Ideas or “Technicalities”

It’s becoming redundant to respond to anything in regards to my issue with Koinup…unless it’s an apology and repudiation of the blatant theft of my idea by Mr. Bkiddo. Instead I get more clarification of what the contest was all about and that Koinup should not be blamed for what the judged decided. I did message koinup burt stating that I would reply on my blog, to his thoughtful (yet misguided) attempts at a discussion about the issue. The reason…because I want everything to be transparent. I do not want to be accused of saying something I never said. I’m putting it out there for anyone that actually cares to know what’s really going on.

My reply…well I can overlook Koinup shrinking away from responsibility for the results by pointing the finger at the judges. I can walk cautiously away from the idea that a website sets rules and guidelines for a contest then do not mind if their Judges do not abide by those rules.

If the contestants must abide by whatever guidelines and rules are in place, then why not the judges. That seems a ridiculous assertion. However, setting that aside, by Burt’s on words “In the contest page I wrote, ideas matter more than technical skills“. If that is the case Burt why didn’t your website step in and recognize that Bkiddo was awarded a the second place prize based on a idea he did not create himself, yet based on technical skills? (Please answer this question)

All I’m saying is let’s get real. This is not about me on a ego trip. It’s about seeing something I developed and worked hard on totally passed off by someone else as their own. I was more than gracious in regards to bkiddo by complimenting him on his skill…but at the awards ceremony he flat out lied about where the idea came from and as it sunk in, I realized that I have been infringed upon and this so called emerging machinima community in second life is failing to protect it’s creators. It’s funny how everyone wants to protect music artists, custom content creators…everyone under the sun but machinimatographers (so that’s the new word for people who make machinima).

It takes away the passion and enthusiasm for me to make more and as I talked to a couple other machinimators about the issue, I was shocked to see that same sentiment. As usual I am always the last to realize. I would hate to think something more ominous was at play here. I don’t want to go down the road of, I’m a black woman therefore I do not deserve the same respect as others. Please don’t make me go there, but what other logic makes sense?

Sorry Burt, but the facts are the facts and no amount of spin and double talking is going to change that. Your website failed to monitor the selections of the judges and continue to disregard what has happened. You can’t claim the contest is one thing then say afterwards…well it was the judges decision and whether they followed and applied the rules or not is of no concern to us…

Basically we just hand out the reward.

That just won’t do.

Koinup, Bkiddo and Judges apology watch: Day 5

What about my apology?

If you accuse someone of something they didn’t do, nor did they say, and then demand an apology for their reaction to it…what does that mean? What does that make you? Do you have the moral authority to make such demands?

In this case, I’ll digress.

On my fourth day of personal protest against Koinup, another side issue has sprung up out of nowhere…

What has been perceived as my over-reaction (but can you blame me…really?) to a side issue, demands I apologize for posting a private message to my blog. However, my logic for posting it is this…I’m tired. Tired of people in Second Life believing that anonymity gives them cover to make all sorts of false accusations and assertions, while they engage in things that in the real world are unacceptable.

From people that lie about what sex they are, to lying about their children being in fatal accidents, lying about who they are in general, claiming other’s work as their own and accusing someone of something they did not do… I say enough is enough! In light of all of this the last thing I will sit by and allow is someone making a false claim against me. Especially when the exact opposite is true.

No I won’t accept that and that I won’t apologize for. I will apologize for my seemingly angry approach to expressing my frustration with the situation. I’ve never posted private correspondences shared between myself and another in second life, on my blog, however this koinup episode and by chance the not- so-related accusation I previously discussed was a push over the cliff to tackiness.

That is that. My moral obligation ends there. The point is clear, do not expect to say shit against or about me that is unfounded and unwarranted unless you want to see my full reply and response in living color. Now that it is clear I will put anyone in the future on blast that bring bullshit to me…we are all squared.

-Noelani

Koinup Apology Watch: Day 4

Obama and other babbling

I’m having another crossroads. On one hand I want to finish my machinima projects and refocus on my writing. At the same time, I have responsibilities that I’ve neglected and I need to focus on that in a immediate way. However how can you return to the mundane (and let’s face it) misery of responsibility and dare I say…real life, when the other is so much more fulfilling?

Then I’ve felt this calling…a calling to do something more, to be something more and that’s not attributed to creativity but my duty as a human being. I want to leave something behind for my children. I may not be able to leave them riches, but a sense of purpose, pride and humanity that money can’t buy and material things can’t fill.

I am besides myself with Glee that Obama could very well be the next President of the United States and earlier this week it started to enter my head that I could actually reenter the Army without reservations. Please don’t fall over in shock and dismay. It’s not just a feeling of serving my country that has coaxed me to the thought. I would be more than disingenuous to claim that.

It’s partly that, partly Obama and partly the need to provide for my family in which now…I’m failing due to my lack of sustainable opportunity. However, the promise of Senator Obama being our next President fills me with a pride for this country that I’ve never experienced before in any tangible way. A feeling of inclusion rather than exclusion. A willingness to fight for with genuine heart rather than question and enter into an element of patriotism with reservation and half-heartiness.

I suppose what more honorable way to provide for my family and myself than by serving the country that has finally said to me and my children; you are American…you are a part of this fabric, we see you, we hear you and you will not be forsaken again.

So, in closing, I did indeed call the recruiting station and I’ll probably take retake the ASVAB sometime this fall and hopefully will be entering either later this year or in time (hopefully) for President Obama’s inauguration.

What a day that will be.

-Noelani

Koinup Apology Watch: Day 1

Koinup…Burt’s message and my response.

[2008/05/08 9:54]  Koinup Burt: (Saved Thu May 08 06:43:25 200 dear Noelani,I’m sorry that you are so angry with Koinup……I think that your videos are great and anyway, you have to have to go on creating them!!!
[2008/05/08 9:54]  Koinup Burt: (Saved Thu May 08 06:44:11 200 it doesn’t matter if you will upload again on Koinup (I hope so) but I suggest you to create other machinima and have fun qith video-making…..
[2008/05/08 9:54]  Koinup Burt: (Saved Thu May 08 06:45:24 200 I can’t promise that you will win the next contests…….but, this is my personal opinion: you are very talented! so, keep you amazing work!

Let me be very clear. The issue was never about me winning the contest. Which is why, in my previous post, I started by saying I knew from the beginning that it was a long shot. I also resigned myself to what I felt was the fact that there were others who had entered the contest whom had better work.

That’s not what is in dispute. What is in dispute is that, novice machinimators were not competing against each other in the contest, it was a broader group…some of which included professionals or people with real world film and editing experience. This I feel goes against what was originally (and then reaffirmed during the orange island machinima conference) presented by Koinup.

I really don’t want to turn this into a long drawn out issue. However I simply could not stay silent about this apparent hypocrisy. In addition I was very much perturbed that someone whom clearly co-opted my grindhouse trailer for Alex Black which was sincerely a tribute to my favorite director QT, won second place in the contest. That, as I stated before, could also have been moved on from, if mr. Kiddo had told the truth at the awards ceremony. However, instead…he clearly lied. I know he lied and he knows he lied and Koinup is either playing daft or simply ignoring that he’s being disingenuous.

That’s pretty much it. I thank Koinup Burt for his message to me and of course I won’t disparage the website outside of what I’ve already stated. This is a isolated event and I hope that in the future they will consider what I’ve said to make a more level playing field for all creative photographers and machinimators in sl and throughout the gaming world.

Looker,

Don’t stop uploading because of what I’ve said. I never called for that, I simply stated to my group in sl that if they see what I see then let their opinions be known to Koinup. It’s each person’s individual choice to do so and as with your work it’s your own choice to post there or not (based on your own experiences with the site).

Final thoughts:

As for me, I politely decline the invitation to continue posting there or on any website similar , for now…that includes machinima.com and the emerging broadcast companies popping up in SL. I have a perspective on things that obviously others will disagree with. However I want to do what I do, without having the direction of my ideas and art dictated by others or measured against others that I clearly have a disadvantage to.

This is not a business for me or a platform for a career and I’m not going to pretend it is. Of course it would be nice to make art for a living and it be sustainable however for majority of us, that’s simply not an option.

-Noelani