Originality Campaign 2.0

ahlexandra

originally wrote this in this set's description & i'm posting it here because a story will eventually replace it it's a mini thought-piece on the copying issue previously acknowledged here on urstyle. it's just my personal POV on the matter and a suggestion on how to tackle it head on for those struggling...

so i don’t mean to sound preachy saying this. i just want everyone to be on the same page. things seemed to change on poly when we setmakers, as a community, all kept up the “Originality Campaign.” if you remember lots of users had it in their profiles and there were groups for it and everything - it became a site mantra on top of being common sense. Give Credit For Each Other's Ideas. It’s already more difficult to do on here since the site’s got us all dispersed. i keep discovering writers/rp’ers every day and i know we don’t see maybe half of what’s published but. Please join me in con!fron!tation!

i joke about it, but i don’t mean to say we needa start a Calling Out Culture - that’s got a negative connotation to it. but we just won’t get anywhere if we don’t help each other. it really is simple - give a user a nudge if their set seems inspired by another’s. so many people already open the door with “lemme know if this is similar to…” or “i feel like i’ve done something like someone but don’t know…” we’re all literally adults and cattiness just isn’t tolerated anymore; whichever end of the message you get, it’s ALWAYS with GOOD INTENTIONS so nothing should stop ya!

If you tell me you never once glanced at my set to have been inspired by it, hey, I’ll take your word (unless you liked/commented on it lol)

i just wanna share my way of going about this in case it helps you drop a comment for someone strugglin’...or if you’re just completely unaware of the copying-problem in general. I’m never tryna say I freaking invented Instagram’s layout OK but when I see people using the same items I did or like...the Insta icons I took the time to upload then that’s when you give kudos! :~) basically, keep in mind the unique aspects of people’s sets.

Examples. @ayzrules has a circular/doll hybrid. @mint utilizes circular photos & transparent borders. @spacelava and her iconic “unfinished” style. @lecoupdefoudre is prolly the queen of overlaying photos. @agentdanascully makes sets that are lowkey moodboards with the way photos are utilized ...i could go on and on.

I, for one, know I started doing Insta sets on Poly from scratch so my recent 6-photo layout inspired by Insta’s website is pretty recognizable. I also almost always use color backgrounds on photos and my collage style never [usually] puts like items beside one another (except…i literally do the opposite with fillers in this set - i’m trying to be uNiQuE do ya like it?)

Creativity is hard and sensitive for everyone & I know it’s not easy to pinpoint originality to begin with. But try. For example, @virgotrash and I both love the “collage” style of setmaking but if you take a good look, you’d notice that I never overlay or put texts beside each other as Jo does. UNIQUE STYLES! At the end of the day, just try to be mindful please. We still don’t have a feed for people we follow so be proactive and join me in pioneering the...

Originality Campaign 2.0

Was this long enough? anyway i'm in my feels as you can see. overwhelmed by my creative urges. so sorry if I seemed a little scary in the past paragraphs, I only mean well

xx A

I'm Just A Soul Whose Intentions Are Good
Oh Lord
Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

caprisons

I love that you took the time to create this! It is very thought provoking and for a good cause.

I'm new to Urstyle, but an old poly user. I had a distinguished but evolving style with my sets on poly that continued to change as I started with Urstyle. I simply enjoy just putting pieces together to make something that conveys my story using items and images.

Being new, how do I avoid stepping on any toes with layouts if I don't know another's user style?
I do not want to be part of the problem, so how can I adequately contribute?

ahlexandra

@caprisons, thank you for commenting with important questions. You are coming from the very same viewpoint I wrote this in. Most of my sets serve the exact same purpose too

I don't want to be some sort of spokesperson/Copying Police...BUT! With my whole idea of a "campaign" I just want to start/encourage a true sense of community on URSTYLE: one that upkeeps a standard of open minds and conversations! Many of us acknowledge a problem, but it cannot be solved without approaching one another with mutual understanding. So just being aware as you are is the main point....

however, the second may be tougher: if someone is approached by another user who feels a set is similar to theirs, or someone whose item they may have misused, we just need to maintain non-hostile exchanges. Polyvore, for example, saw plenty of drama over users adopting one another's creative ideas (whether intentional or not)...so this is why I really feel it's important to be proactive on top of acknowledging the problem. On that point, you simply help by mentioning to someone if you feel their set/group/story/character anything is too alike to someone else's. A simple line of kudos is all that's necessary at the end of the day!

