This FAQ is meant to answer questions about making stuff related to TorrentBoy. If you just want to find out about the concept itself, check out the Absorb FAQ.

What’s this project about? The TorrentBoy project is all about making cool stuff. You, as an artist, can dream up anything you like related to TorrentBoy, and release it into the wild. The theory is that the best ideas come from unexpected sources, so limiting a pool of creators is counter-productive.

How do I participate? All you need to do is read up on the concept on this site, and do whatever you do best. The only restriction is to keep yourself within the vague constructs of the concept (and keeping in mind that this is a concept aimed at 6-11 year olds, so no slashfic etc). Write or draw or record your work, and then register to post a synopsis of your “product”. See what the community has to say, and go from there!

I can earn money, right? Yes, but only if your license is upgraded. By default, all products are non-commercial, which means you can share them with the world, but you can’t charge money for them. We will be constantly checking the site for cool new products, and giving those creators permission to begin selling. For more information, check out the Selling FAQ.

What kinds of information should I include in my product description? Each type of product has a template set up to make it easy for you to use. Just fill in the blanks, and you should be fine. If you have any extra information you need to include, or if your product type doesn’t exist, email us and let us know.

What else can I do? Remember, TorrentBoy is only as strong as all its parts. If you really want to help, use your expertise and critical eye to browse the site, looking for other works that need help getting up to speed. Offer constructive criticism and helpful pointers to get your fellow Makers firing on all cylinders.

Where do I keep my product? If your product is purely textual and reasonably short, you can input it directly into the site. If it’s an image, you can use Flickr or DeviantArt and link to it from here. If you’ve made a video, YouTube is a good option. We don’t host media files, because there are other services better suited to the task.

But if my product is available free on the web, nobody will pay for it! Our primary audience is not our fellow creators here. We’re selling to the world at large, and by and large, that audience will prefer an officially-sanctioned paid-for product. You know how piracy doesn’t really impact music sales? Same deal.

What happens if my idea conflicts with someone else’s? Practically speaking, the first product to have its license upgraded is considered canon. So if your idea conflicts with canon, you have two choices: alter your product to match, or branch the concept to accommodate your idea. Of course, it’s preferable that you not branch the concept very often (or at all), but realistically, it’s bound to happen eventually. Keep in mind, though, that working in a branched concept may mean you will have trouble getting your license upgraded.

I came up with a great idea that didn’t get its license upgraded, but someone built off it and theirs did! Take that as a good sign! It could be that there are elements to your product that need improvement, in which case, you should ask the community to help you find out what to fix. But ultimately, anyone can build off anyone else’s idea, so long as they credit them appropriately.

How do I provide attribution for the core idea? All works need to carry the Creative Commons license and an attribution line, which in this case should read: “Concept by MCM (torrentboy.1889.ca)”. If you are building your product with elements of other people’s works, add their names and links after the main block [ex: Concept by MCM (torrentboy.1889.ca), Timmy McCharacter by John Doe (www.doe.com)]. You don’t need to dig deeper than one level when crediting influences, as that would get very confusing very fast.

Can I remove my product from the site? Certainly! Just delete the page listing, and it should disappear immediately. Keep in mind that deleting your product does not stop derivative works from continuing to exist, so you could very well have spin-off works floating around that reference what you added to the concept.

Can I mash up TorrentBoy with another concept? Yes, but not on the TorrentBoy site, please (unless that other concept happens to be open-source as well). We are trying to maintain a license-safe environment here, so that contributors can feel safe that they aren’t going to get into legal trouble by making derivative ideas. If you brought another concept like Transformers into the mix, it could easily muddy the waters, and bog us down trying to separate out the ideas.

You didn’t answer my question at all! Ask below in the comments!