sineout.com

This might contain some ranting, you've been warned

So, unless you've been living under a rock, or in a cave, or, you know, just avoiding civilisation in general, then, first, welcome back, I don't envy your temporary lack of internets connection.
But, second, and just as important, you might have heard of dA Muro, or you're playing with it now, or some such.

@dxd has already written an excellent journal/news article (give luff plx), on dA Muro and its numerous advantages and its great potential, as well as addressing some of its nay-sayers.

I just want to weigh in on the subject, in the only way I know how, a long winded rant replete with a plethora of verbosity (inside joke ).

One of the biggest complaints with regards to dA Muro is 'it's like, totally a rip off of x, y and/or z', and 'dA is stealing other peoples ideas' and 'it's supposed to be, like revolutionary and original, but I've seen it all before on website x'.
And so on, ad infinitum (or nauseum, depending on your constitution).

I'll let you all into a little secret (even if it is rather cliche, by now), there's no such thing as originality.
Well, there is, but 'originality' (as in, something that's truly original) is an extremely rare event to behold, and I'd go so far as to say that very few people genuinely get to actually experience it.

You want to complain about a lack of originality. Okay, fine, so, why aren't you complaining about the old masters. I mean, they clearly stole the idea of applying pigment to paper to make images from painters before their time, and they clearly stole the idea from previous generations. And so on until we reach the first hominids who had the bright spark of putting pigments on rocks that we now gawk at.

Originality, as we know it today, is not originality, but, the reformulation of memes (or ideas), into something new, and perhaps unexpected.
Introducing bona-fide 'digital art', as an alternative to traditional art, and providing new tools that suit the medium. It's not an original idea, it's just an extension of an old idea. The reapplication of a pre-existing meme to suite the tools and the times. Nothing new about it, just the application.

Back to dA Muro, with that little aside.
Are there other online drawing applications? Of course there are, and dA has never tried to hide that fact. Hell, some of these applications have features that dA Muro presently doesn't (like use in an instant messaging/chat room environment). But, does that mean that dA is 'stealing' ideas because other people have attempted this before, even with the same technologies?

No.

We are human (one presumes), we are rather predictable creatures. Those of us who use dA are all exposed to a similar culture, and we bring to that culture our own 'real' cultures. We all share memes (or ideas), we share common themes. We watch, largely, the same films, read the same books, listen to the same music, get exposed to the same sorts of concepts, and so on.
Is it any wonder why two people, born on opposite sides of the globe, can think of, say, a character that can fly, and has super speed and strength?
It shouldn't be.

We all share a similar meme set, it's part of being human. We share a common pool of concepts and knowledge (which is becoming even more generalised, thanks to the internets), so, two different people, from radically different cultural backgrounds, can independently think of two near identical concepts, all the way down to the execution of the thing.

Now, I'm not saying that dA was unaware of the various plugin based browser drawing apps, that'd be silly to suggest. But that doesn't mean that dA stole the idea, because if it did, why aren't you levelling that same criticism towards the various clones of these flash based drawing apps? And, why aren't you accusing all of them of trying to copy photoshop, or its ilk?

Also, just because you've seen something similar to dA Muro on another site, doesn't mean that the concept isn't somehow 'innovative' on this site.
This site has never had a built in means of being able to create art, being able to communicate in images, without the need to labouriously upload each new image, and so on. Now it does. And it's already starting to cascade into something that will probably be seen as a paradigm shift in dA ten years from now.

To be as basic as I can functionally be, just because something isn't original, does not mean it can't be innovative (two double negatives in as many paragraphs, I fail).
dA did something 'new', it took a known idea, and reformulated it in a new and exciting way.
It's getting people involved, it's getting people talking. Hell, it's even getting schlubs (remarkably apt self description, if I say so myself) like me, to actually get a tablet, or dust of their old one (in my case), and actually seriously consider using dA Muro for 'srs bsns'.
It's even got some writers (well, a writer, I think), interested in using it.

So, you've got Photoshop, or you've used 'insert flash/shockwave/java based drawing app here'. So what.
They're not dA Muro, and dA Muro is not them.
If you want to make 'real art', go ahead and use the application of your preference. You're not being forced to use dA Muro. However, dA Muro gives an opportunity to those who don't want to, or can't download an app or plugin to make 'real art'.

Either way, I'm personally more excited about the potential communications shift that dA Muro will bring, and I hope it will inspire many more ideas into the future.

Featured Chat

If you didn't know by now, I seriously have to ask which rock you all have been hiding under.
Anyway, the featured chat with Chuck Anderson ([link]) will start in about three hours.
Alas, I probably won't be there, since I needs sleep, and I'm already running a serious sleep debt as it is, and 11pm BST is a bit too late for me, given my sleep debt
But, that shouldn't stop you from joining in the fun.

