Opinions, Suggestions? Am I being too sensitive or harsh?

[everconfused]

I find myself in need of some opinions, suggestions, comments, whatever.

This isn't the biggest thing in the world, especially with everything else that's going on.

But here's the thing. I make lookups - I spend alot of time on them, make banners (some regular, some dynamic), sidebars, etc., use all custom colors to coordinate with my backgrounds. I have them on petpages and they are free for anyone to use who wants one.

However, I do have on my pet description and pet page to not remove credit, to not use just part of a lookup, don't change my code.

There's someone who I was trying to help with a background issue. They went to the petpage and found a lookup...great, right? No, they've taken out almost everything except the sidebar and colored scrollbar. There is still the petpages.neopets.com/~petname at the top, but the Lookup By credit is gone, no background, no banner.

They neomailed me saying thanks, that they'd always wanted a sidebar with their lookup but couldn't figure out how to do it. And they liked my lookups, etc. So I click on their name, go to the lookup and see what I desribed above.

I write this person, politely, and remind them that these are complete lookups, not to be used in parts and no code change or credit removed. Could they please either use the entire lookup or remove what they have. I hear nothing, this is 3 days ago. Just looked and it's still the same.

Now, I could go and delete the sidebar from my image host, but I don't know who else is using that lookup (if anyone). I'm afraid if I write again, I'll end up reported for harassment! So, what would you do? Report? I hate reporting and like I said, in light of everything else, it is almost trivial -- except it isn't to me. I don't even know if this IS reportable.

If nothing else, thanks so much for listening and your patience with me

[shapu]

Here's what I'd do:
Create a second image of your sidebar. Something like, "Sidebar1a.jpg" or whatever.
If you have a list of people who are using your lookup with your permission, just neomail them and tell them to change their sidebar image from "Sidebar1.jpg" to "Sidebar1a.jpg" and give them a week to do it. Let them know about the deadline.

When the deadline passes, create a new image that says, "This sidebar used without permission." with the old sidebar's name. Upload it to your image server.

That really oughta solve the problem.

[StarryEyed502]

Here's what I'd do:
Create a second image of your sidebar. Something like, "Sidebar1a.jpg" or whatever.
If you have a list of people who are using your lookup with your permission, just neomail them and tell them to change their sidebar image from "Sidebar1.jpg" to "Sidebar1a.jpg" and give them a week to do it. Let them know about the deadline.

When the deadline passes, create a new image that says, "This sidebar used without permission." with the old sidebar's name. Upload it to your image server.

That really oughta solve the problem.

That's what I'd suggest too. Unforunately, there's no way of knowing who's using your lookups if they're on a free-for-all site.
All I can think of, is posting something about it on the page, so that when you change the image, those who use it correctly can neomail you for the new image url.

[Mystique]

so..it's a case of lookup stealing. if they won't reply, i guess you can either remove it from your server till they agree to your condition or change the lookup.

i know there are often irritants but it is always best if you can solve the issue without making enemies, especially when you are in neopets domain.

Last edited by Mystique on Tue Aug 03, 2004 9:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[juliage]

I'd suggest putting 'Made By : __________' directly onto the image, but they can just as easily take it off with an editing program.

Or, you could just put a big 'VOID' on all of your sidebars, and then underneath say : Neomail me for permission of use. That way, you could keep track, and if one specific person wasn't crediting you, you could replace their image specifically until they credited.

Last edited by juliage on Tue Aug 03, 2004 9:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[TheClone]

Why not just edit the sidebar and put like a signature, initials, or your neopets username or something? So you would have credit and hopefully is wouldn't make the sidebar unusable for anyone. Something in the very bottom or a corner hopefully shouldn't ruin it. That way you don't have to deal with this person again and you still get some recognition.

Edit: Made this clearer. I don't even understand what I was trying to say the first time?

Last edited by TheClone on Tue Aug 03, 2004 11:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[dissident]

Here's what I'd do: let it go. It's not the end of the world. There are always going to be mean and bad people.
I understand you want credit and all, but is it worth feeling bad over this?

[Shoyru_Lover]

Why not just edit the side by with a signature or something?

That's a pretty good idea actually.

