Right..it's simple folks..I have noticed stuff being 'borrowed, taken or altered from 1 skin/template to another without credit to the original authors work,........Know then i'm pointing no fingers.....it's a fight between other people intelectual property.What im asking is that a general code of ettiquette be appleid in General by ALL skinners.
I think it appropriate that some rules be applied as a sticky in each forum for skinners , as there are enough tutorials teaching newbies the art of skinning ..how about a general guideline for credit and acknowledgement?

Here's my attempt and rules i apply..

1: ALWAYS read the readme in downloaded skins...there be the rules for use!
2: ALWAYs credit another skinners work for full use of template
3: If you are using a small or partial amount of a template and you are in doubt (because its only a rivet) then contact the original author either in P/M or E-mail
4: NEVER EVER remove an atists tag from a template , wether it be a FULL template or TECH LAYER.....these people have put a lot of work into this work.
5: NEVER EVER EVER !!! pass off anybody's work off as your OWN!

Now then ...these 'RULES' seem pretty straight forward and common sense but still even lately i have noticed some of these 'abuses' by known authors...know i'm a live and let live kind of guy but i hate to see people wronged!

Regards

Sparty

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bearcat99,

Well written Sparty, however I feel that however well a point is made some people will not give due credit as it means acknowledging other peoples work (however small the contribution).
What I find hard to understand is how it appears impossible to ask or credit, like there is some sort of loss of face in doing so.
Never mind, I hope the post gets the attention it deserves and starts the ball rolling for due recognition.

Excellent Idea, definately a sticky required, far too much plagiarism (Plain English Plagiarism = THEFT) going on,people can dress it up how they like,IMHO borrowing etc without the authors permission & then failing to credit is Theft & deciet & only serves to cause ill feeling which in turn eventually deprives the community of talent & the sharing of it...

Regards Beer

Like Kris said though, for some people its like losing face for using others work.

Its like why go to the store and steal 10cents worth of chewing gum? Is jail really worth 10cents?

In every upload I include a readme with credits, and I've often wondered how many people look at the readme.

I try to get past the 'people not reading the read-me' bit by placing the named of each persons stuff I have used on the template I use, thus placing it on the finished skin.
The only A/C I have come across without the space for this is the Tempest, so a file is inserted with the skin.

Good call sparty! I'm right with hyou.
I always put every authors name (that I know, if I don't I credit "author unknown), on every skin I release. For me it's not "losing face" to admit that I'm not as good at some things compared to others. Hopefully what will make my skins desirable is the overall quality that I'm able to attain and my particular use of various other works when applicable.
When I upload a skin I put an "EULA" in the ReadMe that states names must be left on and if used commerically ALL authors must be contacted for approval.

It's the honorable thing to do.

my basis is simple for my own, if you use parts of it please pop it in the read me, if you use the template, then leave my sig on, if this is impossible because of size restraints and space rework my sig to add your details but leave a reference to my work on it and NEVER use them in any commercial works without asking my permission first, which will more often than not be given, .......... Have had several issues in the past over this.. often not nice. there was some over at IL2skins where a company used works from the site ( unknown to them but by one of their artists) in their commercial add ons for FlightSim, this was amicably rectified between everyone involved with the company adding a donation to the site

Indeed all very good guidlines Sparty, I think its best not to make these hard and fast rules written in blood on stone, as guidlines they are most adequate, anyone failing to take these guidelines into consideration will be seen as sad & inept, myself like you Jester & others I hate non creditation & unauthorised 'Borrowing' passing others work off as your own really is sadder than sad and anyone guilty of this should take stock, before they become an outcast in an allready divided community( OT ,by divided I refer to the actions of Powermad Doofus moderators,their ill informed views & failures to take into consideration the global effect their sometimes highly questionable & childish actions have on this community as whole, hence we have some very good, in fact some of the best that dont post here at Spewbi anymore,all in all, these things Ive touched on will only serve to deprive an active & willing to learn community of mostly good guys of the skills, talent & foresight that some innovative skinners bring here Eg: yourself, Jester, Warwolfe, Vongraz, Beebop, LeadSpitter, Phase, FBS, VP media, RONNCO, Helgestrand, Tony T to mention but a few of the talented, these are all innovative forward thinking guys, some still here some not, how long before theyre all gone?

Peace Out Beer

although it is "impossible"to give the original author his due,you have a valid point,the "thief" might as well be cheating!!!!!

I like this thread and echo what has been said. There have been times when I had used a template, then personalized that and used the skin. But it's always a skin others wouldn't really have a use for so its not like I am 'republishing' it, so I don't see as I deserve credit for it anyway. If anyone asks, I am happy to tell them it's a template from whoever the author is. I feel very appreciative of the work others do so we with not as much time or resources can enjoy this game on a new level.

This is good.. I have been guilty of violating som,e of these rules myself in the past not thinking.....

There's nothing wrong with altering someone else's skins (removing markings, adding kill-marks etc) for personal offline use, right?

I used to spend more time altering and renaming skins for DGEN than I did playing DGEN campaigns...

-->Newbie on this website<--

[But not so new else where]



I'm all about giving skinners the props!

Artists are artists and deserve recognition!

Also let us never forget the greatest M8 that we ever had...Martin Wright!!!

