Your images here & the internal risks they suffer

[Leigh]

OK. That's a problem. You'll obviously avoid that site in the future.

You might want to identify it so we can do likewise.

Were I in that situation, I'd ask my attorney to send an email to the site owner suggesting that he remove the offending image to avoid legal action.

- Leigh

[Vaughn]

I have altered images (usually by cropping) in response to a request of critique. A picture is worth a thousand words. I do the same when asked to critique a student's work, only I do it with a piece of paper with them there.

But if asked by the original artist to remove it, I would not delay in doing so.

In my first post to this forum, the traditional introduction post, I included an image of one of my platinum prints. I got a warm welcome and a critique of my piece (unasked for) including crops galore, including some of my own. I thought I died and went to heaven!

Vaughn

[Heroique]

I’ve been in a situation before in this forum, even recently, where I’ve requested that manipulated images of mine be taken down, and the moderator here that I contacted said, “I’m not going to make changes, but you might consider trying to take it up w/ someone else here.” This suggests, as I indicate above, that a “moderator’s call” is what controls this type of internal situation here – not a clearly stated guideline, including Kirk’s quoted legal text above. This type of experience has the potential to reduce anyone’s motivation to post images here...

OK. That’s a problem. You’ll obviously avoid that site in the future. ...I’d ask my attorney to send an email to the site owner suggesting that he remove the offending image to avoid legal action.

Irony?

[Heroique]

In view of Kirk’s terse comment, I think it may be important to flesh-out the most recent of the “situations” I mentioned above, leave it in less mystery, and make the broader issue more clear. Below is the final portion of an exchange of PMs in which I’m requesting that a moderator here remove images of mine that have been manipulated and re-posted to the forum.

Keep in mind, this is a recent example about me (the narrow issue), but I think it’s symptomatic of the broader issue of this thread. In other words, due to the nature of the following exchange, my motivation to post personal images here has significantly dropped; and if others are going through similar experiences, my drop in motivation could, or might become more general.

These were the final two PMs:

Hi [Moderator],

Yes, the vitriol does get bad at times around here, and I admire your work that helps settle it.

I also agree that [Poster’s] posts are merely self-serving and sarcastic, but the broken principle is what rather concerns me, and remains on my mind.

I would still like the posts deleted in view of this.

If I had known that [my request to members not to change my image], as polite as it is, can be infringed w/o possibility of being addressed, I would not have posted it in the first place. Just for quick comparison, I have other posts where I ask people to help change an image, and in those cases too, I would still object to the type of sarcasm shown here. The difference in this case, of course, is that I stated my preference that changes not be made.

I hope you can understand my thoughts about this and can address them.

Next, the moderator’s final reply:

Perhaps another of the moderators would like to help here. I am reluctant to intervene.

-----
After these final words, I dropped it as an issue to keep pursuing, except as a more general topic for a thread; but I should add that since my post immediately above, the “poster” graciously contacted me to say that he would contact the moderators himself about this very example. Not sure if that will settle any issues – narrow or broad – but perhaps it will...

[Leigh]

That's quite disturbing.

I'm forced to conclude that the moderator in question is ill-suited to hold the position.

I'm moderator on two fora, and I guarantee I would delete any offending posts instantly (after I confirmed the validity of the claim).

My only suggestion would be to send copies of the exchange to Q. T. and request his help.

- Leigh

[David Hedley]

For example, I’ve been in a situation before in this forum, even recently, where I’ve requested that manipulated images of mine be taken down, and the moderator here that I contacted said, “I’m not going to make changes, but you might consider trying to take it up w/ someone else here.”

Heroique - can you give more specific details of that recent situation on this forum?

[Heroique]

Hi David,

I thought I’d share some of the relevant details in post #14 above.

Hope this helps anyone else’s situation here.

Especially all the posters whose personal images help the forum work.

[David Hedley]

Hi Heroique - thanks - I was really looking for a link to the thread where the exchange you refer to took place, so that I could see it in context. (Unless it has now been deleted?)

[Ken Lee]

Here is the entire PM conversation. Heroique is in blue. My replies are in black.

Hi Ken,

I have a request about the “Here’s a quiet scene” thread in Style and Technique.

Can you please delete Mike Anderson’s two treatments of my image (posts 14 and 15).

The reason is simple – in my post #9, I had requested my image not be excerpted.

Thanks a lot! Forrest

Sorry, but your request was stated so politely, that it read more like a preference than a statement:

"So ideally, there should be no need to excerpt my photo, which would be my preference anyway."

Mike's statements were sarcastic, I grant you that. But this is a public forum, and people are free to make themselves look stupid at times.

I suggest that you overlook it. Compared to the name-calling and vitriol that we see sometimes, it's pretty mild.

Hi Ken,

Yes, the vitriol does get bad at times around here, and I admire your work that helps settle it!

I also agree that Mike’s posts are merely self-serving and sarcastic, but the broken principle is what rather concerns me, and remains on my mind.

I would still like the posts deleted in view of this.

If I had known that a request about a personal image, as polite as it is, can be infringed w/o possibility of being addressed, I would not have posted it in the first place. Just for quick comparison, I have other posts where I ask people to help change an image, and in those cases too, I would still object to the type of sarcasm shown here. The difference in this case, of course, is that I stated my preference that changes not be made.

I hope you can understand my thoughts about this and can address them.

Perhaps another of the moderators would like to help here. I am reluctant to intervene.

[Ken Lee]

I should also point out that this morning I got a PM from Mike asking me to remove his 2 postings, which I promptly did.

I share Kirk's perspective. Compared to the outright name-calling and personal insults which appear on this forum from time to time, it struck me that to intervene would only stir things up, but when it became clear that Herioique took the issue more seriously, I referred him to the other moderators - who might share his perspective.

After removing the posts, I sent the following PM to Heroique, to keep him in the loop and further pacify the situation:

"Looks like you got in touch with him directly. Good idea. He asked me to remove the posts, which I gladly did.

Moderators have to walk a fine line."