How not to judge a book by its cover

This is excerpted from a recent incident where a person made a comment on one of my YouTube video tutorials on my Photoshopmama Channel. I was red hot mad for about 5 minutes but then it got resolved, and now I have a new subscriber!

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YouTube Commenter Comment:
"You could have at credited the true author and divulged where you got the information.This isn't "mama's" work at all and definitely not this person's "skills" at work here.It's someone using other's hard work in order to make a fast buck by being a charlatan.Case in point, this is copied right out of Katrin Eismann's book _Photoshop Restoration and Retouching_ using the same image that is in the book. I hope you get sued for copyright infringement and exposed for the fake you are"

Photoshopmama Response:
"I certainly hope you take a look at the credits in Katrin's book, as you will see that it is she, not me, that is using my images and tutorials in not just one, but three of her books. The hair color tutorial was just one of several tutorials I gave her for her books! Next time you want to accuse someone of something, and start calling them names in a public forum you should at least look in the credits section of the books, in order to avoid making a fool of yourself!

I also wrote this article for SBS Digital Design Magazine many years ago and "Hair Color Root-a-mentaries" was titled, created by me and published with the same image by them before it was in Katrin's book. Be glad I don't sue YOU for defamation of character, slander, etc!

I also want to make it clear that Katrin is a lovely, intelligent, and talented woman, who gave the opportunity to several digital artists to participate and share techniques in her books. I was flattered and grateful that she chose some of my work. While my name may not have been directly under the Hair Color tutorial in that book, it didn't bother me-- it was in the credits and in the index under Canfield, Shan. You should have e-mailed Katrin or me first b4 accusing!!!!"


YouTube Commenter Response:
"I don't feel like a fool at all. I found nothing on this tutorial citing your credits as such, which would have prevented my comment in the first place. I'd do the same for you if I thought someone was ripping you off too. That sort of crap makes me irate.

So anyway, I am really relieved to see that you are the author of this method. I mean REALLY happy. I've been using this technique, which I think is the best I've found, for years.

I can remove the comment if you want, so just let me know."



YouTube Commenter Response:
"Sue all you want--you have no credits on this page explaining that. Like I said, I'd do the same for you. And since this is a publication, it should have credits with it.

I'm not going to research something like this past the publication itself, which is this tutorial. Simply cite your references and avoid all of it. I mean I don't have time to go looking for your real name and researching publications.

Something like _Canfield, Shan_ contributor Photoshop blah blah. Or even something like, Shan Canfield has contributed techniques to many publications including . . . .

Like I said, I can remove the comment if you wish, or feel free yourself."

Photoshopmama Response:
"Ok, I'll put references here in the "show more" area. I didn't see the need to because it is my channel and every video here is created and authored by me. My objection is more about cyber-bullying which is so easy for folks to do that don't use their real names.This could have been avoided if you had "questioned" me privately, rather than the public name-calling and accusations.Democracy? -- innocent until proven guilty? I think we can put this to rest now. Enjoy life!"


 

YouTube Commenter Response:
"I don't know what's wrong with the comments, but I replied to your objections below, and they're out of order for some reason (at least on my screen). In summary, if you had credits on this page, I would have never posted that comment. I'd do the same for you if I thought someone was ripping you off too.

And congratulations. I think your methods are the best I've read and used, this one included. I immediately remembered the image and verbiage and where I'd first read it: K. Eismann's book.

Let me also say that I am really glad I found the author of this method for now I have what I feel is an exceptional source for Photoshop techniques. When I say exceptional, what I mean is that the method you used gave better results than others I've read, and faster. So that truly is an exceptional talent.

Sorry for the confusion. I also vehemently dislike bullies too. I hope you don't think I meant anything malicious. I don't like people taking credit for others hard work, nor do I tolerate bullies! But besides that, if people ask rips offs if they are ripping people off, they will, of course, deny it, sometimes with elaborate lies. Again, sorry for the confusion. You didn't deserve that. And BTW do you have a tutorial on how to darken roots? "

Photoshopmama Response:
"I don't think I do have the reverse tutorial, but I do have one on remapping whites to blacks so that might do it or perhaps instead of using a lighter color in softlight mode, as shown here, use a darker color in softlight mode and that might work. Glad we worked this out."

