Member Uploads: What’s okay to use and what isn't
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UrStyle gives us the ability to load images (items). Because UrStyle can be unstable at times (to say the least), we can save our published Sets as image files. Many of us have our Polyvore Sets backed-up as image files on our devices. Some of us create new Sets or foundational images in other programs for the express purpose of using them in our UrStyle Sets. We simply save the resulting graphic as an image file and then upload it to UrStyle.
When we upload an image file of a Set, UrStyle “sees” it for exactly what it is: an image file. It is up to US, when uploading it, to label (name) that file to indicate what it is and how it is to be used.
For instance, when I upload a graphic of something I’ve found or created, I name it 'FJG'. Those are the ones I happily share with whoever wants to use them. However, when I upload an image of a fully developed Set, I give it a different name: SET by FunkyJunkyGypsy.
Years ago, not realizing that ALL of our uploaded images show up as items in a Search, I did not upload a Set of mine “correctly”. It was one I’d made on Polyvore. The file was not renamed to indicate it was my original work. UrStyle placed it in ITEMS and ironically, my beloved friend, @LaughingDog found it and quite innocently mistook it for a graphic to use to create a Set. She used it as a background, something I thought was funny as hell because I know @LaughingDog and I know she would never intentionally use a copy of someone else’s Set to create her own.
My Set Graphic:
https://urstyle.fashion/shop/12462729My Set:
@LaughingDog’s Creation:
I did not ask her to remove the Set, even though she offered more than once. I sincerely thought it was funny and I encouraged her to keep the Set up, and I’m glad she did. It still makes me laugh --- but not all of us react that way. In fact, I’m a little ‘twisted’ in my humor, so I doubt most of you would find it hilarious that someone used a SET image of yours to create their own Set.
There are two problems when it comes to this occurrence; those of us who don’t clearly indicate on the uploaded image itself that their image is a SET, and those of us who may mistakenly use such an image and refuse to remove the Set after it is explained to them, by the Set creator, that the image is not an item to be used, but original artwork of their own.
Now, I realize that everything we create here becomes the intellectual property of UrStyle, but I would expect that all of us, as artists and as online friends, would respect another artist when a mistake is made and they ask you to correct it. Just because someone’s name is on an item does not mean you can’t use it, but HOW the item is named SHOULD determine whether or not you do.
Here's a Set image that could be confusing: https://urstyle.fashion/shop/19827307
That gorgeous SET was created by a UrStyle member and titled “Polyvore 2018”.
In the description of the image upload, it’s indicated that this graphic is a SET, but descriptions are visible only if we click on the item itself to see the details -- not when a graphic appears in an item search and we click on the heart symbol to LIKE it.
Naming the image “Polyvore 2018” does not indicate that it’s a finished Set (or the foundation of a Set that one expressly designed elsewhere to use for the creation of a Set on UrStyle.) I can see this image being mistakenly used as a background… which brings me to the post on Plagiarism that @artsdesireable wrote when a SET image of hers was used by another UrStyle member to create a Set. https://urstyle.fashion/topic/2425430/plagiarism
Both Sets, hers and the artist who used her uploaded image, were for the same contest. The artist who used @artsdesireable's graphic found it in a search using a search-word that happened to match the label/name that @artsdesireable gave her image. The image had her User name as part of it's labeling, but again, that doesn't mean an image is not being offered for use by other UrStyle members. Many of us put our User Names on graphics we create or find and are happy to share them. But Sets???
Again, this confusion is understandable because of how UrStyle is structured -- and I really don’t see UrStyle doing anything about this because to them, it's a minor issue, but to those of us who create graphics, it is not.
@artsdesireable asked the User to remove their Set. The Set should have been removed, or, at the very least, her artwork should have been deleted from it. But that's not what happened. She got an argument and a refusal. The User claims that @artsdesireable's Set graphic is now a public domain image. That is incorrect, but I can understand how they came to that conclusion. So, going back to the two problems I mentioned, I want to offer possible solutions to each of them.
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When those of us create graphic art to use as or in a Set, original artwork that we do not want to share freely, we must take the time to give that upload a NAME that clearly indicates that their item (image) is NOT to be used.
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Those of us who come across an image labeled as such should have the courtesy to not use it.
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Those of us who mistakenly use an original graphic, whether clearly marked or not, may be asked to remove the Set they created with it or to revise their Set without using that specific image – and if/when we are, we should comply with the request --- even if the artist presents it more as a demand.
The issue is not with whether or not UrStyle owns our creations. They do and they don’t. That’s another subject for another thread. The issue is personal ethics and respect for one another.
Hey, any of us can view another person’s Set, save it as an image file, and upload it to UrStyle in our name. If that sounds very wrong to you (It IS very wrong.) and if you consider it a form of art theft or plagiarism, then it follows that you would also not knowingly use a copy of someone’s Set to create your own and that you would remove or revise your Set if you happened to do this without realizing that the graphic was not intended to be used as an ‘item’ by its creator and the artist notified you of such. Anyone disagree here?
I want to thank @LaughingDog for unknowingly being an example of an User making an honest mistake. I also want to thank her for making me laugh, yet again, when I posted that Set. I still think it's hilarious!
In closing, may I suggest we all name any uploads we do not wish to be used by using a phase of some sort that will clearly indicate it is for your own personal purpose and not intended to be shared?
I will be naming any Set images of my own:
CAUTION! This SET contains a VIRUS. DO NOT USE. You will be hacked!
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Thank you @FunkyJunkyGypsy for this information! You are amazing with describing the situations and providing detailed ways of dealing with them. I started looking at images more closely, but I also see if anyone has used them and if so, in what way.
