Flickr! Silliness
Submitted by mitch on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:38.
The culture on Flickr! can be truly astounding. This thread is an interesting case:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/pse/discuss/72157622565966121/#comment72157622566484243
(In case it disappears, Doug Cook has threatened deletion in two hours unless I alter my site, here is a .PDF to preserve the thread.)
http://www.thelightsright.com/files/flickrsilliness.pdf
I freely offer a new action set for Photoshop Elements 8. I give it away to everyone and anyone. I expect nothing in return, expect maybe a nice compliment or two, maybe some encouragement to offer more action sets for PSE 8.
Then I get this demand that I remove the Donate button from the home page.
Excuse for me being a bit peeved . . .
This site went online a year ago. In order to accomplish that and serve up all these resources quickly, especially videos, here's the finances:
(1) Purchased a dedicated server, added second processor. Approx. $2000.
(2) Monthly fee for rack space and 100MBPS connection. $125 monthly.
(3) High speed Internet access to update content. $50 monthly.
(4) Microsoft OS license. Approx. $1000.
(5) Go To Meeting for brown bags, coaching sessions, etc. $50 per month.
I am grateful for the donations. Lest anyone thinks they have approached, let alone exceeded the nearly $5,000 I have invested in this site, they are sadly confused. With the eBook sales and donations, this site comes close to paying for the monthly fees.
I dedicate countless hours to this project, and it really saddens me to have people accusing me of "driving people" to this site to make a buck.
This site went online 23 October 2008 in its new form. Here a few statistics since then:
87,537 unique visitors from 172 countries world-wide
4,446 people downloaded the TLR Professional Sharpening Toolkit
3,815 people download theTLR Professional Sharpening Actions
3,301 have download the TLR Landscape Sharpener
Etc.
In other words, this site has helped tens of thousands of digital photographers in the past year. I have spent many hours with some of the members of this community by e-mail, etc. trying to help. Not once have I made a personal appear from anyone for any money. I do not break up my page content with adverts. I do not include adverts in the .PDF manuals and read me files.
To be told, that because I do not post photos in my Flickr! gallery (or on Dgrin, where I get the same sort of comment), I am *ONLY* trying to drive people to my site leaves unexplained "Why?"
I have no banner ads to encourage people to see and click-thru. I welcome them to come and download whatever might be helpful and then go where they will. Click the baqck button on their browser, Makes no difference to me. I have no vested interest in stealing people away from Flickr!, Dgrin, DPReview, or any other digital photography site. We all offer something different.
Now, let's ask ourselves, just how much Doug Cook (Gwennie) invests in his Flickr! group. Nothing. How many reviews, tools, tutorials, and videos does he give away to the digital photography community? Is he really so insecure about the loyalty of his Flickr! group members that he fears a quick visit to this site to download a free PSE 8 action set will mean they will never return to his Flickr! group?
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More Foolishness from Doug Cook
Doug Cook, aka Gwennie, is making all sorts of threats, veiled and not so veiled.
He's decided to demonstrate to me and to everyone on his Flickr! group that it is not a cmmunity. It's his group.
Here is one threat: "you have exactly2 hours to remove your donate button and for sale ads, if not your post will be removed."
Since he wants to engage in censorship, I have made a .PDF file of the thread before it elapses.
http://www.thelightsright.com/files/flickrsilliness.pdf
I'll not engage him in further discussion there.
I mean, really. Such suilly taunts. "careful what you post on the internet mitch, really be careful" "i'm bigger than you!!!"
Is this what the Adobe Photoshop Elements (PSE) group on Flickr! wants for a moderator?
That is not all the facts at all
I joined your group, when you posted your links in the Photoshop Support Group on flickr last November 2008. I commented in your forum too. It seemed you were just starting out, and I was trying to work with you, but you never even responded in your own forum. I have also seen all you posts in other flickr groups. Just so you know, they really don't allow that.
It was explained to you very, very politely. We all know how large of a community flickr is. It is in the rules there that you need to participate. It clearly states that you are not allowed to only post links to your own sit. It is in their rules.
It is unfair that you impose on someone else's hard work that way. How would you like it if I flooded your site with links to mine? My site is a Foundation and I have no ads or anything. You were politely asked to remedy the situation. You didn't. You didn't follow the rules, plain and simple.
