Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Been Caught Stealing

Hey Folks!!  it's really me!!  I am back for a little post.  I have a little bit of an excuse for being away so long this time, as we did a little more traveling and I've been busy doing a few little welding projects for other people.  But other than that I've just been a turd for not writing. lol!

I wanted to address a certain question I was asked in my last post and then I hope to get back to posting about the goings on around here (our garden is doing real well this year) and some stuff I've been up to.  But first, the question and reason for that title.
One of my longtime, faithful readers asked me if I could share more images of my art (such as what was in that last post) and if I could make the images larger.  Okay, I have no idea how to make the images larger.  When you do a post, Blogger gives you 4 different sizes of images to pick from.  I always pick 'large' so it shows up well in the posts.  I have tried 'x-large' but for some reason that makes it where the image is so large it bleeds over into the text and side stuff.  Sometimes if you click on the image it will take you to another page where it enlarges it and sometimes not.  I have no idea how to make them any larger than what Blogger will allow me here.

Now, on to the trickier answer for the other question.  I know my longtime readers are on the up and up as far as my images go and most all people are actually.  Many of you have asked me for permission to use my images for backgrounds and what not and I'm perfectly fine with that.  However, I have learned the hard way, and not just on the Internets, that you can't just blindly trust.  So, I will probably not be sharing very many images of my sculptures.  Pottery is one thing, because it is so individual.  It's extremely hard for even good potters to throw just like someone else.  Other art is different.  Now, I am not under the delusion that my art is SO wonderful that people will want to steal it or try to copy it.  However, I have had some crazy things go viral from my images here that I never would have guessed.  For instance, the post I did years ago about the rebar handrails I made; that has been shared and pinned literally thousands of times (best I can tell) on Pinterest and a number of other sites dealing with houses, DIY, etc.  Not one person ever asked my permission to share my images or information.  It never has bothered me a whole lot because, for one, the rebar handrail was not my original idea.  That's been around for a while.  And two, all of the pins and posts I have followed always linked back to my blog, but who knows how many others did not.  There was one other post I did that has also been pinned a lot but I can't remember what it is right now.  It may have been the stained glass window I made for the bathroom.

Anyway, the image below is part of the answer also and just goes to prove that some people will steal anything, either in real life or online.  This is a rock I used to have that I found here on my property.  I loved it because, as you can see, it is perfectly heart-shaped and was rather large.  Probably 6 inches across or more.  It sat in a very prominent location in one flower bed because I liked it and liked to see it every day.  Well, after a visit by some "friends" one day, I noticed shortly thereafter that the rock was gone.  Very few people come to visit me here so I remember things like that pretty well.  I remembered the rock well because I liked it so much and it stood out because of where I placed it.

I cannot prove those people took it and I will admit I may very well be wrong....but I have looked everywhere for months and months and it is nowhere to be found and the timing would be a very odd coincidence. 
When I was young I was very trusting (naive) and then when I got out into the real world I learned some hard lessons.  Not everyone that calls you friend, is.  And what's more, they think you don't notice.  Even people that claim they love you dearly will deceive you.  Repeatedly if they can and no matter how much they know it will hurt you.  And now, in a world with the possibility of total anonymity via computer, you really can't trust anyone.  Hell, disagree with a person on Facebook (or in my case, prove their false propaganda wrong) over even some trivial matter and some of them are so psychotic you will have to pull out all the cloak and daggers to get away from them.  I do not want to make my blog private due to the large amount of construction information that it contains.  If there is the possibility that could help someone out there I'd rather have that.  But that means I have to limit some other information from now on.  I will not be sharing any plans for the future either other than just very general stuff (see Facebook reference).  I do not mean to implicate anything about any of my long time readers.  On the contrary, it's the people that have never made their presence known that would probably be up to something.  Or those that just happen by.  In this day and age though, I just think it's best to be prudent with certain information.  I hope you all understand.

