> I can not believe the motivation can simply be to get subtitles to watch movies personally
Why can't it be? Does everything require a money motive? Is it impossible that people want to do something good?
Why can't it be? Does everything require a money motive? Is it impossible that people want to do something good?
On HN, apparently. See the recent thread on Wordle.
The reality is likely to be: they make a very small amount from ads and user donations that might, if they're lucky, cover the costs of hosting. The warez scene is a subculture and community for the people who participate in it.
It is depressing that HN participants are so often mystified by the idea people might be motivated by intrinsic or social factors to engage in peer-based production (whether legal or not) when so many of the companies they run or work for exist only because of peer-based production efforts like Linux and other FOSS software.
Opensubtitles has a VIP program at $15 a year.
It's quite easy to find the person who runs the site and, according to their CV, this is basically their job. That'd make Opensubtitles a for-profit piracy site, i guess.
Guess what: Non-profit != for-free && Non-profit != for-a-loss.
If in order for opensubtitles to fulfill its envisioned role needs full-time attention, it is legit to pay yourself or hire an employee, paid by the ad and or subscription money. That's what also happens on all registered non-profit organizations.
No, the 0.1% of subs for obscure indie shows that didn't have native subs doesn't change that.
I'd guess about $1-3M/year from ads.
You need resources to deal with that and it's not gonna be a clean fight.