Going to start using watermarks! Very upset and disturbed.

[clbryant19811]

So last night I'm browsing around looking at different photography stuff when I stumble across a picture on a prominent photography website that looked all too familiar. It was one that I took and posted in a different forum a couple years ago. And to make it worse, was of one of my kids!!! I have never used a watermark because I'm just a hobbyist, but now will. Also I sent a notice to 500px that the picture was mine and not the other parties work as they claimed. They were quick and efficient, the person is no longer a registered user and picture is down.

 

[Derrel]

Wow, what can awful experience that must have been.

 

[480sparky]

Adding a watermark isn't going to stop image theft.

If you don't want your work stolen, don't post it online.

 

[waday]

If you don't want your work stolen, don't post it online.

Victim blaming...

 

[waday]

So last night I'm browsing around looking at different photography stuff when I stumble across a picture on a prominent photography website that looked all too familiar. It was one that I took and posted in a different forum a couple years ago. And to make it worse, was of one of my kids!!! I have never used a watermark because I'm just a hobbyist, but now will. Also I sent a notice to 500px that the picture was mine and not the other parties work as they claimed. They were quick and efficient, the person is no longer a registered user and picture is down.

Glad to see that 500px acted efficiently!

 

[KmH]

Yep. The only sure way to prevent the theft of online images is to not put images online.
A watermark can be cloned out or cropped away if it's along an edge.

If you decide to put photos online anyway it takes more than just a watermark.
Five Things You Can Do to Protect Your Online Images |

 

[Gary A.]

If you don't want your work stolen, don't post it online.

Victim blaming...

... Or just a reality of the internet.

 

[Gary A.]

As upsetting as getting ripped off is, (as it was a photo of your kid really makes it personal), it is also a compliment and attests to you abilities as a photographer.

 

[waday]

If you don't want your work stolen, don't post it online.

Victim blaming...

... Or just a reality of the internet.

Of course it can happen, but to blame the victim is wrong.

 

[table1349]

If you don't want your work stolen, don't post it online.

Victim blaming...

... Or just a reality of the internet.

Of course it can happen, but to blame the victim is wrong.

Putting your photos on line for all to see is like printing you photos and hanging them on the outside of your studio window. They are there for all to see as well as all to steal. Is theft wrong? Yes. Does it happen anyway? Yes.

Living in the real world isn't victim blaming, nor is it cowardice, it's being realistic. Like locking your doors at night.

 

[Braineack]

stealing is wrong and no one suggested otherwise, but suggesting that the only real way to prevent it is to not post images publicly is not victim blaming.

next time someone posts: serves you right for posting your images online, you deserved to have them stolen, and the thief didn't do anything wrong.

then you can cry about victim blaming...

 

[waday]

Why does TPF have an option that says "Photos not ok to edit" if the user deserves to have the photos stolen/edited?

 

[waday]

Good article: The Psychology of Victim-Blaming

A few select quotes:

Any time someone defaults to questioning what a victim could have done differently to prevent a crime, he or she is participating, to some degree, in the culture of victim-blaming.

While Gilin notes that people are more likely to be sympathetic to victims that they know well, reading about crimes reported in the media can sometimes increase a tendency for victim-blaming. The victims people read about in the media are usually strangers to them, and those stories can trigger that cognitive dissonance between the ingrained belief in a just world and clear evidence that life is not always fair. What’s more, if the coverage focuses on the victim’s experience and story—even in a sympathetic way—Niemi and Young’s research suggests it might increase the likelihood of victim-blaming.

“In my experience, having worked with a lot of victims and people around them, people blame victims so that they can continue to feel safe themselves,” Gilin explains.

 

[Braineack]

Why does TPF have an option that says "Photos not ok to edit" if the user deserves to have the photos stolen/edited?

you and i and the only two people here the used the word deserve... why do you keep making up alternative facts?


isn't the OP's use of now watermarking photo victim-blaming? it in itself is victim-blaming to suggest another photo would get stolen if no action is taking when posting publically online...

had we suggested using watermarks, would it have not also been victim-blaming?

 

[waday]

I'm saddened and somewhat surprised to see so many people blame someone for posting a picture online and having someone else steal it.

We place such pride in ourselves here on the forum to quickly point out that we shouldn't post others photos; we go as far as to have moderators remove the photos within minutes in many cases. But, when a user has their own photo stolen and tells us about it, we chide them?

Shame on us.