Let’s Talk About Terms Of Use And Copyright

Do you know what "terms of use" means? Do you know what copyright means? 

Terms of use: Is the rules or regulations set up for the way something is done or how it is used. The short version for terms of use is T.O.U. Whenever you see these words, read them and abide by them. Or you can find yourself in a case of copyright violation.

Whenever you see a graphic or photo you like on a website. Read the terms of use to see if you can snag it. Or how you can use it. A lot of places will allow you to use the graphic or photo as long as you link the graphic or photo. Linking is easy to do. It can be done very quickly. Linking is providing the website Url where you found the graphic or the website of the creator url. If you don't know how to give proper credit, don't take the content.

 Copyright is the law of the USA that protects the works of authors, artists, composers, and others from being used or sold without permission. Many people earn a living by making, writing, or selling their images and writings. When you steal an image and use it elsewhere without permission, you are taking money from the creators pockets.

Awhile back some creators from Zazzle were having issues. As people were stealing their designs and selling them for much lower prices on Amazon. The seller had to catch the person stealing their content and fight with Amazon to make them stop. Instead of producing more designs to earn from. That hurt the seller pockets because they could not reduce their product as low as Amazon. Or catch them fast enough before the next one did it.

Remember just because a page or whatever doesn’t have the © sign. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t have copyright. Get permission first.

As for copyrighting, all you have to do is type in the word copyright in any search engine to read what that is all about. Copyright is the ownership of something. © is the symbol for copyright.

My Pixel tags and blog posts are clearly marked with ©Minipin Pixels, ©SkS or ©Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty on them. If my tags have the copyright removed or the tag alter in any way. I can pursue legal matters. In other words I can sue the person for a lot of money. It is not worth doing something when someone has terms of use just because you think something is cute.

Awhile back, I created a tag that was grabbed by someone and altered. I found out. Trust me, the creator always does. The top photo is one I made for someone who paid me. Having my copyright did not deter the thief from taking my tag and alternating it. The thief made it look like crap. I have since learned to place the © info somewhere on the tag where it can be seen but hard to remove. I tried being nice and contacting the person who altered and took my copyright info off my tag. The person would not respond to me. Instead they ignored me and blocked me through email. Nor would they respond to anyone else trying to help me. I contacted the person's ISP provider. Which was easy to find out over a computer. I am sure when this person talked to their ISP provider and Yahoo about all this they were not happy about. Just because you don’t know or don’t think it will happen to you. Doesn’t mean you won’t get caught. In the end, the person removed everything they had stole from me. I decided not to pursue a court case. 

This is why it is very important for you to read any terms of use/ copyright information. Before doing a tutorial or using an outline. Not everyone's terms of use are the same. Some creators allow you to claim the finish image as your own. Others allow you to alter to it but must link back to them. While, some yet will allow you to display it but must have their copyright and link attached to the imagine. I bet there are more I am not familiar with. Remember unpublished imagine, song, paper or whatever can have a copyright to it. Get permission before using. It is not only the polite thing to do. It is showing you respect the person work enough by asking first.

If you have questions please ask. Let’s clear up any misconceptions or questions you may have in this area.

All pixel signature tags were created by me ©SkS ©Minpin Pixels ©Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty. They are not to used or reproduced by anyone else in any manner without permission. This means if your name is Sandy, you can't use them. Nor snag them for someone else with the name Sandy without written permission from me. 

Quality Connections - Are They important To Bloggers?

I want to discuss if having quality connections are important to bloggers or not. As I believe they are important if you want to have a successful blog. Some people can handle one or two blogs before they get overwhelmed. While you have other bloggers who can run several blogs successfully. I think having quality connections are very important for bloggers to have. No matter how blogs a blogger has.

I tested a few ways to do run a blog. One way was where I didn't click on the commenters to see what they were writing on their blogs. That hurt me. As it looked like I wanted to write a blog but didn't want to put the work in. It looked like I was keeping an online diary for my thoughts. Not to make connections or grow my blog. Afterwhile people stopped coming to my blog.

