Comments on: Dem Tiefin’ We?!?: Copyright infringment and the local blogging community

By: Queen Macoomeh

Queen Macoomeh — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:55:00 +0000

Perhaps they think you just ups and did the piece in 30 seconds and drop it online and left? No! It took time – days, weeks even months of work, concentrated effort and presentation. Some of my photos are a one time only thing. I shoot at Caribana and when that costume gets off stage or the steelband finish playing, I can never EVER get that shot again. I want to share it with others to showcase a festival that I adore. So when Mary Jackarse (pardon my sanskrit) steals it and has it on her site saying it is hers, it makes me want to share less. A copyright symbol over a mas costume takes away SO MUCH from the photograph. But that is what Mary and her fellow imbeciles have caused.
These thieves have no idea how much they are injuring the art, the artist and the messenger.

It is not a Trini thing. Some of my dialect work has been stolen by non-Caribbean entities, they drain the dialect out, replacing it with standard english and regurgitating it as their own. Heck I've found one story actually translated into German!

steupse

….look doh start me up here dis morning nuh. All meh Lavantile DNA go get expose. Sarina, is too much to talk.
Ah gorn!
QM

By: Queen Macoomeh

Queen Macoomeh — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:55:00 +0000

steupse

….look doh start me up here dis morning nuh. All meh Lavantile DNA go get expose. Sarina, is too much to talk.
Ah gorn!
QM

By: Queen Macoomeh

Queen Macoomeh — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:54:23 +0000

Sarina, I don't Twitter. If I add one more online communication tool to my PC it might implode! I had to give up my live forum a few years ago because I couldn't keep up. I am on FaceBook though, so if you're there, holla. Email is always good so if you want, just give me your email and I will add you to my newsletter. I send out some commess every 6-8 weeks or when I ketch a vapse.

The copyright thing is heartbreaking. Folks either don't know or don't care that if they take your work, they are committing a crime. I expect my stories to be shared. That is why I write them. But when my name is removed or replaced with another name then they are stealing. There is harm done. It is not a victimless crime.

(it still not letting me talk long. Yuh have yuh anti-Laventile-people virus check on or wha?)

By: Queen Macoomeh

Queen Macoomeh — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:54:00 +0000

(it still not letting me talk long. Yuh have yuh anti-Laventile-people virus check on or wha?)

By: Trinigourmet

Trinigourmet — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 05:43:03 +0000

Queen Macoomeh, thanks so much for sharing this experience! Your site is a joy to behold and congrats on the Chicken Soup inclusion! I understand how you feel about the copyright notice on images. I have had to enlarge my own with a heavy heart, but if it is a deterrent so be it, and if not at least there is not doubt from where it came (yay?). Stay in touch, and if you are on Twitter holler to me @Trinigourmet

By the way, now that your comments have been approved you should find yourself with more space allowed for future comments Best wishes!

By: Trinigourmet

Trinigourmet — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 05:43:00 +0000

By the way, now that your comments have been approved you should find yourself with more space allowed for future comments Best wishes!

By: Queen Macoomeh

Queen Macoomeh — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:53:26 +0000

Las Lap:__I wrote once more, employing a large portion of my Holy Name Convent vocabulary, issued in my 'Chantal' accent, demanded redress and copied in an attorney who offered to assist me. The piece vanished.__I wasn't always that lucky. One person actually emailed me back and cursed me with all the venom of a jouvert morning jagabat, accusing me of lying, telling me my mother was of questionable occupation and that my father was not landed.__Another occasion, I received my OWN work in a email from a 'friend' claiming she wrote it. Apparently she was not bright enough to know when you hit "REPLY ALL", the person you plagiarzied may also get copied.__That was then. This is now. Now not only is my work still being stolen, but now that I have added photographs to my work, the wholesale insult has visuals. I add a copyright symbol to the photos but that ruins the presentation. I use password protection software to my words but some deligent cacapoules actually either sit and copy the words or uncap the protection with spy software. __Anywho, lemme hush. I could go on for another few gigabytes but the host of this site might boof me.__Walk Good__Queen Macoomeh__Queen of the Tencil Terriers.

By: Queen Macoomeh

Queen Macoomeh — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:48:56 +0000

Part 2 of my drivel

I was naive in how I protected my work. After all, I come from an island where we once we left the door unlocked or the key under the flower pot and told the neighbour "ah going to come back!" and left for hours.
So it was a rude and painful awakening when one of my readers told me they saw my writing elsewhere credited to else-whom. Still in my mist of trust and fellowship, I thought it was simply an error, so I sent a cheerful, dimply email to the webmaster of the site. Imagine my dismay when they replied and said THEY wrote it.

End of part 2 of my drivel
(ay mods, gie we lil longer post space nuh? Yuh done know we like to ole talk!)

By: Queen Macoomeh

Queen Macoomeh — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:47:17 +0000

A macoomere just sent me this notice. I read with interest. Allow me to ramble for a minute (or ten).
I am a writer, I host a T&T dialect website called See Nen Nen News and another more formal one called Commess University. I started simply, before blogging was the hobby du jour. I shared with family and a few friends. I began writing for a Toronto ethnic newspaper and things took off faster than NAPA went up.

END OF PART ONE OF MY DRIVEL

By: Queen Macoomeh

Queen Macoomeh — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:47:00 +0000

END OF PART ONE OF MY DRIVEL