Hansadutta Writes

[stonehearted 0]

I think I saw Akruranath's piece on Chakra.

[stonehearted 0]

You folks havin fun? Watsamattayou? No like wen I tok da kine?

 

Actually, it's spelled "pidgin." Even locals, however, misspell it as "pigeon." And, technically, linguists call it "Hawaiian creole." Creoles are linguistically more developed than pidgins.

 

When I first got here, I started to rethink my position on literacy tests as a criterion for voting. I was a rather protected upper-middle-class white boy from Northern Virginia. My big exposure to cultural diversity in adolescence was my love for blues and bluegrass, and I evetually gained some appreciation for black folks and Apaalachian folks. Then the Navy ent me here, and I thought these folks were ignorant. Years later, I was often mistaken by locals for a local haole boy. Now, after too many years on the Mainland, I sometimes have to listen carefully to folks when they speak.

[theist 1]

all things considered ,as I think a bit about this, I think all of Prabhupada's disciples should get a free vedabase.

 

Didn't Srila prabhupada express a desire for all of his disciples to have their own set of his books? I think I remember correctly, maybe not. They never got one that I know of.

 

They worked really hard. Spartan temple life, some on the street in all kinds of weather dealing with hardcore American materialistic culture all day trying to sell books or chanting. Other's doing other services, but no one seemed idle.

 

Devotees in parking lots all day would take a lunch break and get a bag of dates a couple of bananas, some apple juice and a carton of yoghurt and then go back to it. Turn all the $ in to people who on occasion ripped it off.

 

Some did this for years. Then I guess alot of them got runout during the zonal years.

 

On top of all that when Srila Prabhupada was preparing to leave his body and called them ALL to Vrndavan to be with him as he passed that message was not even delivered to them.

 

Their names are written down. Why can't they get a free copy? I mean it was their efforts also that made sure there was something to archive.

 

Just thinking out loud.

 

 

 

[gHari 0]

I agree entirely, Theist. I was in disbelief seeing penniless mothers fighting off the wolf at the door by themselves after decades in the streets collecting hundreds of thousands for their beloved master's mission; turned out or downsized or forced out from the home their father had built for them. It all seemed pretty heartless and thankless to me.

[atma 0]

 

Why only Srila Prabhupada's disciples?

 

I would love to have vedabase but I can't afford it and even if I get one I don't think the computer have enough space. One kid asembled the computer from bits and pieces and gave it to my daughter but it's very old and just for internet purposes.

 

It would be nice if all devotees get vedabase, devotees with means should give donations to the archives and everybody else should pay an affordable price,$50 seems reasonable to me.

 

I don't agree with the distinctions made to third world countries, even here are many devotees just surviving. $95 is still a high price to most devotees in the third world and most of them don't have computers.

 

Whatever service and austerities I did while I lived in the temples was out of love and desire for purification. I try not to expect anything in return for all those years of my life otherwise it is not devotional service but of course I would be very happy if I get an original vedabase for a reduced price.

I heard the "pirated" version had lots of bugs and other problems.Is that true? Or just propaganda?

[livingentity 0]

 

I heard the "pirated" version had lots of bugs and other problems.Is that true? Or just propaganda?

 

 

I use mine everyday and have no problems at all with it. I like it a lot and am so happy to be able to research and read everything ever written by Srila Prabhupada. The devotee who produces it is very helpful too and will answer any questions very promptly.

 

I like your idea, Atma, of the better off devotees contributing so the others can get the vedabase at a discount.

 

I wondered also about the access many in the "third world" countries would have to the computers. I have friends in India and only one has his own computer - the others go to internet cafes to do their emails.

 

[atma 0]

 

I just saw your reply gHari and for the last few days I was very upset because even thought here in the community they have empty apartments for reasonable rent, the authorities won't give me one because I'm a single woman with 2 kids. It will be such a relief for me to have a temple apartment because the rent is cheap and I won't have to keep a roomate to afford the rent where I'm now. My roomate drives me crazy, she is not only dirty but once in a while she said something offensive.

They are giving the apartments to men. My fault is that I'm unmarried. They know I work very hard to mantain my kids because they see me going to work in the mornings and coming back at night 6 days a week but I guess to work hard to mantain your family and be able to pay the rent it's not a qualification.

I don't feel to participate in the community, I feel like an outcast but I have to keep a happy face because I don't want my girls to feel alienated because they are females.