I'm an old skinner from years back and any time that I "borrowed" for Screenshot Art [screenshotart.com] I always give props; even when I "illegally" use other objects. (His "people" were replaced by a jeep).

Art is art...nuff said. I'm sure that me M8s at screenshotart.com will have an opinion, but we've been kicking a dead horse for the last few years on that one.

But, you gotta give up the props.

Enjoy.

-T

aka The Original CFS Thunder..."Thunder" at screenshotart.com. Most of the time I do my own skins.

PS Keep up the good work M8s. If there is no "us", then there is no "we". By the way; where can I upload my skins?

also..my other callsigns have been AH_Thunder, _363rd_Thunder, and ...>gasp< _992_Chute (I'd like to forget the last one as much as possible), but so is life.

I remember you Chute..... lol This isnt a place to forget, more a place to mull over the lil glitches in our past, take stock and chuckle at the blunders we once made lol

Mission 4 Today have a new skin section, actually their download section is one of the best Ive seen,first rate user freindly upload download & search facilities, very similar to IL2 Skins of old, remember IL2 skins, back in the day when dinosaur poo was warm instead of...err stone cold and rock like , anyway I digress, M4T has a very comprehensive array of facilities and sections covering most if not all aspects OF IL2s Genres,skins, Templates, missions, u name it, theres a section for it, apart from, no section to download hot Latino Chicks with an odd but admirable malfunction that makes them unable to say no when you call them and say Hey, chick, want some?...bugger, but no fear, Ive taken it up with the powers that be and theyre looking into it Its a relatively new site, once populated as time goes on, it will be really something to match
Also Your link, I believe your screenshot place has a skins section, although downside is, only members can download I believe?....oopsie. may be worth having a word with the Admin Team, get em to alter that, would reflect well on up & coming skinners like Baron Von Blurtguy...nice fella he is, anyway hope this helps mate...and errr....welcome to the world Id call home if it had a sofa, TV, nice oriental rug, Beer lots of it and a great view of a beach somewhere in the Bahamas, or even a view of the cubicals chicks change into & out of their wicked wicked, yet strangely loin stirring Bikinis....where you ever really gone chute dude? lol

Regards FBS (Fruit Bat Supporter & Designer of the Innovative Guanno Umbrella)

FBS

Ettiquette, something your sig lacks. I suggest you re-read the title of this post.

quote:

Originally posted by Monguse:
FBS

Ettiquette, something your sig lacks. I suggest you re-read the title of this post.

Monguse I suggest you learn the finer points of English like your mate, etiquette has nothing whatsoever to do with my sig, I also suggest you get yourself a dictionary & look up the word Etiquette & take note of its meaning,whilst you're their try looking Up 'Busy Body' 'Nosey Parker' and 'Washer Woman' you should mind your own business & stop whining mate, dont you have some puppies to scare or something?

good you changed your Sig - excellent choice - better than what you had

Have another for your list....and will leave you to write it yet would be based upon the following.....

Skins are rarely a 1 person effort. Sure, folks are supposed to credit others used work and ask permission first, yet that has only been applied to anothers "art work"...What about the other efforts that go into it like tips on painting, tricks of the trade, and last of all information to make the skins as real as possible?

Frankly it's too much to list, and really in the end doesn't matter if you learned to make rivets by Bob, or learned the gas cap was here by frank.........Yet what is fair is that the artist follow through....Provide what was promised to that individual if anything and then all is square.

May sound petty, yet as far as IJAFC/IJN stuff goes, i've spent hundreds of hours researching and finding little tidbits someone simply couldn't find. I didn't do it for credit, as IMLTHO the information is historical so should be shared.......Yet oddly here have been the results.

Information asked for, sought, found, sent, long write ups provided etc.. Those who asked if I wanted credit I always said no, yet often credit was given...Most notably in many of those instances, those individuals shared their new found knowledge and work for others to use including me...Kudo's to them sincerely.

Yet since this rash of "that's my flap, or that's my gunport started"....I have provided vast amounts of information, oft times under the "deal" of "I would like this in return so I can make some "skins""........Not 1 out of maybe 6-10x have I ever received anything, quite often as the person states "I got this from bobs, that from toms, and this from you...YET...I don't want my work used so am (now that I have all your hard work in it) uncomfortable providing what I promised.

Having the information I could of spent my time practicing my own skinning to make it better...Yet thought, "why not let their talents and mine merge to produce something really nice".....Hence why I rarely waste my time posting info publically any longer, as since I cannot get the skinners work promised, I must do it myself.

The art has great value and talent behind it...Now try spending days looking over thousands of photo's, looking through hundreds of books and documents, then hunting for those impossible to find tidbits to write it all up and provide drawings and photos.

Goes both ways.......As if I don't have time to provide the information having to learn to skin, then the artist will have no time to skin looking for the info.....Simply the hard way to go.

So quite simply.......

Provide what was promised to those that helped...As by not is the same as snagging anothers art.

To be honest, sometimes I think we're too anal-retentive about credit. Anything I do is for the enjoyment of the community, not to feed my ego or pad my résumé.

puts on asbestos suit

In light of recent events, I took the liberty of digging this thread up and re stickying it and editing the title. It probably was un stickied when the forums were redone..

I hope that this goes a long way towards addressing some of the issues that come up from time to time around here.