April 1, 2008: Changes at ihwmedia.net
It has come to my attention, after much site hopping, that people are choosing, rather than to credit our pictures, to regurgitate our gallery into “their own”. And to me, this is bloody unfair. Since we’ve opened, ihw.net has posted many, many new and unseen photos, and every time I upload them, yes we get lots of thank you’s, but this is just a minority. A day after, sometimes and hour, after I upload these pictures, they appear on other sites, without credit.
Frankly, it must stop.
So, starting from today, every picture over at ihwmedia.net will be tagged and these tags are no to be removed under any circumstances. I think the tagging is fair, and they don’t take away from the overall aesthetic of the images. You may want to argue me on this, but I’m just making sure that no one can claim they found our images on some other site, and then upload them into their own galleries.
New pictures have been added to the OotP London Premiere and the OotP London After Party albums in our galleries.
     
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Hmm… that sucks. Tagging always ruins pictures.
Comment by AshleyLovesEmma — April 1, 2008 @ 11:21 am
I understand the need for tagging and it sucks that you have to do it, but putting a tag right next to her face is somewhat detrimental to making icons… tweaking with one now it’s showing a black line and it’s kinda distracting. Is there another way, maybe, in addition to the bar at the top/bottom of the images?
Comment by Mary — April 1, 2008 @ 11:42 am
That’s great for y’all to start tagging. Other sites have been getting your credit and that’s just WRONG. I’m most likely tagging mine soon. People take advantage of my site because it’s not very popular so they think they’ll never get caught.. well think again. I have evil eyes. >:]
Comment by Natalie — April 1, 2008 @ 12:03 pm
Oh and I must add..
I want to have babies with you. : )
Comment by Natalie — April 1, 2008 @ 12:11 pm
b-r-o-v-o! i am glad you are tagging it is the best thing i have seen IHW.net has done. Love you site from cristy at http://www.soprettyemmawatson.co.nr .
Comment by cristy — April 1, 2008 @ 12:15 pm
you don’t have to add this comment, but are my comments on restriction or somethin’? xD
Comment by Natalie — April 1, 2008 @ 12:21 pm
Kaetlyn,
This is Jen from BewitchedEmma.net. I just wanted to say that, on behalf of my site, I hope we have never been a factor in your making this decision. If we have, I’m truly sorry. I’ve tried my hardest to make sure that we’ve credited you all every time we use your photos, and definitely have you on the main credits page of our site. More power to you, though. You guys are an awesome image source!
Comment by Jen — April 1, 2008 @ 12:23 pm
I understand you do not want them stolen. But honestly if they are tagged like this it really does take away from the picture in my view. Like Mary says this will suck for icon/graphic makers and to people who just like to collect Emma pictures on their computer. This is the only Emma site i visit every day and i loved how the pictures were never tagged cause you see it happen so often.
Comment by Samantha Laura — April 1, 2008 @ 12:33 pm
I understand the indignation….there is nothing worse than having your work used by another party, uncredited and unacknowledged.
But is it really necessary to place tags next to her face in every single picture? I adore your website because this is the only place I am able to find great HQ photos UNTAGGED (and your gorgeous graphics too)….Your HQ gallery makes a fantastic resource for a lot of graphic makers out there and we applaud you for your hard work in getting/finding those photos. Tagging them just defeats the purpose of posting them up in the first place…..and it will only render the pictures unusable and unappealing aesthetically. If you’re going to tag up, down and smack in the middle of every single photo from now on, you might as well not bother putting them up on the gallery at all.
Comment by Embeth — April 1, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
I hope you don’t speak of me in your news, because it’s true, I take your photos BUT I credit you in my Site >> Credits. But I never said that it was MY pictures, I find that horrible >.<
Anyway, I love your site, and if you prefer put a tag on your photos, I understand you =) Thank you so much for your site, and your work… I love IHW, who is my best source <3
Comment by Shana — April 1, 2008 @ 5:26 pm
This tagging idea is the baddest april’s fool ever…
Comment by Mylene — April 1, 2008 @ 6:42 pm
OMFG, those tags are big! I always loved your ws because the pics weren’t tagged and now… Well, I actually still hope it’s an april’s fool…
Comment by Sheila — April 1, 2008 @ 8:27 pm
Somehow I agree with Kaetlyn. I know how bothering is to see your hard work reposted everywhere without any credit. But what is more bothering is that people use to credit the site ‘where they found the pictures’ not the site who GOT them. It’s sad but true unfortunatelly. I’m a maniac of HQ’s and I’m always trying to get more and more pictures, and everytime I do that, visitors come and take them, send to other sites or post on their sites ‘forgeting’ to mention where they got them from. And it’s HORRIBLE cause we spent a lot of time on getting them for YOU.
