So you're going to take your ball and bat and go home rather than learn something? We understand perfectly what you mean. It's just that you are wrong and/or misinformed. Paying your local Internet Service Provider a fee to connect to the Internet is not paying for people's personal property (such as photos) that you can access on the Internet. Neither does that translate to "Income Tax" as you assert (which has nothing to do with this anyway.) Just because you think something should be free (or is free) does not make it so. When you get older and you are working and someone starts telling you that things should be free you'll understand what we mean. I know you are young and that is okay but it might be time to grow up just a little bit. No one is against you but if you refuse to listen to adults you're setting yourself up for a world of hurt. Charlie
Ignorance, pure-dee ignorance....... I seriously don't think that UPBigBoy will be around to read this, but if he does, here's the deal- you're WRONG, youngster! You mistake anarchy for freedom, and what we have been trying to tell you was nothing less than the truth. You're right- we didn't understand what you were trying to say, but trying to defend totally indefensible positions make no sense. Maybe it's the innocence of youth, or maybe it's just hard-headedness, but you are 100% WRONG. Feel free to leave- you've saved Charlie the task of booting you off. You're the loser here, not choosing to listen to folks who just might know a little bit more than you do. See you- glad I'm not you.
I will make one closing comment on this topic, and then the topic will be closed as I feel it is no longer productive. The original decision by Charlie (E-8) was the correct one, as linking a photo without permission not only compromises copyright issues, there is another net-related issue that can come up-unauthorized bandwidth use. This in the most extreme cases is called bandwidth theft, and may be enforced by the website host, not the web site owner. I'm not trying to say that this is the case with these photos, I'm only saying that Charlie cannot take any chances and must make decisions in the "better safe than sorry" mode. The fact is that the photos were still accessable through the replacement hyperlinks. As for the "free internet" discussion, I won't even get into that one as several posters made valid points. Please remember that just because web site owners require permission to use their content, it doesn't mean they are money hungry. On my personal website, I clearly state that the photos are my property and that they cannot be used without permission. That being said, I will give permission readily at no cost, only requiring that I be given credit for the photos and that my site is linked. I also contribute my photos to several other websites, all of which note that the photos remain the property of the photographer, and that the images are being used with the photographer's permission. As for Charlie, there are other moderators and administrators but it is HIS website. You and I and everyone else get to use this site free of charge...but please understand that there is no such thing as a "free internet", and Charlie is the one footing the bandwidth bill for this site (yes, I know there are sponsors, but the money doesn't manage itself and it doesn't necessarily pay all the bills). This website is both a financial and emotional investment for him, so none of us should get sensitive if he tries to be a little protective. Finally, if the editing of your original post offended you, I feel you just don't really understand the legalities of the internet and it is not this site's job to teach you. It was not personal, and should not have been taken as such. If the follow-ups to your additional posts were offensive, then I think you turned constructive criticism into personal attacks. Nobody here is your enemy, we are all your friends, whether you want to believe it or not. We all have opinions, but our opinions are not always the same. The difference between civility and anarchy is our ability to accept the opinions of others whether or not we agree with them. A final thought...Please remember, it is nothing personal unless you choose to make it personal. Once you make it personal, it is really hard to take back later. Thank you all for listening, and please feel free to resume the discussion of all subjects that are of a U.P. nature.
