As some of you know, the first version of Poser that I used was Poser 2.  Latter on I bought Poser 4 as a clearance item.  Until reciently I was not able to take create anything with it.  I was thinking of looking into Poser 5 some day in the future, that future has now come.

When I learned of the soon to be released Poser 6, I was curious so I looked up its details on Curious Lab's website.  I discovered that Poser 6 will not be able to under Window 9x.  I am running Windows 9x on this box; therefore, I descided it is time to upgrade to Poser 5, before it disappears from the marketplace.

In this area there are a few computer stores within a few blocks of each other.  Each of them often have some nice software bargins, or at least they did the last time that I visited them.  I found that each of them have been remodeled and their product selections have changed, not for the better.

I entered the first store looked around, and did not find the nice software selection that I had expected.  I verified on their public access inventory terminal that they had two copies in stock--but where?  I could not find them.  I asked a salesman for help.  He did not know what Poser is.  He asked me to describe it, I did.  It appeared that he did not know anything about 3D art. I mentioned a few other 3D packages, hoping that at least one would spark a memory in him.  None did.  After he verified that they were suppoed to have two copies in stock, he asked me to again explain the purpose of the software.

This time I phrased it like it is described in their inventory listing.  He latched on to the words "pictures" "models" "figures" and "human"; he replied "Oh, now I know what you want."

He asked another salesman for help.  The second salesman asked him what he was looking for.  As they were entering the back room, I heard this exchange. "The customer wants porn software." "To block porn?" "No, to get it." I tried to correct them, but either they were out of ear shot or were ignoring me.  In about a couple of minutes they returned from the back room, they were empty handed and treated me as though I am slime.

In each of the following four stores, with variations, the minds of each salesperson were as far into the gutter as the others and I was treated more or less the same way by each of them.  I really don't understand their thinking at all.  Have any of you experienced anything like this in relation to Poser?

In the end, I did buy a copy of Poser 5, but not from any of them.

My early opinion of Poser 5 is that I am quite impressed with what P5 can do.  I found it to be very helpful in creating "Birth of Galatea".

Pangor

i don't know whether to laugh or be disgusted at this, they clearly need to train their employees on better conduct and also on the software they carry. I haven't had quiet that experiance but I have tried to find 3d software in a number of  stores (Staples, Circuit City to name a couple) and the responce I get is that they don't know what Poser, bryce or pretty much any of the 3d programs are. They look at me like I'm talking a different language and say they don't think they have it. I've never had one say it's porn software, but who knows that might be what they were thinking lol
I would get ahold of each of those stores managers and tell them how you were treated, explanie to them that Poser isn't a piece of software to get porn with and also inform them to use the internet and see for themselves what Poser actually is so they can clue in their help or fire their help.

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I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to just try and keep control over this group of bozo's at the Nut house errr...Clubhouse! --Guilty Pleasures Chief of Bozo's

One of those salesmen was an assistant store manager.  

When I asked the one of the salesmen in the first store to check in the backroom for the software, he told me that he didn't know if there was back room, since it was only his third week on the job.

In the second store, I tried to show them what can be done with Poser.   They had a computer connected to the internet that one so the saleswoman used to try to lookup information about Poser.  I gave her the URL for Curious Labs, but she ignored my offer.  Then I asked her to try a URL that would show her some of my work.  She replied, "We don't allow those kinds of pictures on store computers!  Think of the childern, if they saw the pictures."

In the third store, a small non-chain store, it was the owner who reacted that way.

I have tried complaining before about bad service in those kinds of stores.  But at least in this area all that management seems to be interested in these days is getting bodies to wear the store's uniforms.  When I do find a salesperson who knows the store's merchandise and knows the field as well, I have noticed that they don't last long in the store.  When mentioned after their departure from the store, the remaining personnel including the managers speak badly of them.

I am wondering, perhaps, there was an article in a local paper or in a free computer rag that mentioned Poser in a negitive way.  Or perhaps one of those dim bulbs discovered one of the more extreme Poser websites and spread their discovery around.  That might explain all but the first store.. I think that in the first store it was that the salesman latched on to the words "human, figures, models, and pictures" and his imagination filled in the rest.

Pangor

Oh, GP, I know how I feel about it.  I feel disgusted by their reactions.

