Mer-Palooza TM: Artists not Credited

[Stede Bonnet]

The Mer-Palooza TM page (https://www.facebook.com/InternationalMermaidConvention) on Facebook is extremely inconsistent about photo credits.

I don't see the mer-community as a bunch of girls romping around in seashell bikini tops, but as artists, athletes, activists, and more. As such, it is crucial - and respectful - that people be given credit for their work, even if that work is posing for a photo an an event. Additionally, I think it is important that such credit be provided in terms of Facebook identity, not in real-world identity, for privacy purposes.

By failing to provide links to the performers' fan pages, Mer-Palooza TM is denying the opportunity for new fans, as well as reciprocal good will in the unlikely event that someone should take the time to post "I learned about you from Mer-Palooza TM!" (The fact that fans fail to provide referral credit is another matter of contention altogether.)

This also applies to "mermaid art" pulled from deviantART or any number of other sources.

Finally, the page is using images of at least one individual who has no intention whatsoever of attending the event. By using that individual's images, it suggests to me that she endorses the event, which - it is my understanding - she does not. It is disingenuous of the organizers to use that individual's work in their promotional material.

It is the same as tails. If someone allegedly steals a tail design, there is an uproar. In my opinion, using an image without identifying the subject, photographer, et cetera, is just as egregious.

I want Mer-Palooza to be an exciting and entertaining event for everyone involved, and I wish the organizers and participants every success. You know that I do. I just know that there would be a witch-hunt if John Doe from West Undershirt, Nebraska shared photos without providing credit, so the same level of standards should be expected and applied to individuals who consider themselves members of the very community they are celebrating.

What do you think?

[Stede Bonnet]

By failing to provide links to the performers' fan pages, Mer-Palooza TM is denying the opportunity for new fans, as well as reciprocal good will in the unlikely event that someone should take the time to post "I learned about you from Mer-Palooza TM!" (The fact that fans fail to provide referral credit is another matter of contention altogether.)




Whenever I "like" an individual's Facebook fan page, I will write something like

"Hi, Raina the Halifax Mermaid! I was looking at some photos on Iona the Mermaid's page and saw one of your comments there, so I swam right over here to learn more about you!

I live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and up until recently, our lakemaids have been very shy, so I have become friends with numerous mermaids here on Facebook.

It appears as though I am the 3,768th person to 'like' your page. Looking forward to learning more about you and wishing you every success!"

I believe that this establishes and/ or builds three relationships all at once:

A) It introduces me to the admin,
B) It lets the admin know who has been a good resource for her, and
C) It furthers the Facebook admin/ fan relationship that the referral source and I have.

It only takes a minute, and it almost always yields a very favorable response, whether it be "Thank you for your support" or "Thanks! Iona the Mermaid is great!" or "Wow! I don't know of any other fans from that part of the country. Welcome!"

PS: Congratulations on 3,767 fans, Raina!

[Nate Walis]

It's pretty shit to use an image without crediting the owner, even if you consider yourself a part of the "community" and try to justify your actions by way of the attention that the advertising will attract.

Be consistent, always seek permission and attribute images of all kinds when making use of them.

[AniaR]

K, I was going to stay quiet about this, but I had a really bad experience with one of the people running merpalooza and so have a few other people I've spoken to. Not Stephanie Sims or Nerine, just a guy who isn't involved in the mer-community at all. I've had several personal communication with him and there's several things he's said to me that make me feel as if he could care less about the community, in fact he essentially said to me he'll decide what is community oriented and what isn't when I asked about something, along with a few other statements that were a bit belittling to mermaids and the community as a whole. I was being quiet about it because I felt like it was just me and maybe he and I got off on the wrong foot or something, and I know Nerine is busting her ass to make sure the community is well represented in the "for profit" event. But many people involved have been contacting me (that whole privileged knowledge thing again) with their own personal issue with him and trying to get stuff like this addressed. To avoid any drama on the forum if anyone wants to talk with me further about my experience I can chat with them privately. The reason I share this bit of my experience is to simply point out I really don't think some of the people involved care at all about the community and their needs/wants/credit etc. I know Nerine ends up running damage control and because she's awesome she'll probably go to the page and fix all that stuff. But I just caution people when preparing for this event or considering being a vendor etc to take all this stuff into consideration.

