Reduce Demand! Download from Free Sites Instead!

[millahnna]

Well I'd certainly love to hunt down some good freebies for the endeavor.  I haven't been on the BBS in ages though (2004ish?).  I had a snafu with Pogo/EA regarding my user name back when EA first took them over and it's never been resolved (in fact they haven't bothered to answer any of the 20 emails I've sent them about it since 2002).  It bugs me to not be "millahnna" somewhere other than TWoP (TV site).

I didn't know those mirrors used to be free.  I think for me, that somehow makes it worse.

[Rissa]

Back in 2006 and early 2007 I have been a member and part of the crew at the BetterSimsBureau.
It was a lot of work to rate some of the better known paysites, and some of you might know that we didn't even finish what we planned to do. Pics weren't included in the ratings, the rating system wasn't clearly thought through etc.
And the most important part: At the beginning we were many, and it was a lot of fun, but quite soon most members lost interest and the BSB-forum was closed down.

If you plan to do something similar, now with concentrating on free sites, you have to know that it's a lot of work. I don't think that it could be done by a single person, and any crew you have should be really interested in the things you are doing.
Since many people here are interested in such a mission they might be good members. But people also have been interested in being a part of the BSB...

[SparklePlenty]

Well I'd certainly love to hunt down some good freebies for the endeavor.  I haven't been on the BBS in ages though (2004ish?).  I had a snafu with Pogo/EA regarding my user name back when EA first took them over and it's never been resolved (in fact they haven't bothered to answer any of the 20 emails I've sent them about it since 2002).  It bugs me to not be "millahnna" somewhere other than TWoP (TV site).

I didn't know those mirrors used to be free.  I think for me, that somehow makes it worse.

 Hey! I frequent the forums at TWop! Especially Amazing Race. Anyway, those mirrors DID used to be free, but thank goodness they are on the booty.

[i saw drones]

hey, i'm glad peeps think it's a good idea, because i think it's a great idea!
(i would have elaborated more last night but it was late and i was sleeeepy)

i realise it will be a shit-ton of work, but i work at home as a graphic designer and i have quite a bit of downtime, so until it got so big that i couldn't handle it alone, i would have plenty of time to devote to it. of course if anyone wanted to donate their time to search for goodies, it would obviously be very gratefully appreciated!

i'm not sure i want to do anything like rating freesites, it's more of a nice showcase and like, a finds site i suppose, which is sorta why i was a little worried it might be a bit redundant, considering forums and stuff do finds and updates. this would be different because it wouldn't just be site updates, it would be content from all over in the pictures, not just from one site.

i picture it being really slick, professional looking, - because as SparklePlenty says, a lot of sites out there look like shit (not to berate any of the site owners, i understand that not everyone has the skills in that area, and thats fine!) and it would be really nice to have their great content displayed in such a way that well, it doesn't look shit, haha.

I'm thinking that it would be a monthly thing, because i'd want to have a good amount of time to put together some nice shots, and gather great content (which wouldn't be particularly hard since there is sooo much!) and i think it would end up being quite a cool resource - specifically with the downloadable pdfs - which would also include links since you can include live links in a pdf, so it would be just the same as online. after a few months of this you'd have like a wee e-book with sweet content, and if you didn't download something from previous months you can just go back and look through your editions and grab it the next month or whenever, you know?

i'll have an invitation for freesite owners to contact me with their items, it'll end up being pretty good advertising for their sites i think!

shit i'm sorry about the freakin novel here dudes...
lol

oh here's one of my pictures i have already - sort of the direction i'm going in


everything in this kitchen came from a free site or maxis!

i am excited about my little project, hehe

[i saw drones]

oh, and i'm thinking of only doing a furniture one to start with - furniture/accessories/walls&floors - you know, a decor type thing.

if it's successful i'll probably end up doing a fashion/skins etc one too, but i want to see how this pans out first, and it is a loooot of work to do both (and i gotta do my actual job sometime too, lol)

[alia]

Ohmigosh, I love that pic!

Hee, I'd download all that in a heartbeat!

[deelink]

I really like the idea of the catalog, especially if it comes out once a week completely labeled like (for example) Ikea or Freedom catalog where there is a number or letter next to each item and down the bottom a description and link. I think that if the page is archived, updated and designed nicely (as well as being advertised!) Free content sites will get more hits because the rooms look desirable and gorgeous and everyone will realise that decorating with free content is awesome!

Hopefully in time, people will realise that venturing into making money from this game is just wrong. It's not worth it.

[Pineapplebrain]

TOTORO!!!!

But back on topic. That picture is beautiful. I would definitely download all of the stuff in that picture.

[snowball]

I like the idea too, I'd visit a site like that for sure!    

Maybe I'd recommend it to newbie people on some site, like the official swedish sims site. There are many kids there who's very new to everything about downloading, and I'm sure they'd like a site like that too. Plus: What's better than a site where you can find links to lots of nice free stuff? I'm sure there's many great freesites that not so many knows about, and that great free content needs to be brought into the light! AMEN. Or ARR! if you like that better.

[Quinctia]

Hmm, it might be hard to avoid repeats, but I do some building and I tend to stick to Maxis/MTS2 stuff when I upload lots because I don't like to weigh people's downloads down AND it's a pain in the ass to collect all the content links, for the stuff I include and the stuff I can't include.

But I do have other freesite stuff in them here and there.  If I come up with any nice room shots next time I upload a house, I'll send it your way with links to the content (since I'd have already had to collect them).

[deelink]

Yeah, I totally understand the whole tedious shopping list thing

BUT there are a lot of people that just want a particular item/floor/wall from the page and a direct link to it is better than downloading the whole set for it.

It will be kinda like a finds page.

The only thing I KNOW that sucks is that downloaders are hoarders and they want as much stuff as possible, and because its so easy to download and install CC, their appetite is MASSIVE. Hence why they go to paysites. To continuously feed that hole.

So I guess its a huge job...

ehhe... BTW Totoro is so big and fat and squishy.. I've always wanted one

[i saw drones]

i don't think it would be a major problem if there was the odd repeat here and there. obviously if the same thing keeps popping up all the time it would definitely be a problem, but if it was occasional i think it would be ok...

i look through catalogues all the time and they're constantly repeating products!

theres heaps of stuff about anyway, with new content appearing every single day (from whole sets, to tiny paintings or sculptures, or a sweet lamp, or a nice rug - that sort of thing) so i think it would be easy enough to come up with new content.. but perhaps i am deluding myself

completely labeled like (for example) Ikea or Freedom catalog where there is a number or letter next to each item and down the bottom a description and link.

this is exactly what i'd do!

it'll be great

we're never going to change everyones mind about paysites, but if we convert even a handfull i'll be happy!

[Rose]

I would love to help with this when time allows.

I'm a big interior decorator type, so this is what I do in-game anyway.

Question: does this mean you would be completely eliminating objects from sites like 4ESF and Holy Simoly?

[calalily]

I think it's a fantastic idea - and yes, I think it would be important to eliminate free things from paysites - but it depends on how you want to go about things.  

[i saw drones]

hmm, i wasn't going to eliminate free things from pay sites - i figure if it's free its free, i didn't think it would matter where it came from...
like with H.S for example, the majority of their content IS free..

if you think this is the wrong way to go about it, i'll take it into consideration, definitely