As for the all too common agrument about protecting childern from art that the saleswoman implies by her comment.  I for once have been exposed to art since a very young age.  Among my favorite books when I was a child was "A Childern's History of Art".  It taught about many of the artforms from neolithic to modern.  I did not hide or ignore artistic nudes, it showed then as art in the illustrations and it discussed openly and frankly.  As I recall that book included photographs of "Venus de Milo", "The Dying Gaul", and "The Discus Thrower".

At that age, I also had access to books about Mythology, History, Archaeology, Anthropology, and many other subjects.  Many of them included illustrations that were far more extreme than anything than I would have been showing that saleswoman had she viewed my works.

I had access to other books on the subject of art, all illustrated.  One important thing that all these books had in common was that reguarless of being written for adults or childern, they all visual forms as somthing to be analyzed and appreciated.  Some of the childerns books encouraged the development of personal tastes in art.  I don't think that my exposure at that age to such works harmed me at all.

On the contrary, when I was in school, I had times when I was diguested by the reactions of my fellow students who had been "protected" from such images, when they were exposed to them.  More than once while in public school, there accidental exposures of the students to nude images.  For me, it was nothing.  For others who had been "protected", it was a major event that always ended badly.

Pangor

Poser-porn software? I heard that before. My mother even thinked they'll put me in jail for using a program where the basic figures are naked.        The only thing such people as theese salesmen are wondering about is why the characters are wearing clothes when they could be naked.        "Protecting" children from art isn't the best thing adults can do.  

This is ridiculous. I would ask them what with this pornfixation that they have? How come a 3dprogram with human figures automaticly=porn? Is that all THEY think about?

I guess they (these stores) should remove any and all 3d software they do carry on public shelves and also remove photoshoup products, Paintshop pro and other graphic type prgrams such as those because anyone know knows how to draw could be drawing porn or dirty pictures on those as well, not to mention importing from 3d programs.       

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I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to just try and keep control over this group of bozo's at the Nut house errr...Clubhouse! --Guilty Pleasures Chief of Bozo's

Are you guys looking at those magazines in the bathroom again?             

      

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I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to just try and keep control over this group of bozo's at the Nut house errr...Clubhouse! --Guilty Pleasures Chief of Bozo's

The emoticons speak for themselves.             

I quite agree.  I think thier reactions speak more about them and their thinking more than anything else.  I think it was disgusting.  But sadly, I did not find it to be to much of a suprise, I have experienced stupid things like that before.

Pangor

Did somebody say Porn????

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I'd rather have a bottle in front of me then a frontal lobotomy.......

My grey matter is turning white, my proof is my grey hair....

To all the us-friends...
Don't take it personally, but if i browse through the net
and must read often: not for people under 18/21 and
see then really artistic nudity, photos of greek antique statues and so on,
i have to think by me: Is this real? With extreme violence in movies americans
don't have any probs - but if they see a naked nipple - wether or not of
stone, ancient statues or other things - they seem to cry out loud: PORN!
The DEVIL! - i don't understand these minds, sorry.  

Poserkatz";p="19332 wrote: 

To all the us-friends...
Don't take it personally, but if i browse through the net
and must read often: not for people under 18/21 and
see then really artistic nudity, photos of greek antique statues and so on,
i have to think by me: Is this real? With extreme violence in movies americans
don't have any probs - but if they see a naked nipple - wether or not of
stone, ancient statues or other things - they seem to cry out loud: PORN!
The DEVIL! - i don't understand these minds, sorry.  

my words
why not ban all the web?

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Well I must be an American that must be a little different. No I don't take it personally. I think you are right. It is the way people look at it. A naked statue is tasteful. A women to me with no clothes if done in a classy manner I don't see anything wrong with it. But the children sometimes don't understand and with the oh no don't look thing that people have it leads to it being a sin or wrong. I think if people are brought up from the beginning to look at people the way they truly are then there is no couriosity to thinking hey this is something we shouldn't see, let's look at it. Just my two cents on this subject.
My words, ban the web, and I won't be talking with good people such as yourselves. Freedom of speech is where ever you can say it. The web is fine and if you don't want to go into an area that you have been warned when you clicked the button, then don't go there. But it should be left up to the person's freedoms. *sigh* Another two cents.