bettina
PS: I sometimes wondered why also people asking for filesharing in the title of their post gets flowers...

crafter2243 by crafter2243 22 Nov 2010

I agree. Also sometimes new members don't understand the flowers. I didn't when I came here first.

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by mops Moderator 22 Nov 2010

Very interesting facts - 7 donations, that won't help to keep the site open and running!

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