A Good Kickstarter vs. E-Begging

[Rikun]

Since Kickstarter allows just about anybody to start a fundraiser and publish it online, the quality of projects and budget estimations are sometimes less than professional. As a result, I've heard the term "E-Begging" getting thrown around a lot. While its clear that some Kickstarters are just easy money, I get the feeling that people these days just slap on the term to just about any fundraiser they don't like regardless of the goal.

So perhaps to benefit the uninformed, how can someone tell the difference between a Kickstarter with realistic goals vs. the dreaded "E-Begging"? Or is it ultimately in the eye of the beholder?

 

[HardkorSB]

E-beging is when you can fund the project yourself or you're not doing anything that requires the money you're asking for.
If you want a more specific answer, watch this:

 

[Vegosiux]

Since Kickstarter allows just about anybody to start a fundraiser and publish it online,

Actually, it's quite restrictive. Unless you have a permanent residence in USA or UK (or know somone you trust enough to post one on your behalf), you're out of luck.

the quality of projects and budget estimations are sometimes less than professional. As a result, I've heard the term "E-Begging" getting thrown around a lot. While its clear that some Kickstarters are just easy money, I get the feeling that people these days just slap on the term to just about any fundraiser they don't like regardless of the goal.

So perhaps to benefit the uninformed, how can someone tell the difference between a Kickstarter with realistic goals vs. the dreaded "E-Begging"? Or is it ultimately in the eye of the beholder?

I agree on this point though. But the problem is, not everyone has the marketing knowledge to post a "professional" kiskstarter, nor can they afford to pay someone to do it for them (unless they post a kickstarter to gather funds for a proper professional kickstarter...)

E-beging is when you can fund the project yourself or you're not doing anything that requires the money you're asking for.

Oh, and this, too.

 

[Rack]

E-beging is when you can fund the project yourself or you're not doing anything that requires the money you're asking for.
If you want a more specific answer, watch this:

Good lord the guy who posted that is an ignorant douchebag. Reading out the explanation in a funny voice is not criticism. The position that someone is begging when they ask for payment for a service they can pay for by other means makes absolutely zero sense. Asking Penny Arcade to provide the strips free and not advertising? That's a hell of a lot closer to begging.

 

[Gennadios]

E-beging is when you can fund the project yourself or you're not doing anything that requires the money you're asking for.
If you want a more specific answer, watch this:

Good lord the guy who posted that is an ignorant douchebag. Reading out the explanation in a funny voice is not criticism. The position that someone is begging when they ask for payment for a service they can pay for by other means makes absolutely zero sense. Asking Penny Arcade to provide the strips free and not advertising? That's a hell of a lot closer to begging.

The thing about PA is that they seemed a little too cozy with big publishers the last couple of years, as in every single strip and article seems to be looking out more for the game publisher's best interest than the gaming public.

I hadn't been to the site in well over a year, but I'm pretty sure that even without the ads there's some outside funding flowing into their strips. Not to mention the merchandising, and PAX.

 

[Darren716]

I think the difference is that E-Begging is when someone with an established fanbase does a kickstarter since they could have found other ways to reach their goals such as selling merch and what not. A good kickstarter is one where the person who needs the money doesn't have any other way to achieve their goal and their goal is for something that doesn't just benefit them.

 

[Rikun]

E-beging is when you can fund the project yourself or you're not doing anything that requires the money you're asking for.
If you want a more specific answer, watch this:

Interesting you bring this guy up, because it was his series of Kickstarter Nightmares that piqued this question for me. I feel that there are times where he has a point, but then the way he defines it made me think that anything on Kickstarter could be labeled E-Begging.

Take for instance the Veronica Mars movie. To some it was a glorious example of the power of fandom and how beloved shows that a company could no longer fund can be resurrected solely on fans. On the other hand there are those who believe that the fans were taken for chumps, allowing a studio to effectively hold a show "hostage" until the public pays to see it. The most cynical people out there believe Kickstarter is this on principle, but I believe that there are some genuine fundraisers. Question is how can you tell?

 

[ToastiestZombie]

An example of e-begging on Kickstartter is that one where the millionaire asked for money to send her daughter to games camp, basically cashing in on the feminism movement to make a quick buck. An example of a good Kickstarter is something like the Ouya (even though the final product isn't that good), that delivered on its promises and it actually came out. Simple.