I think merpalooza has a long way to go before it's actually going to be totally community oriented. So far it's just an expensive meetup where you can go to an expensive tradeshow (how many people carry enough money to buy a tail?). Yes there's the pageants, but the people who won the pageants last year got little to no acknowledgement. It still says the queen from MERCON is the international queen. (2 years ago) I've made some suggestions and I'm really glad to see them followed up on (the documentary for instance). I even wrote about them in my book to try and bring the event more attention. But I still have my criticisms. It's may and they still don't have any headliners to attract people. (Hannah, Traci? Anyone?) The website's not updated, nobody knows what's going on. I was talking with Carolyn and I know she had asked months ago about attending but by the time they got back to her she's already booked for something else :(

I mean this as no disrespect to Gary, Nerine, or Stephanie Sims. I know it's hard to organize something like this, and you can't please everyone. I just feel that mercon/merpalooza has a reputation for not meeting expectation and upsetting people. I think things like this don't help that any. And if they want merpalooza to be a success, communication has to happen around the board and things need to be buckled down and addressed. Otherwise it's just an expensive swim in a crowded pool and an expensive tradeshow hosted by Gasprilla.

I also don't think they should use other people's photos and art with or without credit to advertise for the event if that work has nothing to do with the event. If they're going to post art, post it of the participants. If they're going to post photos, post photos of the last one and the head lining guests etc. Yeah, just one of my many criticisms. I don't think I'll every pay to attend this con until it's been going for a couple years. Maybe by then it'll have the kinks worked out.

(As a side note, I don't get the name merpalooza, as palooza is used for music concerts..... just sayin, has it ever seemed odd to anyone else? :p )

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Oh boy!

Ok Let me see if i can field some of this...

Ive been trying in vain to control the issue with image shareing. It is onlyone person on our committee that is doing this. I will take this to stephanie and reiterate the issue.

As for who is currntly involved with running the Merpalooza event. Stephanie Sims is the Owner. Scott Pooler is an admin. Yes I know there is issues with him. Im working on it. I am an unofficial "committee" member. I run damage control like Raina mentioned. I am an admin for the group. Ive also been taking all of the suggetions and complaints, issues and what not directly to stephanie. Gary is NOT involved in the event. Stephanie owns the name. NOT going into details on that.

I do appologize to eveyone who has had problems with the other admin Scott. Please. msg me about your grieves. I will handle them as best as I can.

I have been trying desperatly to get the website issue resolved.

I know Im being a broken record.. but please be patient... Im trying. :)


As far as the artwork is concerned. Im on that like flies on honey!

[AniaR]

I know you'd kick ass and take names :) <3

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Thanks!


Please DO keep he comments and suggestions coming. IT all does help!!!

[Stede Bonnet]

Nerine - I beg a thousand pardons for addressing this openly. I either didn't know, or forgot, that you were involved with the event. Had I known that, I would have approached you privately.

Basically, I just think that there should be some cross-promotion, that if the page shares a photo of "Merman Matthew Morse" (which there is no such page, nor will there ever be), then there should be a link/ tag to that person's fan page. Just a professional courtesy. That's all.

You will see that I have gone through and provided links to a great many pages. I feel like I am being a fly in the ointment, but the fact is, it's really about my respecting the individuals involved. I haven't linked The Mertailor's Angelfish: Ashley Nadine (https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mertailors-Angelfish-Ashley-Nadine/305466066130601), Mermaid Chelsea Ann (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mermaid-Chelsea-Ann/356235951059200) or Trina the Mermaid (https://www.facebook.com/TrinaTheMermaid) because of my concerns about the press release - from last August - containing their real names. That's just me being overprotective maybe. I don't know.

If Linden or Shelly aren't going to be there, their photos/ albums being on the page just seems potentially, and most likely unintentionally, misleading.

Thanks for all of the hard work that you are doing to make this event a success, Nerine! I hope that everyone involved has a fantastic time! I just learned of a mermaid from Iowa tonight (Katia, The Blue Rose Mermaid https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katia-The-Blue-Rose-Mermaid/564972636867706), so maybe in a year or two, there will be some interest in a Midwest Mer-con. *fins crossed*

[Stephanie Sims]

Hi Everyone.

Please know that, as the voice of this event, I have been now made aware of all concerns. For a while, I was not up to speed on what was going on within the facebook group - But I am now. I will be reading everything thoroughly and making corrections and addressing issues accordingly.

With regard to some of the sharing and inclusion of photos, art and other info: I will say that, on the facebook group page, I have allowed Scott Pooler to be an admin for a short time recently. *He is an excellent web designer and p.r. person, but not necessarily familiar with the gentler and more sensitive nuances of the mermaid community. As such, he has posted artwork that was probably widely available in the "public domain" and he has shared interesting or topical "shareable" items from facebook. Technically, he has done nothing illegal in his attempt to share interesting links or posts BUT I agree that this "wide net" he has cast is not the approach to be used in group content.

He has been educated that this active sharing is not necessarily the type of exposure, or in some cases, overexposure, that the Mer community likes.

