A craft is under threat

Before anyone makes a decision, please consider the other side of the picture. Sadia hasn't posted here and probably won't since she usually posts in forums dedicated to machine embroidery. I have used her designs. I know she provides a number of free designs to help people get started in embroidery and to try out her digitizing work. Her decision to post on alt.binaries.crafts.pictures may not have been a wise decision on her part but my guess is that there is more to the story than a digitizer businesswoman "threatening a craft". If you visit Sadia's site, you will see many aids to people getting started, tutorials and information. Included on her page is a long description of how to get started digitizing. Evidence seems to point to someone who is supportive. That confirms everything I have seen with Sadia in her posts to newsgroups and special interest forums to which I belong. For instance, Sadia provided this free design for people who want to memorialize Katrina or make something to donate for Katrina victims.

It is a _free_ design although she does suggest a contribution in return to a Kartina relief charity. She has other free designs in her Special Occasions designs. For those not familiar with machine embroidery, there are many free designs available to help you get started with machine embroidery. A site called Ann the Gran provides a whole library of them. Most digitizers have free samples available to allow you to try their embroidery designs. Yes, this has the effect that you may some day buy some of their designs if you like the way they stitch out. I do not read or post to alt.binaries.crafts.pictures. I know many use it to share designs that they have digitized. What else happens there may be what triggered Sadia's posts. I don't know. I don't want to see Sadia attacked in this group without anyone seeing some of the other side. I am not associated with Sadia or Sadia Sews in any way.Marilyn in MN

polly wrote:

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how about not airing ANYONE's dirty laundry from another newsgroup? I would venture a guess that none of us give a rip.

Penny, I'm sure they don't. The original message did _not_ belong here and I was _not_ the original poster. I _do_ read and post to this newsgroup and rec.sewing although I have changed ISPs recently. You should be able to find postings from snipped-for-privacy@mninter.net in the past if you need a history to prove I'm not a troll. I don't post often because I do not have the sewing knowledge of Kate or you or Teri or Cea or many others here whom I respect for the help they share here. I completely agree with you that the original poster should not have brought her fight here. Because I do have some knowledge of Sadia's work, I responded with an opposing viewpoint to counteract the bandwagon effect that sometimes occurs on the internet. I will try to avoid doing that in the future.

Marilyn in MN

If those are commercial files that someone paid for and not ones that are public domain, you are indeed violating copyright law. There are craft designers who have gone out of business because they cannot keep people from illegally pirating their designs via the internet, and it is no longer worth their while to create more designs.

I wouldn't think of 'blindly' lobby against someone and was just thinking, 'what's the other side of this?' and here's your follow up to it, Marilyn. Good timing & well said. :)=20

-Irene

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-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

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Oh dear, please don't. I for one appreciated your follow up message. I agree - people don't take the time to investigate claims, or use common sense when reading some of them... and it can really do some damage.

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

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To Polly, the originator of this post: Spamming your message to countless newsgroups with your 'issue' only makes you look bad and will likely send your subject line and email address to many readers' kill files. =20

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

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Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send wrote in news:4405eb59$0$95947$ snipped-for-privacy@news.sonic.net:

yes, that group has a lot of warez... illegal copies of both designs & entire programs. while sharing designs is one thing, warez is entirely different & not a good thing at all. lee

When I read the first message, I was angry enough to want to prevent Sadia's messages from coming up on my screen. Then Marilyn in MN posted her "side" and I decided to take a look at Sadia's website; I found among many designs, the magnolia flower she posted for free, she just asked for people to donate to one of the Katrina funds. I have made several contributions already and plan to embroider the design tomorrow night(have to wait for DS to download it on my card which is something I can't do). Off topic, so to speak but did anyone see Rosie O'Donnell on TV last night, speaking about her foundation that is actively working in N O; or see the homes built here in Houston by the Oprah Winfrey foundation, along with Target and Habitat for Humanity on Angel Way Drive, a new street. Great work done by these two women. I have no dealings with either project except for a donation to each. Emily