The last poll was a very heated debate. Here's the natural follow-up poll. Should scanlators even ask for donations in the first place?
You can submit poll ideas here
http://www.mangaupdates.com/showtopic.php?tid=3903
Previous Poll Results:
Question: Do you donate money to scanlation groups?
Choices:
Yes, regularly - votes: 62 (1.3%)
Yes, several times now - votes: 186 (4%)
I've done it once - votes: 290 (6.3%)
No, I don't have money to donate - votes: 2580 (55.8%)
No, I'd rather purchase manga or other merchandise - votes: 842 (18.2%)
No, I just don't want to - votes: 665 (14.4%)
There were 4625 total votes.
The poll ended: September 1st 2017
I've never donated and I've also never paid or been paid for any of the scanlations I've worked on or read
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New Poll - Scanlators Asking for Donations
From User
Message Body
12:00 am, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 10661
Seinen is RIGHT
Member1:41 am, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 2406
Yes, but only to pay for raws and server bandwidth or hosting but i am less sure on the server cost, as you can just cast the scans into the electronic sea. The internet will preserve them on it´s own.
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I also read EU/US comics and am a librarian.
Manga-Masters, My ANN-Lists + Imdb
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I also read EU/US comics and am a librarian.
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hungry
Member
5:20 am, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 421
Though I choose Yes, but only to pay for raws and server bandwidth or hosting, as it seems kinda balanced. But, I'm more inclined towards No.
First there are many ways to host manga free like blog, cloud drives etc. As well as many sources which can host your images without watermarking and compressing, bato.to maybe a option too.
Secondly even if you have to pay for a server, you don't need one with high bandwidth and space, a cheap balanced one should be enough. Bandwidth cost can be adjusted depending on crowd and old releases can be archived and shifted to free shared clouds, so like hosting last 3-5 releases should be enough.
P.S. Depending on popularity and fan base, the leecher/fans may agree to share the burden, then the groups can go big.
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Tv Tokyo - Anime & Manga ~ MinatoAce
First there are many ways to host manga free like blog, cloud drives etc. As well as many sources which can host your images without watermarking and compressing, bato.to maybe a option too.
Secondly even if you have to pay for a server, you don't need one with high bandwidth and space, a cheap balanced one should be enough. Bandwidth cost can be adjusted depending on crowd and old releases can be archived and shifted to free shared clouds, so like hosting last 3-5 releases should be enough.
P.S. Depending on popularity and fan base, the leecher/fans may agree to share the burden, then the groups can go big.
________________
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Tv Tokyo - Anime & Manga ~ MinatoAce
Member
6:23 am, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 19
6:23 am, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 19
Yes, since they work so hard to bring us manga
If the last poll is any indication, most people never bothered to donate anyway. I don't see anything wrong with donating to scanlators. It's like buying them a present as a thank, like cup of coffee. It's voluntary. Saying that someone doesn't deserve even the chance for them to be thank for their effort doesn't seem right. The official translations of many manga I have in my native language are just so poor. I couldn't be more grateful for the scanlations online. that said, I don't support scanlations group that crosses the line.
Last edited by Nielloscape at 6:56 am, Sep 2 2017
If the last poll is any indication, most people never bothered to donate anyway. I don't see anything wrong with donating to scanlators. It's like buying them a present as a thank, like cup of coffee. It's voluntary. Saying that someone doesn't deserve even the chance for them to be thank for their effort doesn't seem right. The official translations of many manga I have in my native language are just so poor. I couldn't be more grateful for the scanlations online. that said, I don't support scanlations group that crosses the line.
Last edited by Nielloscape at 6:56 am, Sep 2 2017
Dark Knight
Member
7:27 am, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 390
As someone who has been scanlating (a lot less of the last year & a half for various reasons) for over a decade, I find it deplorable that some scanlators "need" donations to keep going. If scanlators need donations to keep going, I'm sorry but they should just get a job instead.
Most of those very same scanlators don't spend a nickel for anything. They use a free host like tumblr, they use aggregate manga readers to host (or sites like Mediafire, sendspace, etc.) and they use public raws. They literally have nothing to pay to scanlate.
If I had to guess, and this is purely a guess & nothing more, I'd say maybe 2-3% of scanlators actually buy the books and scan them. That's the bulk of the cost of scanlations, really.
Scanlations, if it needs to be reminded, are illegal. If people felt so inclined to donate, they should figure out a way to purchase the manga to support the original author. They're the ones who need the money as the majority of them have a very hard time living off of the wages made from manga.
As mentioned earlier, I've been scanlating for a very long time. I asked for donations 4-5 times early on because I needed to buy a few books to scan and I was in a hurry to get the books ASAP as my staff was waiting on me. I didn't like the feeling of it and I never asked for donations before or after. Since then, I've literally spent thousands (yes, thousands) on books (shipping), server costs and other tools (PC improvements, 3 scanners) to help scanlate. I never asked for anything from the readers to help me pay for that. I know what all of those things are, I know the $$$ required and I am perfectly fine with biting the bullet to pay for this hobby of mine.
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I run Illuminati-Manga. You're welcome.