 

YouTube Commenter Response:
"Me too. Left a bad taste in my psyche. Well, I tried using a darker color, but something about the algorithm used for lightening does not darken well. I used a selection and then used a mask and level to darken. But you can only go so far before it start to over cook, and the latitude is very limited. I also tried a modified version of changing hair color, but that doesn't work well either. Maybe I could work on it and then give it to you for your work. Time is the limiter :)" 



Personal direct e-mail from the YouTube Commenter with true identity shared:
"I am the guy who posted on YouTube about what I thought was you ripping off K. Eismann's book. Since I take seriously my own behavior, and that of rip offs, I wanted to contact you personally to say that I would never have posted anything like that if there were credits on the YouTube page and that I'd certainly do the same for you if I found someone ripping your talents off.

So please accept that explanation, if you think it is valid. And I do apologize for the confusion. I trust you can see that I had no malicious intent here.

Second, let me say I think your methods are better than any of the others I've tried. They give better results and are faster than most others.

Third, I am now subscribed to you on YouTube and liked your Facebook page too. And I will be using your web presentations like I would any excellent resource.

Thank you for your efforts and sorry for the confusion."

 

Mama's email response:
"Everything is cool. And while I could care less if folks build upon what I teach in my videos and articles, I do get frustrated with those that purchase an action bundle from me and upload it to a file sharing site where it is given away. This is a violation of my end-user-license agreement. This has been going on for 6 years, every retail product I've ever made somehow gets uploaded on those sites and nothing can be done. If you go on those sites, which I have, to reprimand them, the moderator cuts you off and removes the post. The FBI can't or won't do anything because the servers aren't on American soil. Oh well, if nothing else, it makes me work harder to try and come up with new things. Again, I'm glad we worked this out, and I am not going to remove the posts because I think it is a lesson in of itself. We are all imperfect in our humanity but honest communication can provide solutions."


 

Commenter's e-mail response:
"Yes we sure are imperfect. I get reminded of that everyday, and it doesn't mater if I'm aware of it either--the humble pie comes in large doses.

Yes the file sharing thing is annoying, but probably the people sharing are not going to buy anyway, so you most likely aren't losing anything. They are just hobbyists or kids playing around. Of course some of the people buying the actions are the website owners themselves and they do it to generate ad revenue from their pirate sites. Some of them are in areas of eastern Europe where people are literally dying of starvation and health related diseases and they are trying to do anything to support their families. I know this because I've been to Romaina and known people who did just that. It makes me so sad too. These are good people too, many of them educated, nice people. We deserve better than that, as humans.

Since actions are not programs, you can't have a live check in process before and as people use the program. But those types of programs only work in situations like online games, where a third party sells the add-on to the game (many times against the games policies) and then since the person has to be online, programs a check into it. If the program cannot check the server at in-determinant times while the person is playing the online game, it doesn't work.
 
I know that because a friend of mine is a software engineer for ****** and he developed the program called *******. It was a cheat like program that was used in the online only game *******.

So unless you can make it online use only, which of course people won't buy for obvious reasons, there isn't much you can do--except target corporate and small business, who hopefully DO pay for the software they use.

It's really hard. Life in the jungle at its best. :("

 

Mama Shan's email response:
"Funny you mentioned Romania, because there was a woman years ago who was selling my products from there and after reading her bio--poor, 5 kids, no husband, I did nothing, just let it go. I checked back months later and her site was gone. I'm really into this series on PBS, Foyle's War and feel that I have no idea about gut wrenching strife, hunger and war...grateful for that and hope that I would be as steadfast and strong as the English were during WW II."

 

Commenter's email response:
"I've seen that entire series. I've had some gut wrenching real life situations that were literally life changing, but very, very painful. The type of pain that is nearly paralyzing. After one experiences that sort of suffering, internal suffering, it really does change one's outlook on the essence of life itself. No one who has not experienced that sort of incapacitating emotional pain cannot identify with those who have, and thus many times that results in callousness. I would not want to stay in that situation for long, and I'm glad I haven't had to, but I am also glad I had the chance to experience it, which led to much personal growth. And still I'm an asshat sometimes."

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And so --this is another one of those Cool-side of the Pillow analogies.
There's always a choice. You can stay hot and uncomfortable or you can flip the pillow to the cool-side. Ahhh--and it's so much better!

Granny Pantywagon 1

Artwork by: Penny Patty Pantywagon ©2012  |  MP3 Narration by:  Mrs. Green

Granny Pantywagon has just about always thought of herself as a cool mom and even cooler granny! How could she not be, with a name like that? However, today while browsing Facebook (see what I mean--how cool is that?) she came across a recent picture of her 25 year old son with a new haircut. Most moms, cool or not, would be happy to see their grown son's taking an active role in grooming, but today--cool Granny Pantywagon was not so happy. In fact, one could say, she quite lost her cool over seeing that photo of her son! 

