Going dark on Instagram. A Protest Post UPDATED 12/26/12

UPDATE!
12/26/12
Instagram has now posted a new ToU that reverts to it's 2010 language. This is great but rest assured mayhem is to follow.
Parent company Facebook NEEDS to recoup the billion dollars they squandered on purchasing this app.

Here is my new take on things:
The ONLY reason Instagram is worth anything is that they managed to get millions of users by making the app FREE.
Now that they think we are addicted they decide to claim everything and anything posted in their app.

The going sentiment is "this is a company and companies exist to make money".
How completely disingenuous.

Unlike Facebook which allows for in-depth conversations and relationship management.
Instagram is a purely superficial social media platform and one that can be easily copied.

Insult the hobby groups (scrapbookers, graffiti writers, jewelry makers, cooks and wood carvers- whoever has a hobby and uses instagram to show their work to others in the same hobby), the artists, the photographers and the businesses- and they leave.
Who stays?
The people who take photos of their feet or family members (that no one else but their own family cares about).
These same users will go wherever the artists go because THAT was the main attraction to Instagram in the first place!
It may take a year or two but pretty soon you have a ghost town or as I like to call it-
Myspace.

Yes please figure out how the to make money before you insult us with outrageous power grabs- respect is a two way street.

Now back to my previously written post.

                                           *******************************************
So it's come to this.
I will no longer be able to participate in Instagram.
I am also seriously considering deleting my Facebook account.
Not only have they become a great way for me to procrastinate (and aggravated my already nasty shopping addiction)
they have both just passed new User Agreements that do not allow me to decide if I want to have my photos and profile information sold without my prior consent and compensation.

I love seeing everyone's latest news and sharing my own but I can no longer abide the way these two websites take advantage of my participation.

Facebook has been a problem for a while.
It's a disjointed mess with too many ads and opportunities for individuals to offend each other.
When I first joined back in 2004 I immediately connected with long lost high school friends and we talked regularly.
It was great!
I got to see their wedding and new babies.
Now I'm lucky if I see the occasional rant!
Forget getting new friend requests and having my work get any kind of attention there- everyone has  battened down the hatches.
Facebook is too large and too overwhelming.
It's partially my fault for joining too many commercial scrapbook business pages.
It's not fun anymore.
And their new User Agreement means I HAVE to agree with all the clauses in their crazy User Agreement.
I can't opt out of certain sections I find objectionable- like if I want to "ignore" commercial content they push at me.

Instagram recently changed it's user agreement as well.

Instagram will be able to sell whatever photo, profile information and meta-data you post there.

They will not need to ask you permission or compensate you.
If your minor child posts a great shot, the new User Agreement states those photos are open to advertising exploit and that you give explicit permission for that use.
Anyone appearing in your photos ALSO gives permission to appear in an ad.
FUN TIMES!!!!
As of January 16th you will no longer be able to opt out.
Images posted BEFORE this date will not fall under the new User Agreement but everything after that date will.

This is wildly encroaching, not to mention ethically disgusting!

I have no problem with being paid for my photos. 
I want to make money from my "art".

But I certainly don't want to see my face or worst- my daughter's face- gracing some random ad without having the power to say NO.
How can they possibly think this is ok?
And before you think I'm being alarmist- it's not that my family is oh so fascinating.
This is not about money.
It's about power and your right to your work- even that fuzzy photo of your latest chicken diner.
I believe the power to retain all imagine rights resides with the content creator.
It's been that way since photography became possible.
Why do these techno-media geeks think they can suddenly wrest that power away?

Before you dismiss this think about the entirety of your photo stream.
We don't know what content will be needed.
Perhaps they are looking for images of "abused" or "third world"children and my kid's face will be the poster child.
Maybe they want "fat chick" faces for the latest weight loss drug campaign.
Who knows?!
Any kind of disgusting or dangerous product can be sold with your face all over it.

With the proliferation of online advertising and fly by night digital start-up companies, the need for cheap imaging content is extreme.
How about your face on that Russian Dolls "dating" service?
Fun right?
That's what you will be exposed to if you choose to participate in Instagram photo sharing.

You can read more about this from reputable news websites:

• The actual Instagram Terms of Use policy in all it's bewildering glory: Terms of Use
• The New York Times- What Instagram's New Terms of Service Mean for You. (fast and very easy to understand reading- highly recommend)
• Mashable Op-Ed- Instagram Will Basically Sign Your Life Away. (Well written opinion piece that let's you decide what you want to do)
• Wired blog- How To Download Your Instagram Photos and Kill Your Account- BOO YAH!!! 
• Wired blog- FINALLY! A Flickr App That Doesn't Suck. Flickr has a new app you can use to share your images via Twitter- it's still buggy but NOTHING puts fire under a company's development team faster than seeing thousands of new users! Let's get this app and shame Instagram into good behavior! 