10 comments:

JO said...

I understand perfectly. I love taking pictures of old barns and houses the more damaged and falling apart the better. I had been posting them on FB and one day noticed one had been shared. No asking came from this person, then noticed it had been shared again. I looked up this person and she was a friend of the first photo theif and she was showing my picture on her FB as something she took. I mentioned this on my time line as I sometimes sell these pictures. The woman was very angry with me and blocked ME from her FB. Well good riddens I say. I no longer post anything that I might want to sell.

Anonymous said...

I totally understand. I'm a very private person. It's why I don't blog and I've never joined Facebook. I love reading a handful of blogs and I've followed the same ones for years, but I worry about all of you guys, putting yourself out there. And believe it not, I've had friends and family put pics I've sent them in an email or text on their Facebook page!! We have cousins who've posted pic of our faces on their Facebook page KNOWING FULL WELL that we don't do Facebook and do not want our images out there in cyberspace. I can forgive them posting an occasional pretty flower pic I've sent but TSHTF when they posted our images. But of course I became the bad guy for getting upset. Sigh.
If I were you, I sure wouldn't post your sculptures. Just saying.

Vonne

Hermit's Baby Sis said...

I, too, understand, Annie, and totally agree with Vonne. I don't do Facebook, but love reading others' blogs. Bubba Hermit Jim has asked me before why I don't start my own blog (could it be he thinks my novel-length comments are a little toooo long?), and your particular situation is one of the reasons.
It's just good to hear from you again. And particularly glad you've found some fulfilling work in your welding. May happy hot rods to you - does that sound ok? Kinda weird to me, but I think you'll know what I mean ~

Pablo said...

I fully understand. I'm sorry these things have happened to you and I respect your privacy and property concerns.

Have you considered posting pictures on Flickr (you can leave them large there) and making them private so that only those you allow can see them?

Anonymous said...

Hi Annie,
Sorry this has happened to you. I don't blog. I can't write worth a toot and don't have much to say anyway. I get it with the photos. I am on FB and I have people share whole albums of mine. I ask them not to sell or use them. I plan to get back to oil painting and want to use my photographs as original art work. Some folks are nice enough to ask, others not.
What people choose to steal is beyond craziness. Someone stole garlic plants out of an old bathtub my Dad had. Garlic really, even dug up an azalea.
I do hot rock therapy and was told people will steal your rocks?? Really?
Tammy in Lower Al.

Ed said...

I haven't had any photos stolen through blogger, that I know of anyway, but I have had through other online places. I've since taken to putting a big watermark through the center of them when posting them and if people want a copy of the original and I trust them, I send them the original.

MamaHen said...

Hey jo ! wow! I've never had anyone do that to me. that's amazing. Yes, I think not posting anything you might want to later sell is a good idea. Or at least put a giant watermark on it like Ed said.

Hey Vonne! Yes, there are many folks that just can't comprehend that others may not want to participate in social media. I am on FB and it certainly has it's drawbacks. It's also helped me sell quite a lot of stuff that would have been hard to do otherwise though...so there's that.

Hey Sis! thank you! and yes, hot rods sound great! lol!

Hey Pablo! thanks hon. I know nothing about Flickr and had no idea you could have them private there. I'll look into that.

Hey tammy! Apparently rocks are hot commodities! lol! yes, people will steal anything. I post a fair amount of photos on FB but have never had anyone share my albums! Of course, I guess you have no idea what strangers do when they see a photo come up in their feed that a friend "liked" or whatever. I may not post as many from now on.

Hey Ed! yeah, the watermark is a good idea and I may start doing that with some of my better ones. Some I just don't care.

Caddie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Practical Parsimony said...

Surprisingly, my "friends" have stolen from me. I suppose I am too trusting. Hopefully, I am over that trust.
Linda

MamaHen said...

Hey Linda! I am certainly over mine! It was also "friends" that I am almost sure took stuff from me.