You could have contributed your knowledge through discussion like the other thousands of members do. You did a join, drop links and run approach. That is all you did. It wasn't appreciated. Your additional post under an alias looks silly. The admin was simply administering his group. That's what you do on the internet. I know you new, but hopefully you will learn
You have direct links to your gallery photos that sell for an extraordinary amount. You can't do that on flickr. They know about things like that. Push your actions and so on in your own site. Here you can do whatever you wish.
On other sites you must sdhere by their rules.
tickety tock?
Too bad Doug saw fit to (1) take an authoritarian posture and start issuing ultimatums; (2) respond to legitimate dialouge with a childish & melodramatic showdown scenario; and (3) deprive his group members of one of most awesome free resources on the web.
Please don't let this kind of thing get to you Mitch.
they no where you are. I
they no where you are. I educate and give freely. I don't sell my photos from flickr like you do. you are becoming a problem.
Re. That is not all the facts at all
You accuse me of posting under another ID?! Your evidence for such a slanderous claim?! You are a mean, vicious, liar!
I do not use false monikers. You must be projecting your own Internet conduct. I am a very public person. I use gmitchel or gmitchel850 on every digital photography forum.
As well as slander me, must you also dissemble what happened? The .PDF is very clear. It is not edited in any way.
http://www.thelightsright.com/files/flickersilliness.pdf
My contributions are not appreciated by whom? You? A few moderators? Should we take a poll on your group of the number of members who find my resources to be helpful?
How did I impose on someone else's hard work by posting a link in a forum on Photoshop Elements to a free resource to help users of Photoshop Elements? Did my brief message deplete some resource? Did I diminish in some way another's contribution?
You want to post links to photographic resources on the Web here? Please do so! I would welcome them. Which links would you propose? I'd be glad to have you contribute to the Lists section of this site.
If your comment about Flickr! requiring all this was true, then please explain why there are about a dozen forums where I post links and occasional comments and no one gives me any grief at all about not posting photos on Flickr!
Which Flickr! forum has been closed by Flickr! because a member posted a link to a free resource on another site? I don't believe your claim. You just want to justify enforcing a personal nit of yours.
I have not had the chance to post anything other than a link on the Photoshop Elements (PSE) group yet. I just joined today. Given the unreasonably hostile reactin of the forum moderator, who would want to post more?
If you bothered to find out a little more about me, you'd know that I have posted many thousands of messages on forums like DPReview, Photography on the Net, RetouchPro, Photozo, etc. And, before you feel the need to demean me again, no, they are not all or even mostly links to my own site.
Given that I give away all of my reviews, tools, tutorials, and videos, why do you care? What is your agenda. I mean, aside from being the self-assigned TOS police for Flickr. You are not even a moderator on the Photoshop Elements forum.
BTW, you are completely misinformed when you say The Light's Right has links to galleries for the sale of photos at exhorbitant prices. There are no such galleries on The Light's Right. There are no photo galleries here at all!
The Light's Right Studio is a completely separate site. That is my personal gallery site. The URL is different. The IP address is different. The opening page makes clear that it is my personal gallery.
There was nothing in the link I posted that referred or linked in any way to The Light's Right Studio. That's an irrelevancy you dragged in to change the subject and unfairly abuse me.
You have been a rude, lying troll -- but I still welcome you to use the resources here and be an active member of this community. I just hope you find a more positive way to share your Photoshop Elements experience here.
Our First Troll (was they no where you are. I)
You really have no idea what you're talking about.
I have never sold a photo on Flickr! I have never advertised a photo for sale on Flickr! I have never offered anything for sale on Flickr! I have never solicited anything from anyone on Flickr!
I dare you to post the link to any forum posting on Flickr! where I have advertised a photo for sale or eve asked anyone for a fee or a donation.
If you have any personal integrity, you will publicly admit here that you were at best uninformed and actually acting in a mean and vicious attempt to slander.
If you think you will induce me to censor, like you and your Flickr! moderator friends . . . ain't gonna happen.
Bail on these guys, Mitch
There's something screwy in PSE-Flickr-town. The moderators' tone just demonstrates their immaturity. You can't get anywhere with them by trying to be reasonable.
Their rules and patronizing tone are more important to them than what you can contribute to them.
Please don't waste anymore energy on them. Save it for us.
Hang in there. Hal
The Troll's Identity: Doug Cook
Folks we have been victimized by a hypocritical, dishonest flammer today.
