What makes a true believer?

According to the people behind Sellaband that would be having much time on your hands and being able to solve wordgames.... well, I don't have much of one and am not good at the other so I'm out. If it hadn't been for a group mail from Second Person that I got, it would have taken me at least another day or so to find out that the London tickets were being given away. To the first ones to find a 9 character word from a bunch of letters. Great.

Don't get me wrong - I do know most of the questions from the top of my head by now, but I wasn't around by the time of the Paradiso concert so I didn't know all. Does that make me less of a true believer? Then again, I could easily find the answer to that question in Tribune 15, or was it 16? Equally so with the other answers I did not know by heart. Is someone who is good at finding stuff a true believer? I honestly got stuck mixing letters to a meaningful word. Am I now less of a believer?

I would say willingness to take two or three days off from work, digging up the airfare and other expenses would prove something about having the determination to make the concert a hit and Sellaband a success. Perhaps not about being a true believer... for that you'd at least have to know what artists are performing. Or are we asked to believe in Sellaband regardless of who's on stage?

Taxes and Sellaband

Death and taxes are the two things we can be sure about... but can we if we are talking taxes and Sellaband? Earlier this month Dutch taxpayers had to file their income tax statements, and a thought occured to me: I'm not a big investor on Sellaband, and although the amount will grow monthly it will long be measured in hundreds not thousands of dollars. But what about those that do invest larger amounts, presumably with the intent to make some money out of it as well as support the artists in question? Governmental financial institutions (let's not call them tax collectors just yet) are aware of the Internet and are already investigating the virtual economies of Second Life. Sellaband is not nearly as virtual, so how long before the tax agencies come knocking on our door?

I'm not a tax expert, but it took me only seconds to dismiss the idea of deducting Sellaband parts as gifts. Although some parts for artists that don't seem to ever get above $100 may look like charity, the money will in that case never reach the artist and Sellaband itself is a commercial entity. No, the way I see it the difference would be if one would see the parts as a downpayment for a delayed delivery for goods (CDs) or as an investment or ordinary bank account. For Dutch tax law the second interpretation would mean roughly a 1.8% annual tax on all parts from the moment of investment on, while in the first case only the revenue from CD sales and advertising would count as income tax. Which is the better option depends on many variables, but since I'm not an expert: Does anybody more knowing have any thoughts on the matter?

Sellablog takes off!

The site Sellaband, where musicians can promote themselves and fans (called believers) can buy stakes in the artists' cd-recording enterprise, offers a way for fans to blog. It's functionality however pales in comparison to a true blogging site like blogger, and I wanted an easier and better way to record my life-as-a-believer or as CEO of my nano record company. Some people have created their own Sellaband related websites, as WalterM did with his I'm A Sellaband Addict site, but I simply wouldn't have the time for a full site. I also think Walter is doing a great job, and that nobody needs fragmented or competing fansites. So, as an experiment I present: My Sellablog. I only have a very rough idea about what I'd like to put up here, so let's just see what will end up getting posted! I will leave commenting on and see whether this will add to discusion forums elsewhere. For now, out with the champagne!

London Calling

This post originates from before the launch of Sellablog and was posted earlier on my believer page on Sellaband itself

This London Calling competition is very frustrating! Many of the artists I'd like to perform there I'm already supporting! On the other hand, while I can invite people to have a look at SAB I can't force them to believe in the artists I like... I'll see what I can do, but I guess there won't be an exciting finale like we had in the SAB-CD2 competition.... So: If you read this please check the artists I support and start believing in them if you didn't already! They are worth your vote and money! :-)