Airliners.net Sold to Demand Media!

[tipek]

It's such hypocracy. Here's a little reality check Johan made Millions on ya Rafal before DM ever came along. Just because you are into aviation and photograpy doesn't mean you can't be in it for a profit.

I know that Johan made a lot of money before DM, but now I don't feel like being part of some corporation.
You can all talk about making money from aviation photography. I don't care about that. I'm here for the hobby not for profit.
I started visiting airliners.net in 1997 when Johan had 50 pictures of airliners all taken by Mike aka AirNikon (RIP). Since then airliners.net was part of my everyday. When the forum was created I was one of the first 10 users that were writting there everyday (my nick that time was B767200ER). Airliners.net pushed me to take more pictures of airplanes. The atmoshphere on the site was like in the Mom's and Pap's store, right now the atmosphere is like in corporation. I seriously didn't mind helping Johan ( I spent countless hours editing database), but I don't want to support something that has "plastic" feeling.

Thanks to airliners.net I have collection of almost 40 000 different airliners registrations. Each year I add 3000 to 5000 new frames to my collection. For me its priceless.

Most of you talk about the money. You are here for the money or for your hobby?
You guys are taking great shots of airplanes, but when you go out do you have money on your mind or just a hope that you will catch some rare frame?

During my 10 years with airliners.net I've made around $5000, that's on average $500 a year - which is less what I pay for parking at IAD while taking pictures.

So airliners.net wont close if I remove 1800 pictures...

Rafal

[PhilDernerJr]

While I can respect that, Rafal, I still don't fully understand. Nothing on Anet has changed yet, so I don't understand where the "plastic" feel is coming from. Also, fi you have no problem supporting Johan, why can't you seem to support this decision of his and continue to move forward? He is apparently happy to be doing this, and if you cared for his efforts, I'd think you'd be disappointing him and contradicting yourself by removing your photos because of it.

To everyone else, I know many disagree with Rafal, but please don't be too aggressive. Rafal's good peeps.

[mirrodie]

http://www.airliners.net/discussions/av ... in/283636/

A bit surprised to read it but I respect that it was done without much public swan song from him.

[PhilDernerJr]

Losing Unmuth is HUGE. It says a lot, and I wonder how far this "Anet ditching" trend will go.

[mirrodie]

Phil, this need to be said though. He left a few weeks before the sale of Anet.

So his leaving was completely unrelated to the sale.

Rafal, hope you did not take my comments as rude. I was wondering why your departure was warranted. I guess perhaps I feel that your decision to leave is knee jerk when you've (nor I) have no idea what the future holds for the site.

Will you at least upload to jetphotos?

[lijk604]

For a person of Art Brett's status to have 30 of 35 rejections(!!!) you have to wonder what is going on. Just reading that statement, I have no desire to upload to A.Net right now, as getting pics screened in 2 weeks is tough enough, and to wait that long and get rejected for strange reasons, it's not worth it to me. I may only have 28 photos there, but seeing long-time contributers leaving, as well as respected photographers (Art) making noise, it is not encouraging.

[tipek]

Rafal, hope you did not take my comments as rude. I was wondering why your departure was warranted. I guess perhaps I feel that your decision to leave is knee jerk when you've (nor I) have no idea what the future holds for the site.

Will you at least upload to jetphotos?

Which comments? I didn't see anything yet that would offend me.
I have some shots at jetphotos, and if I find time I will upload there (to the point when Chris sells jetphotos :D ).

Rafal

[PhilDernerJr]

Rafal, lets say Chris had created JetPhotos.net with the intention to make money from the start? Would that sway your decision to upload there? I'm just trying to see the difference between Johan owning it and the media company owning it in regards to participation.

[tipek]

But the difference between DM and jetphotos is that jp still have real people behind the scenes (not corporation).

[PhilDernerJr]

Personally, I would consider Anet just as much of a corporation. Johan making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and a support staff of 80 sounds like a corporation to me.

[nwafan20]

I think the main difference is this:

Demand Media has nothing to do with aviation, so why do they want A.net? For money, money is all that matters to them

Johan, on the other hand was in it for the passion, sure he made some good money from it, but the reason why he created it was the passion of aviation, and his running of A.net was based on that, not just money.

[NcSchu]

Has anyone noticed those hyperlink ads that have suddenly appeared in some thread posts? I absolutely hate those.

I'm not sure how I feel about the buy-out. I'm not a member of A.net but go there just to look at the trip reports and photos and I doubt they will really change with this new ownership.

[PhilDernerJr]

I think those ads were there already. I don't think any changes in regards to the new management have taken place.

[tipek]

I think the main difference is this:

Demand Media has nothing to do with aviation, so why do they want A.net? For money, money is all that matters to them

Johan, on the other hand was in it for the passion, sure he made some good money from it, but the reason why he created it was the passion of aviation, and his running of A.net was based on that, not just money.

I couldn't say it better myself.

[NIKV69]

I think the main difference is this:

Demand Media has nothing to do with aviation, so why do they want A.net? For money, money is all that matters to them

Johan, on the other hand was in it for the passion, sure he made some good money from it, but the reason why he created it was the passion of aviation, and his running of A.net was based on that, not just money.


I couldn't say it better myself.

That's interesting but may I ask how you came to this conclusion? You have detailed knowledge of DM?

Rafal just because people don't practice the same things you do as with respect to av-photo doesn't mean their passion is any different in fact I take offense to you suggesting that here. If you feel the way you do fine pull your pics. Just let the others enjoy selling a pic or two and making a few bucks once in a while doing something they are passionate about without jumping on the sell out bandwagon you have already tagged Johan and DM to be.