Doug Cook, GrfxDziner, Gwennie2006 -- they are all the same person!
Here is the proof:
http://www.flickr.com/people/dcmemorialfoundation/
http://www.myspace.com/GrfxDziner
http://grfxdziner.blogspot.com/
http://gwennie2006.blogspot.com/
The last establishes the link between GrfxDziner and Gwennie2006.
I urge everyone to send this pathetic soul a message of appreciation:
http://www.flickr.com/mail/write/?to=11498259@N03
He had the gall to accuse me of using multiple monikers!? Like I said, pure projection.
Go to his home page. www.GrfxDziner.com and see the plea for donations.
Donations? Where, you ask
Donations? Where?, you ask for handouts, and offer very little. I ask for information on a killer and will provide 20,000.00 USD You are all mixed up.
killer?
Now there's a killer in the mix? Doug's definitely a drama dude.
geez, you folks can't even
geez, you folks can't even read. typical forum noobs
you forgot this one:
you forgot this one:
Super Sonic | BOOM!:
http://HiltonFan-GrfxDziner.blogspot.com/2009/08/super-sonic-boom.html
mitch, I didn't accuse you of anything, I said it looked silly, 'cause it does. Multiple accounts are most beneficial, especially pro ones....but being a newbie and all, you just don't understand much.
don't put words in my mouth
thanks.
Crazy or What?!
"Your additional post under an alias looks silly. The admin was simply administering his group. That's what you do on the internet. I know you new, but hopefully you will learn."
No one is putting words in your mouth. Read your own words above.
I made no post under an alias! Period. That's a slanderous lie. I have one and only one Flickr! user name. I have no idea who the-d-man is. Just a member of your forum.
You were the person masquerading all along with additional aliases. For example, claiming "the administrator" who was actually you using a second alias.
You have been dishonest with your own group. You have been dishonest with this community. There's simply no excuse for your behavior. You owe this group and your own group an apology.
Your rationale for multiple aliases is crap. You used your multiple aliases to hide your identity and initate a flame war. You did nothing but engage in malicious mischief.
You couldn't even tolerate discussion from your own community. You had to lock the thread at the first criticism of your conduct as a forum administrator.
wow, you just don't get it
mitch, all my member know i have many accounts....tons. you being brand spaking new didn't you just ran your ad. when asked nicely to adjust things....you went off. you given a deadline, you insulting a founding member, you joined and posted to bump and ridicule.....done. that's how it works...read the TOS really supposedly you have a phd, so i amsure you can read....can you comprehend.
can you contribute without dumping your links. your still in the group....so what are you waiting for contribute something positive....and no links. tell us who you are....show us what you got.....we want to know.
don't just advertise and then get upset when you are told you can't do that. nice rich target there i know...but you had nothing to do with the development, so you need to contribute BEFORE you get any rewards...that's life.
be nice or don't play, simple basic rule
Re. wow, you just don't get it
The .PDF says it all. You did not ask me to change my message. You demanded I change my site to suit your preferences.
Then you went off with some deep-seated psychological issues.
I'm not adjusting my site to suit some crazy nut. Period.
Rant on. I'm done trying to be reasonable. Crazy or what?! I vote for crazy! I hope you recover at some point and can make positive contributions to the digital photography community.
Attention Seeker
It is obvious to me that Doug is getting the attention that he so desperately needs. I suggest dropping this whole thing and let him go away.
Mitch, small of example how I contribute
He is a very tiny example of the ways I help the entire Digital and Analog communities as well as the Art and Graphics design fields....science, music, theatre, television...and some movies..
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Tutorial&w=46783253%40N00&z=m
http://www.flickr.com/search/?z=m&w=all&q=friends4life+DCmemorialFoundat...
http://www.flickr.com/search/?z=m&w=all&q=Light+Effect+Deanna+Cremin+Mem...
example of how it interacts on other searche engines too, using the same API....
http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/Tags/venusCD
http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/Tags/BestofBoston
http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/Tags/viewTutorial
http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/Tags/viewTutorial/recent
see how the second link changes sequence?
your user may find this helpful....
http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/Tags/%E2%80%A2text
http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/Tags/%E2%80%A2BiggerBetter
good luck, and please read my last comment in your discussion here Mitch:
http://www.thelightsright.com/node/1040
.