If what we all were trying to do was glorify mermaids as a whole without recognizing individuals, what he has done would be fine and would maybe be welcomed in the "real world" of advertising, which is what he does by trade. This gentleman, trying to help promote a mermaid themed event, at some level, simply was trying to provide interesting and pleasing content that Mer's would enjoy...Not trying to slight, over-promote or do anything in particular for or against anyone in particular.

Please know that we receive requests from many Mer's TO INCLUDE their content, to promote their posts, etc. My point is that what might work for some Mer's that are trying to self promote...might not work for others.

*I have been around the community for a few years now - and I am back in the saddle. Your concerns will be fixed. Please trust me.

:)

Stephanie

[Stephanie Sims]

Thank you so much for doing this - the links to fan pages. Yes, to provide cross promotional links where they are warranted and welcomed is ideal.

By the way, the press release you cited from last August, Stede, was from the Orlando Sentinel and we (MerPalooza staff) honestly at that time, on the day of the event, did not know most of the photographed people and were not the ones who provided the information about the real identities of the photographed Mer's.

Again, what we had here is a person who, unintentionally and with no malice, was simply trying to include relevant information on our group page. He manages several group pages currently for large groups...and most times, everyone is happy to have images shared and also will tag others like I see you have done in this case. it's been a learning experience to adhere to the uniqueness of the Mer's - and in many cases, their alter ego's. But it's a genre that I understand and respect fully.

Yes, Shelly, for example, did write to us and indicate that she would not be participating and she specifically asked for links to her to be removed because she did not want anyone to be mislead into thinking she would be there... The group admin was not aware of who may or may not be in attendance...and did not consider that there would be any problem with using an "already shared" image of Shelly, for example. But of course, communication solved the issue.

We likely will be doing a Western event in 2014 and all input is welcome and appreciated. I would like to see everyone posting their information and links at will the way they were for a while. That way, those who want to promote their images will get the recognition they desire...and those who don't want to be promoted in a group forum setting, won't be.

Thank you again!

Stephanie

"This post was in reply to: You will see that I have gone through and provided links to a great many pages. I feel like I am being a fly in the ointment, but the fact is, it's really about my respecting the individuals involved. I haven't linked The Mertailor's Angelfish: Ashley Nadine (https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-M...05466066130601 (https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mertailors-Angelfish-Ashley-Nadine/305466066130601)), Mermaid Chelsea Ann (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Merma...56235951059200 (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mermaid-Chelsea-Ann/356235951059200)) or Trina the Mermaid (https://www.facebook.com/TrinaTheMermaid) because of my concerns about the press release - from last August - containing their real names. That's just me being overprotective maybe. I don't know.

If Linden or Shelly aren't going to be there, their photos/ albums being on the page just seems potentially, and most likely unintentionally, misleading.

Thanks for all of the hard work that you are doing to make this event a success, Nerine! I hope that everyone involved has a fantastic time! I just learned of a mermaid from Iowa tonight (Katia, The Blue Rose Mermaidhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Katia...64972636867706 (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katia-The-Blue-Rose-Mermaid/564972636867706)), so maybe in a year or two, there will be some interest in a Midwest Mer-con. *fins crossed*"

[Stephanie Sims]

It's pretty shit to use an image without crediting the owner, even if you consider yourself a part of the "community" and try to justify your actions by way of the attention that the advertising will attract.

Be consistent, always seek permission and attribute images of all kinds when making use of them.


I agree, Nate.

Stephanie

Hi there all!

I am not trying to dominate this page - Just addressing concerns laid out here.

The quick answer as to why there have been concerns popping up lately is the following: I was very busy running Tampa's Gasparilla events and needed someone to help me manage the group for MerPalooza on facebook. His interest, thinking he was operating on the overall "greater good of the event", was to be splashy and relevant, trying to include content that was appealing.

This manner of promotion works in some communities, including the Tampa Bay, Florida community that is Gasparilla. (Pirate themed). But I understand everything that is being said here and the differences in our unique community..

As far as the details of the event itself, its advertising, attendance, merit or articulation...That's all MerPalooza committee. I am the event organizer. Scott, the person who has been doing the facebook page, was simply helping with facebook. Not with the event articulation. This is important for all to understand.

The web site has been updated and it will be published within the next few days. The p.r. and press on this event is just emerging now, three months before this year's event.

I do want to recognize Gary from last year, as his financial support allowed us to have great talent at the event.

The actual name of the event is the International Mermaid Convention...MerPalooza is the party/talent/music experience part of the weekend. *For marketing purposes, that is the vision. I know the name "MerPalooza" is a little unusual...But it is recognizable.

Additionally, we are launching, along with several entities "International Mermaid Week" this year, and MerPalooza falls within that week. I am active with the "International Talk Like A Pirate" movement - We Mer's will pick up steam from that moniker this year and moving forward.

I would sincerely appreciate you all's support and suggestions. We have a great event planned.

Stephanie