pouët.net

Demoscener use to work in groups, but reduced groups. My idea is to make a web system were we could produce together. I mean, open gfxs, open musics, open codes, an open demosystem, open FXs, etc. It is very utopic, I know, but I'm sure it should be easy to make something near this utopy. A database with textures and gfx ready to use in demos, for example, should be very easy. I have seen lots of raytracers (for example) in a lot of demos/intros. So, why we don't work together in a really GOOD raytracer? If some Operating Systems, for example, are created by a lot of people, why we sceners couldn't do the same?

nah.

why don't all writers unite, adding their paper+pen+ink+ideas into a big common source, and write the ultimate novel?
why don't all painters unite, adding their canvases, brushes and scrapbooks together to create the one-and-above-all painting?
Because we are creating something we like to create. And the second "we" is much narrower than the first one.
We'd lost the style, and good old diversity of the demoscene - and the flamewars :)
Without those this scene would not be the same...
so yep, i second to Rasmus now :)
His opinion is so compact :)

Take a look of http://p1x.org/base2 . It is painters/designers united. The prods are great. It is not all the people working united, it is the people who doesn't care to open their work, to do it, and a web based way to could easily reuse that works.

The idea behind this is just great. It is based upon the same principles as GNU i assume, which would be that software should only be invented once.
But also that someone should not have dominance over one technology,
which makes democompetitions what they are. Sure, they would work great
with an Operating System like the GNU/Linux system, but demos are not
useful software, they are there to inspire and impress, which can not be
done if it is a gathering of effects that 20-30 people has joined in on making.
That is just my point of view, still i will release every software (including
demos) i have coded licensed under the GNU GPL, so other people can make changes, hopefully for the better.
And that raises another question. "How many will be productive and artistic-, or how many will make fortune - out of your generosity?
Someone could easily take the free (as in freedom) textures, code and music and put it into their own little demo, and not release anything from their demo as free to the world.

This is much more then I had thought of writing, and i am going to bed.
I bet there is a lot of spelling mistakes in my english, blah. dont bother reading through it.

Foolman has a point, texel. Some people would simply lose their edge if they are simply a part of a whole.

Creativity cannot be 'invented once', and group efforts usually thrive best with individuals having some sort of realtion to eachother. As much as I applaud cooperation (even getting a GROUP of sceners to work on the same thing for more than 72 hours is quite a feat), I doubt a collective of people working on the same aspect of a demo will provide a coherent result that will please everyone.

As Macaw said...':)

shifter: Word!

but never say never... atleast several intra-group coops have worked more than amazingly...

OPENSOURCE SUX :)

anti-everything-i-am-right-and-your-wrong-now-shut-the-fuck-up plek has left us with another piece of wisdom to comtemplate.

m=n

opensource + demoscene cannot mix, since it's two different things

Opensource == lamers that can't code stuff themselves freeloading off good coders.

Let's face it, if you're in a good group, you don't NEED other people's code or whatever.
You only need it if you suck.
Instead of begging for opensource, work on developing your skills, as the others did.

By the way, coders generally share routines anyway, but between friends, not with the entire world. So get connected.
And co-ops between groups are a nice way to share some material aswell.

Opensource won't work... Everyone will be using the same 3d engine, the same effects, the same models, the same music... Why?!

So, think about it, then work on your skills, and make some friends.

Make a site where u can gather all demorelated tutorials, source-codes released, tips & hints, people searching for groups, groups searching for people, discussion forum about coding, gfx, music, etc.

Opensource won`t work in the demoscene community.

i must admit that i have used opensource code, but on the other hand i have also contributed to a couple of opensource initiatives. but i don't think opensource in the demomaking-phase is cool :-D If you want to rip other peoples code, just wait till they release it! (in fact you can rip off several of my demos :-D)

I just want to state that linux, gnu, gpl and all other commie' software sux. (as well as it's users)

goto sourceforge.net.

either you contribute or you don't.. let ppl do what they want with whom they want.

IMO open source is a good thing for demos to keep them from being tied to a specific platform. Having the code open allows ppl who appreciate the demo to port it to new platforms, fix bugs, etc...
(e.g. not every dos demo I like is on mindcandy)

However, I don't think what texel is suggesting is a good thing.
`community art' just doesn't work, and even a just a database of textures and samples is very likely to make lots of people lazy :)

Nah, Opensource demos are quite slow (some of these productions have sync problems between the gfx an sound), I prefer native ones.

I think that it's a better idea to create tutorials so people can learn.

hmm. dunno. i'd possibly like a "wikicvs" or something where i could pick pieces of code and rewrite them when i'm bored enough just to get my name on list..
just a random thought.

Scali: "Opensource == lamers that can't code stuff themselves freeloading off good coders."

You've obviously haven't understood some of the fundamental ideas behind human knowledge sharing.
Open Source has taken its ideas from the disciplines of science (you know...? math, physics and so on... ?)
The basic idea is here is that instead of everyone developing his or her incomplete error-prone ideas to themselves,
they can share those ideas with the rest of the world - and just as in evolution the 'bad' ideas
automatically gets sorted out and the 'good' ideas gets improved, and OTHER people can base THEIR ideas of this steadily growing foundation of knowledge; ultimately leading to a better understanding of how the world works, how cure diseases, new technology and so on and on...

I guess wouldn't be the case if you ruled the earth and we'd probably still be living in fucking caves.

"yes, lets all be nice and give away all our good routines, so that total newbies can make better demos than us..."

"yeah let's continue protecting our good routines because if a newbie gets a hold of them, there won't be any difference between him and us anymore, since the only special about the stuff we make can be found those routines. The demos we're making don't have any values in themselves beyond the routines right?"

"yes, and let's stick opensource software up our arses and learn to argue"

> just want to state that linux, gnu, gpl and all other > commie' software sux. (as well as it's users)

yeah, endlessly customizable, usable, stable, high quality software that is absolutely free really fucking sucks. i much prefer high priced software from major corporations that has about 1% of the functionality and customizability of the free alternatives, plus half the stability.