So, I’m telling that again. I agree with Kaetlyn. Many of you consider IHW the best picture resource but I think you don’t know to appreciate their work. Stealing pictures is not a sollution, I know it happened to these girls and it happened to me and my friend, Regina, too. So stop complaining cause you know that the pictures are now tagged because…not because of you, but because the one of you who used to take them without credit.
Kaetlyn, please check your mail.
Comment by Iza — April 1, 2008 @ 10:53 pm
I don’t like the tags, but I really understand why you’re doing it. it’s not nice to put so much work in it and don’t see any credits for it!
Comment by Arlette — April 1, 2008 @ 11:15 pm
I agree with Kaetlyn and Iza. Of course, tags are annoying, but sometimes you don’t have anything else to do than to tag the pictures. People have stolen, steal and will steal pictures always - every year, month, week, day, hour, mintue and second. Keep up the great work. You’re always the best
Comment by Regina — April 1, 2008 @ 11:16 pm
Well, it’s a bit annoying with tagged pictures, but I do understand you Kaetlyn!
It must be even more annoying with people not crediting!!
Comment by Lily — April 1, 2008 @ 11:30 pm
It’s just a though but…
If you think that the pictures belong to your site in the first place, you are very mistaken (or very hypocritical). Iheartwatson also steals its pictures from some professional agency websites. So, the other Emma fansites are thiefs stealing from a thief… Are you really entitled to complain?
Comment by carMin — April 2, 2008 @ 12:18 am
Um Iza, i actually DO appreciate it. That’s why i like this site. Because there’s often new HQ pics with no tags. That’s part of what makes the site the site. I understand that it’s not nice to get things stolen. But you said it yourself.. you look for the pictures for the visitors. And many visitors want to do more with them than just look at them. They want to use them for graphics or print them or collect them.. and imho this really takes away from the site as a whole. Because the pictures are such a big part of IHW. It’s just my opinion. I can’t stop anybody from tagging them but it’s just feedback.
Comment by Samantha Laura — April 2, 2008 @ 12:27 am
Its a shame that you have to do this, but I do understand why you are doing it. I post the pictures you have in your gallery in mine, but I always credit this site on my news page, and you are credited on my credits page. I hope that this is alright, because I would hate to know that my sites is one of the site contributing to the fact you have to tag your photos.
Comment by Lauren — April 2, 2008 @ 1:05 am
I understand you but I think it´s really sad
Comment by Kristin — April 2, 2008 @ 1:28 am
Can’t you put the tag in one of the four corners? Some place where, in many pics her face wont be?
Why are there two tags anyway?
Comment by AshleyLovesEmma — April 2, 2008 @ 2:43 am
I take that back. Why are there THREE tags.
Comment by AshleyLovesEmma — April 2, 2008 @ 2:45 am
Taking your pictures is just so rude, and ungrateful. God, I hate this kind of people! IHW is the best site there is about Emma, and doing that is just… argh. I sincerely hope people stop doing that.
Julia
Comment by Julia — April 2, 2008 @ 3:12 am
I have a few opinions on this.
A) I hate to take the side of other people, but I visit about 4 Emma fansites. I notice that…say their’s a new emma event. They have loads of hi-resolution pictures on their site. None of them are tagged. Then, a day later, I see the SAME EXACT ones on your site, that aren’t tagged. I see this everywhere. Loads of people have the same exact photos as the other sites, but it doesn’t mean they steal your photos. Some websites have the photos before you do, sometimes you have them before they do. Sometimes you have new ones no one has before, sometimes some websites get them a day later. Multiples of one specific photo appear everywhere online…
B) If they are stealing your photos, that sucks. It’s wrong, you have the photos first, they’re yours. It’s not right to steal your photos without your permission and say they’re theirs. Tagging them is a good idea if people are indeed stealing your exact photos, which leads me to my next bullet…
C) Tagging sucks. On all photos, tagging sucks. I agree, tagging is a good way to keep your photos YOURS, but your tags take up HALF THE PHOTO(exaggerated, I know)! And you have a little one in the middle. Tagging like that ruins the whole photo. Put a small tag at the top or bottom, not in the middle, and not taking up a lot of the photo. No offense, but with tags like this, I don’t really like seeing the photos.
Basically, I think you should tag the photos, but make a small tag. I definitely see where you’re coming from, and if I found out people were taking my photos, I’d be hella angry. I take the photos that I like and keep them on my computer, not to steal them for a website(I don’t have one), but to make grahpics and wallpapers for my desktop, my myspace, and my PSP. I collect them because I like looking at them, like someone a few comments above mine said.
