P – Web Correspondent No. 7

Please note that Peter’s correspondence below was written by the feeling-being ‘Peter’ while ‘he’ lived in a pragmatic (methodological), still-in-control/same-way-of-being Virtual Freedom before becoming actually free.

Topics covered

It would then appear that the only reason you would have the Actual Freedom Trust abandon all the work it has done in producing and making available the DVDs simply because you say the DVDs ‘are too costly for you to buy’?

PETER: I thought to respond to you as I have had the most involvement in the production of videos that the Actual Freedom Trust has recently made available.

RESPONDENT to Vineeto: … a question about the DVD’s: is the reason the DVD files are not available for download (at a lower price, or free of charge) because hosting costs are prohibitive, or is it something else (such as selling DVD’s is a good source of income for maintaining the site)? I ask because a – I’d like to watch them but they are too costly to buy, and – I could mirror host them for download without bandwidth restrictions.

VINEETO: The directors of the Actual Freedom Trust made a decision to offer the videos with additional information, including the Actual Freedom Trust Screensaver, Correspondence on Selected Topics and the Introduction to Actual Freedom as a PowerPoint Slideshow. Another reason for choosing to distribute the videos on DVDs is that the videos are produced in HD and are 1.35 - 1.5 GB each, and this would be an unrealistic download in many parts of the world. (Editor’s note: The screensaver is no longer available due to its incompatibility with Windows 8)

PETER: Not at all familiar and I must say that with all I have had to learn in order to produce the videos, I have no inclination to familiarize myself with anything new … unless there be a very good reason, that is.

PETER: As I understand it, the both the possibility and affordability of downloading large files is very much dependant on (a) where you happen to live in the world and (b) how well-healed you happen to be.

RESPONDENT: It’s a swarm transfer protocol that has been every bit as revolutionary for peer-to-peer file-sharing, as the file-sharing has been for overall media distribution, particularly with large file sizes. It’s estimated that bit-torrent transfers account for about a third of all internet traffic. I could be a host to both the torrent seed as well as the file(s). A torrent seed can ‘contain’ any number of files, to be transferred together… ensuring that the additional information, screensaver, correspondence, and PowerPoint format introduction are included, as well as the fidelity of the image and sound maintained. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bittorrent. Bring it up with the rest of the trust. (Editor’s note: The screensaver is no longer available due to its incompatibility with Windows 8)

PETER: Vineeto did ‘bring it up with the rest of the trust’, which is precisely why you received the considered reply you got first time around.

RESPONDENT: I know online distribution offers little or no revenue, but it wouldn’t cost you anything further either.

PETER: Is not the point you are making that it would not cost you anything if the Actual Freedom Trust arranged things to suit you rather than have the Actual Freedom Trust continue to do what it has chosen to do?

RESPONDENT: It’s admittedly not a viable option for people who use dial-up modems but broadband – which can download a gig of data quickly – has outstripped dial-up in the developed countries. As of 2005, the 30 most connected countries accounted for almost 160 million broadband subscribers: http://www.oecd.org/document/39/0,2340,en_2649_34225_36459431_1_1_1_1,00.html. While this does not account for all internet subscribers and users worldwide, I think it would be a safe guess that the majority of unique hits to the Actual Freedom Trust site come from these countries (if you had a web counter you could verify this). Therefore, it would be a realistic download for those most likely to download the DVDs, were they to become available.

PETER: From what you say, it appears that you may well be fortunate enough to be one of those, presumably less than five percent of the worlds population, who has personal use of broadband Internet access.

If so, may I ask if you are also fortunate enough to have a PC, or access to a PC, that has a DVD player and is capable of playing WMVHD files from a DVD?

Should this be the case, it would then appear that the only reason you would have the Actual Freedom Trust abandon all the work it has done in producing and making available the DVDs – purchasing computer hardware and software, designing and having covers printed, purchasing discs and cases, learning new programmes and so on – and then forego any subsequent income from sales of the DVDs that may go towards offsetting these costs, simply because you say the DVDs ‘are too costly for you to buy’?

I don’t know whether you have noticed or not, but there is a much, much, much bigger world out here than ‘[Respondent]-ville’.