(sorry for the lengthy reply - this was a nice distraction from my current late night project hehe xx)

vampireapologist

COPYING WILL NEVER BE COOL, KIDS

WHOA! Mind blowing!

People work so hard on things, and for real, when others copy it...it makes that original user feel defeated and maybe want to leave. I know I can be especially sensitive because I spend a lot of time on really dumb useless things in set descriptions. Like I'm on that fancy text site daily. I waste more minutes than I ever want to admit formatting information. And I know it's not the same as people taking sets (which sadly happens to me too but I digress)...but I get so mad when something I spent an hour on is just copied and pasted instantaneously without credit. Or when the ideas I had are just taken with a different font. AND FR, I'm a chill person. I won't care at all if this user is like, "This format is inspired be lecoupdefoudre," or "I copied and pasted this from Raegen!"

That's all like most people are asking? Name drop?

ALSO...I don't always feel comfortable calling people out for myself, but I do feel great standing up for my friends. So if anyone ever is worried about a situation and doesn't feel comfortable, hmu! I will send all messages to you first so you're comfortable with how I address it.

Maybe this is a useless rant, but sometimes I get the impression that...I don't know...that others think that admitting that took something from or were inspired by someone else discounts their own ability to be creative??? Sometimes, by the way things are blatantly not credited, I get that impression? And it's just a damn shame because I would never think less of someone's ability to design or write just because there was inspiration from another source. So what? Maybe I'm missing the mark with that commentary...but yeah. I think it's SO MUCH WORSE if you don't give inspiration / rights when it's clear that you did because then ~~I'm probably sending screenshots to my friends about how annoying it is and how I want to quit this site~~ you're just hurting yourself? By showing you don't respect the people you are inspired by?

Maybe I'm missing the mark! But I really don't think asking for credit is too much to ask!

Last week, someone super blatantly stole my fashion set layout, and I very calmly sent them a message asking for credit. BUT THEN THEY DELETED THEIR WHOLE ACCOUNT?! WHAT?! I sent our interaction to people to make sure I wasn't accidentally mean, as I thought it was very polite and even-toned. And they all agreed? So? Now I'm in a terrified limbo of ever asking for credit again.

Anywaaayyyyy....I will grind this screeching, nonsensical rampage response comment to a halt.

Mostly, I'm glad that you were able to address this so well. I hope people will proudly tote their inspo, as I love to show off beautiful people when they inspire me. And I just really want this site to continue to grow with new amazing members, new amazing creative movements, and everyone just loving on each other instead of frustrating one another.

Okay.

That's all.

♡ ♡

megallyse

Hey there my fellow creator!

It's nice to see people utilizing the blog on here for stuff that deals with creativity and not only reports on style (though I see the value in that seeing that it's inherent to the site as a whole, so there is definitely a place for that). I guess I just mean that I really enjoy not just seeing people giving me information on what's to be seen on the outside but that fellow bloggers really see reason to give spotlight to what's on the inside as well
So thanks I guess!
Also just let me express how glad I am that I am in company that understands creativity, it's nuance, and the importance of originality. I can't say I was super social on polyvore and currently the site staff here is working on loading my 550 or so sets from the zip file we got from dear old Polyvore ~~I'm not bitter that they took away our entire site and community with no notice, nope, not me, why WOULD I be~~ -_-

But even without the social aspect I can give a vocal 'amen!' to all that you're saying here. I do worry that once my sets are loaded maybe someone will look at them and say there are similarities and the like, but the most I can really worry about is that maybe my sets were influenced or inspired by others I was following at the time? It's a slippery slope. A slope I had to deal with on the daily when I was in college for an art major and it came time for critique. Oh the grunt of having to speak about what emotions the art on the wall evoked, who it seemed reminiscent of, and from time to time the comparison of your work alongside your classmates prompting curiosity on why they may look similar.

