above, Dennis asks

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> what would be the draw <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

a digital store with a digital bulletin board
now isn't that a compelling place to visit??

Dennis,

That's the question these lamebrains at getty should be asking themselves. What would compel people to visit their site if it weren't for the content providers. Eyewire's ads are not that cool. And sometimes their ads are downright misleading. . . get a free photo (after you spend $200 etc etc. I quit paying attention to them ... they clearly don't respect us or they would be straighforward with us.)

I'm fuming at the thought of the balkanization of the i-us content. I'm with Marcus and Egg and Robin. The very uniqueness of spending so much time at i-us is not the shopping for products experience. Its the shopping for information experience. Shopping for products is a sidenote. But when there was a product I could buy from i-us I would buy it from them. I'm just not a buying machine in good repair. (to paraphrase the author of Cats Cradle and Breakfast of Champions whose name escapes me at the moment)

I consider this like a living library of graphics information the content areas and the forums. I think this library should stay open to the public.

I'm willing to give to the i-us alumni fund (I get more out of this place than I've ever gotten out of my ex students association) to keep the libraries open, but if I do give money, I want a digital brick with my name on it for the year that I contribute. (It doesn't have to be anywhere that detracts from valid ad revenue spaces just a visible link to a page showing who donated to keep the library open.

The software companies should be coughing up some money here to keep the library open also. It's in their best interest. I only purchased some products based on guidance and advice from other users (happy customers) here at i-us.

Come on eyewire, sell this i-us idea as a living library. The first of its kind. Don't kill off a fabulous community by balkanizing it.

Athena

PS (maybe Bill Gates has some money burning a hole in his pocket. He rescued Apple didn't he? This would be a perfect way for him to get into the minds of the all mysterious graphics professionals. What am I thinking? the guy would probably want to have perpetual copyright ownership of all of Gary's old tutorials and any future tutorials. . . How about Steve Jobs? The Woz? Now there's a philanthropist. . .)