Through the monitor, he almost mockingly glared at her, in dirty living color, clad in a grungy not-so-white wife-beater t-shirt. So much for grooming, but thank goodness he has no wife--to beat!. Ecstasy was written all over his face and it was quite possibly in his bloodstream, too. Squinting and bleary eyed with his head cocked to one side, a sh*t-eating grin on his face, there on fb, for all the world and Granny P. to see -- he flaunted this new and rude Mohawk haircut, of all things. 

"That boy, doesn't have one wooden nickle-bag of Native American, in him. How much more attention does a freckled faced, 6'5" red-headed man need? " she thought to herself. Poor Granny P.! She felt like clouds were rolling inside her head, the smoky cumulus dancing through her brain-matter. "He's gonna lose his job!" she screamed! Then she remembered, he didn't have one. Pooter, hasn't had a job in over a year. Maybe his given name was part of the problem--"Pooter Pantywagon," she mused. No, it wasn't that--it couldn't be that! Pantywagon was a good solid name that could be traced back to ancestors that were staunch, hard-working, responsible, and well-respected sheepherders in Ireland. When sheep herding was out-of-season, the Pantywagon's made good use of their time repairing and sewing up new wooly panties for the local villagers. And how did they transport all those wooly panties down to the village? Yep! No rest for the weary--the Pantywagon's were always a hard working clan, and not one--EVER had a Mohawk haircut, until now!

"Ahhhh...letting go is so much harder than hanging on--or is it the other way around?" Granny P. sighed out loud as her brow furrowed from confusion, wondering what it was, exactly, that she needed to let go...or what was it she needed to hang? She wandered away from the Computer, meandering down the hallway. She spied some laundry that needed hanging but decided she'd just let it go for now. She swooned with brain fatigue from all the emotion welling up inside of her. "I need to lay down," she said as she scuffled to her room. Granny Pantywagon reluctantly pulled down the covers, crawled into bed, and plopped her steaming head down on the cool side of the pillow, even though it was the middle of the afternoon. 

Her reddened and warm face calmed and cooled as it sunk into the pillow, soothed by the softness of the 1,200 thread-count Egyptian cotton pillow cover. No wooly covers, here! She made an attempt to drift into sleep affirming, "There are worse things out there than Pooter's Mohawk haircut...at least I don't have a Mohawk haircut! He'll probably go bald in a few years, anyway! Pooter's just bald on the sides right now, instead of the middle, on top." She giggled a bit at her rationale in thinking of hair as real estate. "But wait...what is it that realtors always say are the three most important things? Location, location, location! So a house down the middle of his skull is not the same as a house everywhere but the middle of his skull! He's screwed, for sure, now!" 

No wonder poor Granny P.'s flipping her pillow all night long. It gets so hot, so quickly, because she has such a hard time shutting down her concentric circles of thoughts. "Be grateful," she chided herself, trying to lower the thermostat of heated thoughts and conjectures. And so it was--she began to feel grateful...grateful she wasn't the one sporting a Mohawk haircut, grateful her last name wasn't something silly sounding--like Sheepherder, and most  grateful that she still had her son Pooter, around. Even though the hair on his head was in a bad location, and the little he now had of it was just a spiky skunk stripe of red fur down the middle, she still loved him. "Oh, that's not accurate--skunks don't have red stripes--and they are more likely TO WORK! Oh stop, would you really prefer an employed skunk over Pooter?" As the internal chatter, "....well, they are kind of cute and I really don't mind the smell--from a distance."  finally  quieted, Granny Pantywagon flipped the now hot pillow side over to its cool underbelly and finally fell deep into the medicine of sleep, deep into the hairy and/or bald arms of Morpheus. Pooter's strip of red hair was not so significant in the scheme of things, anymore.

Birth of Cool Side of the Pillow

 The older I get, the hotter I get. I mean that in a metabolic way, certainly not in the "hot chick" way! Seriously, my sleep patterns are getting even more whacked! I wake up with a hot face so I flip the pillow to get the cool side and it instantly makes me cool. I mean that in a metabolic way, certainly not in the "I'm cool peeps" way. Obviously, I embrace every pound of nerdiness I can muster. At face value the cool side of the pillow is -- just that -- a cool side of the pillow! Somehow, I think there's more between the sheets than just this. I know there is, so I labored and birthed this blog today as a forum for metaphorical stories, anecdotes, parables, and diatribes that embrace the esoteric value of the Cool Side of the Pillow.

Of course, today and every day until April 1, 2012, I am a madwoman sweating bullets, to finish up the front and back ends of my new Web site, so my profundity and/or inane efforts will have to wait!