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Comment by voodoomagicman | Hacker News Reader

I just deleted my Kickstarter account and let them know that I will not be backing projects unless they change this policy.

I urge others who care about science, the environment, and the human condition in general to do the same.

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isn't this a bit extreme? I'm launching a science project that will use GMOs, and there will be other ways of crowdfunding. I was never in the position of using kickstarter from the outset... So this doesn't affect me, but I don't think it's really that much of a big deal. There are some really compelling projects on kickstarter, and your reaction seems like throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

christ. how many apologies can you make for the company in one thread?

can't you give voodoomagicman a small fraction of the tolerance and respect you seem to have for kickstarter? for kickstarter, doing what they want is "their choice", but for anyone who decides to boycott in response it's "a bit extreme"? in your world do only commercial entities have free will?

the "extreme" part is not vodoomagicman choosing to drop kickstarter. The extreme part is him exhorting others to do so as well. Kickstarter, as far as I know, has not exhorted other crowdfunding outfits to also reject GMO projects.

Also, if I were in charge of kickstarter, I would not have made this decision.

i respectfully suggest that kickstarter's actions will impact more people than vodoomagicman's.

Of course, but I can't really be moved to have all too much sympathy for those people. Kickstarter (and DIY bio funding) isn't an entitlement, and the enterprising DIY bioer looking to crowdfund can use any number of alternatives, from crowdtilt to indiegogo, or even roll their own (like lockitron did).

Being a bit introspective, maybe it's just the obsessive systematizer in me, but kickstarter (the noun, not the verb) really has always been associated with "art-like" project, and my brain irrationally wants to keep those silos up.

Also, when I was setting up my work, I thought about using kickstarter, and did a little bit of research (a couple of clicks of the mouse) and immediately realized that my project did not fit the terms and conditions of Kickstarter. Nobody weeped for me then, nor would I care to (and I'm continually having to explain to people why I can't use kickstarter), so maybe that's part of why I seem to be overly apologetic towards the company.

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