My Cheers and Suggestions

[Lizzy Bennet]

Hello Paul and all members of the Forum!

I am new, so I *really* hope I won't come across as impertinent for putting in my two cents. Let me first say, I only have two suggestions that are REALLY minor . . . and mostly, this post is about how much I really like this place in such a short time!

I had a warm welcome from Mint (thanks again!), a nice PM from another user (whose name I can't remember right now--I'm sorry!), and I have found this forum interesting, fun, and very easy to navigate! Great job Paul and moderators!

My only two suggestions . . . if a 'newbie's' can be heard . . . are these:

(1) I would love to see some Harry Potter avatars . . . I really want one, if they're out there . . . any way we can get some in our gallery? Thoughts, anyone? Sorry to seem like a pest, Paul . . . just something fun!

(2) Any way to add a feature so we can modify our posts? Otherwise, I may need to change my name to "Double-Poster". hehehehe Typos are inevitable!

Again, nothing too big as far as suggestions . . . this place ROCKS! Thank you for letting me join.

[Paul]

Many thanks for the positive comments - yes, we've got some brilliant moderators here and a membership who I'd not swap for any other board. It's totally thanks to the members and moderators really that BAO is the place it is.

Regarding the avatars, I tend to be very cautious about copyright issues and have posted a tiny in the welcome thread - hope it doesn't come across too strongly and my main aim (if I was to turn anyone into a bouncing ferret) would be the people who wrongly offer the types of avatars you've mentioned for use, without themselves having any right to the original images at all.

The forum's editing feature is something that will be back very soon - I'd meant to do this a couple of weeks ago but so many other things have occurred that plans have been delayed.

Thanks for joining and I hope that (despite me being very strict on certain issues like copyright and hotlinking) you continue to have a brilliant time here.

[Mint]

and my main aim (if I was to turn anyone into a bouncing ferret) would be the people who wrongly offer the types of avatars you've mentioned for use, without themselves having any right to the original images at all.

But I didn't know! I though that they made them out of publicly available picks....

[Scellanis]

the pictures appear to be publicly available cos so many people just take them and use them but the original pictures will be copyright by the original artist or photographer and you should get their permission before using them but i doubt anybody does. Like the harry potter pictures from the movie will all be copyright to warnerbrothers......

[Mint]

But do you Honestly think that Warner Brothers cares that people use bits of their picks for avatars? I thought it was part of "being popular with people" process. If you think that you can't scan a cover of your HP DVD and cut a pick out of it and use it as an avatar for Forums online - .......I mean, copyrights are there for people if they gonna SELL this stuff or give it for free and take away the PROFIT. I don't see how avatars relate to that.

[Scellanis]

but avatars involve taking pieces out of a picture and changing it in some way.....i know i definately wouldnt like it if i noticed somebody had taken a piece of my art and cut a chunk out of it and changed it and then claim it to be their own work and give it out for free to anyone.


copyrights do extend to using pictures on website and for avatars anyway...

this is the notice that goes on the bottom of my art:

This work is copyrighted. Please keep in mind that none of the pictures or stories at the Elfwood site are free to copy or use (for anything but personal online viewing [eg looking at!]), without the written permission of the Artist. Please, read the legal information first.

i wouldnt call making an avatar out of a picture and then distributing it 'personal online viewing [eg looking at!]' would you?? Photographs will be under the same copyright as my art.

[Paul]

Exactly - and Mint, I didn't mean you when I mentioned the bouncing ferret, I meant I'd like to turn whoever runs the blotts site that you mentioned into a ferret (or worse).

[Barry Trotter]

wow i never realised that. blimey . i know exactly what yuou mean paul. good on ya
and sonkem i saw your picturesand i dont blame you for wanting them preserved. they are ace

[Mint]

I didn't mean you when I mentioned the bouncing ferret, I meant I'd like to turn whoever runs the blotts site

Oh ok phew.

Sonkem - but you draw pictures because u want people to see them, to give you feedback and so on....but WB takes picks for the money only.

But regardless - I got the point.