But I doubt we're diving into all of that philosophical pondering here and instead we're making a clear declaration: Be Original.
Which is a message I think everyone can get behind ^-^

ahlexandra

@lecoupdefoudre finally getting to respond to your lovely comment!! thank you so much for taking the time to write this and of course share with me i REALLY appreciate and it's so comforting to know we're all on the same page. i didn't even think about Copying Texts in terms of forms & fonts at the time (in addition to stories/characters etc) but it's soooo true. i think that's one of the first times i started noticing the issue. but see, that's also a great example how easy communication fixes things. instead of someone just COPY & PASTING your form...they could've asked for the generator site. ta-da! A M A Z I N G

that's also an interesting take on why people might be so put off by being confronted...and also sad i definitely don't want anyone to think being inspired means you're deemed less creative, or that confrontation/COMMUNICATION is anything to be ashamed about...that's not how art even works. really do want us to be open-minded and come together as a community because it just takes one line of kudos. & coincidences do happen but sometimes it's better to just ask "hey do you think this could've maybe been inspired by many like-minded sets" than to sit and feel ripped off/unappreciated y'know? so upsetting to hear about someone deleting their account over such a thing. i really hope this lil post brings others comfort

"I hope people will proudly tote their inspo, as I love to show off beautiful people when they inspire me."

THAT PART.

ahlexandra

@megallyse thank you so much for your comment and for reading! i'm so happy to hear from someone outside my circle of acquaintances. if you do happen to get notified for this, may i ask how you found this post? i'm still learning how this blogging feature works. i'm excited to use it and hope to write on more creative topics

i hope your poly sets get uploaded soon! really, i think they'll only reveal your creative evolution and how different things inspired you over time...something quite nostalgic and beautiful i must say (as someone with their poly sets loaded in urstyle already!) if anything, you should simply focus on appreciating the work of others more now instead of worrying about the past this is a new site, after all! i so love your quip about being an art major. i have taken an art history class before and i catch your drift: it's amazing how far back we can go and the countless periods of influence we can cover...shows how the quest for originality has been on the human mind for as long as we can remember, really!

ayzrules

This post is deleted!

megallyse

@ahlexandra No worries! It was a delightful read ^-^
And I search the blog post area to see what kind of blogs people are churning out since the feature is new and people are dipping their toe in it post by post getting a feel for what their voice is. It's there on the newly posted area that I found this post. And I'm certainly glad that I did.

I hope they get loaded soon as well, it's been about two weeks now so I'm being patient and just letting the staff work their magic. I admit when I first got the zip file I looked through it like 'what in the world am I supposed to do with this?' but they seem to know what to do so I'm eager to see all my old polyvore sets rise like zombies into their second life, lol. And I know what you mean about seeing the evolution, I took that into account when I saw the sets in their little 500x500 images and it was crazy to see how they traversed the years and ended up becoming something so different than when I first started.

That's cool that you've had that art class experience too ^.^ - it really does put it in perspective lol. I was in art school before the term 'selfie' even existed! We just called it a 'self portrait' and sometimes we would dip into how social media was changing the term but we never assumed it would be the world we have now. An entire selfie culture? Oh the long discussions we could have had as a class had we known the monster it would become lol.

And yes I will try to make a set on here at some point and just work intuitively. It's gonna be interesting to see how the two sites work with how we create. Like how the changing of tools changes the works. Like a painter with a new brush. Or a photographer with a new camera or film. Changing the medium changes the message sometimes. But I've also seen plenty of urstyle galleries where it's seamless and I can't really see a distinct change. So it's going to be so interesting to see how it all ends up I suppose ^.^

Sorry it took forever to reply, life is quite a crazy tangle right now

This post is deleted!

meh. looking back on this post makes me cringe. yes i would’ve deleted it by now if i could. don’t even know if i can post a comment as a ghost (a account that half-deleted) but at the end of the day i’m glad it’s up. it’s important to see yourself and your opinions grow.

well, stupidly i though i would solve urstyle peace with this rant a year ago. i guess i was just trying to start a convo and technically i did. privately i was reached out to with disagreements. i disagree with myself now a bit. i’ve wanted to do a 2.0 version of this for a while now, but knew it would just do more harm like this one probably did so i’m commenting here slyly.

