Discussion: Map Protection: Yes? No? Why?

[Miz]

Well I can say

If you want someone to learn from you and if you trust them give them the unprotected verison.

Otherwise leave it protected

 

[Chocobo]

Well I can say


Otherwise leave it protected

Or follow Blizzard.

 

[Frozenhelfir]

Or follow Blizzard.

Lol. I think all custom maps should be protected. Most of the time that people are opening it isn't to learn. In short it degrades map quality and peoples want to play it.

Having cheap edits leads to a greater increase in the rate of diminishing marginal utility of playing the edited map, so in a cross-utility examination, a rational person would rather play a more common map that is less subject to cheap edits because it is so well known. This choice would give them more utility per hour than playing a cheap map. Even though their utility does diminish as they play more of a certain game, they will just switch to games different than your map.

However, if you examine this from the point of the referencer...
Leaving a map unprotected creates a positive externality, which causes a problem with free-riders. This causes the service to be underproduced (underplayed in this instance) but there are positive benefits for those who aren't free-riding. They can learn easily from your map and gather ideas for their own, thus increasing their marginal utility per hour of making (and playing (it may be better)) their map. However, they can receive the same service by making a short trip to www.thehelper.net and asking for assistance. Although it takes a little more time which returns slightly fewer utils, they can still work on other parts of their map.

HAH!!! I win?
Maps should be protected as my examination of the marginal utility per the hour per both sides proves. Leaving the map protected gives much more utility to people who are playing it, which increases the payoff of your hard work. Unprotecting it draws people away from it. And people looking to reference it have much more accessible alternatives if they really want them.

 

[Atreides]

I think we're all just repeating ourselves by now...

 

[Tonks]

>I think we're all just repeating ourselves by now...

Indeed. Closed.