Forum:Watermark Discussion

As many of you know, the images and blanks made by PCA are very often taken and used on other websites. Since it's rather hard to enforce our claim to the images, I'd like to propose that a subtle, non-intrusive watermark be made and applied to each image. It shouldn't take long. The watermark can be made and saved by every user. All we need to do to add them is apply it on a new layer. It need not even cover the image. It could merely be small text place, for example, along the spine of the warrior images. Small, not getting in the way of the image, but in a place where it would be a deterrent for those that just go through google and see a cat image they want to use for their fan site. Having a watermark on the image will hopefully instill fear of using the images we make into those people. We could even apply them to the blanks.

Comments? 22:39, January 18, 2012 (UTC)

I've seen many people on deviantART do this with their blanks. Yeah it doesn't have to be on the cat but it'd take them some work to get it off the image, but it could just say (C) warriors.wikia.com or something. Great idea! 22:43, January 18, 2012 (UTC)

I like the idea. 22:51 Wed Jan 18

I love this idea. Although I think the watermark should be at the corner or bottom, because some people, like me, can't read weirdly tilted writing. 23:17, January 18, 2012 (UTC)

I feel neutral about this. Responding to Quailflight, if the watermark is at the bottom, people can easily take them off. However, won't the chararts look funny posted with big watermarks on their pelts in character pages? New users might think we are overprotective of our art (which we very well should be), but they might have hesitation joining PCA. If there's an issue with what font to use and what it says, I suggest stopping the problem before it starts. Apprentices might get confused the extra process. Although, as Ivystripe said, not putting them on the pelts is a good idea. Again, that conflicts with what I said above. Like Ivy also said, other sites (including deviantART) have stolen and taken our images and saying they are their own, despite the warnings we've given them already without them even seeing the PCA page with the chararts listed there. I've seen some sites myself, as have other users, and reported to Shelly. What Shelly said about putting them on the spine (as I just read after I typed all of this) could work. But cats have different spines, so we'd have to make all different ones to fit cat's spines. I don't know, to me, it seems a lot of work, but that's me. I really wish I hadn't ranted up there, but I've already typed it. 23:33, January 18, 2012 (UTC)

I like this idea too, but people could take it off anywhere on the picture. Spine, bottom, top, anywhere. Also, what about requests? Would we put them there too? 23:44, January 18, 2012 (UTC)

If you want to take it off when you make a request that'd be up to you. But... well, it's like a lock on a door. They're easily broken, but they keep honest people honest. In the end, if someone wants to break into your house with a passion, they will. But having a lock on your door will, in theory, remind people of their better nature. Such is the purpose of the watermark I propose. And yeah, we'd change it for each image and just put them on the blanks. We have every reason to be defensive of the images we make. We work hard on them. I don't want to see them used outside of the wiki. 00:18, January 19, 2012 (UTC)

I totally agree. I'm tired of people taking our art and using it as their own. -- 00:50, January 19, 2012 (UTC)

Yes, I think this is a great idea. They don't even have to be solid, something transparent on the side would do it. Not in your face, but still noticeable enough for art thieves. Breeze whisker  00:59, January 19, 2012 (UTC)

I agree with Breezewhisker. I'd like it not to be extremely noticeable, but something that you can see. And even though it makes sense, I'm not a big fan of the idea of the watermark on the body of the cat. Feel free to disagree, though... 02:01, January 19, 2012 (UTC)

I never said it'd be on the body. It'd be outside the lineart, along the spine where it'd be difficult to remove it without damaging the image. 02:02, January 19, 2012 (UTC)

I love this idea. It works well. (that is my bad comupter writing, without the typing tool =P) Btw I know this is not on the spine, but I can't write on a slant without it looking messy. 02:18, Thu, Jan, 19, 2012

I support this, but its not that easy to put watermarks on them without drawing attention to the words on the middle of the cat.Maybe a good idea is putting small, pale text on a part of them, saying (C) WWiki, thats small enough to not draw attention away from the cat, but large enough to see, maybe that way the person thats taking the charact cant take it off without erasing part of the picture. 20:58, January 19, 2012 (UTC)

I don't think it would help erasing the watermark is very easy, and if they erase it they could say it's 'different' personally I don't like watermarks and I think it makes the image look... tacky (Not sure if that's the right word or if it's spelled right) That's my opinion. 00:12, January 20, 2012 (UTC)

Yeah, honestly, unless they're over the image (which I think would just plan make them look back) they're extremely easy to remove. I'm not sure they'd help much. :/ Good idea, but I'm not sure it will be enough to stop people using these.  Pale Legs ♪Be prepared...♪  01:53, January 20, 2012 (UTC)

I quote myself from the comments above: "It's like a lock on a door. They're easily broken, but they keep honest people honest. In the end, if someone wants to break into your house with a passion, they will. But having a lock on your door will, in theory, remind people of their better nature. Such is the purpose of the watermark I propose. And yeah, we'd change it for each image and just put them on the blanks. We have every reason to be defensive of the images we make. We work hard on them. I don't want to see them used outside of the wiki." I think a simple watermark will deter most of the offenders who take our images our of ignorance, not realizing that they really do belong to someone. Seeing a c in a circle has that effect on people. 14:42, January 20, 2012 (UTC)

I'd also rather see the full URL of this website in the watermark than just WWiki. Why? Because that way is someone takes them and reposts them at least a "Trail" is left back to us so that we get some free hits out of the deal ;) Not a fair trade, but better than getting nothing in return for it. 14:25, January 21, 2012 (UTC)

So shall I move this to a forum for proper discussion? I'm personally getting tired of dealing with those idiotic, lazy RP websites that can't make their own images and think that ours are free for use because, and I quote, "we saw them on a bunch of other RP websites, we thought they were free to use!" We can't easily defend our blanks and images without at least a visible reminder on each image that people are not allowed to use our work. We all work hard to make these images. I don't like to see them stolen and claimed by others. 18:36, January 21, 2012 (UTC)

Yeah I think we need a forum. Anyways, I'm still going with this. I agree with Kit that we should have a full URL of the wiki. 01:46, Tue, Jan, 24, 2012