[VirtualMetal]

Either do the signature thing on the image or just delete the image off the server and make a new one.
Since the person is ignoring you they might not remember your website. The people who are using it will know where to look for updates, since images sometimes go awol from severs from time to time.

[Morningstar]

That is so unfair, everconfused! When you work hard at something, it is really nasty for someone to not even acknowledge you for something they got for free.

I mean, after all, how much room does the "Created by _____" portion of your artwork take up?

I take it that this wasn't a direct link to your website? Because I have had to take the direct links out of the backgrounds I use for my shops. But I always replace it with a sentence saying who created it and where I found it.

Or, you could just put a big 'VOID' on all of your sidebars, and then underneath say : Neomail me for permission of use. That way, you could keep track, and if one specific person wasn't crediting you, you could replace their image specifically until they credited.

That is a good idea. Write this person and basically say either give me credit or I will mess up your image. And, then they still refuse, put the VOID on the sidebar with instructions to neomail you for permission.

[everconfused]

Thanks everyone =) I do have lookup and sidebar by me (username) v.whatever the lookup is very small on the bottom of the sidebar. The addy for the lookups is on every lookup - it's a petpage. That the person didn't remove.

I guess I'm just a little frustrated, as all of us are when someone takes something and misuses it. It's more the principle of the thing than a specific lookup or sidebar, you know? If they had asked, "can I use such and such sidebar" or "do you have any plain sidebars with a code" that would have been different, and I do plan to post just some plain, but in different color sidebars with the codes needed to position and the opacity so they work. That's what I plan just to keep people from taking my lookups apart and picking what they want.

Shapu, that was my first thought to do, it would be easy. But I don't know who all is using a lookup. But I do like the idea of writing VOID or something on the sidebar and uploading it

Mystique, I completely agree, I don't like to argue with people, and won't argue on the site, it's just not worth it. Knowing my luck, I'd end up with the warning or being frozen for harassing the person who did something 'wrong"!

I think for the moment I'll just delete from my image host. Of course then they'll probably go take another one But many of them have the name of the lookup on them along with my name. That's about all I can do, or pull all the lookups, don't want to do that. I've done over 40 and I do like sharing and helping people. I just don't like it when someone takes advantage - of anyone.

Last edited by everconfused on Wed Aug 04, 2004 12:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Nico]

This is a rather unfortunate situation..

And in this case I'd go with shapu's excellent suggestion. Assuming you can track down those who are using them with permission.

[Mystique]

we have to put up with players who we would normally snap at if not for our distrust of the monitors.

just today, after i have rejected 4 times consecutively junk bids from a particular player, he neomailed me asking me to accept his offer citing that he had met my price. (the offer consists of one codestone, many packrat item and a few thousands for my whole lot of morphing potions) as usual, i ignore him. then he bidded again and i rejected. he neomailed again and thinking that he may not understand what 500k is, i explained that it is 500,000np and that he would need about 2.3m. he then wrote to say that nobody would bid on them. knowing where this conversation might lead to, i kept quiet. however, he actually had the audacity to repeat it again, this time in big, red bold letters. by now, i was already itching to reply something rude but with much effort, i mildly replied" well, this is something for me to worry about isn't it? but i am not sweating about it". his last reply was that he would bid all his item and np on it. apparently, i have encountered a very stubborn newbie...(not the first time)

[everconfused]

Oh Mystique! What an awful person. Sounds like he's just going to keep offering over and over just to try to wear you down or hope that you slip and click accept instead of reject the offer.

Props to you for keeping your cool, really! I've heard of people (the TC'ers of old especially) snapping when stuff like this happens and they keep getting neomails, especially when they start getting rude and obnoxious like the ones you ended up getting. Used to be they'd neomail back something really rude, then fling dung at the person, get their friends to do it too, just fill their inventory with it.

Now? you'd probably get reported just for sending 1 dung or sludge. ...smashes report this message button with a big mallet...

[noel]

everconfused, i understand how irritating it is to have someone use your "artwork" w/o permission.

i suggest you put the names of those who requested for them unto the image itself, but in your case, just throw in your name in bold.
that should teach the idiot not to copy. shapu has a pretty cool suggestion too! >=)

mystique, i've had my fair share of junk bid mails too. persistent New Member are very irritating. why not block and report them for harrassment. i'm evil. who knows, it might work.