No, I did read your post. Quite closely, actually. You use disqualifying language to constradict yourself, and take the way RVD has set up his website as a personal slight. I stand by my previous post. But I'll explain. Your post (and I'll use the whole thing so nothing is taken out of context), with my comments in blue:
(Originally posted by RoninX) Wich doesnĀ“t make him any less commercial, since he will obviously receive some kind of comission for selling the other shihanĀ“s products.
Which would be standard practice. Although I think you will find that it is less commission, and more just mark-up profits (he would buy them cheaper than we would, and the mark up would take them to the same price you would find elsewhere), although that is just semantics.
But here you dodge the issue. You are asking how can anyone respect RVD because he has a website set up primarily as a retail online store for his own products, as you complained that he was cheapening the art (my words), and one responce you got was that he sells other peoples products as well, which showed that he was providing a service that many people appreciate, and it is not centred only on his products. You refused to see the difference, leading to your asking what the point was, and my answer. You then made the above comment, which is an attempt to slight RVD by turning straight into an attack. You also use deflective language there, which is usually an indication that you actually have no argument against the information presented, which is why you turned straight to the attack.
If you wanna see what the problem is, you just have to see things at a non-ninjutsuka prespective, you go to "Ninjutsu.com" expecting to find something complety different from a shopping store.
Not necessarily. If they go there looking for lists of techniques, written information on history, lists of past headmasters, then it can be hard to find. If you go there looking for reference material, well that's all there. And really, this is a problem from your perspective, your opinion, and that is all. It is what you are wanting to see there, plain and simple. It is not necessarily what others want to see, if it was, and the store was not viable, I feel that it would have either changed or closed a long time ago.
If you go to: Genbukan.org, you will see a store. But from + - 11 menu links you will find two pointing to the produtcts. They still commercializing the art, but they focus much more in providing relevant information for the visitors.
Yes, and if you go to the Bujinkan's main page you will see almost nothing at all. Again, this is all your personal preference. RVDs site is not the Bujinkan's official page, it is not trying to be, it is not designed to be, it is not wanting to be, it is not supposed to be. The Genbukan site you list, however, is supposed to be all those things (for the Genbukan).
Now letĀ“s see RVD:
- Homepage: Full of "buy me products"
- Onlinestore: "Buy me products"
- Ninjutsu study: Full of "Buy me products"
- Home study courses: "Buy me products, again"
- Seminars events: Humm...a little less "buy me products"
- IBDA Opportunity: "Will you buy me something or what?"
- Study Info: "Now you can also be a black belt: Buy me something"
- Dojo locations: "A very rare informative page"
- Resources: "Help me selling something"
Your entire way of writing this implies personal offence, you are feeling personally offended or let down by the site based on what you wanted it to be. Realise that unless you own the domain, or are involved in it on that level, you really get no say. It is not there to make you happy, and if it doesn't, don't visit it. If you're really offended, contact RVD himself and see how far you get (I'm not holding out a lot of hope...).
So, we have SEVEN menu links pointing for almost the exact same products; SEVEN menu links trying to make money off the art. My point is: Ninjutsu.com is a site created to MAKE MONEY, and in my opinion it should be a more informative site, since "Ninjutsu.com" is the most obvious domain someone will type when searching for Ninjutsu. IĀ“d say that many times "Ninjutsu.com" will be one of the first impressions of someone, when searching for Ninjutsu. And the first impression will be: "Uhhh...Ninja shopping!".
As you say here, this is all in your opinion. It is what you think the world should be like. It isn't. Deal with it. Really. I don't know how old you are, but I would say grow up (honestly I don't think that is really restricted by age, though).
Is there anything wrong with making money? I donĀ“t think so! But when your MAIN concern seems to be "how to make money off this art", then iĀ“ll find that a little bit strange.
Okay, here's where your self quotes come from. Let's look at them in context, shall we? "Is there anything wrong with making money?" That is a self-answering rhetoric, designed to put a reader on your side by giving them a question where you will obviously agree with their point of view. "I don't think so!" Emphatically reinforcing the rhetoric, attempting to get a feeling of rapport so your next point is taken on board. "But when your MAIN concern" Distancing language to put yourself (who we aer supposed to be agreeing with at this point) apart from the sentence subject. "seems to be "how to make money off this art"" Putting things in quotation marks is a way of dressing an idea to make it pallatable to others. By putting it in anothers mouth, rather than your own, it is resisted a lot less. Oh, and where exactly did you get the quote from? Typically, this technique is used in interviews to get around personally accusing someone of something, ie. "People say that... It has been said that..." etc. ", then I'll find that a bit strange". Okay, here you have turned to personal language, showing that this is something you feel personally invested in, or in this case, offended by.
The main point is: IĀ“m just sad to see an art like this turned into a such OBVIOUS money scheme, and thatĀ“s why i canĀ“t take this guy seriously.
And here you basically say outright that this is something that you have been personally offended by. A business is not an "OBVIOUS money scheme", it is a business. Again, if you don't like it, don't visit it. Simple. But realise that this is all your personal wish and how you feel it "should" be, and that has nothing to do with the reality. Sorry.
As for buying other people's stuff, but they don't offer affiliate programs etc., great, go with them! But a different business plan is not what you are making it out to be, and I would be pretty willing to bet that RVDs business plan is generating much better results than others. Oh, and I have no idea what you're talking about with that last little comment, "not being much of a Ninja on this". You mean adapting to the fact that people shop online these days, and ensuring his company, and by extension his schools survive, goes against Ninjutsu philosophy? You must have a very different understanding...