it’s a sore spot. no one likes being accused of copying when they’ve worked hard on something. no one likes seeing items/text they used in their last set just copy and pasted into the next. be candid with each other - i stand by this og main point - but don’t be condescending. we all have different opinions of art and originality. no one is really right when it comes to taking credit for creating sets literally made out of items other people clipped/created by hand.

anyway. this is all just my opinion. again, that’s what is difficult about this situation. these are some of my viewpoints now since posting this and hearing feedback in the last year:

if you were inspired by someone, say it. if they didn’t say so, assume they weren’t inspired by you and go.
if you think they’re lying? if you are truly so upset cos you think it’s obvious? block them and hope the blocking system in place improves on urstyle. rant to a friend and leave it...if it’s not an item-by-item case it’s typically the creator’s word and urstyle doesn’t have a court system!
again it’s always nice to give kudos. aka, the typical thing you’ve seen of “i feel this looks like...” and “let me know if...” but so many people feel obligated to do this. don’t. you don’t have to give “credit” or kudos to anyone unless you truly were inspired and thinking of them.

sounds obvious but it’s not. i’ve seen this pressure of not getting IN TROUBLE (people have used this word - sadly sounding like victims) lead to users getting credit for things they didn’t create. as a whole i believe no one should get credit for set styles or social media sets for example. this comes from me who pointed out my own insta style in this blog. sure i think my caption/context style of writing them is iconic but i don’t expect credit for it lol

again, item by item is where the line is really drawn. it’s easy to see what items were used in what sets first, easy to track down who saves what. that’s the only time i understand getting pissy - when it comes to a handful of items! just like rp groups have rules regarding plagiarism - apply it to the site as a whole
but overall set styles? there are years of poly users who came before us and many aren’t here. no one can speak for them and how they inspired us. i don’t know the names of anyone outside my circle so i usually keep my mouth shut. good practice? well just think of the others outside of your bubble, like the ton of urstyle users who weren’t even on poly. they have no idea about this “originality campaign” and definitely create things without thinking of you or your poly gang. so unless it ain’t relevant to you , just keep in your lane i say
that being said, i want to ban the use of “credit” tbh. no one deserves credit imo except the og owners of the images we’re using. lord knows they won’t get credit.
that being said, peep the list of users i added in my og blog. while some people would think i’m giving credit to these people for coming up with these set styles (and i admit it easily reads that way and i would’ve been more clear if i knew this would get read lol)...i invite you to consider it as a candid way of me personally giving kudos to people i am inspired by when i make my sets. please, let’s just ban the word credit from this site altogether cos a lot of y’all just didn’t listen to me or harry styles when we said Treat People With Kindness

i apologize (again) to anyone hurt by this blog or confused, frustrated, worried etc. there were a lot of you, i know just from the few who came forward. over the last year, i’ve become frustrated with others on both sides of the coin: copying and accusing. i still think it’s okay to ask others for help reaching out to someone if you think they copied u - even better if you do it yourself - but i think we all need to take a hard look at ourselves

what i found ? not everyone is on the same wavelength with this issue. a lot of people have been hurt in the past and they have their defense up, or strike hard offensively. personally , i only write this now to rant. not really in the mood for a discussion cos i know this issue won’t really change - it’s a people thing.

again, how can we claim credit for stuff when we all have different opinions on what originality is with a tool like the editor + we all have different friends and connections that inspired us, some from sites that don’t even exist anymore? who knows who really looks at our sets - urstyle doesn’t even tell us who liked it!? so who are we to make accusations and sets bashing each other...u know? i’m one of those people who encourages you to rant privately and leave it.

that’s just my style but maybe we can all try it too? 🥺

i like to think i’m switzerland by hearing both sides, but i’ve been prodded this last year for an opinion on x and y, and witnessed too much drama, to not speak out re: this cry for help of a blog. i think just from how my opinion has strengthened shows that we need to reach out to each more as a community, learn more about one another, hear different opinions, attempt to bond with common interests - or otherwise keep to ourselves and risk feeling isolated. cos anything else is just not welcomed at this point.

aren’t we all just too done with it and TIRED??? with all this new free time i just hope y’all agree...

not proofreading this, on my phone
boop

ayzrules

Alexxxxxxx love u