[atma 0]

From where did you get it LE? How much?

[gHari 0]

Atma,

 

You can likely/perhaps/maybe/possibly/probably/perchance/conceivably/that-psycho-has-me-going-nuts-some-stalker-computing-the-most-used-words-in-my-posts?-yuk/give-it-a-97-percent-chance-if-it-is-at-all-sophisticated install just a minimal portion and access the actual books from the CD itself. Living Entity may be able to verify the minimal disk requirements from the label or documentation.

 

gHari

[livingentity 0]

Folio disk only

 

Everything - folio, video disks, audio disks

 

I got the deal that gives the folio disk plus the disks of all videos of Srila Prabhupada plus the disks of all audios of Srila Prabhupada. This costs $89 at the time.

 

I do not install it on my computer. I run it all from disk.

 

But you might want to question the devotee that sells this about whether or not your computer is fast enough to run it.

[theist 1]

atma:"Why only Srila Prabhupada's disciples?"

 

 

Well I think they have it coming for the reasons I mentioned above. And for the rest of us we can purchase. I would think $50 a fair price. I have one myself and paid $500 for it.I also could not afford one now. But if every devotee can't have one because of cost there seems to be a problem somewhere along the line. Maybe at the top.

 

[atma 0]

 

Remember that book distribution and seva in the temples didn't stop in November 77.

Even after that date thousands of devotees did sankirtan and many of them are still going out. I think the deal should be for everybody in the sankirtan movement, meaning not only the books distributors.

 

Theist, are we going to fall in the "only the ones who were initiated when Srila Prabhupada was present in the planet?" I hope not.

Many others did lots of seva and austerities.

 

 

 

[livingentity 0]

very very fair price. It seems that if this was offered at $50 then more devotees would be inclined to purchase one and probably if able to also purchase some as gifts. Then more would be sold - most likely making more money for the BBT/archives than now since hardly anyone can buy it for the $600 price.

 

Did that make any sense? I know what I am trying to say but am having a hard time explaining it.

[livingentity 0]

If they just did the $50 price for say, two months and announced it everywhere they could - VNN, internet sites, BTG etc and let everyone know that after two months it would go back to the $600 price - well, I think they would be very pleased with the amount that they would sell that otherwise would not have sold.

[gHari 0]

It seems we have a marketing manager. Now just contact the BBT Archives with the plan. A big influx of cash may be desirable at this time.

 

By the way, it just occurred to me that they may have to pay Folio a licence fee for each CD (certainly not inconceivable or too uncommon). So my initial guess for cost may need revamping, perhaps up to $50-100. These are only intelligent guesses. For this marketing strategy it is however very important to know the cost. Hopefully they paid the whole fee up-front and it is not related to volumes.

 

$30 profit on 1,000 CDs would be thirty gees. Jeez!

[Guest guest]

Jeez, Gary, I let you have the last word on the matter, but that wasn't enough, now you feel the need to call me a psycho and a stalker? Exchanging a few heated posts over the course of a few hours does not a stalker make. You've been quite a prolific writer on devotee forums since at least 1998, perhaps earlier? Knowing something about your philosophical views and your personal background does not a psycho make. Perhaps you can dispense with the name-calling and just stick with the issues? You've gotten in your fair share of jabs, so why not give it a rest? Not likely, but please try. Okay mate? /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

In reply to the issue of bugs and defects in the "bootleg" versions of the Folio, there was an interesting article on VNN a few years back which describes how the BBT has done extensive editing of Prabhupada's classes so that they will neatly fit into a 60 minute tape. The result is no more popping or clicking, the downside is you don't get Srila Prabhupada "As he is." Here's the link: http://www.vnn.org/world/WD0001/WD11-5251.html Now, I don't know if the version in this link is the same as the version which Living Entity linked. But it does give system requirements for using the disk along with other useful information.

 

I seem to recall an article on VNN a few years ago by the "bootleggers" themselves, defending their position. If I am able to find it, I will give the link.

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

The above link is actually for all the audio recordings of Srila Prabhupada, but not for the entire Folio itself.

[Guest guest]

"Prabhupada's Pirates": http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET0108/ET30-6873.html

 

And on the flip side, a public apology from 2 of the pirates: http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET0203/ET27-7238.html

 

 

 

[livingentity 0]

a large influx of funds right now is needed. It does not seem that $100 for the disk would not be too much especially considering that they are asking $600 right now.