Most of those very same scanlators don't spend a nickel for anything. They use a free host like tumblr, they use aggregate manga readers to host (or sites like Mediafire, sendspace, etc.) and they use public raws. They literally have nothing to pay to scanlate.
If I had to guess, and this is purely a guess & nothing more, I'd say maybe 2-3% of scanlators actually buy the books and scan them. That's the bulk of the cost of scanlations, really.
Scanlations, if it needs to be reminded, are illegal. If people felt so inclined to donate, they should figure out a way to purchase the manga to support the original author. They're the ones who need the money as the majority of them have a very hard time living off of the wages made from manga.
As mentioned earlier, I've been scanlating for a very long time. I asked for donations 4-5 times early on because I needed to buy a few books to scan and I was in a hurry to get the books ASAP as my staff was waiting on me. I didn't like the feeling of it and I never asked for donations before or after. Since then, I've literally spent thousands (yes, thousands) on books (shipping), server costs and other tools (PC improvements, 3 scanners) to help scanlate. I never asked for anything from the readers to help me pay for that. I know what all of those things are, I know the $$$ required and I am perfectly fine with biting the bullet to pay for this hobby of mine.
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-GGpX
I run Illuminati-Manga. You're welcome.
Member
12:45 pm, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 144
12:45 pm, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 144
Yes, If they want to, No, if they don't.
Member
8:24 pm, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 646
I don't believe that scanlators are owed payment, but I don't think there's anything wrong with asking - people will either pay or they won't. Definitely it's illogical to pay scanlators for a series that has been licensed in your language, but I doubt people are doing this.
:D
Member
10:15 pm, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 315
I've never given a scanlator donations for their work or anything, but I did once give a good chunk of money to a scanlators GoFundMe for their parents declining health. I'm in the genre where free raws are rare or of shit quality so most groups I follow buy and scan their own books. Many also have to do a considerable amount of redrawing to decensor things, so i wouldn't be opposed to giving money. Most groups I follow don't ask, however, or just throw up ad.fly links.
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;D
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;D
Member
10:55 pm, Sep 2 2017
Posts: 159
To be honest i am always conflicted about that.
On one side i think it's wrong asking for donation for doing something that is illegal, but on the other side i do think they deserve some money for all the work they do(when it's done well).
On one side i think it's wrong asking for donation for doing something that is illegal, but on the other side i do think they deserve some money for all the work they do(when it's done well).
Member
12:39 am, Sep 3 2017
Posts: 21
12:39 am, Sep 3 2017
Posts: 21
well, it's an easy one...Do I spend money on scanlations myself?...Yes...
Why do I scanlate : because the people that does scan/translate my favorite series are doing a FUGLY job and I'd like my quality to be top-notch and handled by professionals.
Now It's true...Scanlations are a thankless job and nobody does you favors in exchange of nothing.
so, instead, I made my books exclusive for my private circle. people call me names and such but I don't care.
I know most of the guys around here will not drop a penny but they aren't creators. I for once, wouldn't spend money on the hundreds of thousands of uninteresting titles out there because I don't care.
What we all need to realize though SCANS AREN'T THE ALTERNATIVE FOR THE REAL THING!!
if your title, any title, is licensed in your country, Buy it!! buy manga, buy movies, spend on it not because you've already seen it but because you're the consumer for it.
Why do I scanlate : because the people that does scan/translate my favorite series are doing a FUGLY job and I'd like my quality to be top-notch and handled by professionals.
Now It's true...Scanlations are a thankless job and nobody does you favors in exchange of nothing.
so, instead, I made my books exclusive for my private circle. people call me names and such but I don't care.
I know most of the guys around here will not drop a penny but they aren't creators. I for once, wouldn't spend money on the hundreds of thousands of uninteresting titles out there because I don't care.
What we all need to realize though SCANS AREN'T THE ALTERNATIVE FOR THE REAL THING!!
if your title, any title, is licensed in your country, Buy it!! buy manga, buy movies, spend on it not because you've already seen it but because you're the consumer for it.
Member
10:18 am, Sep 3 2017
Posts: 76
10:18 am, Sep 3 2017
Posts: 76
I agree with you. Raws are okay, maybe, but nobody needs their own server.
The choices in this poll are poorly worded and (deliberately?) leading. I'd add the choice "No, it's totally unethical" If I had my druthers.
The choices in this poll are poorly worded and (deliberately?) leading. I'd add the choice "No, it's totally unethical" If I had my druthers.
Member
10:39 am, Sep 3 2017
Posts: 55
10:39 am, Sep 3 2017
Posts: 55
I probably would if some those scanlators could translate properly. Half the crap their translate makes no sense sometimes. 
Member
2:29 am, Sep 5 2017
Posts: 7
2:29 am, Sep 5 2017
Posts: 7
There's nothing wrong with groups asking for donations. But if I'm going to donate to a group, they're going to have to earn it. I'm certainly not the type who would donate to a group only because they're doing my favorite series, yet the job they do on said series are sub-par. I'm not a fan of shoddy work, so if I'm going to put money on a group, they better be doing some relatively quality work so I feel like it's money well donated.