Another way, I wrote a blog post and read other blogs but didn't promote my blog at all. That was a big mistake. Why? How are others going to find my blog if I did not share it over social media? The answer is, they weren't. I had to push my blogs in order to get people to come view or leave a comment.

I would visit blogs but forget to leave my blog link. As some blogs give you the option to leave your blog link. So, they can come read your blog to. To remedy this, I made a little note I keep on my computer of all my blogs links. I also keep one for my referral links, social media links and how many connections I have on each. That way if I need the information it is at my fingertips.

Another thing I do is find bloggers who are wanting the same thing, help and support in blogging. I run a small Facebook group where members can leave any writing or blog links each day. Only thing required is to promote another blogger link for each link you leave. You can choose which social media you wish to promote on. You choose who you wish to promote. That simply means if you leave three blog links, you must promote three links of someone else's in the group. The group has a versatile group of bloggers writing on many different subjects. many will leave a comment when visiting. Yet a comment is not required. 

This helps tremulously to get the word out about our writings and blogs. It is writers and bloggers coming together to help each other.

If you connect with someone who is willing to read your blog, comment and share on social media. You have a quality connection. Your blog will start to grow.

Have you made any of these mistakes in blogging? If so, how did you remedy the situation?

How do you go about getting quality connections?

Give Yourself An Interview

I was reading where a blogger asked their readers to interview themselves as a start of the New Year. To give yourself an interview. I thought that sounds like fun. I don't want to wait til thebegining of the year. As I know I will forget all about it. So, I am taking it on myself to do it now. I want to add more to this interview by asking my readers to ask me anything in the comments area. I will answer honestly.

Interviewing Myself : If I was being interviewed. I would like to be asked the following questions :

What is your #1 goal for 2016? 

My Goal for 2016 would be to write something every day. Unless I am sick.

Are you content in your writing life? 

To be honest, as of right now, no. I would like to earn more online than what I do. I plan to write daily on this blog. Right now I am only earning anywhere. I have started writing a little bit on Niume. I have not been paid. Nor do I know if the website does pay. I was writing regurly on BlogBourne til they changed the rules and added two hundred words to the orginal word count. I am trying to post once a week til October 1st to if the website is going to pay like they claim. Plus, see how much they are willing to pay. Or if it is even worth to stay on the website. If I don't think so, I plan to pull all my post and put somewhere I can earn from them. I am starting to post more on Mylot. I need to start posting daily. Not do anything but commenting like I have been.

What are your writing niche(s)? 

I have several niches. They are all based around my lifestyle being a disabled blogger living on a budget while traveling and being able to take care of my family and pets.

What is your best memory of 2015? 

My best memory would include all of them I have with my family. My family would include : My three kids. My grandson and my boyfriend.

What is your worst memory of 2015? 

That would have to be when my teenage son was arrested for stealing at Wal-Mart. My heart broke. As it seems like he is following in his big brothers footstep.

What item could you not live without? 

I would have to say my camera. I feel naked it I don't have a camera in some form on me. Whether it is my camera or my smart phone with a camera.

What is the newest thing you are doing online?

I have bought an Amazon prime membership at the end of last year. I have joined multiple websites to reviewed items for free or a deep discount in exchange for an honest review. I have been doing it for almost a year now. It is about time to renew my Amazon prime membership. As much as I have saved over the course of the year. It has been well worth the price I paid for Amazon prime.

What advice can you give to someone discouraged in the writing world? 

My advice would be to encourage that writer or blogger to keep going. That everyone has down days. Let them know how their content has encouraged you to stay motivated. Sometimes a writer needs to read or hear they are making an impact on others. I would let them know they are as worthy as anyone else in the writing world. I would try to lift their spirit.

