To meme or not to meme...
I just became aware of the recent issues with DMania. It's a shame because, as a mememaker, the addition of that platform is part of what finally drew me to Steemit. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I stayed away for quite awhile for a number of reasons but one of those was the type of content I produced. I make a lot of memes and podcasts and they didn't seem like a fit here. The additions of things like DMania and DSound changed all that. Or so I thought...
When I finally joined Steemit a few months ago and started using DMania to share my memes, I was both excited at the prospect of finally making a lil something something for my memes and a little confused to see all these retread memes (and down right horrible ones) cleaning up with the bots. I figured that my original content would (hopefully) be even better received. That wasn't the case, though. Sure, I was getting upvotes but the big payouts never arrived. It was then that I realized that you needed a certain reputation score to qualify. So, I put the memes to the side and focused on getting my reputation up first.
I was stoked when I awoke one morning to find that my reputation score had finally hit the magic number. At last, I can meme again! Well, not so much. Since I had been focusing on other content, the issues with DMania (the mining software that may or may not have been added intentionally) had slipped under my radar. I was now ready to release my memes into the wild, but the wild had disappeared. I was bummin'...
After a bit of light digging, I came to learn about the new project, @memeit.lol, which is attempting to take the place of DMania. As a concept, I can dig it. It's aim seems to be to negate the use of retread, or "plagiarized", memes. The fact that some people were making mad Steem off such memes was frustrating, but this begins to delve into the area of IP (intellectual property) which I am not a fan of. I don't believe that anyone can own an idea. Once you release that idea into the world, others can (and, I would argue should) run with it. Giving credit where credit is due is the nice thing to do but being forced to do so, as is the case with government IP laws, is extremely authoritarian and antithetical to the freedom of expression. Not that I am accusing the creator(s) of Memeit.lol of engaging in such practices. Far from it. I just link the ideas of plagiarism and IP in my mind. Perhaps it's just a trigger for me...
The larger issue I have with the new platform is the use of the meme templates. While I understand the desire to have people only submit their own work, such a system severely limits those of us who have the ability and tools to make better memes. It's forcing ye ole meme generator on those who have the keys to Photoshop. In other words, despite the noble intentions, it still manages to dilute the meme economy.
As I hinted at above, I hold no ill will towards the creator(s) of memeit.lol. They are attempting to fill a very new hole in the market and for that they should be applauded. I am just hopeful that another avenue will open up for those of us who prefer to make our memes on our own, using our own tools. I am nowhere near tech savvy enough to accomplish such a task on my own, which is another reason that I wouldn't dare disparage others for making an attempt. They are doing what I am incapable of, and for that I give them mad props.
So, I will continue to monitor this situation going forward. For the time being, I think I will again start sharing my memes here on Steemit directly. Since I would rather not just engage in run-by memeings (that's what other, less sophisticated "social media" platforms are for), this will hopefully encourage me to write more, as well. I call that a win.
One last note. I mentioned my disdain for IP and, being that I am a content creator, that might confuse some of you. While I would prefer to be compensated for my work, I strongly believe that ideas can't be owned. That is why most of my content is covered by the BipCot No Government license https://bipcot.org. It is also why I "watermark" my memes. My content is there for the taking, but at least I know it was mine to begin with. And if others wish to compensate me in some way for providing such content, then they are free to do so. Or not. Either way, I won't force them to call it mine. ;)
I'm not talented at making memes, so this is easy for me to say, but I see memes as something that should be "stolen" and modified or just reposted at a whim. Its just what memes are. That said, if there was a way to give credit to the creator, I would be all for that.
Yeah, it's not very cut and dry. On the one hand, as i mentioned, i am strongly anti-IP. On the other hand, having your "credit' stolen isn't a great feeling, either. That's why i originally started "watermarking' my memes. It wasn't that I "needed" the credit, but some other mememakers and i were just a bit perturbed that other FB pages were taking our memes and presenting them as their own. We knew that we couldn't stop them from doing so, nor, as anarchists, were we really keen on trying to stop them. Putting the watermark/logo on the memes was jut the best we could come up with. That way, at least, others would know the source.
