One note, Mary (nice platform, by the way). I REALLY don't think they can claim ownership to something they don't HAVE, so if you post only a small (i.e. low-resolution) version of your originally BIG (i.e. high-resolution) picture on the website, then I'm thinking the MOST they could hope to own would be the low-resolution version you posted... HOWEVER, I've not run that past a lawyer, and as crazy as the law can be, I wouldn't count on that 100%... they may be able to lay claim to the original.

Be cautious,
Jeff

Neat way to recycle stuff Maryo. Hope the tree rat and his friends don't eat you out of house and home. Sandy

That's nifty, Mary! And you know how I feel about squirrels. :D

Speaking of which, I haven't seen Phat Boy's mommy lately. :(

Brenda

Mary, I really like that because it is sturdier than the platform feeders that use screening, which often gets nasty and holes from much use. You could clean that in the dishwasher after a good hand wash. I have some small animal cage lids around. What did you use and how did you hook the chain to the lid?

Regarding copyright - put a copyright note with your name and date on every photo. That should cause some pause. If I read their policy correctly they are not claiming the right to own your photos, but the right to use your copyrighted materials. From an owner's standpoint that most likely makes no difference, since many of us might want a company to seek permission before use. They won't have to, but at least if you put a copyright mark on your photo you will get credit as it being your photo if they do decide to use it.

I am seriously contemplating leaving GW completely because I don't want my emails to get on mailing lists and I don't like the fact that when I log on with my name and password it redirects my information to an unsecure site. iV is also associated with way too many affiliate sites for my liking. Sometimes there comes a point where I am not comfortable using a site that could prove to be a huge annoyance later, when I weigh it against how much I use the site now, which is very little.

Also, on the bird forum I found an opt-out link for the site where you can supposedly instruct iV to not sell or give away your email addresses, but we all know how that goes. Sometimes just the act of opting out of something puts your email on the expensive (more valuable) list, as it is a comfirmation that there really is a person behind the email. Most internet security instructions say to igmore opt-outs, but since this opt-out is directly affilated and put out by iV maybe it is safer, but then again maybe not. They ARE mass marketers and information about our usage on the site is their main business. They will track us: what we read, how many times we visit, what we post, and what we buy. Data mining. I get rid of data miner files every week, do I want more on purpose? It all might mean nothing as well. To each his own.

Take care,
CT

CT, the lid has (a sort of) hinges on one side and clips on the other. I got a small chain from the pet/bird feeding department at WalMart, and worked the links open and closed with a pair of pliers. Voila. I have the parts of #2 sitting in my back door bathroom.
Thanks, guys, for the input about photo copyrights. The effort to store our pictures on-line is in our case more a result of losing one whole trip worth when we were in Singapore this summer. The ones I had posted on ImageCave to share with you is all I have left from that trip, and I'm so glad I did that. I wouldn't necessarily make them public.
I might just put them on CD's and store them at one of our children's, as insurance against loss from fire etc. (and from stupidity) (heehee).

:) Mary

Since Mary mentioned putting her precious images on CDs, I thought I would share an article from PC World I read last week. It was surprising and disappointing. :( We're definitely looking into other options now, especially with grandchild #1 already taking up so many CDs already.

Brenda

Here is a link that might be useful: Do Burned CDs Have a Short Life Span?

Brenda, NO WAY you're a granny!!!

Oh, and leave it to a German physicist to say regular old magnetic tape, like we've had since the 1950s (of course I'm sure today's magnetic tape is far superior to THAT), but magnetic tape is the SUPERIOR storage medium???

I had no idea that burned CDs have such a short shelf life, however... That's really disappointing to read, if really true.

As for "magnetic tape," well, I quit using tape to make recordings about the time "metal" tape came out. Prior to that, all "magnetic tape" was celluloid covered with a thin coating of some sort of magnetizeable metal, and quite vulnerable to something called "print-through," which meant that as tape sat unused for long periods of time, part of the magnetic recording on one layer would transfer to the next, thus causing an a sort of "echo" on audio recordings (I don't know what effect this had on digital recordings made to those tapes).

Nor do I know what improvements may have been made in "magnetic tape" technology in the past 20 years -- must be a lot if they're good for 30-100 years, versus 2-5 years for CDs, according to Herr Dr. Deutch. I have to wonder, however, if the technology on burnable CDs and DVDs can't be improved to increase their longevity.

Still, this is the first time I've ever read that burned CDs don't have the same life as professionally printed CDs we buy, so thanks much for the link, Brenda... Gives us much to look into as we all decide where and how to store things for the future (I was just on the verge of burning a bunch of saved TV programs to DVD... maybe not, now).

You're pretty cool -- especially for a granny! :)

Gee, Brenda, thanks, but yes, that's a dissapointment!

I suppose I could re-burn them every few years... Meanwhile, I wonder, IBM Deutschland, do they maybe sell magnetic tape? Hmmm? And not burnable CD's?

:) Mary

LOL! I have no idea, Mary, but I'm sure PC World will be getting tons of commentary on just what the heck is going on! Hopefully we'll hear more about it in the future.

I know that many folks are using external hard drives now, in which to store important stuff (or even just backing up the huge storage on newer computers). The externals are nice in that you can plug them into any (compatible) computer, adding or removing information as needed.

It is kind of sad to bid farewell to the photo albums of old, though.

(Ok, I'm a step-granny, but I'm still cool, right? :D Just say, "Yes.")

Jonah's Poo

Cooler than Denali's peak in January, Brenda!

I think at some point I might just make small "reference prints" of all the digital photos I've shot that are good enough to care about... maybe the 9-t0-a-page size, just for another form of backup... I got a good deal on the best-quality paper made for my printer over the holidays, and it's supposed to not fade for over 100 years... that should last me, I think :)

And if that doesn't work Jeff - I did notice a pop-up ad on the right with large letters that said "two second executions guaranteed". Now that is impressive. Even better than a guillotine.