Over the course of the year, I have learned all bloggers have the fear of saying the wrong thing and offending another blogger to the point they loose readers. I am not immuned. I learned there will be others jealous of what I am accomplishing in the blogging world. There will be always others who will stop at nothing to try to upset me or feed me false information to watch me fail. As long as I hold my head up high and not let the nay sayers get to me or fall for the bad advice to make me fail, I will be okay. If I do fail, I will pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over. I will use it as a learning curve to improve. Not as a failure.


Challenge : Give yourself an interview.

Photo from Pixabay, a free use photo website.

10 Things To Think About When Crossing Bridges

When it comes to something personal happening in your life, you must choose which bridge to cross. It may not be what you want or even like. Either way a decision has to be made.

You can’t teeter by standing in the middle or the at one end and hoping for the best outcome. Otherwise nothing will change. It really doesn’t matter what the issue is. All personal issues seem to come to ahead where you must make the decision to cross or not.

When crossing bridges you need to :
1. Think about what is best for you
2. Think what is best for your family
3. Think how the issue has affected your life
4. Think how it has affected your family’s life
5. Think about how life will be when you cross that bridge – Are you willing to make the necessary sacrifices?
6. Think how things will turn out if you continue the way things are – Is it stressful? Is it harmful?
7. Think of how things will affect you after crossing the bridge
8. Think of how crossing that bridge will affect or harm your family
9. Think of how you will feel, react when seeing this person again after crossing the bridge
10. Think of how you will handle things when people try to get you in the same room with the person after you have crossed the bridge.

If you can answer all of these, than you have a good understanding of what you need to do. It may be easy to walk away. It may be hard to stay away. Either way you must decide on how you want your life to turn out. Do you want the drama? If so, stay on your course. If you don’t want drama, walk away and be prepared to never look back.

Things to write about : Write about a time you have had to cross a bridge.

Is This A Genie’s Lamp?

I was walking along the canal trail with a couple of friends. As we were talking, joking, having a good time. I stopped when I noticed something half sticking out of the dirt, along the water. With leaves all around.

I grabbed a hold and pulled it from the ground. It has dirt, mud and leaves all over it. It was some type of metal. My friends noticed I stopped and turned around to see what I was doing. Jaycee noticed I had something in my hand. This drew her curiosity as she walked closer to investigate.

Jason is annoyed, when he noticed I had stopped. First thing he said was,”Stop playing in the mud. Your always picking up some kind of junk.”

I ignored his comment as I used my sleeve to help clear off the debris on the thing I picked up. I knew it was a piece of metal. Maybe an old lamp or something. I’ll see if it works. If not, I will add it to my scrap pile. Either way it is a win for me.

Jaycee being her comical self had to say it. She said,”Maybe you found a Genie’s lamp.” This made us all laugh.

It got me thinking what if it was a Genie’s lamp. As I continued cleaning the piece of metal off. Once I cleaned it off I held it up into the sun to get a better look.

It did indeed look like an old lamp. I used my sleeve to help polish the lamp. As it looked dull. As I was polishing the lamp. Smoke or something starting coming out of the tip of the lamp. I dropped it on the ground. As we all stood froze in our spot.

The smoke forms into half a man. the bottom half still in smoke form. The figure announces,”Thank you for releasing me from my prison. My name is Frances. Trapped in that lamp for over 100 years, for releasing me I will do a favor. I will grant three wishes to the one who released me. Make sure you choose wisely. As this is not a game.”

I asked,”Are there any rules in choosing.” Frances replied,”Yes, you can not ask for anything or anyone to be harmed. As those wishes would can turn on you. When you gain something, someone loses something. That is all I am allowed to say. Be careful or you can wind up as the Genie in the lamp.”

What do you think the three wishes are? Be aware of the rules. Or you might be the next Genie in the lamp.

Photo from Pixabay.com

4 Free Kindle Books

Today, you can get four of the following Kindle books free. Grab them all while you can. After today, you will have to buy them. Click on each photo of the book you want to go straight to Amazon to download. or use the buy button feature that is available under the books cover.

When Ren Miller mother dies, she searches for her estranged father. She discovers he owns a boxing studio and a mystery fighter named Ash!

