As an artist, I have heard the 'you should be flattered' argument for
taking something that's copyright.  I'm sorry, but that just doesn't cut
it.  In the same way that I'm sure most people wouldn't want to keep
opening books or magazines and finding copies of their family photos
(uninformed, unasked), most people who create stuff for their website do
not enjoy going somewhere else and finding some lazy sod has 'borrowed'
it because they 'liked it so much'.  It's not a tribute to their skills,
it's a tribute to other people's apathy.
 
This is especially frustraiting because the internet makes it very easy
to enquire if you can use a piece of art you found on a website.  If
you're taking the trouble to right click and select 'save as' then upload
it to your own website, you can take the few seconds time it takes to
write an email asking for permission.  Or make your own art.
 
If you made something, put your hard work into it, would you be flattered
if someone just walked off with it?  No, you'd be insulted that even
though they liked your art, they didn't think enough of the artist to
care about their feelings or wishes.  And that's not right.
 
Melissa Smith
http://www.cafepress.com/ferrettoons/
[Posted in FML issue 4116]