Userpics

I have a suggestion regarding userpics. Since in this community, someone's personal tail is as personal as their face, no one should be allowed to use a picture of a personal tail that doesn't belong to them. Using someone else's tail as your pic is like using any other image of them without permission.

I don't see it happen often, and it should go without saying. But it does happen on occasion, and it's something fellow members could easily report.


eta- a little clarification, as I said personal the first time and not the second.

I can agree with you in this, and think you have a fine idea; it helps to personalize each individual mermaid in their mermaid identity.

To cover all bases, of course, in case one uses a tail of which multiple copies exist or which is iconic (such as Madison's tail from Splash!), then they should certainly be let off the hook, as it were.

I agree. For some reason though I cant get mine to change. Its still my old mertailor!

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I don't know if I like this idea yet. It seems like it'd be tricky to decide what's okay and what isn't. Many of the photos and art we use as profile pictures on this site don't really belong to the person using them anyway. If I am using an image that belongs to, say, Ariel starfish, but I don't have permission to use it, then of course I would have to take it down because it's not my picture.
What about people who are using a picture of a movie mermaid tail? Why should they be excluded from the rule? What about people who are using a photo of a tail that they ended up selling to someone else?

I think I get that this is a courtesy thing, and you really shouldn't use someone else's tail for your profile if it doesn't actually belong to you, but it seems like it could become troublesome to enforce unless it's about copyright.

Besides, is this really enough of an issue to bother making a policy about? :confused:

Note that I used the phrase "someone's personal tail"- images of famous tails from films and shows don't fall under that category.

It's not as if it's a policy that takes a lot of effort for creation- if the admin decided this is something to implement, it simply falls under userpic rules- don't use a picture of someone else's personal tail or design in your userpic or avatar. It's pretty simple.

And considering someone is right now using someone else's tail for their userpic, and the ever growing popularity of mermaiding, how many people will be heading here with no idea how to conduct themselves on a forum and will lack forum etiquette (as we've seen), then I imagine we will see this problem occur again and again.

There are afew people doing this and I do find it confusing as to whose account it is

I cannot understand how those people think it's okay. That's like me saying, "Oh I like Raina's makeup, I'll just use her face for my userpic."

Hmmm my userpic is not of me it's from a song..... I also know that the production sold their tail so I wonder if I should change mine????

Is it from a music video? That should be alright in any case.

Yep it is thank you!!!!

Sounds good in theory but can be difficult to enforce. For example someone is using a photo of Patch's tail for their userpic, but there were 2-3 others made along with that tail that are almost exactly the same.. and that photo was taken before it was sold to her. It's not like she's in the tail when the photo was taken, and it's a commercial tailmaker's tail that can be mass reproduced. Also there are some tails that look the same but there are multiple, even dozens of them. But we can associate it with one to a dozen different mers, like the gold-turquoise mertailor ones. What about those? Are all commercial tailmaker photos off limits becuase in the end the tail in the photo will belong to someone?

Also if this was a rule, we would only take photos down if a person reported them, and provided proof that it was another mer's personal tail. (I really don't have time to go hunting that kind of stuff down.)

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Originally Posted by AniaR

I agree. For some reason though I cant get mine to change. Its still my old mertailor!

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I honestly thought you just really liked that photo or something. Well you can PM me and I can change it for you through the control panel. Maybe one change will unstick whatever glitchy issue it is that you're having.

Makes sense. And of course if someone's tail was being used, I'm sure they can report it themselves and it would be attended to.

Thanks for taking the time to read the suggestion, Iona.

How about a regulation that userpics must either show oneself, or be a free stockphoto?

Why would one use a pic of another mer anyway?
Or the photo of a tail one doesn't own for that matter.

I would assume the answer to that question to be related to how far one has gone into the mer subculture. If one has devoted so much of their time and money to being a mermaid or merman that one has an ultra-realistic beautiful tail, then of course one would probably want to show it off and be identified with it.

However, many of the people on this forum are still in that process or, if they choose not to undertake such a process, probably still admire those that do. I, for example, do not yet have a realistic tail but have a design in the works from the best in the business, so I have decided to just show my neck and bronze mermaid pendant until I have pictures of this tail to share. It doesn't give me quite as much "sea cred" as I might like en ce moment, but at least it avoids confusion with those who already have such tails. :mermaid kiss:

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Originally Posted by caltuna

How about a regulation that userpics must either show oneself, or be a free stockphoto?.

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D:




... would i still be able to keep my icon?