Here's my call to action:

1. Although I KNOW this will hurt- join me in going dark on Instagram. 
2. Save all your photos to Flickr or some other image sharing social media platform. 
3.  Let's support each other by joining each others accounts and leaving the same love we left on Instagram.
4.  Let's let Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom know- 

This ain't ok dude.
It's a power grab.
We won't stand for it.

Perhaps she's the new face of some ineffective and dangerous energy drug.
The company is a shady outfit from take-your-pick country so I can't sue to have the ad taken down.
THANK YOU INSTAGRAM!

Chells OUT!

Explaining yourself. Don't do it.

Now that I'm on Pinterest I see thousands of awesomely designed meme quotes.
Apparently these have been around for a while.
I just wasn't plugged into Tumblr or other digi spaces where graphic designers get open on quotes and make them into fun bits you can share.

Here's one:

And another:

A run-in with a friend this week has taught me- when someone steps in the crap...
Call them.
Tell them they stepped in the crap.
Listen. listen. listen.
If they get huffy just say you will call them back and go away for a while.

DON'T- DO. NOT. try to explain why you are angry over email.
Don't do it three times.
Most people- friends, family, your kids, your co-workers- humans in general- will not read the email the way you intended it.
They will read this: "You suck. much. suckage. lots. you. forever."
You could be the most eloquent.
The MOST fair.
The MOST righteous.
But being right isn't the point in a relationship- especially a long term one.

And perhaps you (me- always me- me me me) are in an altered state due to whatever stuff you managed to dredge up from the bottomless depths.
This "stuff" is great for creativity and originality but also puts the "crazy" in
"That (Colloquial Feminine Term) is (Out)house rat KEE RAY RAY!"

You might not have an idea how angry you are until someone (your sister. who reads Shakespeare. who knows all about people who think in poison daggers)
This person of truth says:
"DUUUDE- you're like- AGGRO. all. the. time. these days!"
To this you say- "WHAAAAT? Insert LAAAME-O excuse here!"
Add another one for good measure: "Lameity, lame, lame!!"
The lady doth protest too much.

You thought you were happy. ????? You tell everyone you are SO. HAPPY!
Diane Keaton in "First Wives Club" SO. HAAAPPYYY!!!!

"Doing GREAT! Couldn't be BETTER!!!"

What. is. up?
You take mental inventory:
"On my (BLEEEP!) list..."
Holy COW!
EVERYONE!!!!

You (remember- ME- I mean ME) get into a MAJOR tiff with someone you love and want to keep around because they are generally awesome if a bit judgey pants (but only sometimes).... (and only because they care).... (and because they value different things)
Which is WHY these different type people are valued and loved and appreciated.
 (silently apparently???).
So that "tiff" turns into a nasty fight.
And before you know it.
No more friend.

So the question is- how many times does this happen before you realize the problem is you?
You could blame the friend (or the family member or the co-worker)
You could get all huffy and post emo FB statuses that put-off EVERYONE.
You could say you are trying to stay real and only want people around who really appreciate you.
But in the end, you are alone.
REAL, but alone.

Balance and perspective.
That is what is required.
You make that call.
You make the obligatory apology.
Then you wait and hope the offended party..
 (who admittedly started the whole thing but really, who's counting? You ARE 38, right? Not 8! You wish you were 8. 8 would mean it's still socially acceptable to throw a tantrum. Tantrums are ALL the awesome sauce- but only when YOU do it. If someone throws a tantrum and you happen to be around, it's ALL the suck)
...hope the offended party comes back.

Did you learn from this experience?
Will it happen again?
You have a toddler.
Will you let it happen when she's 10? When she's 15?
When she's 21?
You have a husband.
He said do not write emails.
He said do not go on Facebook.
He said look! SQUIRREL!
But you did not go chase the squirrel.
You let the dogs out and they pooped all over your friendship.
Pick up the pieces.
pieces pieces pieces.
Put them back together again.
paste paste paste.
Oh no! I see the cracks!
But in some circles, that's called texture.
It adds character to the work.
Your life.

Two sides to everything. Two sides.

MuChos SmOoChEs!
Michelle

The Butterfly Effect- Pinterest & True Xoxo Girls Challenge

The Butterfly Effect
According to Wikipedia it's the sensitive dependence on initial conditions. 
How a small change in one place in a non linear system can result in a large differences in a later state.
It's Chaos Theory- unpredictable, unstable- highly complex.

