If he is contributing, he's probably contributing to the growth of his own pocket via the loss of sales from the competitors he has who have to pay for rental, advertising etc. I still remember him posting a thread saying, "Canon very good" or something along those lines, where I asked pointblank... who would sell something and say it's not good?
I was already looking forward to such things being put to an end long ago. People want to do photography, but can't bear to spend a couple hundred dollars more for lenses that cost by the thousands. What kind of logic is that anyway?
I definitely agree that he's adding to his own pocket, but at the same time we at the consumers end also benefit in the sense that Oracle is like a grey market importer. Grey market importers like TCW are technically doing the same thing as Oracle, just that they have a store front. Would you tell TCW to go and close down becaue they aren't the authorised distributors of Canon lenses?
Under the same logic, while oracle may be doing MOs for his own purposes, the savings he provides consumers on this forum is undeniable, though it may be a pittance to you, but it exists all the same. Considering the things Singaporeans do to save 90cents(illegal parking), I am surprised that you would take issue with people trying to save a few hundred. 10% off increases demand tremendously at a sale; that's how much Singaporeans like saving. Actually, it's simple human nature to save, for why spend more when you can get the same item legitimately at a lower price. That's why people ask around at several shops before plonking down the cash. That's why people jump for joy at Canon rebates in the US. Furthermore, the existence of gray market importers like oracle has also pushed the prices of the local sets down by forcing them to remain competitive. If such gray market importers didn't exist, you'd have to pay more for your local sets as well, so they indirectly benefit you too!
It all depends on how thrifty you are and also how large a fraction of your salary those few hundreds are. If you own a Bentley and pull in a five/six figure salary each month, these hundreds will of course be a pittance to you. Consider however the little man, who pulls in 1k+ or less a month, these hundreds could represent as much as 30-40% of his salary. A huge amount, to say the least.
You could argue that these people shouldn't be taking up photography, but do you mean to say that photography is only meant for the well-heeled? Would you also exclude students from the hobby? Should there be an income minimum?
