Kickstarter and Vidya Books:
What’s the Real Scoop?
For a couple of weeks now, there has been a fundraising campaign floating on Kickstarter.com, fictitiously representing Vidya Books. The campaign states that this company is seeking funding for a new project to make an interactive book platform. Bloggers have picked it up. Some who have picked up this (non) story, forget the basic first
rule of old style journalism, namely, CHECK, and then VERIFY, your facts.
So let me begin with facts:
I/we, representing Vidya Books, have no connection with the recent Kickstarter story. To put
it in writing (and on my own blog) – as the owner of the legitimate online business known as Vidya Books, Vidya Books, LLC, and as the owner of the domain names vidyabooks.com, Vidyabooksusa.com, and Vidya.us - I repeat, I did not, and do not back
any individual mentioned in the Kickstarter story to fundraise on behalf of Vidya Books, for any projects. I can assure you that I
have been a legal business in California since 1991, and a virtual/ online business since 2010, and I did not / do not back, nor authorize, any such project in the name of Vidya Books.
When I heard about the story, via a google alert, “Vidya Books in the news”, I
informed Kickstarter about this error, and have their email response
with a ticket # as proof.
If the same misleading story gets repeated on anyone else’s blogs, I take the trouble
to inform the perhaps innocent bloggers about the same. That they correct this (or not), speaks to their own business
ethics (or not).
The ability to do business online is great. The speed of online business is wonderful. That people want to help each other financially to develop something new, is also a positive. We are all learning together in real time, in this great online business world.
Yet, sometimes, before a legitimate business can develop its own business strategies, using its own legitimate name, for legitimate purposes, that someone else uses the same name to ‘fundraise’ online as another business online is problematic. At best, it reflects, sloppy work. Further, it is also the responsibility of the business site that promotes such quick fundraising turnaround to prevent possible fraud by doing an online check. However, that someone claims to be a legitimate business – and uses my legal business name, online (when I am an online business) - makes it my business. Thus, this post on this blog, in my attempt to post a clarification - so that anyone who wants to, can see it, and my attempt to clear the record, in perpetuity!
Yet, sometimes, before a legitimate business can develop its own business strategies, using its own legitimate name, for legitimate purposes, that someone else uses the same name to ‘fundraise’ online as another business online is problematic. At best, it reflects, sloppy work. Further, it is also the responsibility of the business site that promotes such quick fundraising turnaround to prevent possible fraud by doing an online check. However, that someone claims to be a legitimate business – and uses my legal business name, online (when I am an online business) - makes it my business. Thus, this post on this blog, in my attempt to post a clarification - so that anyone who wants to, can see it, and my attempt to clear the record, in perpetuity!
In conclusion (in keeping with the mission of Vidya Books!), what have we
learned?
- Always check your facts.
- Yes, Vidya Books has been, and continues to be, a legitimate online business.
- Vidya Books, Vidya Books LLC, vidyabooks.com, vidyabooksusa.com, vidya.us are the same, and ARE NOT FUNDRAISING as mentioned on Kickstarter.com. Vidya Books neither backs, nor endorses any such campaign mentioned in either the Kickstarter story, nor on Vimeo, etc.
- Kickstarter is a legitimate business, with laudable goals; but perhaps in this case, there may have been a mistake made by someone who did not factcheck their project...?
- A thank you to Google Alerts for bringing this story to my attention.