The True Xoxo Girls Challenge for March is Pinterest Inspiration.
Use those lovely boards to make something and show us what you come up with! The prize is a GDT for April!
My piece has been scrap lifted from a beautiful digital design by almadr on Flickr. Click here to see the original.
Materials: Scrap FX butterfly chipboard, My Mind's Eye paper and stickers, Sassafras Lass border and photo corner stickers, Gauche Alchemy Wedding Night white mixed media color kit, Liquid Pearls in yellow, Studio Calico alphas and Mister Huey in Calico Cream and White

For this Month's True Xoxo Girls Challenge I found myself knee deep in an ethical dilemma.
I love Pinterest. I think it's the Beez Kneez- the ultimate fun time inpiration tool for artists of all stripes.
I use Pinterest every day. Or rather, I used to.
I am now considering deleting all my boards.

Here is why: (direct from the Pinterest User's Agreement)
By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast, access, view, and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.
Putting aside all worries about potential lawsuits from disgruntled artists, designers, photographers, architects, fashionistas- basically- anyone who has a digital presence. That clause in the User Agreement hasn't been proven in court yet so there's no reason to panic- YET.

Don't FEAR it. BE IT.

How do I feel about participating in the wholesale high-jacking of individual copy right? 
That is what the legal booty covering above does. 
If you come on this site and pin one of my scrapbook pages, Pinterest now has the right to sublicence, use, copy, adapt, modify, SELL, LICENCE, and OTHERWISE EXPLOIT my image as they see fit in perpetuity. 
It's Non exclusive! Woot! I guess I should be happy about that? 


Pinterest- you can take the scrapbook page- it's made with other people's designs anyway. 
The photos are MINE. 


Here is a code that allows you, me or ANYONE to opt out of the Pinterest madness- 


Just add that bit of HTML code to the top of each and every blog post you don't want pinned. It will disappear when you add it .. right here...  no here...
Let me make a photo- the code really did disappear into this post. 

If you don't block Pinterest assumes you are ok with them acting as a royalty free imaging super store where YOU- your family, your pet, your life's work are the product. By the way- Facebook has a similar clause but here's the difference- I can upload images and control my story on Facebook. I decide what family photos might end up for possible sale. Not so with Pinterest. 


Flickr has implemented a simple YES/ NO button on their site to prevent pinning: 
This is great for those who would prefer their personal websites get the traffic (We all know it's rare for people to visit the actual website- for many, it's just pin and get on with your life)
Read about it here: http://mashable.com/2012/02/25/flickr-pinterest-opt-out/


Let me just say- I don't mind being pinned. I get immediate feedback on what people like which helps me design more effectively AND I feel appreciated and influential- what's not to love? I don't judge people who disagree with me or don't care about this issue and just want to look at pretty things. I understand and feel pretty much the same. I love my boards! I spend time looking and thinking and learning to cook. I love the idea behind Pinterest! But it's good to inform yourself so you can protect yourself.

My beef is with is the Pinterest User Agreement that allows Cold Brew Labs to sell my photos IF and WHEN THEY DECIDE.

Scrap FX chipboard and vellum.  The "photo" is an Instax print that came out blank 
because I loaded the camera wrong. Those babies are a dollar a pop. I'm using them!

I might annoy a lot of people who will deflect my arguments with FAIR USE! FAIR USE!
Here is a link to FAIR USE as defined by the US copyright office.


If you are taken to court in the near future, you have already lost. 
You will have to hire a lawyer and pay them to defend yourself. 
It will be easier to "settle"out of court which means you will PAY for those pretty pretty pins.
Why are you fighting Cold Brew Labs' battle? Are you getting affiliate link kick backs from pinned item sales? According to a recent New York Times article you aren't. OOPS! 

Pinterest works the code (on the DL) so they also get affiliate sales!!! 
Aren't they just SO AWESOME?

Innocently swimming through shark infested waters.

MuChOS SmOoChEs!
LA PELEONA

Instagr.am (HIPSTAMATIC) is awesooome!!!

This is a great "opener" image- instantly accessible so it's my "come hither" photo for this post-
 I've blogged it before! It's up over at True Xoxo Girls for their Instamatic Challenge- go check us out!!!

HIYA!!!!

I've been scheduling everything to the last minute the last few weeks in an effort to get as much scrap time as possible. I belong to FOUR equally amazing teams and I also want to keep a constant eye on Lola's toddler antics- those photos keep my pages interesting after all. Whatever- I'm a Type A personality! I can handle this!