 

It really does seem that many many devotees would take the opportunity to purchase this if they were given the chance at this price even if the time was only a month or so. Also, I feel certain that some who were capable would buy some as gifts and/or donations for others that were not able to even at the discount price.

[theist 1]

>>"Theist, are we going to fall in the "only the ones who were initiated when Srila Prabhupada was present in the planet?" I hope not.

Many others did lots of seva and austerities."<<

 

I'm not one of them but I had lots of association in that period, so I wouldn't qualify. But they were promised a full set of Prabhupada's books IF I remember correctly. I say better late than never.

 

Well atma I'm just musing a bit on the subject. I know book distribution went on afterwards and is still going on. I still think my reasons previously posted are valid.

 

At least the price should be drastically lowered. Again if everyone can't afford one then there is a problem.

 

You know the folio offers a lot. More than I'll ever use. Perhaps a cheaper version could be produced. All I ever use is the search option anyway really. And the translations from contents.

 

Perhaps two versons? One deluxe for those doing more scholarly work and for the rest of us Prabhupada's books with search.

 

Until then I support anyone who is working to make the vedabase available widely. This knowledge is too important to leave in a box at the warehouse because the public can't afford it.

 

 

 

 

 

[stonehearted 0]

http://www.chakra.org/discussions/BMMay17_03.html

 

It's also now on VNN.

[gHari 0]

Moving Living Entity,

 

I tried to find prices for Folio Views on the net, the software that drives the searching functions for the Vedabase. I could only find numbers for the much older DOS 2.1 version. Then it was $300 per customer or an unlimited royalty for $2000. I would guess that since a lot has happened since DOS, we could expect that the one-time price may go as high as $10,000 and that a per customer charge would have been just too expensive for the Vedabase to be marketable.

 

So this is good news for our marketing plan. That is, there is likely only a $20 cost to the Archives for each additional Vedabase. Of course, the first CD undoubtedly cost well over a hundred thousand what with transcribing, proof-reading, Folio royalties, setup, etc.

 

Now we need a meaningful estimate of the number of Vedabases that would sell in that two month window. Really, how many computer devotees are there? We have maybe 20-30 here. VNN talk big numbers, but I am skeptical after getting a private view of Chakra's numbers in their hay day. My guess is that if we hit all the major web spots, we might be talking to a thousand devotees who would really be interested in buying. Of them, maybe 500 would buy. No rationale for my numbers; just looking for a ballpark figure. So you could approach the Archives with a $15,000 opportunity which as you say would never manifest otherwise. It's got to be worth a shot.

 

I'm in favor of opening up the offer to all persons who served ISKCON on the inside; initiated or not, 1965-2003. How to prove it? Would people really cheat ISKCON? I wouldn't worry about it. If they don't know that God is real and ISKCON is dear to Him, then they need all the mercy they can get.

[gHari 0]

Another thought on that marketing proposal: BBT Archives have to be aware that the other Folio offering is out there for $20. While we might describe it as bootleg or pirate in our hearts, legally it is okay since the big lawsuit separated the pre-1977 books from ISKCON.

 

Funny, when I went to the book-changes website to check for the tattva-darshinah change, I got a feeling that the whole changes conspiracy was pumped up just to create some semblance of legitimacy in the eyes of the general devotee population for the big kidnapping of the BBT books in the infamous court case. Otherwise, the headline would have read "Machine gun totting ex-guru rebel uses legal loop-hole to steal Prabhupada's books from ISKCON." After all the changes conspiracy rhetoric on the net, the headline read "Prabhupada's words saved from disaster." For such a glorious mission, it sure gets comical at times.

[livingentity 0]

My head is spinning.

 

I was just thinking about the fact that all the major creating work is done on the disk project and it is just a matter of reproducing it - wondering just how much it would cost each time now. I see that we are pretty much on the same wavelength on this.

 

Seems that a two month window of opportunity would be just enough - some would purchase right away the first month while others might have to get their budget worked out and set part aside the first month and get the remainder during the second month.

 

VNN is huge!! The hits are amazing on that site - most would see the ad there.

 

I am having trouble thinking right now - too many distractions but I feel that this is a worth while proposition to present to the BBT/archives. They know the numbers and could probably work it out and see that it would be beneficial to archives/the devotees/and ISKCON.

[livingentity 0]

i like that idea a lot also. That way there is always the choice of the lesser expensive version.