In all of the "Eloh mods" out there, I really can't find any that are "open" as well.
Don't get me wrong--I'm extremely grateful that people have found my PSDs to be useful, but at the same time I really wanted some one else to release their modifications as open source to the community as well (kinda like Nicholaz, but with skins maybe?)--this is what open source is about: it's perfectly fine to take, it's great to redistribute, and it's still perfectly fine to make a profit off of it, but at the end of the day, it's still better to give back.
In one aspect the lack of any modifications back into open source is a reflection upon me--I need to do more to facilitate contributions to a community-based development of a skin (and believe me, I'm trying to explore different avenues of doing this... in addition to making a new skin--but alas, I still need more time to evaluate my options >_<). Yet at the same time I can't help but question the purely capitalistic drive of much of what happens in Second Life--nearly everything is done with a "bottom-line" in mind; when did L$ begin to matter so much? It's nice having L$ to spend, but does it really pay your RL bills, make you that much happier to accrue L$ in real life? And most importantly--by how much does it outweigh the joy and gains of sharing and contributing something back to the SL community that makes everyone's SL experience better? That said, I've made up my mind to refrain from any more open source releases until (A) Linden Lab implements a share alike permission [1], or (B) someone else releases an open source skin (i.e. show us your PSDs), or (C) Linden Lab releases their modifications to my PSDs for their new Library Avatars (I mean really, come on--FFS--this can't be that hard--what does LL lose? P.S. LL-please include my BSD copyright lingo, you already do it in your "About" box for ogg and OpenSSL).
Yes, that's a challenge. Cheers!
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[1] Of course, enforcement of share-alike copyleft restrictions on PSDs would be realistically impossible for anyone to implement--but I'd still like to see LL take a step further in the direction of Creative Commons licensing, especially when they proclaimed to do so.
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[update] Looks like Mystical Serenity's already released her PSDs! Well played ;D I guess I hafta get my butt in gear to release something new now!
[update] Also--Fawkes Allen is offering "Priceless"--with the same kinda "tip jar" economy that I have on my Suffugium Flea market stuff--go check it out!
Been telling myself for ages that I want to make a modification of the skins - and well, everything I ever released in the past is under CC - NonComm; ShareAlike; Attrib license (would that count? It's a bit more restrictive than BSD - but still it's opensource)
Figure this is as good a chance as any to start working on it.
I'm sorry to hear that you won't be making any more skin releases, but I understand and agree with your reasoning. It's very disappointing that greedy people abuse open source this way.
Aw, Eloh, I can understand your frustration so well. You made a huge, spectacular step by putting your skins under an open license, and finding that means only « free to plunder and make money of » to many people must be such a downer.
But there are other stories, too, even if do not see the limelight. Take the woman who uses your skin files to integrate her personal tattoos and peculiarities into her skin, and that would never dream of re-releasing the result simply because a.) it is entirely personal and b.) the tattoo textures are licensed to her personal use only ? You have hugely improved her life on SL, and made it a better place for creation and individuality as far as she is concerned…
Yes, I’m talking about myself, but I am sure there are many, many others in the same situation. Even if they don’t publish what they create, there is no bottom line thinking involved in what they do, only love for you and what you did for them.
Does that balance the frustration ? I honestly would not dare to say. But I thought you might like to know that here, as everywhere, there are two sides to a good deed.
well personally i would like to thank you many many times for releasing what you have because they have taught me what i have been dying to learn since day one of sl.
"but does it really pay your RL bills"
For some people, Lindens do pay their bills.
I thank you very much for your PSD's, and I'm trying very hard to learn skin-making from them. I appreciate that you give them freely, and I promise when I make anything worth looking at, I'll reference/thank/bow down to you and your talent first. Don't give up - some of us still play SL because it's fun and create because we can, and not just for the L$ - Theo
Eloh...I never even though about releasing my PSD's as an open source I must prepare and do so....I'm not as organized like you and fear that some of my skins PSD files have vanished in the haze of my machine. With that said I will strive to make my skin PSD open source and post to my pathetic blog...and you thought yours was bad. Thank you for such a great product. I still send people to your blog for the PSD's when asked how to make skins.