Writing

So. I've been writing. That's creative writing, mind you.
At the moment, what I have been writing is fan-fiction, and not fan-fiction that I'd want to submit here. I've got a lot to improve before I do that, and there's already two people here, that have read my writing (feel free to name yourselves, if you wish, but I won't until you do ), which should help me get better.

As it is, learning to think as a writer (sort of), has allowed me to flesh out one of my 'original' stories, such that I'll probably write it and post it here, so expect some writing submissions from me within a month or so, hopefully.

A Photo A Day

Even though I'm writing, doesn't mean I've stopped taking photographs. The reason why I'm so behind with my photo project isn't laziness or distraction, I'm just holding myself to a much higher standard than I did in my a photo a day project back in 2008, the reasons are two fold:
the first time around, I used the project as a means of learning, primarily, then a means of producing more work, secondarily, this helped me find my 'style', such as it is. Now that I know my style, I want to expand on it, which is a primary aim of my current photo project;
second, unlike the first project, all the images I'm producing are being uploaded here, which means that I have my own self imposed standards of what I will upload here, meaning I upload less, over all.

To be honest, I don't really mind that I'm not producing more, I'm more interested in quality, over quantity, this time around.

Tutorial

Last year a put up a poll about my making a video tutorial. I've since nixed the idea, mainly because the tutorial would either be too long, or too short, for me to do.
However, the idea of my making a tutorial hasn't disappeared.
About a week ago, I decided to make a good old fashioned static tutorial, and I'm in the process of planning the copy at the moment.
I intend to include practically everything I know, and cover my photography as a whole, so I expect the tutorial to be long, and verbose, and full of technical language.
Before you wonder, I'm not making this tutorial because I think my 'style' is unique, or even good, I'm making it because what I know may be of use to others, particularly beginners, and, I figure, I learned most of what I know about photography from other photographers on the internet, it's about time I share what I know, and have independently learned, with others.

Drama and Anime

So, some (I presume a handful) of people know that I've been watching Korean drama and some Anime, thanks to =Calyptra, I'm doing this as much for the learning, as the entertainment, besides, given my writing, anything to diversify my meme base is a good thing

The Pink Elephant

Of course, I saved the best, to last, so to speak.
The big Pink Elephant in the corner of the room, regarding my latest poll, yes, I am really going to dye my hair, and, based on the title of this section, and based on the poll results, it's probably going to be pink (unless more voting occurs to change that, of course).
The details are fuzzy, at the moment, I'm thinking I'll dye my hair in about six to eight weeks from when the donation pages go live, or so.
I've two charities I'm thinking of donating to, UNICEF (of course, since I donated to it previously), or an International Cancer charity (please give suggestions to such), and will probably work along the same formula as last time, though, I'll try to pimp it a little more . I'll set a £100/$150 target, as before, but I won't open the donation pages until I've firmly decided on which charity to go for (again, suggestions, plx), though, given that I reached my goal last time, my expe...

It Is Done

So, it's Friday 13th of November, which means one thing, it's time for me to get bald, the following is the 'before' picture



And now, for the grand unveiling, the 'after picture'



Ehh, I'm of two minds about this, I don't think I look good with this lack of hair (not that I look good at all, but that's besides the point), but I think I look a lot better than what I thought I could have looked like.
Either way, it's all for charity, so I can't complain too much.

Anyway, I'd like to thank
`MC-Frizzle
~popeyethecat
=CynthiaCynical
and
~Tsunamijuan
for donating

I'd also like to thank
=goddessaragon
@hazelnutx
and
=zombierap21
for pimping me out a bit

and here is some Video Evidence too.

It's Not Over Yet

Just because I've done the deed and cut off my hair doesn't mean it's over, the donation pages are still open, so, if you feel so inclined, you can still donate, for at least another six months

[link] if you're a UK person, or if you want to pay by paypal
[link] if you're a US person

On Healthcare, Socialism and Communism

Update, I've made an audio/video version of this 'article' at [link] , go watch it plz

Very rarely do I stick my oar in to political issues such as this, but given the current furore about the 'public healthcare option' in the US, I've decided to share my two cents, such as it is.

There seems to be two main issues with this idea to the right wing in the US, first, that a public option to healthcare is socialism, and socialism is just one step closer to communism (or more commonly, the misconception that socialism is communism), as if communism is a bad thing.
And second, that socialised healthcare just doesn't work, and the only solution to it would be a privatised healthcare system just like the one presently employed in America.

I'll address these points in a reverse order.

Virtually every industrialised country in the world, with an exception to America, has at least some form of public healthcare.
More often than not, the right wing in the US, will point to various failings in the NHS (National Health Service), as proof that socialised healthcare doesn't work, or provides poorer care than the private healthcare in America.
Often citing things like death panels, or over crowding, or any number of 'Bad Things ^TM'.

Every single cite that socialised healthcare doesn't work, or provides poor quality care, tends to either be an exaggeration (as in examples of triage, where people who don't need a surgery, don't tend to get that surgery immediately), or they tend to be anomalies
It's interesting to note, that, just like socialised healthcare, privatised healthcare is just as imperfect, there are the same anomalies and triage situations in American hospitals too.