Comment by Kristin M. — April 2, 2008 @ 3:43 am
I think there could be better ways than tagging, like disabling right click for all non-members etc etc. I think ppl can come up with more ideas.
Comment by ashwin — April 2, 2008 @ 4:10 am
Please be an April Fools…?
Comment by Alice — April 2, 2008 @ 4:17 am
i’m totally with you on the tagging. i’d do it if i were you. not crediting people just sucks.
and to be honest guys, the tags aren’t that bad.
just so you know, i always credit this place if i ever use images
and i only have a livejournal lol
:]
Comment by Sarah — April 2, 2008 @ 4:25 am
i completely understand and hope that it is not because of me you are doing this…i have credited your site if i use your pictures….but really tagging them…the whole reason i use your pictures is because they are untagged…well i guess this means I am not going to use any photos from your site again….ever…..tagging takes away from the pictures and it makes it a pain in the butt when i would like to use them to make graphics…….
i just wish people would credit…..
Comment by Hillary — April 2, 2008 @ 4:29 am
wait…these pictures aren’t yours…..they belong to the company and person who took the picture…unless your paid for them and were given explicit right to them…then you cannot tag them because they don’t belong to you..
I might be wrong sorry if i am I just want to make sure you guys don’t suffer the legal ramifications of tagging the photos and claiming them as property of iheartwatson.net
Comment by Hillary — April 2, 2008 @ 4:35 am
Well, I must say that the tags are satisfying for only one reason : now, other fansites won’t be able to post pics as much as they used to. I know how boring (to say the least) it is to see your work stolen. But the thing is : 3 tags ?! And not so pretty ones (well, tags are not supposed to be esthetic, I know). I can’t help myself but to think that’s an April’s fool (like Mylene said).
I used some of your pictures (the ones with Daniel), but I always gave credits (in my news, in my gallery…) People say they never pretended that the pictures were theirs when they posted them, but not mentionning your sources let your visitors think that you found the pics, guys. To put a link back to your sources won’t kill you. Anyway, congrats to the other websites who respect their sources.
Like a lot of visitors said, untagged photos were like a trade mark (if possible) of IHW, and were part of its success on the web. But I think we all understand your decision.
Comment by Emma Radcliffe — April 2, 2008 @ 5:53 am
I totally understand your view for the tags. Stealing sucks. Stealers shouldn’t create websites.
But if you’re going to tag, I’m going to need to find a new site to get pictures from. For us graphic makers, tags are torture.
I so hope this is an April Fool’s joke.
Comment by Samantha — April 2, 2008 @ 6:12 am
I hate when people steal from my sites too! tags are a good idea! We can use them to make icons right?
Comment by Erin — April 2, 2008 @ 7:09 am
I would have to agree with Kristin part A. It’s not like IHW is the only site with “ways” to get HQ pics. Other people can get new pics from photo agencies too, so it’s not surprising that after an event the same pictures show up on different sites, and it doesn’t mean they necessarily got them from here.
Also, it’s not stealing when people do take images from here. The images do not belong to IHW. The only thing you could say they are taking is the credit for getting them from the photo agencies in the first place, or for taking traffic away from the site who got them. That is the only valid reason for tagging.
Anyway, I don’t like tagging, but I understand it. Especially since there are certain sites who try and take credit for everything.
Comment by hmk — April 2, 2008 @ 8:43 am
I know it’s annoying to have people reposting pictures and claiming them as their own… but these pictures are not YOURS either. I mean, “property of ihearwatson” - bit dramatic don’t you think? You did not take these pics, did you? They’re not yours. You didn’t credit the photographer. How fair is THAT?
Plus, internet is of public domain; things like that are bound to happen once in a while. Why are you so protective of pictures anyway? The greatest thing about iheartwatson has always been the image bank. But keep tagging pictures like that and people will simply start to look somewhere else. Frankly…
Comment by Anna — April 2, 2008 @ 8:46 am
this is the time you jump out and say “april fools!”
in understand the tagging of your pictures completely. it makes perfect sense.
but seriously? those are gigantic. that’s really unnecessary.
Comment by ali — April 2, 2008 @ 9:02 am
Sorry girls, I think like Anna…
I mean, fist of all, I know you’re angry, ’cause in this situation I’d be angry too, but putting the tag right next to her face?! That’s too much! How am I gonna make graphics with that? I’ll hate to have “Property of iheartwatson.net bla bla” on my desktop wallpaper.
I’m OK with all the the tagging thing but why not at the top/bottom of the picture?
And by the way…poor photographer!! =P
Comment by Marie — April 3, 2008 @ 4:20 am