I'm...fairly certain that that picture isn't of anyone else on this board, so it's yours and cool and 80s! :mermaid kiss::highfive:

I also like how your name is Fun123joker and you have exactly 123 posts...lol

But it's not a stock photo (I'm assuming) so by Caltuna's suggestion it wouldn't be allowed.

I don't really know how I feel about the whole thing. I don't own my avatar, but I like it and everyone on every forum ever uses random pictures from the internet. I think as long as you don't claim it as your own, it's fine. I do agree that using photos of another person's personal tail is weird and confusing though, and should probably be advised against.

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Originally Posted by Mermaid Melaina

But it's not a stock photo (I'm assuming) so by Caltuna's suggestion it wouldn't be allowed.

I don't really know how I feel about the whole thing. I don't own my avatar, but I like it and everyone on every forum ever uses random pictures from the internet. I think as long as you don't claim it as your own, it's fine. I do agree that using photos of another person's personal tail is weird and confusing though, and should probably be advised against.

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The blue elephant belongs to me. I made this little guy 2 years ago during a school holiday play day with my nephew. Its the same as my fb avatar.

He sits on my big speaker with his ears flared and his beady little eyes staring at me...

I'm using this because I haven't found a fish or tail I like yet.

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Originally Posted by Mermaid Melaina

But it's not a stock photo (I'm assuming) so by Caltuna's suggestion it wouldn't be allowed.

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I said that because "random pictures from the internet" includes pics of other people, some of which might be registered here.
I've nothing against anyone using a drawing or painting they didn't make themselves.
Not sure how the artist feels about it tho.

It's just something to keep in mind nowadays.
The "if it's up on the web, it belongs to everyone for free"-attitude is not shared unequivocally.

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Originally Posted by caltuna

How about a regulation that userpics must either show oneself, or be a free stockphoto?

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Or be a piece of art created by the user? I use my own mer art as avatars/userpics...

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Originally Posted by caltuna

The "if it's up on the web, it belongs to everyone for free"-attitude is not shared unequivocally.

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I'm not at all condoning that. I don't remember exactly where I found my avatar, but I certainly don't assume that I can use it however I wish and I think most other people realise that too. If the artist expressed disapproval at my use of their image of course I would take it down.
Pictures of actual people are another story; using an image of someone's face (or in our case, their tail) is confusing and just plain weird, unless you're using a famous image or something super artistic or whatever.

Then again, I do realise that what people do when they take a google image for their avatar is technically illegal. I get that. I know that some artists get pissed off to the max with the culture of "I found it on the net, why can't I use it?" that has grown from that. People deserve to have control over images they've created and copywrited. So, in that sense, I think it'd be the better idea if everyone respected that all the time. That's not going to happen of course, but yeah, in the end I wouldn't mind having a rule for only using images that are your own or in the public domain. There are plenty of artists who have been dead long enough for me to use their stuff ;)

ummm I think alot of people keep missing the point of personal tail... If a tal maker is using an image of a tail that was made for another person then it would then be between the creator and the person its made for... it is still in essence personal between both parties. And some of you are asking about things that don't fall under the category of a personal tail.. so you have some infamous mermaid art as your picture... mk but the art is placed online for the pubic to view and see and im sure people who post photos online know that their pictures and work are opened to being used or taken with out promisson.but the thing is.. lots of people can relate to a picture of a mer.... but personal custom tails made between a creator and a customer.. is not the same. But it IS somthing that is hard to enforce TRUE we all would be looking around policing people about there pictures... and thought people should be "checked at the throat" for not having common sense... thing is.. you kinda have to pick your battles.. IS policing a photo worth all the hassel? I personally don't think so I think if we find a person who is using a picture like this! then we should let the person in relation to the picture know.. and then they can make the choice to report the image or speak with the person about the picture and ask for them to take it down. Because then its a matter between the person in the picture and the person using the picture. better then reports flying left and right and feelings getting hurt and lots of drama and butt hurt feelings. Just my 2 cents sorry if i came on strong.

Iona already made her decision about my suggestion. The userpic guidelines aren't being changed, so everyone ought to let go of that idea unless admin says otherwise.

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Originally Posted by Kelphinea_Kelp

but the art is placed online for the pubic to view and see and im sure people who post photos online know that their pictures and work are opened to being used or taken with out promisson.

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A lot of people's stuff is taken without permission, but that doesn't make it okay. Copywrite still holds on the web, so it's still illegal to use someone's image without permission. If the artist had the time and money they could actually take you to court for it.

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Originally Posted by SurlySeaNymph

Iona already made her decision about my suggestion. The userpic guidelines aren't being changed, so everyone ought to let go of that idea unless admin says otherwise.

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It's still an interesting topic to debate though! :)