Snow Days

I have expressed this prior, but will post this journal in the hope that some will find a little peace of mind here on RB. This is a copy of a comment I just left on another member’s page regarding the theft of artworks here on RB. Perhaps those not understanding will have a little more understanding and know that RB, the Hosts, and most other members are not out to ruin us! / / I have written this prior in other inquiries as yours. I will state it again, feel free if you or anyone else wishes to copy and paste this into other journals and such here on RB. / 1) If you all watch the lower left of your screen, in the launch bar area as you load any page here on RB, as well as when you log in, you will all see there is a scattering of code, consisting of GOOGLE ANALYTIC, and others that runs through. This is a tracker which RB has employed for search engine use! NO, they have not asked our permission, but do not have to as owners of RB, and looking to increase their revenue. / 2) Each time Google launches, our information is sent across the internet like wildfire, often landing in the hands of hackers, virus writers, and art thieves! / 3) RB has placed the Share boxes on all of our pages, whether we wish them to be there or not. The sites these lead to have been questioned throughout time as to their scruples, such as Facebook! Just by having that box there further carries our information to the World Wide Web and more thieves, hackers, and virus programmers! / 4)The newest is found in the address bar at the top of the page, and orange button that loads all information of whatever page we are on, and allows ANYONE visiting that page to mark the page with LIVE BOOKMARKS and a FEED! When someone, such as a thief clicks on this, anyone who has commented on our work also becomes vulnerable to being attacked! All the information lies right in front of them! / 5) A private website, such as my .com sites and RB (for comparison purpose) have ample opportunity of how to program in the search engines using high powered SEO (Search Engine Optimization). I program my search engines with details such as types of art, areas of location, interest, but never, never with names of those I link to their sites. RB, on the other hand submits all the information of names and particulars, excluding addresses and emails, to the SEO system. There is no denying this, as this is simply how it works. They do this with intention of leading people to our work to purchase which in return generates revenue for us and for them! ALL free sites do this by the way / 6) Since many here on RB are somewhat inexperienced in programming, search engine submissions, etc, RB sees that they are doing this as a favor, yet in reality they are jeopardizing each of us and our work! Not to mention I have gotten viruses from spammers who have infiltrated RB in the past! / 7) WHAT CAN WE AT RB DO ABOUT THIS? NOT A THING! It is all legal, it is all part of the fair play game amid websites like RB, as well as many others. It is not something written in the acceptance of rules areas on this or any other site. If you know about programming, web systems and such, then you basically know this information, if you do not, then it becomes a lesson learned. / 8) YOUR CHOICES as members here on RB? Accepting it the way it is, be prepared to have your work used, stolen, or exploited along the way. Understand that there is NOTHING to be done. Going after thieves wastes valuable time and energy in my books, as they will only resurface again shortly! / 9) COPYRIGHT Foolish thinking to assume you are protected! With the many people so well trained in many programs, this is the easiest thing to bypass for a thief if they really want your work! Embedded Copyright...there are still many ways to remove this as well. It is FUTILE! / 10) Be grateful there is a place such as RB to find a community drawn together by many wonderfully talented folks. Accept it for what it is, as we all need to make a living including RB! / Anyone Doubting the above info, go to a search engine, type in PAMELA PHELPS PHOTOGRAPHY & ARTWORKS...you will find at least six different internet names, many sites, many titles and artworks. YES THEY were/are all mine!!!!! Tracked for over the past ten years, some shut down now, some under new name, yet they all appear…many are now broken links as they are or have been closed many years back! / We, as artists are a different breed…UNDERSTAND THAT! We are caught in a world of creativity and for the most part a world of NOT wanting to bite the world around us! We are a peaceable crew! / We as artists, expend high energy on our work, regardless of genre, medias, etc…we all struggle. Can we truly afford to spend our energy on HUNTING thieves and making more work for ourselves? I CAN NOT. / I CAN SLEEP PEACEFULLY WITHOUT MOMENTS OF THOUGHT OF WHAT I STOLE TODAY, WHO I SENT A VIRUS TO, OR WHAT OTHER UNSCRUPULOUS ACTS I COMMITTED…CAN THOSE INVADING OUR BOUNDARIES…I BELIEVE NOT! / Hope this lights the way for the very many so upset on RB, upset with RB, angry, and expending those precious creative energies on those who have nothing better to do with their time, and lack in their own developing of creativity! / The following have been said to me over the years, it also applied to the Internet: / If you do not want your words repeated, do not speak them at that moment! / If you do not want your words read, do not put them in writing. / The same applies for the Internet-If you do not want your work seen, do NOT post it! / Pamela