VFA-103guy Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 (edited) Guys- Been getting alot of emails concerning a few issues lately, so I'm posting this to get some things straightened out. I apologize if it sounds like I'm venting, but I feel like I'm having to constantly having to repeat myself and I'm laying it all out. Issue #1. JR sheet correction inserts. If you emailed me with a request for the insert(s), there on there way to you. Nobody to my knowledge was left out. I stayed up until 5 this morning double checking my paypal account and mailing receiptsjust to be sure. As for their delivery dates, I dropped them in a postal bin on the base I work at on 2 occasions. Once on the 12th or 13th of Jan, and the other batch on the 23rd. I never checked to see when the pick up times are on them, but I think they may only pick up mail from the bin like once a week or something like that. I chose to drop them off there because it's on my way to work, so now we're at the mercy of the US postal service. Issue #2. The Reference section on our website Due to unauthorized usage of our photos, we now require a user name and password to get into the reference section. You may purchase a user name and password for a one time fee of $5. OK, so now your asking "what does my $5 get me?". Well, it gets you unlimited access to ALL of our walk arounds for both VF and MAW decals, Hi res F-14 paint scheme profiles, and F-14 maintenance reports (which I'm slowly but surely working on those to explain how to interpret them to you). More things will be added as we go, and we're trying to make it as reasonable as possible, so you, our customers don't feel you're getting ripped. Belive me guys, I hated to have to do that, but I made the decision to help deter other decal companies from using our pics without our permission and to help somewhat protect our photographer's copyright, and also, so we can keep a close track of who's looking at our pictures. Issue #3 Order Delivery times Since I'm a one man operation in the mailing dept and I work a full time job, and volunteer at the local museum, and have a family life, and so on and so on, I only make order deliveries once a week. If you require faster delivery of our products, please order our decals through TWOBOBS or Sprue Brothers. I hope this clears up these issues for everyone, and if doesn't, please contact me off board. Thanks- Brian Marbrey VF-Decals Edited January 31, 2006 by VF-103guy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Walker Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Thanks for the follow-up on that. I was afraid the reference section was gone for good. And five dollars certainly doesn't seem unreasonable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 No worries Brian. Your still one of the good ones. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PBoilermaker Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Brian, Sorry to hear that you are still being badgered (my word, not Brian's) about this stuff. I agree, the $5 is very reasonable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALCON, If you have ordered correction inserts, you WILL get them. I don't work for VF-Decals, but I know Brian and his family have been working their rears off getting these things out. P A T I E N C E -Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
doctorpepper Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Brian, thanks for all the hard work! like i suggested before - perhaps some sort of password system can be designed for the website - such that buying a particular VF Decal sheet would give you a password and access to the necessary photo refs for the sheet? of course, every sheet would have a different password - based on some hexadecimal or etc key generator? ok, after i wrote that, i think it's too much work. $5's fine with me :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 Brian,thanks for all the hard work! like i suggested before - perhaps some sort of password system can be designed for the website - such that buying a particular VF Decal sheet would give you a password and access to the necessary photo refs for the sheet? of course, every sheet would have a different password - based on some hexadecimal or etc key generator? ok, after i wrote that, i think it's too much work. $5's fine with me ;) Sounds like postive feedback so far. One thing I forgot to mention was, if any photos by photographers other than myself or any of the VF-Decals crew are used in the reference section, we will compensate you. It won't be much, but it will be something. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John B Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 OK, so now your asking "what does my $5 get me?". Well, it gets you unlimited access to ALL of our walk arounds for both VF and MAW decals, Hi res F-14 paint scheme profiles, and F-14 maintenance reports (which I'm slowly but surely working on those to explain how to interpret them to you). More things will be added as we go, and we're trying to make it as reasonable as possible, so you, our customers don't feel you're getting ripped.Belive me guys, I hated to have to do that, but I made the decision to help deter other decal companies from using our pics without our permission and to help somewhat protect our photographer's copyright, and also, so we can keep a close track of who's looking at our pictures. #1 How does that really stop anyone from looking the images and creating their own artwork from the images? An unscrupulous person could just sign up under an alias, pay the $5, and still have free reign of the reference pages!!! A whole bunch of people will have then chipped in $5, for your false sense of security. #2 Others don't charge to view images. Not 2Bobs. Not Airliners.net. Not Fencecheck.com. Not carrierbuilders.net. Not MM. Not HS. Not ARC. Not cybermodeler.com. Not Alert5. Not navy.mil. Not usmc.mil. Not af.mil #3 If you post any image on the web, it's vulnerable and will be copied. Nothing will stop that. If you don't want the copyright on your images to be infringed, don't post them on the web. If you want to provide the buyer with the references, why not a- print the images on the decal instructions like Orion Models & 2Bobs? or b- run down to your photo-lab, have a bunch of prints made, and include the prints in the decal package (like a company in Australia that did so)? #4 If you don't want your images to copied, don't post them or make them accessible from the web. If you don't want your images to viewed, don't post them on the web. #5 How would you be able to dis-prove that someone took their own shots, came up with their own artwork, and produced their own decals for the same subject from a $5 fee? Having said that, I know for a fact that my own images have been used other-than-intended websites without my permission. Those images were posted on the web and it was not a matter of 'if', but 'when' those images would be "right-click, saved, and pasted" without my knowledge. That little "John Bibay" in the corner won't stop anyone from re-cropping the image without it on there. Even if I chose to watermark my images, that wouldn't stop anyone from viewing the images and making their own artwork from viewing those images. Would you like to know what I did about it? I became very selective about what images I post on the web. What did I do about my images that were already loose on the web? I got over it really fast. I have more important issues in my life. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tank Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 #1 How does that really stop anyone from looking the images and creating their own artwork from the images? An unscrupulous person could just sign up under an alias, pay the $5, and still have free reign of the reference pages!!! A whole bunch of people will have then chipped in $5, for your false sense of security.#2 Others don't charge to view images. Not 2Bobs. Not Airliners.net. Not Fencecheck.com. Not carrierbuilders.net. Not MM. Not HS. Not ARC. Not cybermodeler.com. Not Alert5. Not navy.mil. Not usmc.mil. Not af.mil #3 If you post any image on the web, it's vulnerable and will be copied. Nothing will stop that. If you don't want the copyright on your images to be infringed, don't post them on the web. If you want to provide the buyer with the references, why not a- print the images on the decal instructions like Orion Models & 2Bobs? or b- run down to your photo-lab, have a bunch of prints made, and include the prints in the decal package (like a company in Australia that did so)? #4 If you don't want your images to copied, don't post them or make them accessible from the web. If you don't want your images to viewed, don't post them on the web. #5 How would you be able to dis-prove that someone took their own shots, came up with their own artwork, and produced their own decals for the same subject from a $5 fee? Having said that, I know for a fact that my own images have been used other-than-intended websites without my permission. Those images were posted on the web and it was not a matter of 'if', but 'when' those images would be "right-click, saved, and pasted" without my knowledge. That little "John Bibay" in the corner won't stop anyone from re-cropping the image without it on there. Even if I chose to watermark my images, that wouldn't stop anyone from viewing the images and making their own artwork from viewing those images. Would you like to know what I did about it? I became very selective about what images I post on the web. What did I do about my images that were already loose on the web? I got over it really fast. I have more important issues in my life. All good points my brother. Semper Fi, Ryan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 (edited) John- You do bring up some good points and am definitely taking them into consideration. If I didn't mention it, this is something we're just trying out, and if it fails, then so what. At least I gave it a shot. Also, I did like the idea you gave concerning getting the prints made and including them with the decals. I appreciate the input. Edited January 31, 2006 by VF-103guy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skull Leader Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 All good points my brother.Semper Fi, Ryan Congratulations on your very informative and helpful post regarding this matter. Brian has a right to try and protect his property as he sees fit. If he wants to charge in an attempt to curb rampant copying, who's to stop him? If you don't like not having that access, either pay up or shut up. No one is requiring you to pay the fee. Otherwise, there's no reason to climb his rear like a flagpole on this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bugfan Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 EASY SKULL, you'll blow a gasket. I can see Johns point though. Why the 5.00 charge for something that you bought from him in the first place. He did say that references would be available. I think that the password to get into the references would be enough, theres no extra cost to do this, hes already got the webspace! I am not defending John nor beating up VF-Decals, but hey someone noticed the difference between the decals and the reference shot or the decals would not have been sent out "defective" so to speak. Either way, the decals are damn good and I cant wait for more, but I dont know yet if I will pay the "ENTRY FEE" to see something that I have already paid for!! Just my 2 cents worth, and not wanting to start a flame war!! Jack aka BUGFAN Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 (edited) Ok guys, take it easy. I for one don't think either John and Tank's response was justified, but don't crucify them for it. I think John's response could have been a little more constructive, but his attitude in his post is just a part of his personality. You'ld have to know him to understand where I'm coming from with that. As for Tank, I don't know him well enough to say where he's coming from. Secondly, I'm still trying to figure out how and why you guys are saying you already paid for my references. I don't remember anybody else but me paying for the developing or my camera, and nobody but me pays the website bill, or my trips to Oceana. So if somebody can clarrify that, please, by all means, educate me. Thirdly, since this is my buisness, I feel I have the right and privilage to take a few chances and try something new. I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but I'm not afraid of taking a chance. And, if I fail, then so what, at least I can say I tried. Finally, I appreciate all the comments, positive and negative. Edited February 1, 2006 by VF-103guy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tank Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Ok guys, take it easy. I for one don't think either John and Tank's response was justified, but don't crucify them for it. I think John's response could have been a little more constructive, but his attitude in his post is just a part of his personality. You'ld have to know him to understand where I'm coming from with that. As for Tank, I don't know him well enough to say where he's coming from.Thirdly, since this is my buisness, I feel I have the right and privilage to take a few chances and try something new. I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but I'm not afraid of taking a chance. And, if I fail, then so what, at least I can say I tried. Finally, I appreciate all the comments, positive and negative. :huh: I am coming from agreeing with what John posted and that you agreed with in regards to it being good points, what’s so wrong with that... :D "John- You do bring up some good points and am definitely taking them into consideration. If I didn't mention it, this is something we're just trying out, and if it fails, then so what. At least I gave it a shot. Also, I did like the idea you gave concerning getting the prints made and including them with the decals. I appreciate the input" ... and it is your business but if you don't at least listen to your consumers than your business won't last long. Bonehead, if I wanted to "climb his rear like a flagpole on this" I would have and said more than that. I forgot you were named to the thought police, sorry for agreeing with an ARC member before consulting you. I will continue to do so in the future so get used to it. :o Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 Ok Tank.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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