Maybe I will just leave this post as a tweeted blog title without any explanation. Let’s leave the conten as an exercise of the imagination for “The Reader.”
Ok.
Wait.
Ummm.
Maybe?
Nah.
This is another installment in the vein of web serendipity, amazing story of openness making, et al where someone I don’t know does something never anticipated with a thing I shared. While it might sound a bit like self attention bleating (ugh) I am more celebrating these connections that would have never happened if I hoarded my stuff or nailed inside a copyright box.
As often it happens, this started with a flickr mail message with subject line “Here’s Looking at You”
Hi Alan,
I am making dog treats with insects and barley spent grain. The picture ‘Here’s looking at you’ is tagged at domain public. I would like to use this picture of Felix on my front page of website and want to make sure that it is ok for you. It is in French but you can find it here: [url to be linked below, this is the building suspense part]
I am first honored to be addressed by my name (see below) and cautiously (extremely) curious to know about dog treats made from insects and barley. Also having posted my photos with titles other than like IMG9886.JPG makes them easier to find or remember.
Also note that the writer acknowledges that the photo of interest is in the public domain. By most ways that this public domain typically explained, it means the photo can be used for any purpose, without seeking permission, and no attribution is required.
That’s the Minimum License Requirement. Yet this person is still asking if it is okay with me (of course I will say yes), and even if not public, this message is a human level attribution.
Again, according to me, Attribution is an Act of Gratitude and less of compliance with some legal verbiage. Long ago I would respond to these messages in what I thought was an effort of education, license-splaining to the writer that the license meant they could use it without permission or need to attribute. My approach was ever changed when someone wrote back, “Yes I understand how Creative Commons license worked, I just thought you might want to know where your work was reused.”
Gong.
Of course, if everyone just followed the rules without spending time reverse image searching, I would most likely never see or know where my photos were re-used. But it’s more than just adding another notch to my collection, it is a small person to person human connection, the kinds that just get trampled in the noise of social media.
Okay, back to the picture. And the insects are coming (chirp). I remember the photo.
This was maybe two months after I adopted Felix from the Payson Humane Society. He was relaxing so peacefully, but then again his eyes are still checking that I am not going to abandon him like his previous humans. But in this scene, I loved the leading lines of that carpet edge. The photo was for me, not to get money or to have someone use his photo on a dog treat web site, it was a moment that I wanted to record, and remember a bit of a story along with it.
And now the reveal… The website where sleepy Felix is looking out at you is (indeed in French) https://barleys.eu/ IBarley’s Dog Food is all about healthy dog food/treats produced in a sustainable way — “Les croquettes responsables pour chiens éco-responsables” (Responsible kibble for eco-responsible dogs).
Scroll to the bottom to find Felix:
That is not even the best part.
After thanking Thierry, he replied:
Thank you very much. We are a small startup in Belgium and appreciate your help. The web site is ready and running. Whenever you come to Belgium feel free to contact us.
Kindest regards to Felix and to you
I have an invite to visit next time I am in Belgium! I will!
Again, none of this would have happened with the photo “protected” behind a copyright wall, and maybe not even with a more restrictive Creative Commons license.
My goals with sharing photos are not compensatory, they are human-a-story. And it happens continually.
Thank you Thierry and if anyone out there needs this kind of dog treat, well check out Barley’s Dog Food.
Alan is Spelled Adam
As much as I tweet and sigh to Cori, I really find this amusing that in many non digital encounters I can provide my name (Alan Levine) in written form and then be greeted or pick up a package where my name is rendered as “Adam Levine” (who the heck is that) (no, do not need an answer, I am being satirical) (I wonder if Adam Levine tires of being called “Alan”?)
Another message came in from someone who used a photo of mine in a web-based literary journal. The photo in question was again license Creative Commons CC0 aka public domain. Again they did not need to inform me (but they did) and they did not need to attribute me (but they did). Attribution is still appreciated, still an act of gratitude, even when they get your name wrong.
As my gratitude I am just appreciating these and not replying with some sarcastic reply about getting my name wrong (well I might have tweeted something) (who is perfect?).
This sharing stuff, this connecting stuff, after all this time, matters to me. You? There is a place to share your own stories like this, but if I had to guess based on activity here, it only has this effect on me.
Mmmm, treats made of insects, how does that sounds, Felix?
Featured Image: The web page star of Barley’s Dog Food!
Great story. Felix is famous!