I'm glad you are being responsible Big Norm, and I hope other contributors will follow in your footsteps.
You seem to be mistaken about my signatures. When I said that I'm not sure if you misunderstood me as meaning my signature in my posts or my initials in my pictures. I'm guessing you mean the pictures, whereas I meant the signatures.
In the case of signatures (initials), we shouldn't have to change them just to make your assumed job easier. First off, you should be paying attention to where you are getting the art from. I can understand how being a member of so many groups can lead to miscaluations and the mixing up of art, but now theres no excuse as you don't have to download it all, or at all. And before you start posting more work, I heavily suggest you ask the artist before you go ahead and do it.
That brings us to this thread-
First, Kalamos seems to be suggesting I'm angry that you don't know who I am or could not recognize my style. Thats not true. While it is curious, especially with Slaanesh's work and you still can't identify it or see the resemblance his pieces have with eachother, and after having posted it several times now. This showed me that you weren't making any kind of effort to know the artist or where the art is from. And its this that irritated me a bit, but not too much.
In this case, you shouldn't be looking for his initials, because like most artists' it may not be easy to intreprete, and sometimes can look like a scribble. Again, its more important to keep track of where you are getting the material in the first place. Thats the first base to cover. Because once you have that down, you're more likely to remember whose art is whose and where it is from.
As for the giving of credit, I don't think you'll find anyone in the community, including myself, who wouldn't let you do this if you did go to them and ask permission. The problem with this thread is you are assuming or expecting them to be here and for them to come to you. Its a fact that about a quarter of them don't even post on this site, so theres no way they could give you an answer. Personally, if you want to make a good impression, I'd suggest e-mailing them personally. Trust me, it looks better and they're more likely to allow it if you tell them why you want the work and what you intend to do with it.
On a personal note, I'm trying to understand something, something I pointed out earlier but didn't go into detail about-
Why do you feel the need to distribute our work for us? Its not a crime, but it is like stepping on our toes and doing our tasks for us. Why do people do this? Why do people assume to do this?
Some of the tickling video companies don't allow their material to be uploaded here for example, and that wish is respected by the administration here, and yet this fluke seems like water under the bridge ever time, its never solved and no resolution is ever made. I hope this thread is the spearhead which will invoke some kind of future action not only on our parts but on the administration's part as well when the agreement (which already exists) is breached.
Our work is no less valuable than the video company's, so it should be treated in the same way and with the same respect. If your want their videos, you pay for them. If you want our art, you give us credit and linkage, or money, for those that are charging. Just because we haven't entered a legal contract with ourselves and the community doesn't mean a verbal agreement on our part does not exist or is not enough, it does, and its constantly being ignored by several people who do this.
Again, and this question doesn't just go to you, but everyone that feels they have a right to distribute our work-
Why do you feel the need to do it? We are perfectly capable of doing it ourselves and people doing it for us can complicate things in ways you may not initially think. It can end up on the wrong sites, with no name, no credit, it can be mixed in with unrelated crap, etc, and the more its passed around, the more it is cheapened.
We already have our work out, on our groups, on our sites, and other sites like these. Our work is not only out there, but its practically everywhere. What we have done is often enough. And in the case of new members, which you bring up, thats what actually LOOKING at these sites is for. If they genuinely seek this type of art, then they will find it. Seek, and ye shall find. If you are intending your threads with our work in them to be some sort of 'street light' guiding them in the right direction, it doesn't accomplish that.
Look, you aren't the first and you aren't the last person whose going to want to share their collection with the communities. But lets get one thing straight first, and I don't mean this in a bad way- its not YOUR collection to begin with because you didn't pay 'royalties' (which are credit, linkage, etc.). You don't own the material, and so have no say in what to do with it. No one does but us. Thats why its best for people to just look at the art and not download it, though realistically no one would do that, and if they are, its very rare. A good thing, but very rare.
The only 'right off the bat' exceptions I would make to re-distribution are these things:
1.) The artist is literally unknown.
2.) The artist has left no means of contacting them.
3.) The artist has no site to go to for info.
4.) The artist has never put forth any rules concerning their art. (Though efforts should be made to learn how they feel rather than assuming.)
5.) The artist does not speak sufficient ammounts of needed language (though efforts can still be made and should be made to ask by a translator on behalf of the community.)
6.) They are inactive for long periods of time.
7.) They have completely left the community.
Epspecially in the case of #s 4 and 7, the art is then free pickings, since they left without caring or saying what is to be done with their art or what is allowed. But if you do know who the artist is, the honorable thing to do would be to give credit as best you can, if possible, whether they are here or are long gone.
In a way, its all part of the legecy and impression we have in this community. And when we leave someday, it would be good to be remembered. If our art is just being passed around with no regard to anyone, theres no rememberance in that. And while we're still here, we have full say in what is to be done with it.
This is not yours or anyone else's contribution to give. This is uniquely for us, its what we're doing for the community. So hijacking our work and doing it for us utlimately doesn't help us. All it does it give you credit for something you didn't do, a contribution that was never yours to give.
If you want to contribute so badly, perhaps you might learn to draw, or write, or find unclaimed material to pass around. You'd probably get more satisfaction out of that, as it is uniquely your gift, not our sloppy seconds.