Rebel biker, a lady at a gentlemen's club, and a rouge wolf on the loose, what move suspense could you ask for?

This is an historical romance lady Katherine proposes to a Duke as she tries to get out of an arranged marriage.

Jessica cares for her ailing aunt as she tries to mend her broken heart. Can she do that at the same time her ex-fiance is working on the house? Upon finding a box in the attic filled with family secrets, Jessica starts to question everything she knows. 

I hope you enjoy reading these books. 

Celebrating At The Columbus Zoo

 

August of 2015. on a Saturday was my daughters birthday. She celebrated "15" years. For her birthday, she was allowed to select a destination with a couple of hours where we live to go and visit. She loves animals. So, she choose the Columbus Zoo.

We seen many different animals. I have no idea which ones were my favorite. Seagulls were the first ones in the parking lot. Lol. I can honestly say it was a big zoo. Animals were spread out nicely. We seen almost everything. If I would go visit again. I would suggest staying in the surrounding area and making a two day experience out of it. That you will not feel like you are being rushed to see all the exhibits or shows.

There were strollers and scooters you could rent for those who need them. I wish I would of rented a scooter. As my legs were killing me by time we left. It has been two days and leg still hurts. I know I over did it. It was well worth the extra pain and discomfort to see a smile on my daughter's face. I would gladly do it again.

For those who don't know, I have issues walking. As I was shot in the right calf many moons years ago. I did pick up a new walking stick that helped me not to fall. As it helps keep me stable when walking. I should of brought mine from home. However, this way I was able to get a new one to add to my collection. Now I need to find where I stashed my extra pegs. So, I can add it to the bottom few my new walking cane. As I keep a few different sizes in my closet.

One of the ways we stayed cool throughout our walk was eating ice cream "Dipping dots".

We had much fun visiting the exhibits, seeing shows, and interacting with the different displays.

Have you been to the Columbus Zoo? If not, what zoo have you been to? What is your favorite animal?

Photos taken by and © belongs to Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty.

Making Homemade Popsicle's

I was lucky enough to be able to review the IceWabanga Ice Pop Mold. I found it through one of those Amazon review websites where you can get things for free or a deep discount in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. The only requirement is to place a review on Amazon. I like the IceWabanga Ice Mold so much. That I decided to write a review on blog to tell others about it.

The IceWabanga Ice Pop Mold came with two silicone popsicle pieces. One is the color red, the other blue. I grew up calling those icies. Pronounced ice-e. or a push popsicle. Strange how we come up with names as children and pass on those same names to our own children. I haven't tried using the silicone popsicle molds yet. I placed them aside after opening the box and forgot all about them. 

Let me tell you a little bit about the IceWabanga Ice Mold before I give the recipe to make on the homemade popsicles. 

The IceWabanga Ice Mold is made to freeze fruit juices or other recipes to make ice popsicles. It is nonstick and reusable to use time after time. The mold is made of a durable plastic. I love how the mold has handle grips to pick and hold the ice popsicles after making them. No more worrying about those wooden sticks if they will splinter when holding them. I think I love the handle grips the most about this product. The only complaint I can find about this product is the base is flimsy. After the mold is filled, when you carry it to teh freezer. The mold bows or bends slightly in the middle. I was extremely careful after noticing this and did not have any disasters.

3 Ingredient Homemade Popsicle's

2 cups of fresh or frozen fruit

1/2 cup of honey

1 cup of water

Place the fresh or frozen fruit in a blender, add honey and water. Blend thoroughly. Pour in to popsicle mold one by one. Making sure you leave enough room at the top to place the handles in without spilling the contents down the sides of the mold. If so, you can easily wipe them off before placing in the freezer. Wait three to four hours for the mold to set.

When the popsicles are frozen you can remove the caps in two ways. You can run hot water over them for roughly fifteen seconds or set aside to they thaw just long to remove the caps.

Enjoy your freshly made frozen popsicle. 

Photos were taken by and © belong to Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty.