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Deviation Actions
I want to preface this by saying I am not angry, and I am not doing this on behalf of any of this guy's previous victims. I just want to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone again. And if he's content to whisper in his own private groups about me rather than say anything to my face, I'm left with no option but to go public. I have nothing to hide here, and I'll try to stay as objective as possible.
You guys may know BrianK2355 as the commissioner of the Mask of Mutation and Mask of Creation. A real clever guy with an eye for design. These two have been some of my favorite masks to make. Unfortunately, in the wake of these two commissions, he is now attempting to get me blacklisted in some circles of the community. Let me explain, and also warn you about what this guy is willing to sink to.
1. Model Theft
This all began with the completion of the Mask of Mutation when BrianK asked for the file. "My one last request is to have the 3D model of the mask for a 3D animation I am doing (if that is okay)." At the time, I didn't see any harm in it, and I handed over the complete, printable file. It was a short time later that I was shown this image of designs BrianK had printed on his personal printer, including my Mask of Mutation.
3D printing is a tricky business, and it is all too easy for things like this to happen. The only reason I am against this behavior is admittedly greedy. For each mask printed on Shapeways, I receive a $3 commission. These stack up, and it makes a good supplement to my income. Because of this, I don't mind spending hours and hours on commissions for only $50. To put that in perspective, I am making less than minimum wage for these. The only reason I can do so is because of that additional income. If I have people stealing my models, I will have to raise commission prices. Not only that, however, but I have no way of knowing if it was only the one print I saw or if he has made dozens for all his friends.
Unfortunately, this isn't the most heinous example of BrianK's theft. vahki6, another well-known Bionicle modeler, was a member of the group where BrianK frequents. When he began releasing his Rahkshi spine collection, he was pressured to release the base model for use. BrianK, who had begun making strides in 3D modeling himself, took that model and made his own Rahkshi spine collection using Vahki's model. When Vahki questioned him in the group, he tried to pass the model off as his own, saying it was "too precise" for Vahki's work.
2. Blacklisting
And even more unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it either. The argument escalated within the group where BrianK has his influence, and Vahki6 was forced out, and all members were warned to stay away from his shop.
A few months ago, I received my second commission from BrianK. Though I had some hard feelings on Vahki's behalf, I accepted the commission and worked with him without any mention of previous grievances. Fast forward to nearly a week ago when I had completed the Mask of Creation. BrianK had paid me the agreed upon $60 for a more advanced commission, and I released the model on Shapeways. Two days ago, I received another message from him asking for the 3D model again. I simply told him, "No can do this time, sorry." When he asked why, I explained only that I was keeping this one a Shapeways exclusive, and that was the last I ever heard from him directly.
However, I've heard BrianK was unhappy with my decision, and was attempting to get me blacklisted as well. I sent him another message explaining much of what I said above about the Mask of Mutation file yesterday, as well as mentioning that when other commissioners asked for a model since then, I've told them it's an additional $5 fee, which I considered to be reasonable considering it doesn't quite cover the cost of two prints on Shapeways while the commissioner could theoretically print dozens. "And I could offer you the same deal, $5 for the MoC and another $5 for the MoM, but frankly, I didn't appreciate being lied to the last time, and I'm not sure if you'd take such an offer anyway. But please, do let me know if you have any problems with my service."
This morning, I woke up to the news that he was still stirring up trouble in his group, claiming my commission prices were too high and that I was holding his models hostage for even more money. Both masks are still available on Shapeways, for the record. Considering I had attempted to address the issue as politely as possible almost 24 hours ago and was still receiving scorn from BrianK's cronies, I decided to make the objective facts of the situation available to the community.
Now, I leave it to you to judge. I've given my side of the story, and I'm sure BrianK has told many of you his side. Neither side is blameless, but it is out of my hands now. For my part, all I can do is update my commissions information to reflect these recent changes. I do thank you for reading though.
You guys may know BrianK2355 as the commissioner of the Mask of Mutation and Mask of Creation. A real clever guy with an eye for design. These two have been some of my favorite masks to make. Unfortunately, in the wake of these two commissions, he is now attempting to get me blacklisted in some circles of the community. Let me explain, and also warn you about what this guy is willing to sink to.
1. Model Theft
This all began with the completion of the Mask of Mutation when BrianK asked for the file. "My one last request is to have the 3D model of the mask for a 3D animation I am doing (if that is okay)." At the time, I didn't see any harm in it, and I handed over the complete, printable file. It was a short time later that I was shown this image of designs BrianK had printed on his personal printer, including my Mask of Mutation.
3D printing is a tricky business, and it is all too easy for things like this to happen. The only reason I am against this behavior is admittedly greedy. For each mask printed on Shapeways, I receive a $3 commission. These stack up, and it makes a good supplement to my income. Because of this, I don't mind spending hours and hours on commissions for only $50. To put that in perspective, I am making less than minimum wage for these. The only reason I can do so is because of that additional income. If I have people stealing my models, I will have to raise commission prices. Not only that, however, but I have no way of knowing if it was only the one print I saw or if he has made dozens for all his friends.
