I thought I would offer up my thoughts on some stuff that is on my mind, and at the same time give you a better sense of myself.
After a recent mumm on ripping caught my eye, and having read the comments on it, I felt the need to rant a bit on this subject, and on the general attitude towards other people's work. It is extremely rude at best to rip, use, copy or to in any way post another person's art, photography, writing, etc on your pages, website, etc without asking their permission FIRST. It is even worse to do so and not credit them clearly for their work. It is THEFT to try and pass it off as your work, or to use it in any way to make money without having a signed licensing agreement. While it may be totally lame, and wrong for music companies, software houses, and such to gouge us like they do, it doesn't make it ok to pirate said work, although if it is strictly for yourself not so bad, though still wrong, but always worse to pirate said work, and then sell it and not be paying something to the creator. Maybe Microsoft, Sony, etc don't deserve the money, but the person who did the actual work still does.
I am quite happy to let people use my art/ and photography on their personal pages, website, or computer, if they ask first, and give me my due credit for my work. It's only fair that my name is displayed so that I get recognition for my work. Contrary to many common beliefs, I, and other's invest a lot of time, and effort, not to mention part of ourselves into my work. Even photos represent hours, if not days of actual work on my part. My computer art represents at least 40, and more often upwards of 100 hours of effort. My sweat, my blood, my creation, my pain, so it is fair that I get the credit. It is only fair, and right that if you want to use my work to make money, that I be paid. If you use my art on a business website, I deserve to reap the rewards gained by that use. If it wasn't a gift, then I should get some compensation for a print of my work being displayed. I also have the final word on how anything I create can be used. I think it is my choice on whether or not my work is used to represent anything, and if that use violates my ethics, or goes against my beliefs, or is contrary to it's intended message, then I have the right to deny anyone fomr doing so.
Just because I display my work on the internet, does not mean I have given up control over my work, nor do I think it's my fault if it is stolen or misused, because I displayed it. I do take some precautions by not uploading high resolution copies where they are can be accessed by everyone. I don't watermark because it is either much too time consuming to do right, or requires cash outlay on my part.
On another subject....After reading the paper this morning, came to the conclusion it is time to rant about child abuse. Get this. It is always Wrong. There is no worse crime, period. Those who experienced it know this truth, dammit we are not lying when we tell you. It never leaves the victims. We carry it with us forever, and nothing can make up for that. It is also never any7 justification, or excuse for your behaviour. Those who become abusers are the worst of all in my eyes. If you know the pain, how can you inflict it on another. People must understand that this is the most serious problem in existance. Only a fraction of the horrible things done to kids are every brought to light. It has to stop.
There are many words used to mask the worst criminals of all, pedop[hiles. They are rapists of children, PERIOD. They are not lovers of children, because no one who really loves a child would rape them. Pedophiles who have sex with little boys are not homosexual, they are child rapists. Homosexuals have sex with other consenting adults, NOT children. There are no valid excuses for raping a child, and any adult who has sex with a child is raping them, even when no physical violence was involved. There is no difference in those who rape children based on their color, occupation, or involvement that is a lesser evil. In fact a parent, priest, or other family, trusted adult who betrays that trust is in fact worse than a random stranger. drinking, drugs, or your past are no excuse nor a true expaination for such behavior. All child rapsists should be treated equally regardless of who they are, nor is it in any way the fault of the child that they were raped. A person who rapes a child can never be trusted not do do so again. It is not a disease, but a chioce, and willing behavior. There is never any shame in being a victim, though until society acts as if it true, it will be given. It is ugly, and unpleasant to look at, but if it is not brought into the light of day, and exposed, it will never stop. Quit being complacent, and do your part to stop this now.
