Purchase business cards with my designs at http://www.printbusinesscards.com/orde ..
A review of my photos appeared in this online magazine in its first issue:
http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcct ..

I was very proud to be featured in the sxc newsletter for February 2008. Here is the link:
http://www.sxc.hu/nws/016/

I have decided to remove my gallery from sxc for several reasons. Firstly, the attitude of the new reich is foreign from all that were here before. Clumsy, rude, patronising people who are baffled about why we don't like them.

The original reason I considered removing my images was because of the glee with which the iStock members greeted Getty's acquisition as a channel to their paid photos. "Welcome to the family"?? Yeah, right. This has been confirmed by the extremely low standards approved by the new reich. Then the arrogant face of the man without a name, who only wants the best for sxc, and wants to make it the best free stock site on the net, caused me such a wave of emotional nausea that the little bile valve in the top of my head became a veritable fountain. When I learned that the original mods - whose time, energy, and expertise had ALREADY made this the best stock site on the net - had been locked out, no respect or even human kindness - that appalled me. But I guess corporations who control everything have absolute power, and there is no longer any need for manners.
The last straw was the weak banning of wierdvis. So many empty words to justify the action, but we all know the real reason. It would appear to be protocol to patronise obsequious people, to the point where sycophantic waffling sounds legitimate.

Naturally, Getty has the legal right to do all of this, and my complaint is merely on an ethical ground.

I think sxc is going to become a very poor site in the future, and given that people's galleries are merely being used as advertising fodder for pay sites (and if I hear another thing about Jupiter, who treated all with respect, I may burst a blood vessel), sites I do not like, then it behooves me to remove my gallery. I would like to remain a member for the time being. It's that fascination with watching a train wreck. But since the fact that wierdvis had removed her gallery in protest was used as part of the many reasons for banning her, I don't think it will be long before the same fate happens to all of us who dislike the reich. (I use that word in the sense that the Holy Roman Empire is called a reich, in case you want to try to ban me for its use.)

Anyway, I will put a copy of this in the General forum, and I wish those that stay - with some exceptions - all well for the future. There are many members whom I regard as friends, and will miss. It's probably because of them that I want to retain my membership.

I would also like to add that in all the years I have been here, I have contributed substantially to the site via my comments on images. I always felt people deserved praise for their efforts. My downloads are - today - 1,688,388, so even though the quality of my work wasn't up there with the best, it was sometimes popular. I have cds, books, magazines, and endless electronic files showing where my images have been used. I am grateful to Peter for his work originally in setting up a site where it was possible to learn.
Dez Pain.

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