A huge part of my daily routine:
Facebook- I have no scrap friends in NYC and my regular friends and family ROLL their eyes when I start talking scrap so I've learned to suppress it. Talking "shop" with my fellow teamies is slowly consuming a lot of my spare time but I'm learning so much it's hard to stop.

Pinterest-    Pinning has become... an obsession. There are just SO many amazing women working today!!! I wish I had an art gallery- I would be very happy just showing off other people's work!

Twitter and Instagr.am- Photo sharing is AWESOME! One of my favorite pastimes while on vacation was trying to make friends and family jealous by posting daily images of where I was. It didn't make me very popular but it was FUN and I got some great shots to scrap. My Twitter and Facebook accounts are connected!


Thank you Gauche Alchemy, Paper Issues, True Xoxo Girls and Punky Scraps for keeping me sane and in touch with other crafty chicks.

This came together in about an hour using the Gauche Alchemy
 Lady Marmalade Orange Mixed Media Kit and some "Ouchless" Corrugated board.
I love this photo series with the thought bubble that was an advert for a street art show.
Someone took it down- wish I had thought of that.

The October True Xoxo Girls challenge is up and running- the theme is Instagr.am. I don't like the Instagram app much- especially now that they have "upgraded" and gotten rid of their "Gotham" lens (POOT!) so I cheated and used Hipstamatic photos for the challenge. Because I use the app so much in my scrapping I have 2 pages up (thanks Lindsey!!!).

MATERIALS- Crafter's Workshop 6x6 chicken wire stencil ( I LOVE that thing!!), Basic Grey Life of the Party paper (love this collection!!), Jillibean Soup corrugated frame, Crate Paper buttons, Prima flowers, Studio Calico wood butterflies, Mister Huey Sunshine and October Afternoon Brown Bag mist- FAVE!!

Swing by and check out True Xoxo Scrapbooking. The challenge winner will get a guest spot on the team so you too can have fun in the huge love fest that is the Xoxo DT!

The idea for today is- believe in the process

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Facebook Happy Mail Project! Join the fun!

Pure FUN is not being had in our household right now.  

Oh OK Lola is having fun. Hello? That's a blessing! 

Is it too much to ask for some actual spring weather OTHER than wind and rain? We went from 50 degrees to 95 and humid as a swamp. 

The soup man says: NO BREAKS FOR YOU! 

My favorite thing today was hearing a Channel 9 newscaster call today "sultry". Uhm...NO, chick!!! Sultry is Eartha Kitt's singing or perhaps Kim Catrall in SItC. 

Today's weather was like walking through a bowl of hot soup WITH sidewalk doggie poop thrown in for good measure.

Anyway I must distract myself from all this. 

I have gotten positive and decided to spread the vibes.

Dawn's post card
MATERIALS: DCWV Mod Retro 8x8 pad,  Martha Stewart multi butterfly punch,
Cosmo Cricket 1934.

I introduce: 

MICHELLE'S FACEBOOK FRIEND POST CARD PROJECT 

(insert echo effect here).

That's a link to my facebook page- perhaps you want to "friend" me? If not it's ok! You can leave a comment here and I will make you a card too! I love this project!!! WOO HOO!

Jenny's Card
MATERIALS: DCWV MOd Retro (new FAVE!), Fiskars Star Squeeze punch,
Studio G alpha stamp set, Pigma Micron 05 pen in yellow and brown, Mister Huey sunshine

Basically I will make a post card for every friend I have in facebook and try to MAIL the the card. The addresses will NOT be used for anything else. I do not expect return mail but I do hope the happiness is paid forward.

I started small with just my bestest crafty friends and my family. I will give myself till the end of 2011 to finish this. Whatever cards don't get sent will get put in a gallery space (if one will have me)

The point is I need to expand my art horizons, spread the gospel of positivity and GET RID OF MY PAPER STASH

(So I can buy more.)

This made me laugh and feel unbelievably PROUD today- Bronx is in da HOUUUSE!

REPRESEEEENT!

I'm on Pinterest. I want to pin this poster as I LOVE IT.
It's from Gothamist
I blithely moved on without pinning and now I can't find it! HEEELP!

Ahhh wordless wednesday. Always an unattainable goal.
I leave you with THIS:

Luscious, scrumptious, titillating VINTAGE VELVET ribbon in mustard (!!)
WITH original corrugated protective packaging! !!  !!! !!!!
Can. you. STAND. IT???
 8 bucks a yard but the seller refused to sell to me as she was on her smoking break.
That's NY peeps! HARD CORE!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle