teh indy (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} teh_indy) wrote,@ 2004-07-15 14:04:00 |
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Do-s and Don't-s in the icon community
Here is a guideline of things a person should and shouldn't do in the icon community. You don't have to agree with me. These are not rules that you have to follow or else be punished! I'm not saying you MUST behave like this. No.
This is just a compilation of frequent concerns and complaints that I've seen expressed a lot lately around the icon community as a whole. Why do it? Just to bring it forward. Some offending people don't even realize what they're doing, and would not have done it if they'd known. This is not intended to insult anyone or point any fingers.
DO-S
Credit!
Credit when using another person’s icon. Credit when using other people’s brushes. Credit your image sources. “Why?” you ask. Well, to begin with – it’s just polite. It acknowledges the person who put their hard work into creating something to share with others. Also, when you credit, it helps others find what they’re looking for if they see an icon they want, or a brush they’d like to use. Isn’t that what sharing’s all about anyway?
Another thing you should keep in mind when crediting an icon, is that you should always do it in the icon's keywords. It makes it much easier on the passerby to know exactly where a specific icon came from. If you're not sure how to do this, merky has created a tutorial for it that can be found here.
Ask for credit
If you see your icon being used without proper credit, speak up about it. Zoniduck explains why.
Promote
This goes along the same line as crediting. If you are using someone else's icon in a post or comment, and someone comments on how much they like the icon, let them know where you got it from!
Comment
Let the icon maker know that their work is appreciated. If you like what they’re creating, tell them so! It’ll only encourage more great work in the future.
Read the rules AND user info
Before asking a question, please just read the icon maker’s entire post and user info! A lot of the time people are just too lazy to look for the answers themselves when they are right in front of them! It gets really frustrating for the icon maker to get the same questions over and over again when they are already clearly answered somewhere.
This applies for communities as well. If you are going to join a community and plan on posting to it, be sure you know the rules before doing so! If it is an ‘elitist’ community, make sure to read through all the guidelines before applying!
Let the icon maker know what you’re taking
It can get annoying sometimes for the icon maker when comments only say “pretty icons, I’m taking some”. Please, be more specific. The icons are numbered for a reason. Use the numbers. It lets the icon maker know which icons are more popular and what they should focus on more in the future.
Post teaser icons
When posting a set of icons to a community, post a few teasers before the cut! Let the viewer know what they’ll be looking at. It’s frustrating not knowing if what’s behind the cut is worth looking at or not, and usually turns the viewer away.
Provide samples for friends only journals
If you absolutely must make your icon journal friends only, save viewers some time by providing them with samples, either in the user info or in a public post. Let them know what they’re getting into before they go adding and commenting.
Also, if you are posting a link to your friends only journal in a public community, let the viewers know that your journal is locked! Not everyone can sit around and wait for a journal to load to discover that they can't even view the icons they thought they were going to find.
Add the username to the filename or folder
When you save an icon that you plan on using later on, it helps to save the icon maker's username in the filename itself (or to create a new folder with the icon maker's name when saving a lot) so that you won't forget exactly who made it somewhere down the line.
DON’T-S
Hotlink
Hotlinking is the ultimate no-no, not just in icon making, but across the net. Bandwidth always comes at a cost – whether it is being paid for or not. If it is paid for, than you might as well be stealing money out of the person’s pocket. If it’s not paid for, then there is probably a set limit in which the images will no longer appear once the limit is reached. What good is sharing if you can’t even see what’s up for sharing?
Steal
Obviously. If you did not make an icon, DON’T SAY THAT YOU DID. It’s that simple.
Follow tutorials step by step
What I mean is, if you come across a full icon tutorial, do not follow each step exactly to create an icon that looks just like the one in the tutorial. Instead, use certain steps to learn new things and develop your own ways of applying them. It’s not cool to see a hundred icons that all look the same.
Copy
Please people, don’t copy a style that you see in someone’s icon. It follows the same logic as the tutorials – no one wants to see the same icons over and over again. What I mean is, don’t use similar cropping with similar text and similar effects and similar brushes. If the copied icon looks as though the original person made it, then it’s time to make some changes. If you see an icon you like and absolutely must try it yourself, get the icon maker’s permission to do so, and only do it to try it out and learn something new. Don’t create whole sets of icons that look like the original. Try it once, test it out, then move on to develop and create your own ideas from it.
Copy for icon challenges
HUGE no-no. This follows the same lines as the copying argument above. Absolutely do NOT copy another person’s icon style and submit it to an icon challenge. Challenges are designed for people to compete with their own work. If you’re going to copy another person’s style and enter into a contest, you might as well give the award to the other person, because it was their idea in the first place. Challenges aren’t about who can copy an icon the best. Be original!
Edit
Just because an icon does not have text on it, that does not mean you are free to add your own. Unless the icon maker specifically labels an icon as a base, do not assume it is one! Usually these icons are textless because they already look good without text. But if you absolutely must add your own text, get permission first! (And that doesn’t apply only to text, but any editing of any kind – including blending, cropping, animating, etc.)
Lobby votes
If you are going to compete in an icon challenge, do so fairly! Do not go around asking your friends to vote for you because you want to win. Earn your award! Icon challenges are not popularity contests. They are just what they’re called – challenges.
Furthermore... don't vote for icons simply because your friend(s) made them. Votes should always be based on the quality of the work, not on the creator.
Vote for yourself
Most icon challenges have a rule against voting for yourself. However, for the ones who lack that rule, do not vote for yourself just to win! Only vote for your icon if you truly and honestly believe it is the best.
Take it personally…
…if you apply for a so-called ‘elitist’ community and are rejected. Don’t bitch at the mods for not accepting you. Instead, ask them politely what it is they don’t like about your icons. Ask for some constructive criticism. Then take that advice and work harder on creating better icons.
Flame
Common sense, people. If you don’t like someone’s icons, move on. Don’t comment just to tell them how much their icons suck. It’s just plain rude and a waste of time.
Criticize without consent
While some icon makers enjoy constructive criticism, others aren’t so thrilled about it. If you have some criticism to offer up, ask the icon maker if they’d like to hear it first, just out of consideration.
Request icons
Unless the icon maker specifically states that they are accepting requests, please don’t ask them to make you one. There are plenty of communities made just for that purpose where other icon makers will be more than glad to fill your request.
P.S. Many thanks tobeatkicks for helping me with the list.
Also thanks to the following people for contributing:
fileg
zoniduck
crunkette
EDIT: Because I've had several people ask, I thought I'd address it here. YES, you may link to this post whenever and wherever you see fit! :D
I am also adding things to the list as people suggest them, so this post may be updated several times before it's actually "complete".
Here is a guideline of things a person should and shouldn't do in the icon community. You don't have to agree with me. These are not rules that you have to follow or else be punished! I'm not saying you MUST behave like this. No.
This is just a compilation of frequent concerns and complaints that I've seen expressed a lot lately around the icon community as a whole. Why do it? Just to bring it forward. Some offending people don't even realize what they're doing, and would not have done it if they'd known. This is not intended to insult anyone or point any fingers.
DO-S
Credit!
Credit when using another person’s icon. Credit when using other people’s brushes. Credit your image sources. “Why?” you ask. Well, to begin with – it’s just polite. It acknowledges the person who put their hard work into creating something to share with others. Also, when you credit, it helps others find what they’re looking for if they see an icon they want, or a brush they’d like to use. Isn’t that what sharing’s all about anyway?
Another thing you should keep in mind when crediting an icon, is that you should always do it in the icon's keywords. It makes it much easier on the passerby to know exactly where a specific icon came from. If you're not sure how to do this, merky has created a tutorial for it that can be found here.
Ask for credit
If you see your icon being used without proper credit, speak up about it. Zoniduck explains why.
Promote
This goes along the same line as crediting. If you are using someone else's icon in a post or comment, and someone comments on how much they like the icon, let them know where you got it from!
Comment
Let the icon maker know that their work is appreciated. If you like what they’re creating, tell them so! It’ll only encourage more great work in the future.
Read the rules AND user info
Before asking a question, please just read the icon maker’s entire post and user info! A lot of the time people are just too lazy to look for the answers themselves when they are right in front of them! It gets really frustrating for the icon maker to get the same questions over and over again when they are already clearly answered somewhere.
This applies for communities as well. If you are going to join a community and plan on posting to it, be sure you know the rules before doing so! If it is an ‘elitist’ community, make sure to read through all the guidelines before applying!
Let the icon maker know what you’re taking
It can get annoying sometimes for the icon maker when comments only say “pretty icons, I’m taking some”. Please, be more specific. The icons are numbered for a reason. Use the numbers. It lets the icon maker know which icons are more popular and what they should focus on more in the future.
