hi there. my name is justin maller. i am an admin of deviantart.com, and also the head admin for depthcore.com.
recently, i was shown a wallpaper 'by' whody. the first thing i said was that it was a rip of a similar wallpaper by my friends (and co depthcore admins) niytros and venox.
http://www.depthcore.com/venox/whodyrippedme.jpg - i feel this image illustrates quite clearly that the image was ripped. whody did NOT send the image to anyone ages before niytros released his. he simply couldnt have.
i feel the fact that the entire image was not stolen to be largely irrelevant. the simple fact of the matter is that whody took work that was not his, did not obtain permission to use it, then posted it without crediting the author.
for him to claim that the wallpaper was taken down because of controversy is ridiculous. he took the wallpaper down because it was a rip. for him to say that they are similar is just calling a spade a teaspoon to make it sound better. if you do as i do and call a spade a spade, you have to admit that whody ripped niytros. as i said, the amount of work stolen is irrelevant - a rip is a rip.
i am honestly disappointed with the way this situation has been handled. for an administrator to have 'we catch rippers before they rip' as his signature to rip is beyond hypocrisy.
the work should have been deleted, whody should have admitted it was stolen and apologized both publically and privately to niytros.
i have little doubt that this thread will be quickly closed, which further adds to my disgust. administrators are supposed to set an example for the community. whody - you fucked up. big time. at least be a man, admit it and apologise.
Its quite clearly a rip, the fact that he has tried to just say he copied the style etc is just pathetic. For someone with a sig ' we catch rippers before they rip ' just made me laugh...what a hypocrite. Whody if i were you i would just admit to everything and stop trying to make excuses for your blatent ripping.
with all of this commotion, i question submitting to sites like these once you become an admin. you're criticized very harshly. i don't take wallpaper creation that seriously, only as of a hobby. i can understand that some may make their living from designing, but i don't. the humiliation of being labeled a ripper is worse than the high you get from submitting what you think is a decent wallpaper.
i am an administrator of two large and high profile communities. i submit work to both of them on a regular basis. i too receive high scrutiny - but i am NEVER accussed of being a ripper. know why whody? because i NEVER EVER use anyone elses work.
as an admin, your work and your actions will be held up to high scrutiny, thats true. however, that shouldnt matter, because your actions should always be the right ones, the ones that set examples for the rest of the community.
in regards to the humiliation of being labelled a ripper - if you dont rip, not one will call you a ripper
There is no doubt about the rip. Some people need glasses and the whoody guy should stay away from the ctrl+c hotkey.. that's bad for him and this site.
At least admit and apologize, you won't be executed...
Think of the circles, they won't leave you in peace...
ekud/justin I dont suppose that you've seen this before you posted your statement up above so I will refer you to this!!!!! http://www.customize.org/forum/3541
- I'm like a time card at 5'o clock I'll punch you out!!
however, i am displeased with whodys actions, and did not get a chance to discuss the topic, seeings as whody locked the topic and allowed no conversation.
he has also not admitted he ripped, and has not apologised, which is why i have created this forum, to tell the other, less sugar coated, version of events.
This is not a case for the "let's forget it" exit. I remind you that someone here was about to get credit for an amazing piece of art totally designed by one of the bests.
Whody did not lock the topic "I" Locked the topic before and will again if this gets out of hand, do you want him to draw blood? what more can he say? What good will come out of this?
I could understand you coming here posting this stuff if the wall was still up and if he did'nt post a statement about it but what are you trying to prove by coming here and starting this thread?
he sampled a piece of the guys work and did not credit him so he removed it after being told that it was not the right thing to do(sampling without credit is wrong). He apologized and also gave his rough drafts as proof of not taking the guys entire wall.
- I'm like a time card at 5'o clock I'll punch you out!!
http://www.customize.org/forum/3539 - another forum created by niytros about this. locked. no discussion, no anything. just locked - 'dont talk about this in public, come and chat in our irc # ok? we wont come to you, we wont apologise to you, you come to us'
this is not getting out of hand max - this is a discussion. it didnt get out of hand last time either.
i see no apology to niytros. i see no proper admission.
.."he sampled a piece of the guys work and did not credit him so he removed it after being told that it was not the right thing to do(sampling without credit is wrong).."
you make it sound like this is ok. as if he didnt know that its not ok to copy and paste someones work, then upload it and claim it as his own. if he didnt know that, he has no business being an admin of a website such as this.
Sorry you feel that way ekud, but there is nothing more that can be done. Other than him being tar'd and feathered and put on display for all the village to see.
- I'm like a time card at 5'o clock I'll punch you out!!
"i am honestly disappointed with the way this situation has been handled. for an administrator to have 'we catch rippers before they rip' as his signature to rip is beyond hypocrisy."
I'm honestly disappointed that you feel the need to show up and start kicking this dead dog again Whody made it very clear what he did and how he felt. As far as nytros is concerned, well, when he can come here and not insult me I'll feel bad for him. http://www.customize.org/forum/2205#22066
"the work should have been deleted, whody should have admitted it was stolen and apologized both publically and privately to niytros."
we (I, rather) didn't delete because whody used a very small element of the wall, and it wasn't being used commercially. No one was hurt or reputation damaged, except whody's. He took a small element. He was wrong to do so. But largely the work was his. http://www.customize.org/forum/3541 But it has been removed now, and whody has come clean. As far as apologizing publicy goes, that's up to whody. I know he's tried to get a hold of him..... " i have little doubt that this thread will be quickly closed, which further adds to my disgust. administrators are supposed to set an example for the community. whody - you fucked up. big time. at least be a man, admit it and apologise." I have little doubt you are here simply to stir up trouble and that whody's behavior really couldn't concern you in the least. And you're damn right I'm closing this thread.The matter is settled. Last week. Now go and be disgusted with this site and it's administration.