Unfortunately, this isn't the most heinous example of BrianK's theft. vahki6, another well-known Bionicle modeler, was a member of the group where BrianK frequents. When he began releasing his Rahkshi spine collection, he was pressured to release the base model for use. BrianK, who had begun making strides in 3D modeling himself, took that model and made his own Rahkshi spine collection using Vahki's model. When Vahki questioned him in the group, he tried to pass the model off as his own, saying it was "too precise" for Vahki's work.
2. Blacklisting
And even more unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it either. The argument escalated within the group where BrianK has his influence, and Vahki6 was forced out, and all members were warned to stay away from his shop.
A few months ago, I received my second commission from BrianK. Though I had some hard feelings on Vahki's behalf, I accepted the commission and worked with him without any mention of previous grievances. Fast forward to nearly a week ago when I had completed the Mask of Creation. BrianK had paid me the agreed upon $60 for a more advanced commission, and I released the model on Shapeways. Two days ago, I received another message from him asking for the 3D model again. I simply told him, "No can do this time, sorry." When he asked why, I explained only that I was keeping this one a Shapeways exclusive, and that was the last I ever heard from him directly.
However, I've heard BrianK was unhappy with my decision, and was attempting to get me blacklisted as well. I sent him another message explaining much of what I said above about the Mask of Mutation file yesterday, as well as mentioning that when other commissioners asked for a model since then, I've told them it's an additional $5 fee, which I considered to be reasonable considering it doesn't quite cover the cost of two prints on Shapeways while the commissioner could theoretically print dozens. "And I could offer you the same deal, $5 for the MoC and another $5 for the MoM, but frankly, I didn't appreciate being lied to the last time, and I'm not sure if you'd take such an offer anyway. But please, do let me know if you have any problems with my service."
This morning, I woke up to the news that he was still stirring up trouble in his group, claiming my commission prices were too high and that I was holding his models hostage for even more money. Both masks are still available on Shapeways, for the record. Considering I had attempted to address the issue as politely as possible almost 24 hours ago and was still receiving scorn from BrianK's cronies, I decided to make the objective facts of the situation available to the community.
Now, I leave it to you to judge. I've given my side of the story, and I'm sure BrianK has told many of you his side. Neither side is blameless, but it is out of my hands now. For my part, all I can do is update my commissions information to reflect these recent changes. I do thank you for reading though.
An Announcement...
First of all, I want to give a huge shoutout to Flickr's -Disty- for this absolutely brilliant Bohrok logo build. It inspired me from the first moment I saw it, and I'm just happy to finally have my own physical copy. If you're interested in the build itself, please head over to Disty's page to fave the original and get instructions for yourself. And without further ado... TL;DR at the bottom The Recap: Hey all. I've been meaning to post an update on my whole... situation for a long time, but words continually evaded me. If you've been a watcher here for a while, you might know that the last several years have been... really rough. I had intended to serve my church for two years, only to back out at the last second for my mental health. I lost one of my brothers in a car accident. I used to do so much more to show the gratitude I have for each and every one of you who have helped me to get this far, hone my talents, and just support me in the one constant in my life, and lately I've
Canonization and Customization
Hey guys, been kind of quiet here. I've been... organizing my thoughts for a long time, but life/MOCing/art updates are going to have to wait until another day. Today I want to explain my own feelings on a current subject that may have a huge impact on many of us fans of the Bionicle franchise.
Canonization
If you were unaware, Greg Farshtey (yes, that Greg Farshtey) confirmed in an Ask Greg topic that he would be willing to open up polls for canonization again. If you haven't already, I encourage you to vote on their survey about whether it's a move you'd like to see.
Okay, my thoughts on canonization. I don't like it. I think it's far to
Just a Heads Up (Shapeways) EDIT 1
As an FYI, Lego has recently issued a notice on Shapeways to any uploads containing the words "Lego" or "Bionicle" in the tags. As far as I can tell, they are simply preventing unauthorized use of their trademarked terms and, once I've removed those tags, business will resume as normal. In the meantime, expect a lot of my shop to go to private as I sort this out on my end.
I want to assure you there's no reason to panic. Lego isn't "crushing the custom parts industry" or anything. They're just protecting their IP, as any company should. It's a move I and many other modelers have been anticipating for a long time and we're ready to deal with
One Year Later
Monday marked one year since the car accident that took my brother Baylor's life. I've been told I shouldn't remember the date, but the first anniversary has a tangible presence in my home. Everyone has been handling it differently. My parents want to get away from any reminders, while my younger brother and I want to stay where things are quiet and familiar. The disconnect has just been adding to my anxiety about this week.
All my life, I've done things to keep those around me happy. I worked hard in school to keep my parents happy. I submitted my Mission papers to keep my LDS Ward happy. I put up with all kinds of abuse and neglect to keep
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Listening too pyre soundtrack you are truely amazing brother.