Thursday, June 25, 2009

Ethics 101


Here's an image I've listed at fineartamerica.com. I've sold a couple of images there, and it's been a great experience.

So, here's an image someone's bought today.

Here's my email copy:
Hi Larry,

You received an order today on FineArtAmerica.com for one of your prints! The order details are included, below:

Wave by Larry Darnell

Image Size:
40.00" x 21.25"
Total Size:
40.00" x 21.25"
Print Material:
Glossy Finish Canvas
Finishing:
Gallery Wrapped - 1.5" Stretcher Bars - Back Stapled - Black Sides

Profit from Print:
$175.00
Profit from Accessories:
$18.94
Quantity Ordered:
1
Total Profit:
$193.94

Well, that's ok...no one can complain about this.

And then I get this next email, similar to another I got for the last sale I made with them:

Congratulations on your recent order for Wave!

Unfortunately, there is a problem with your image that will prevent us from making a high-quality print:

1. The image has a digital blur effect applied to the whole image.

We need the original, unaltered image. Unless you happen to know this buyer, I can tell you from experience that he/she is probably expecting a pure image and will probably return the print if it's digitally altered.

Can you please correct the problem and upload a new image to FineArtAmerica.com as soon as possible? You'll need to replace your existing image (http://fineartamerica.com/featured/wave-larry-darnell.html) with your new image.

Please let me know as soon as you've uploaded the new image. I have the order on hold until I hear back from you.
Well, hear back from me we do:

I'd like to point out, there are 2 fundamental problems here. The first is I presented the image this person decided to buy, and you are suggesting they not only don't want what they've seen, but they won't get what they've seen - which, as far as I can tell is unethical, and probably illegal.

The second is you are asking me to alter the image I've presented, after I've spent hours altering it the way I wanted it presented - to make a pure image. Well, I can get beyond the non-implied insult, but not quite to the steady ground of your definition of pure.

I perceive there is some kind of standard by which you people judge what will print acceptably and what won't - which is neither clear nor stated anywhere. Consequently, there is no real definition of what you 'want.'

You state I applied a blur effect. Well, I applied a lot of effects - I don't know what blur effect you refer to. The process I pursued was to create a Japanese woodblock print effect on an underlying photograph.

I guess we'll have to lose the sale unless you can be more specific regarding what you want.

I know I'm nuts to turn down the sale - but what can I do...ALL my work is not PURE, I'm sure.

What do you think?

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Is there life after APPLE?


Purgatorio
As I was saying ..my Apple dual G5 of 3.5 years died last week. This my main machine for graphics has been a workhorse with minor problems and a 3 year APPLECARE we'll come and change your sox $300 program which ran out last January and, unlike the telemarketers' promise, cannot be extended.

So it's dead...and here am I wondering what to do...

I did a perfunctory search on the web to find some quick fixit suggestions - all of which i tried to no avail - and i also found a surprising number of whiners complaining about the same problems i was having...with mixed results from Apple support.

Now, I'll admit, I expect to get moused by most large corporations. But this is being written on an Apple g4 machine that's 10 years old...and I'm still using 2 old g4 laptops - my expectations have been set so high, it's hard for me to accept a dead lemonapple after 3.5 years.

Well, I digress...I took the box to Santa Cruz to Dave's for $75 to tell me...whoa, it's the logic board or processor: $7-800 to start. I didn't want to do that...who knows how long that fix will stay fixed?

In this day and age, that's still alot of dough for me - a light lunch for some.

During this process my friend Don asked, have you taken it to the Geniuses? I hadn't had that standing-at-the-oracle experience. Something you might do sometime, if you can't get to Lourdes or Delphi... You are confronted with a weighty coolness and light, the acolytes and Geniuses are young cool arrogant talking snakes. If you don't know about this unique Apple personality, you should think: Timmy Geithner but cool, Marky Mark with a GED or DeSoto sales people who don't need tutone shoes and brylcreme hair - hipsters deep into that 1984 commercial style trench they think they broke out of.

Well, I did get around to taking the computer to the Apple Genius Bar in Los Gatos...now this is a cultural throwback to something surreal as well. Most of the media buzz these days, when not arabcentric, is about how the dust bowl is acomin or here now, Not Los Gatos. So Los Gatos is a Must see. It's a Western Silicon Valley enclave that's always been the upscale [often white, but not always] place where those in the futureknow shake a tailfeather. Los Gatos is like an updated backlot 50's version of bustling small town america on steroids - commerce a-gogo, preening yuppies doing eurotrash and upsacle california casual. And buying their precious and weaverbird geegaws like sandbags before the impending flood.

So I went to the APPLE center. I did this because I read the tempting forum experiences of those who claimed they knew someone with MY SAME PROBLEM, APPLE gave a new machine to, only charged for parts, acted like their product was important to them and so was their customer.... WOW! Let me in on this gravy train.

Well, on a Thursday night, with my "some dirt on the case" G5, I was lucky to get an appointment at the genius bar...look way back in the photo to the blue squares, those are monitors...just above them are the iconic statements that you're at the oracle of the GENIUS BAR.

To help with the visualization, I will be taking photos on my next visit, so you without experience can visualize the intellectual separation between you and an Apple genius.

I met with the genius who was able to tell me how much it would cost me for APPLE to confirm DAVE's assessment ($75). Sure, sure...I was ready for the mea culpa...I'd read the dual G5 was acknowledged by engineers as a lemon before they pulled the production trigger.

Woof. Not so fast chucko =

Altho I was told the box was going on the rack for a 48 hour testorama, I discovered on my return from my pickup Jasonandmeg LA roundtrip [another tale for another time] they'd left a phone message the next day saying - oh, you need to replace the logic board and processors - $1800 +.

To be fair, I was told on the phone I could get it fixed cheaper someplace else. I was told I could part it out. I was told too bad. I was told there's no place for old, or recently old macs.

So for half the price of the fix, I'm getting a new HP.

But there's purgatory...that time when no longer apple and learning linux....it's going to be a slog


updates as they are available