i have never had much use for stealing. in fact, i have never done it. not even when i was a little kid in a candy store. i was checking out my stats counter this morning again (it is something that i do every day), and i clicked on download activity. it appears that some of my readers are downloading photos that i have posted. can ya please just ask if you can first? i mean, i have this site copyrighted, that has to mean something.
what happened to blogging etiquette? is there none anymore? it just seems to have infringed on my rights a little bit. i mean, i am happy to share (obviously), but to take things off of this site without permission is just wrong. remember, this site has three separate copyrights, please read them. maybe i am just paranoid, but who would want to download for themselves a 30 yr old photo of my brother? or the old pics of my aunt and dad, my grandparents and my parents wedding pic? i have to wonder why the picture of me as a baby holding my fisher-price phone was saved to someone i don't know? how many more of my photos are 'out there'?
i guess it is my own doing.....linking to networked blogs, blog-UPP, and the others. but i really thought that there were some good old fashioned unspoken rules with bloggers. like don't steal my shit! (unless you ask for permission, in which case it is not stealing, is it?)
at the risk of sounding really petty, i am going to ask my readers to do me the courtesy of asking permission before you download anything off of my site. hell, i will likely say yeah sure go ahead, but i wanna know who you are, and why you want the picture.
now i know that Gary is cute, and our cats and dog are awesome, but i don't wanna be reading some magazine some day and see MY pictures with out due credit.
so, kindly take note, please just ask me before you download.
make today GREAT~
Great post! Hope they listen and ask first.
ReplyDeleteIsn't there a way to protect your photos against "right-clickers"? Many sites have that pop up window that does not allow for photos to be taken...that way. They can always do a screen shot and paste into an editor to get it anyway but it is at the very least deterrant/reminder.
ReplyDeleteHi Poet
ReplyDeleteAs someone who trawls the web regularly for images to use in presentations etc I would never even dream of using someones work without the authors permission. There are plenty of free to use stock photos out there to suit every requirement. Some of your readers need to get themselves over to wikimedia commons where there's plenty of pics they can steal. Personally I think you should take it as a compliment. You obviously take good pics that mean something to people. Maybe you should see if you couldn't sell some of the less personal ones to a stock photo site and get some money from them.
Speak soon
T
Hmmm-interesting; I didn't know we could even figure out if someone was using pics from our blogs...how did you figure that out?
ReplyDeleteYes, people really should stick to the blogger courtesy of asking-or at the very least linking back to your blog and explaining that's where they got the pic.
that really sucks...
ReplyDelete@heather- i posted my reply directly to your site, as i wanted to comment on your post anyway :)
ReplyDelete@TQ- i know, right? what gets me is which photos were downloaded, and to where. i don't have the exact person but i do have an IP address and a location, but that really doesn't help much in the grand scheme of things. i can see the cat pics, i mean they are totally cute ans awesome, and i must say me and my little point and click camera do a goodjob :) but the old black and white ones of my family from way back? why would anyone but family want those?
@raechelle- i joined Stats Counter (there is a link on the side bar), and when i log into this project (site), it has a list of things i can see, everything from IPaddresses to how readers got here (referrals) there is also Downloads and Download activity. which is what i clicked to find out that yes my pics have been saved to somewhere other than here. i guess it just kinda pisses me off.
@camlin- yes it does so :) how are you doing?
I read this post over lunchtime today and thought about whether I've ever done that before. I must admit, I think I've used others' pictures before, but I've ALWAYS credited the photographer and linked to them from my blog. Now I know to ask permission first, as well. :)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Iwanski has the same problem that you do--he has many photos on Flickr...and his particular license or whatever states that for-profit companies that use his pic's have to get his permission, etc. However, an out-of-state newspaper used one of his pic's during the election and didn't ask his permission first. The only reason Iwanski didn't complain is because the article it was used in supported his political views! *smiles*
For the record my friend Poet, that IS stealing and images on the web are considered to fall under the laws of copyright protection. Many people assume that images on the web falls under the laws of common use but that is NOT the case. The internet is NOT considered part of the "Public Domain." I learned that through my job. Those that steal from you can be prosecuted. At least in the US. Not sure about Canada but I would think that's the same sitation up there.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, there are ways for you to copy protct your images. Someone else aredy mentioned the dusabling the right mouse button and that at least makes srealing th image more challenging. You might also want to call tech support but notice I put that last. Triends try not to let friends call tech support. Finally, make that request on the top of your blog- it might'remind" those that need a reminder that stealing is wrong.
Peace and lovies,
Legs
Hi Poet, yeh it is a bit of an occupational hazard I am afraid, especially if your blog is public - your pictures could show up on an images page after a google search, and people may not realise they are even from your blog.
ReplyDeleteOne other thing you may want to check - if you are monitoring your stats using something like StatCounter - it counts a 'click to enlarge' as a download. I have just clicked to enlarge two of you pictures - one of the snow and one of a cat - I would go and look at your stats again to see if those clicks have been classified as downloads.
Let me know how you get on!
@miss H.pants- thanks for advice. and for comin over and letting me know you were here ;)
ReplyDelete@legs- as always good tips. thank you.
@Annie- hey guess what? i just checked, and waddayaknow, you're right!! perhaps i have over reacted yet again? thanks for that....stats counter didn't tell me that is how they did that. appreciate your help too.
how do i disable right click on my blog? or is it something i have to diable on my computer (but then i could not use it either? ) and thoughts?
I hear it is even worse at places like Facebook. Where did you find download activity? I looked in my stats section and didn't see anything like that.
ReplyDeleteJudy
@judy, i signed up for a thing called Stats Counter. the link is on my sidebar. it is free, and after you get your blog (project) set up, you will be able to see who hits from where and what they did whilst on your page. the other one i have active on here is Sitemeter. (link on sidebar too) also free, and gives as much detail as any free service will give.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the pictures taken, I suspect they were taken for journal art etc. Retro pics are all the rage for multi-media artists and crafters. I recently picked up a bunch of old photos from the 50s and 60s in an antiques shop for use in art projects.
ReplyDeleteYou can keep people from 'right clicking' but you can't keep them from hitting the 'prtscn' button which prints the screen that then can then be opened in photoshop. If people want to take something, they'll take it.
If you're comfortable with code, you can do a Google search and find ways to disable right clicking on an individual picture.
Beyond that, all you can really do is stop posting pictures or put a watermark on them or just let it fly and if you find someone is using your stuff demand they cease and desist. Otherwise, it's part of the risk you take posting pics on the internets.
Cheers,
eb
@eb- hiya glad to see you again. long time no blog? thanks for the hints. i did find a way to watermark the pictures. so we'll see if that is a help. maybe it is just me being paranoid, but i never take what is not mine, and just sort of assumed the same went the other way too. (oh well) have a GREAT day~
ReplyDeleteOh, if enlarging counts as a download, then I'm also guilty. So, for the record, can I have that picture of the Kitty Paw? It is just too adorable! I want to put it in my "Need a smile?" folder for those times when well, I just need a smile. And I'm sorry but I always forget which kitty the paw belongs to.
ReplyDeletePeace and Lovies,
Leslie
PS - sorry 'bout the typos on my last post. Was late and I was tired. In case anyone was wondering - that's proof that our friend Poet here doesn't edit the comments! If she did, she would have been kind enough to fix all the typos!
@leslie- am i supposed to edit comments? *note to self--edit typos in comments in the future--* :) and yes kitty paws (they belong to Pepe and Tink) you may use for your personal 'need a smile' folder for those days when.....you need a smile. ;) have fun on your vacay~
ReplyDelete