So with that said, none the options in the poll apply to my personal stance.
So with that said, none the options in the poll apply to my personal stance.
Member
3:43 am, Sep 5 2017
Posts: 7
3:43 am, Sep 5 2017
Posts: 7
It's a hobby so I don't think you should ask for donations, if you want to earn money from it then go buy the licence to translate the series and release it legally printed or digital.
The amount of work that goes into it or the cost is irrelevant, if you don't enjoy your hobby without being paid then find a different hobby.
Last edited by ezekiel000 at 3:53 am, Sep 5 2017
The amount of work that goes into it or the cost is irrelevant, if you don't enjoy your hobby without being paid then find a different hobby.
Last edited by ezekiel000 at 3:53 am, Sep 5 2017
Member
12:41 pm, Sep 5 2017
Posts: 190
12:41 pm, Sep 5 2017
Posts: 190
I run a group and I feel VERY uncomfortable asking for donations. This isn't even about paying for raws mind you. I often can't find people willing to translate for free so I have to commission a translation out of my own pocket. I make less than minimum wage (I work at a sheltered workshop.) even so this is SUPPOSED to be a NON-PROFIT hobby so I am reluctant to ask for donations.
I have considered doing it IF and only IF I can create a donation jar that automatically locks up when it reaches the target amount and automatically refunds some of the final donation if said final donation goes over the target amount by any amount. By the way, the target donation would be HALF the translation price as I would only feel comfortable having people meet me halfway. And all this is AFTER I talked to people about the possibility of whether or not they would be open to it.
Even then I am SERIOUSLY considering canceling this now that I have learned how self-righteous some of my fellow thieves can be. My impetus is the hacking of Managtraders. I have always liked these kind of sites for two reasons One personal, one practical. The personal has to do with my OCD and how like to be able to download a whole volume of manga at once. It's also why after I finish releasing a volume of manga or a Light Novel of individual chapters I go back and and release a whole tankoban release or a whole book release.
Far more important is the practical reason that once a scanlator goes down you can NOT download their releases from the hosts anmore and aggregators are THE only way to get releases by old and defunct scanlators. Anyways, I was on the forum for novelupdates, asking about what happened to Mangaupdates, if anybody knew when they might be back, etc. when someone came and said they had hacked them and they were proud of it because they were an affront to REAL scanlators like themselves who do it for the love and well you see where this is going.
Maybe it's me but since we are ALL doing things that are, when you get right down to it, illegal, I feel like none of us really have the right to judge the others. We may disagree with the different polices people use. But do we really have a right to judge?
In all honesty I shouldn't have to pay a fellow fan to translate for me at all, as to my understanding of the fan community's code, it goes against the principle of making money off of properties that are not your own. Despite that since I couldn't find anyone willing to translate for free I decided to knuckle under and take advantage of this resource.
This whole experience has soured my enjoyment of anime and manga and I don't know if I will ever fully recover from it.
P.S. (I can certainly think of someone WORSE for said person to have target, someone who actually Charges people to download last I checked, (it's been awhile, I stopped using them for that reason)despite not owning the properties And they are still up).
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http://fightingdreamersscanlations.wordpress.com/
I have considered doing it IF and only IF I can create a donation jar that automatically locks up when it reaches the target amount and automatically refunds some of the final donation if said final donation goes over the target amount by any amount. By the way, the target donation would be HALF the translation price as I would only feel comfortable having people meet me halfway. And all this is AFTER I talked to people about the possibility of whether or not they would be open to it.
Even then I am SERIOUSLY considering canceling this now that I have learned how self-righteous some of my fellow thieves can be. My impetus is the hacking of Managtraders. I have always liked these kind of sites for two reasons One personal, one practical. The personal has to do with my OCD and how like to be able to download a whole volume of manga at once. It's also why after I finish releasing a volume of manga or a Light Novel of individual chapters I go back and and release a whole tankoban release or a whole book release.
Far more important is the practical reason that once a scanlator goes down you can NOT download their releases from the hosts anmore and aggregators are THE only way to get releases by old and defunct scanlators. Anyways, I was on the forum for novelupdates, asking about what happened to Mangaupdates, if anybody knew when they might be back, etc. when someone came and said they had hacked them and they were proud of it because they were an affront to REAL scanlators like themselves who do it for the love and well you see where this is going.
Maybe it's me but since we are ALL doing things that are, when you get right down to it, illegal, I feel like none of us really have the right to judge the others. We may disagree with the different polices people use. But do we really have a right to judge?
In all honesty I shouldn't have to pay a fellow fan to translate for me at all, as to my understanding of the fan community's code, it goes against the principle of making money off of properties that are not your own. Despite that since I couldn't find anyone willing to translate for free I decided to knuckle under and take advantage of this resource.
This whole experience has soured my enjoyment of anime and manga and I don't know if I will ever fully recover from it.
P.S. (I can certainly think of someone WORSE for said person to have target, someone who actually Charges people to download last I checked, (it's been awhile, I stopped using them for that reason)despite not owning the properties And they are still up).
________________
http://fightingdreamersscanlations.wordpress.com/
