Opportunity strikes

While the rest of the country is being shaken awake by a 7.1 earthquake, I lie sound asleep in my bed, two consecutive night’s of decent slumber tucked away in reserve. I finally rouse at 5:00.p.m., checking my phone, reading the news, a sense of relief that no-one is injured in this scary natural event. Sans reading glasses, I swipe across to my email, and my heart flutters when I see a message from my website, a sign of work, of income, and a sense of something worthwhile.

My expectation turns to dismay, as I read the message from Mel White, purportedly a certified illustrator. I like the name Mel - the Mels I know are lovely people - and I already trust this woman. And yet the message quickly turns nasty, accusing me of stealing images. The language is passive-aggressive, an attempt to be simultaneously engaging and threatening. “Breaching copyright”, “previous email,” “sued by the creator.” Yeah right.

I’m pretty confident I have the permission to use these images on my website, the website I so lovingly created when I first left full-time work nearly three years ago. I was determined to do it all myself, the independent streak my parents found so unsettling coming to the fore in this wee project. I wrote the text, selected the photos, paid my dues. Edited, and edited again. Get advice from my kids (3 seconds, 30 seconds, 3 minutes - the rules of good website design); listen to feedback from others.

© Sandy Millar


But back to those images. I am confident I have the right to use them because they are mine. Taken on my Canon, processed on my computer, and uploaded to my website by me. What I also know is that my images are available across the world, available on websites like Unsplash, a free, open-source library, or for a small fee you can buy them from the Kiwi site mychillybin. And - if you’re ethical or business savvy - you will acknowledge them.

Spammers are opportunists. Spammers waste my time, but they will not waste my money or damage my reputation.

I take a screen shot before I hit delete. You should do the same.



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