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Thursday, January 29, 2015

A matter of sharing

Internet is a jungle with own rules. Sometimes this is depository of a huge amount of information. 80% of the users use it to find relevant information for them. Some others use it also to exchange information. We all searched for something, we found the info, we used it, moved on. Only later comes the habit to apreciate the source of information we found/received. And very late, sometimes too late or never, comes the good habit to organize this information, to put some order in this search quest.
I am new in this world of the crafters. I tat only since 2 years. I learned alone, with my nose glued on the screen, I swalowed my frustration in front of the monitor and continued to search for help. Yes. I used Internet for this. I have been in all the places, learned from all what I could. And I am thankful for what I found and for the help I got. I grew up, learning from a lot of good tatters.
Now I can help a bit the others sometimes. I share what I know always when this is necessary. And SHARING is actually the keyword.
I am educated never to touch something which does not belong to me. This is called robery in my country. I learned that it is true that my freedom stops when the freedom of the other ones is menaced by my acts. As a philologist I learned that, when you use the ideas of someone else, you MUST quote, otherwise your entire work is called plagiarism. Another word for robery. The intelectual level. Cruelly punished. There is no glory coming by imitating.

Now comes the "sharing" principle. I can share or offer something what I possess, something which is mine. I cannot just come into your house, pick up something I like and then offer it to my best friend, only because I want to be nice and to keep this good friend. Is it a good friend this one asking me to steal for him/her? an other issue here. Only because we interract through bits ans bytes does not make us less real.

Ask anyone and they would say the same: Me, steal? Never.
Why this answer comes so quickly for a physical object and not for an idea, it beats me. Maybe only because the first one is associated with police and trials? The fear of getting punished is bigger?

Please, when you "share" a pattern please reflect: is it really sharing? Does it belong to you?

When you "share" a document, a scanned book, take a second or two and think: does it harm someones rights?

When you "share" your knowledge and copy a pattern from a picture and then "share" the picture with the instructions to work it, step back: is this sharing?

Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, you name them, are full of images. Mostly are there illegal: not the author placed them there. Please, do not keep this bad habit alive. Some of the designers/photographers try to make a living from their skills. "Sharing" their work kills their chances to succeed.

Don't hide behind "I did not know", "I am new", "I just found it"... it is lame. Ignorance is never an excuse. When the picture has a watermark, a name on it, a blog, just follow, take your time and follow the source and contact the author. So simple.

When you notice that a picture is scanned (one can see this easily), that it is part of a book (yes, the page numbers are always a good sign), do not re-pin or re-share it. You become accomplice.

I did the same, I have a Pinterest account too. I stopped using it. I would not just delete the collections I have there and I must take my time to remove all the pages I know they should not be there. But I do not have the time yet. I just use the "Ideas to tat" collection.

Again sharing. I share in this blog what I know. I share patterns and I always answer any question. It might be that I want I keep some of my ideas for my own use, they will become patterns to sell. My right.

12 comments:

  1. I like to see new ideas, but I do object to seeing pages of patterns being pined and posted. I totally agree with you.
    Margaret

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  2. Well said Corina. Sad world we live in that people believe that just because it is on the internet it is free. Amazon gives you a snippet of a book then after reviewing it you choose to buy or not so that isn't free so why should other's work be considered free just because they are proud of what they did and posted it for others to see. Stealing is stealing bottom line. If it belongs to someone else don't take it ask for permission and if they give it great if not it doesn't give the right to take it anyway.

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  3. Good point about noticing if there's a page number on the picture! This will help people to be aware and not just re-pin or share every pretty pattern they see without thinking.

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  4. Thank you all. It might be that some will read it, some will raise the shoulders and leave no sign. But I believe this must be said.

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  5. Hi Corina. I used your pattern (simple ror earrings). I showed my earrings in my blog, but I sharing the link of your post. If I do something wrong, please write me. I admire your work and I agree with you about sharing.

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    1. I am always glad to see that shreads of my blog are alive. Happy that you liked the pattern. You will never be wrong by sharing something which is freelly shared to use. Happy tatting, Iet.

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  6. Congratulations for learning to tat so well in only 2 years time, with only the Internet! How many hours a day do you tat?

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    1. Thank you. I still have a lot to learn, but I am stubborn. And I love tatting. Love or obsession, something in between. I tat every day at least 3 hours. Always more projects on the run. I learn a lot. The only piece tatted by another person I had in my hands comes from Sue Hanson. Love her for this. And for tatting books she is pushing me to read (she does not know it... but I learned a lot). Yup, read tatting... I love more E. Nicholls books than a patterns book. I learn more.

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  7. As an author and designer I agree with your comments about piracy.

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  8. I learned this when I first started the Begging Tattered Chat Group on FB. I used to copy and paste patterns in the group and one day some very knowledgeable tatters private message me to let me know that it was wrong to do that. At once I removed the post. I agree with this post 100% and would like to share in the group as a reminder to some seasoned taters and a TSA (Tatters Service Announcement) for our new tatters. This needs to me posted often in my opinion.

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