It's rather funny, when you consider that, the American Healthcare system purely revolves around money. If you don't have it, you may as well not exist, if you do have it, the onus is not on curing a patient, but on not getting sued (which, of course, does tend to lead to the patient being cured).
This isn't the fault of the doctors of America, it's the fault of the Insurance companies interested in their bottom line, not in the people that have taken out insurance with them.

It should also be interesting to note, that another argument against socialised health care, is that it costs more, because it's in your taxes. The amusing thing is that Americans, on average, spend double the amount that people in other industrialised countries spend on Healthcare, here's a nice little graph, showing this:



Given that the American healthcare system revolves around money, and not strictly on saving lives, one has to wonder why the Right Wing, would prefer that.
In their position, I'd much rather a health care system that wants to keep me alive not because I have money in my bank account, but because, maybe, my life has some inherent value.

Of course, this leads tidily on to the socialism == communism angle.
Basically, the arguments that socialised healthcare doesn't work and/or is worse, is mainly an excuse, a reason, a justification into why socialised health care is a bad thing.
In extension, it's used as a banner to explain why socialism in general is a bad thing.

Most people in the Right Wing, don't seem to understand the inherent hypocrisy in calling foul of socialism.
Healthcare in the US is basically one of the only public services in America that isn't socialised. School, for example, is socialised in America (to my knowledge, anyway), any person in the Right Wing, who has attended public school is a hypocrite on this subject before they've even opened their mouths, if they don't want socialised healthcare, they'd better sign themselves up for a lobotomy (which, of course, they'd have to pay for), to remove all the knowledge and memories they gained from their pre-college school years.

Of course the main reason why people are so against this, is because, as mentioned, it's seen that socialism is just one step closer to communism, or, worse, that socialism is communism.

Communism is often seen as a bad thing, because it failed in Russia, and, it's currently employed in China, among other places. The reason why Communism is not a good thing at the moment, is purely because Communism does not work in a scarcity driven economy. Simply put, communism doesn't work, because w...

Welcome

Please welcome back @martypunker to the team, you all know the drill by now, give him profuse amounts of love and hugs and other assorted feel good spam

Birthdays

For those of you who don't know (which is most, I'd wager), I've been an MN@ for two years
To be honest, it doesn't feel that long, and I still feel like a newbie

I was going to write a journal replete with statistics and other assorted mathematical junk, but, to be honest, that would require research, and effort, and I know that most people wouldn't really care about such little points of data.

Suffice it to say, I think I've grown considerably in my time as an MN@.
I started out as a timid noob, who was originally supposed to focus on moderating the forums, since, before becoming an MN@, I had probably spent no more than about 24 to 36 hours on dAmn.
Nonetheless, I decided to join #devart, because I wanted to be more useful than that, and about 36 hours later (almost contiguously ), I went to bed.
Needless to say, I returned.
Over time I gained some modicum of confidence, and about two months after my first birthday as an MN@, I was told by $Tachy-on that my MN@ privs were to be removed.

To be replaced with Senior MN@ privs

It goes without saying that I was surprised at that, since I considered myself to be fairly green still (and I still do).
Anyway, those privs came the ability to promote DD's (which, I admit, I've been woefully under-utilising recently), which was something I had wanted to do for quite a long time.

Since then, I'd like to think I've come into my own, and I know that these two years have done quite a lot for myself, certainly, I wouldn't be as much of a shut in as I used to be (though, I still am a shut in, I'm just one of those rare breed that knows what sunlight looks like ).

One main highlight was at the HQ meet, with $spyed bringing out the all the staff and volunteers in attendance to stand in front of the group just before the group photo was taken.
As an introvert, that was, to be mild, 'interesting'.

I had been telling myself to 'write an epic journal today', but, unfortunately, this is all I've got.
Here's to another two years

Storytiem

For those interested, the story is still going, it's just not going very fast, I'm currently in the process of outlining the plot of the story, which is proving to be difficult, since I don't want to copy other fan-fiction that I have read, and I want the plot to be at least believable and applicable to the A:TLA universe.
I will get there, just be patient.
Oh, also, when I do get around to actually writing this story, I will need some proof readers, so, if you're interested, tell me, of course, don't expect anything too substantive in the near future, it could be a month or two before I have any significant material to proof read.

Website Redesign/Re-imagining

I has a website, it's at sineout.com, I want to do a redesign, but, I have a problem.

I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my website.

I've considered many things, some of which I will list.

A Portfolio - this idea is sound, except, with the new dA portfolio's, if I want to show case my photography, I can just use that, granted, if I roll my own portfolio, I can showcase my 'website development' stuff, what little of it there is, and my writing, when I get around to writing something of note, but it's only really my photography that I could really usefully showcase, since, if I'm being honest, my website development skills are even more mediocre than my ph...