That being said, I am largely with you on this. A meme is just an idea put into picture form. Once you release that meme into the world, someone else can figure out how to improve upon it. As a mememaker, that process has actually helped me improve. If i put something out and then someone else makes it better, it just drives me to try harder next time. But, unfortunately, some folks are just more wedded to "their" ideas than others.
I have been wondering if there might be a blockchain solution to this. I am wondering if there is a way to validate, similar to a checksum, that can then be signed and registered as original. Then maybe even signal a % deviation from a signed original. Now, I can already see a ton of ways to game this system, but I'm a simpleton. I keep wondering if there is something along those lines that could be developed which could be used here.
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I see memes as the new comics. Someone can create a series of memes that follow and a character with those memes and it can be hilarious and compelling. I mean, what's funnier, a three image Garfield comic about Jon having Déjà Vue, or a good strong meme? Both are just as funny. And it's never a bad thing to write more (of course this is coming from a writer). Glad to have come across your content. Started following you. I hope to see more memes from you.
About the other Steem blockchain platforms, I don't use them much. Everything I do, I post on Steemit directly. I post on my website and on YouTube certain things and then on Steemit as well, but things I do only for Steemit, I put out only on Steemit. My mind gets boggled with all the different platforms and such, I rather not have to have all those tabs open in my ADDish brain. I can understand the frustration when crappy content gets upvoted or unoriginal content gets promoted. I always post content I have created myself.
I don't know what the copyright laws are regarding memes, I only know copyright in regards to written fiction and for films and videos, but I definitely agree that a watermark will promote your work as it's spread across the Internet. It's a signature, it's a stamp, it's your authorship on something. I would suggest, if you don't already do, using the kind of watermark that is like a large silhouette that's takes up a large portion of the image, but doesn't take away from the image. That way, no one can remove it and claim it as theirs, if that's part of your concern.
Oh, absolutely. Memes are also a great way to convey messages, especially in a world of ever shrinking attention spans. Thanks for the follow, and there will definitely be more memes. :)
I have been making a lot of use of the other platforms. I was always under the impression that Steemit was more for blogging and articles, so when the other platforms started being added it made sense to me. Plus in my short time here, it seemed like my podcast/meme posts got more traction when posted to DSound, DTube, or DMania than they did being posted directly to Steemit. I think this further confirmed the preconceived notion I had. It's funny that you mention your ADDish brain, though, because I think it's my OCDish one that made me deal with all the tabs to keep things compartmentalized. LoL
As I mentioned, I'm not a huge fan of IP (or copyright) so I'm not super concerned about it. I really only started putting a logo on my memes because I was trying to grow FB pages. Pages with larger audiences would take the memes and present them as their own, thus slowing the growth of my pages. A few friends and i started with the logos just to "socially shame" the pages that were known for this behavior. The community here seems to care more about dissuading that type of behavior, so hopefully my current methods will suffice. It's more about getting a chuckle out of seeing one still in circulation a few years later than the recognition, although a lil Steem won't hurt, either. ;)
Yeah, I got'ya!
I must be guilty of cruising, since I not only have a part-time job, but I also drove back through town AGAIN to pick up some items at the grocery store later on.
I do hope Dtube and Dsound get fixed. They just don't work for me.
In the cage with you! LoL
I know a number of people who have reported similar issues. I actually have had little issue with either of them since back in early February, aside from issues with DSound a couple of days ago, and I post to them at least 3-4 times per week. I've had more issues with DTube than DSound, but I still try to post to the former first just because I so loathe YouTube.
dont try to mix memes on steemit up with the dmaina issue, they are two seprate things that have nothing to do with each other.
I was not attempting to conflate the two. Sorry if that was not clear.
:D
right on then.