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@jfcheney Yeah, it's confusing on both sides and I think conflict can be avoided if both the artist creating a graphic and the one using it can differentiate between what the uploading User intended as far as how the graphic is meant to be used; personally or publicly. Thank you so much for your feedback! I hope it helps people!
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Thank you for this excellent explanation! I agree with everything you said.
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@debraelizabeth You're most welcome! Glad to get your input! xox
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@FunkyJunkyGypsy Thanks very much for taking the time to thoroughly explain this situation. You are absolutely correct, in my opinion. The cautionary naming is BRILLIANT. I laughed out loud for real.
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@shelley-harcar Did you? That is AWESOME! At least we can point others to this post if it happens. I think there needs to be a section just for things like this, common issues we encounter as Users that are not related so much to using the site functions, but using common courtesy. Thanks so very much for your input -- and making ME laugh knowing that you did!
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• Thank you Gypsy for that very timely explanation and you certainly are a generous spirit.I felt upset when two of my uploaded sets were used by others, even though they had my name @Artsdesireable on both of the images.
I have titled my newest set images with "Please do not use." We'll see if that works.One of the people who used a set of mine took hers down after a bit of prodding.
The other person, so far, has refused to do so, even after many requests.
I spent a long time sourcing images and then creating the set. The person who used it argued that she has a right to. I don't know the terms of UrStyle but I am the creator and I did not give anyone that right.Here is my set:
Here's my set upload being used by @Minerva to create a set:
I would just like the set taken down and an apology, not an argument...... not too much to ask.
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@FunkyJunkyGypsy for taking the time to give us this needed explanation of how these uploaded sets can become confusing. Well described. I think this is beneficial for many.
Thank you for your hoot hoot humor!
Thanks for your forgiveness of my accidental copy. The owl has two lives/homes now.
...I LoVe this:
I will be naming any Set images of my own:
CAUTION! This SET contains a VIRUS. DO NOT USE. You will be hacked! -
@funkyjunkygypsy Totally agree with your explanation and have said before this problem is up to etiquette and yes, respect for the creator. Being quite aware of @artsdesireable problem, I have suggested that she uses something different for her description of her uploaded sets to something that does not include the word art in it, as I believe the search engine is picking up the art, when the people type in art into the search engine of the pool of images. For those who are not aware every image uploaded into Urstyle goes into the image pool.
Also I will not be backwards when I say that I was appalled at the response from one of these members who used Artdesirables image, the other was remorseful and apologetic once she understood the situation.
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I hope to never make that mistake of using anothers , too bad there wan't someway to block the actual image , there needs to be an alien for this an image, a warning or something, your ''hacked'', made me laugh!
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I download "all" my Sets to my computer and then to an external hardrive to back them up. I'm sure many of us learned the hard way from Polyvore to do some sort of backup. As far as uploading Sets to URStyle, I only did that once because the resolution had diminished quite a bit, so I just don't do it anymore. Any Items I upload from my computer are usually Items I collect from other sites that URStyle won't accept directly. I never upload anyone else's Sets, but I can see the confusion if a person uploads a Set to Items and they look like 2 or 3 Items put together. I just keep all that separate so it stays simple.
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@FunkyJunkyGypsy I echo all these ladies' comments that your very detailed & thorough explanation of these types of scenarios is excellent, as usual!! You always explain things extraordinarily well! If you ever shared with us what you majored in college, I'm sorry I don't recall, but "Communications" or an English teacher wouldn't surprise me
The only thought I had that I would add was: What if URSTYLE's algorithms, or other portions of their software, get alerted to the words, "VIRUS" or "CAUTION?" I suppose it wouldn't be an issue, since they're just "text" words? Enlighten me, as my tech savviness is a bit limited! And thanks for taking the time to do so, if you do!
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@funkyjunkygypsy This was a good thread, I agree and will be more careful when using items. I don't believe I've ever been copied, I'm sorry to anyone that it has happened to. I have uploaded a few items I've made myself and said that I made them, but I have no issue with anyone using them so I said "free to use" in the description. So maybe when you upload and item and you ARE ok with people using it, you can put something like "feel free to use" in the title or description.
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@FunkyJunkyGypsy I would like to interject something based on the feed. Do you think we could ask UrStyle admin to design an algorithm that has a checkbox for “do not use” which blocks others or “open to public”? I have never been able to bring any item into UrStyle simply because my IPad will not cooperate. I just collect items for my use and make it private simply because it takes me time and I feel that others should not benefit from my searches. That’s just me though.
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I create on another platform as making sets on Urstyle is hard due to all the ads popping up where I'm working (might just be my country!) and size issues,
that is the reason I transport entire completed sets to Urstyle...but now after good advice I have started naming my sets Please do not use: AD....hope this works.
Thanks all for your support and especially Gypsy Queen. -
Well done, FJ!!! It is a difficult subject. I personally don't care who uses my items... so feel free to raid my collections ! But I totally "get" that sets are a different thing altogether! I never save my sets as items; so shouldn't have that problem ....BUT I see loads of sets uploaded to Pinterest... did you know you can save anyone's sets to Pinterest... they don't have to be your own! It's only a short step from there to the set being brought over here, and the person doing it wouldn't even know whose set it was, because they just say URSTYLE over there!
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@laughingdog Okay, ya got me laughing AGAIN with the "hoot hoot humor" remark! And yes! The owl has two homes and two mommies. Does that make us a couple?
Glad you got a kick out of the new name for my Set images. I was thinking of using that old warning you would get on videotapes. Remember that?