First, thank you so much for providing these bases. I feel that it really has opened up people's artistic talents and helped them get their start. Probably my favorite Another Modifier is the creator of {Frick}. She's so sweet and intentionally provides her artistic creations at a low, reasonable price.
Second, I know for me, these skins have allowed me to create full avatar sets for new roleplayers in Realms of Aledar, which makes a big difference in boosting people's confidence in feeling part of the community. I make them free or a dollar to help support the sim. They're no transfer, but I do provide an AnotherSkin info notecard with them so people know more and will perhaps use this great resource, too. I actually just passed the URL to another creator a few minutes ago.
I would provide open stuff if I could make items I feel were of good quality that others could use and would enjoy using. I'm working with a PS 7.0. Yes, 7. My save quality is not good, and its amazing that the skins still turn out so beautiful when I upload them. So, I guess that's my reason/excuse. And if I'm interpreting what information you're presenting incorrectly, just beat me with a shoe. XD
Again, thank you so much. It's really helped out the people I work and play with. :D
While I think you're right, I tend to view SL as less playspace and more mental challenge--I support myself (and three rent parcels) from jobs I pick up around the grid; I don't keep them going (id est, earn those Lindens), I don't have a (virtual) place to (virtually) sleep--and to me, that's more important than just coming in, buying Lindens, and shopping like crazy. I feel in that sense I'm contributing. Sort of.
I'd love to release .psds 'back into the wild', but a), I'm using your mods to learn about skin creation, and b), I am tragically fused to Gimp at present.
Still. It might, at the least, be worth learning just enough about skin design to release open-source Gimp skins. If I can.
@rheta yeah, I really wouldn't expect or even want any tattoo artists to feel obligated to release their tattoo mods--after all they're really only because of the limitations of the tattoo/skin laters of the SL avatars (i.e. they could just as easily exist as clothing layers).
I guess I was just a little annoyed that LL of all people/organizations couldn't be bothered to contribute any of their mods even after having added them the SL Library.
Wait are Mystical Serenity's stuff edits of yours or her own work? (yes, I am a bit of a moron) and if so, would you like us to release our mods of your PSDs?
Because I can do that..I think.
I'm just barely learning, Eloh, but I have gratefully copied your 'teaching' skins to my hard drive.
Depending on what I end up making that I think people can learn from, I'll open-content something. Or write a tutorial. Or both. Or something.
Like many, I try to give some idea of how I do things in my blog. But right now, I don't think I'm doing anything that isn't already well explained in blogs like Olila's or Natalia's.
Wait, LL used your skins and didn't include the copyright?
WHAT?
I'm not technically sure if LL is even aware that the skins provided by Renegade were mods of your own releases, to be honest.
It might be something to bring up with the Lindens at office hour. The thing is, I think they bought the completed skin, as opposed to the base materials ... so it may be something they have to clear for Renegade to put up.
LL didn't make those mods, the residents they contracted to create the avatars did. I used your psd's for the ones I made but I wouldn't really call them "mods" since all I did was the slightest of tweaks on the base layers of your original works.
I mean if anyone wants, you can just add a tiny bit of noise then do a slight gaussian blur and you got what I added to eloh's skins.
I want to thank you for contributing these, it saved loads of time working on the new av's not having to create skins from scratch. XD
P.S. I was kinda drunk and horribly cranky when making my original post (sorry! T_T).
But hopefully issues as well as egos have survived any inebriated tirades!
But...! if you still find your ego or reputation bruised by me, let me know... I'll try to make things better... (unless it involves cyb0rz >_>...)
I think it will be only be a matter of time before someone does. And if not skin, perhaps another template of sorts. I think its kinda cool that you did, as it really open peoples eyes to creating, and in its own way for some of us became a learning tutorial. Based on what I have learned looking into the various layers etc on the psds I have started a skin on a chip midnight template, and am working on one from scratch. I think doing what you did, opened peoples eyes to that they can get in there and make things, even if it ended up being clothes or something else and opened up a nice discussion on content creation, rights, and techniques.
I also have loved using your skins as a learning tool. I know my artistic abilities stink, but I can certainly change tones and edit the individual layers with decent results.
I think a message board where people could discuss editing would be terribly helpful.
I'd be happy to take a whack at making the male skin set you made a little more manlier and sharing it back.
-Tormented Twilight
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