Post teaser icons
When posting a set of icons to a community, post a few teasers before the cut! Let the viewer know what they’ll be looking at. It’s frustrating not knowing if what’s behind the cut is worth looking at or not, and usually turns the viewer away.
Provide samples for friends only journals
If you absolutely must make your icon journal friends only, save viewers some time by providing them with samples, either in the user info or in a public post. Let them know what they’re getting into before they go adding and commenting.
Also, if you are posting a link to your friends only journal in a public community, let the viewers know that your journal is locked! Not everyone can sit around and wait for a journal to load to discover that they can't even view the icons they thought they were going to find.
Add the username to the filename or folder
When you save an icon that you plan on using later on, it helps to save the icon maker's username in the filename itself (or to create a new folder with the icon maker's name when saving a lot) so that you won't forget exactly who made it somewhere down the line.
DON’T-S
Hotlink
Hotlinking is the ultimate no-no, not just in icon making, but across the net. Bandwidth always comes at a cost – whether it is being paid for or not. If it is paid for, than you might as well be stealing money out of the person’s pocket. If it’s not paid for, then there is probably a set limit in which the images will no longer appear once the limit is reached. What good is sharing if you can’t even see what’s up for sharing?
Steal
Obviously. If you did not make an icon, DON’T SAY THAT YOU DID. It’s that simple.
Follow tutorials step by step
What I mean is, if you come across a full icon tutorial, do not follow each step exactly to create an icon that looks just like the one in the tutorial. Instead, use certain steps to learn new things and develop your own ways of applying them. It’s not cool to see a hundred icons that all look the same.
Copy
Please people, don’t copy a style that you see in someone’s icon. It follows the same logic as the tutorials – no one wants to see the same icons over and over again. What I mean is, don’t use similar cropping with similar text and similar effects and similar brushes. If the copied icon looks as though the original person made it, then it’s time to make some changes. If you see an icon you like and absolutely must try it yourself, get the icon maker’s permission to do so, and only do it to try it out and learn something new. Don’t create whole sets of icons that look like the original. Try it once, test it out, then move on to develop and create your own ideas from it.
Copy for icon challenges
HUGE no-no. This follows the same lines as the copying argument above. Absolutely do NOT copy another person’s icon style and submit it to an icon challenge. Challenges are designed for people to compete with their own work. If you’re going to copy another person’s style and enter into a contest, you might as well give the award to the other person, because it was their idea in the first place. Challenges aren’t about who can copy an icon the best. Be original!
Edit
Just because an icon does not have text on it, that does not mean you are free to add your own. Unless the icon maker specifically labels an icon as a base, do not assume it is one! Usually these icons are textless because they already look good without text. But if you absolutely must add your own text, get permission first! (And that doesn’t apply only to text, but any editing of any kind – including blending, cropping, animating, etc.)
Lobby votes
If you are going to compete in an icon challenge, do so fairly! Do not go around asking your friends to vote for you because you want to win. Earn your award! Icon challenges are not popularity contests. They are just what they’re called – challenges.
Furthermore... don't vote for icons simply because your friend(s) made them. Votes should always be based on the quality of the work, not on the creator.
Vote for yourself
Most icon challenges have a rule against voting for yourself. However, for the ones who lack that rule, do not vote for yourself just to win! Only vote for your icon if you truly and honestly believe it is the best.
Take it personally…
…if you apply for a so-called ‘elitist’ community and are rejected. Don’t bitch at the mods for not accepting you. Instead, ask them politely what it is they don’t like about your icons. Ask for some constructive criticism. Then take that advice and work harder on creating better icons.
Flame
Common sense, people. If you don’t like someone’s icons, move on. Don’t comment just to tell them how much their icons suck. It’s just plain rude and a waste of time.
Criticize without consent
While some icon makers enjoy constructive criticism, others aren’t so thrilled about it. If you have some criticism to offer up, ask the icon maker if they’d like to hear it first, just out of consideration.
Request icons
Unless the icon maker specifically states that they are accepting requests, please don’t ask them to make you one. There are plenty of communities made just for that purpose where other icon makers will be more than glad to fill your request.
P.S. Many thanks to
beatkicks for helping me with the list.Also thanks to the following people for contributing:
filegzoniduckcrunketteEDIT: Because I've had several people ask, I thought I'd address it here. YES, you may link to this post whenever and wherever you see fit! :D
I am also adding things to the list as people suggest them, so this post may be updated several times before it's actually "complete".
