Instagram to get rights to sell YOUR photos

Full story available here @ the BBC

I am not a user of Instagram but this new policy causes me great anxiety. Why is this you might ask?
Let's first address the change from the perspective of someone that does have an Instagram account and I'll come back to my concerns shortly.

I believe that if you create a piece of work, be it literature, art, photography or anything else, that work is yours and you deserve to benefit from it (should this be possible and should you wish to do so). If you create a photo using Instagram and they are able make money from it they should include you in the profits. I'm not saying they should give you all the revenue, but a percentage share is certainly in order here. This in itself should be optional, if you say they can't use it then that's the end of the matter. What they are proposing will allow them to use any of your pictures, for any purpose, without your permission and without even notifying you this has happened.
Some of the comments left by readers of the above referenced article have left me amazed by the short sightedness of people. They refer to the fact that most pictures are poor quality. True, but some are truly brilliant stunning pieces of work of which the creator should remain in control of. Add to this the constant improvement in camera phones and the app itself and soon all the pictures will be of marketable quality. They say most of the pictures are just people's dinner and food pics, so of little use. Even if this were true there are many businesses that could benefit from good food photos. This, however, is not true. There are a great many photos that are taken of friends and family, including children. It is this that brings me back to being concerned over the change, despite me not having an account myself. I feature in lots of Instagram photos, taken by many people. Some I know, some I don't. Under Instagram's new proposal they can use these pictures for advertising. I might discover my face on an advert for any number of products that I neither like nor endorse. How would you feel if you saw your face as the face of a Haemorrhoid advert online? Not bothered about that. What if it was an advert for a porn site? How about if it was for an advert for something you absolutely abhor - maybe weapons or real fur coats? I for one would be disgusted to discover this.

As a user of Instagram then, are you happy knowing that your images could be making someone somewhere money and you'll never even know. On top of this they might use pictures of your children. These pictures in turn might become used by unscrupulous characters for very different nefarious purposes. 
As a non-user of Instagram you can't turn a blind eye either. Your image may appear all over the internet for things you know nothing about. Even if it's something you'd love to be associated with, shouldn't your permission be sought, shouldn't you get paid?

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David Cameron - Amazing Leader or Posh Toff?

The UK is currently being run by David Cameron as Prime Minister, leading the Conservative party. A role he part shares with Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats. I thought I'd share my opinions on the current leader with whoever out there cares to read on.

I should really start by saying that I'm yet to be inspired by any politician anywhere on earth, or least not one that has run for election within my lifetime. Before David and Nick took over the UK was in the hands of Tony Blair, leader of the Labour party and Prime Minister for 10 years.

Tony always came across very well on TV, but always had a certain posh flair about him. It was very hard to put all your trust in a man, and a party, that clearly has not come from the same working and middle class backgrounds as most of the electorate (including myself). Despite this, he served the country pretty well without doing anything so radical that he broke anything beyond repair (mostly).

I don't follow politics very closely but am always sure to make note when anything happens that might have an effect on my daily life and way of living. To this end David Cameron has done nothing since being elected in 2010. Nothing at all. I am not richer as a result of him taking over and I'm not poorer either. My day hasn't encountered anything that makes it easier and likewise nothing has become more difficult.

What David has accomplished is making himself look like one of 'us', one of the lads. He can be seen in photos enjoying a pint at the local pub and mucking in with some work helping to dismantle a wall. Sometimes he'll even take the tube to places. In case you haven't picked up on the sarcasm it is very clear that David Cameron is, in fact, a very well educated, public school attendee that is extremely posh. Is this a problem? Well, yes. The bulk of the UKs residents are not of this background and don't much like those that are. David has come from a background where he hasn't ever struggled to pay the rent, or indeed ever had to pay rent. He comes from a background where he hasn't ever worried about will he still have a job tomorrow, and indeed it wouldn't really matter even if he didn't. These things matter because it means that he is not in touch with the people, with their worries, concerns and fears.

To answer the question in my title then - David Cameron is a posh toff. For me he isn't welcome at the head of the country and I'd go further to say that posh toffs should be banned from ever running the country, as they simply have no idea about what really matters to the common man (or woman).

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Movie Review - The Amazing Spider-man

More about the movie - click here 

As this is my first blogged movie review I'll start by explaining that I like to go to the movies on a regular basis. I'll often do this without prior researching the film I'm going to see. This generally ensures I have no preconceptions about a movie and no expectations. Whilst this can lead to some really disappointing visits it can also lead to some very unexpected pleasures.

It's fair to say my reviews will not be overly in depth and will rarely refer to an actor by their real name. I will always provide a rating for the movies I review. These ratings will not be particularly standard and they might not assist you in your decision to watch the movie, but I hope you enjoy reading.

and on to the review...

I'll start by saying this wasn't a film I was looking forward to or, indeed, really knew anything about prior to watching it. Well, I've now been to watch The 'Amazing' Spider-man and can't exactly say that it thrilled and amazed...the film title doesn't actually have 'Amazing' in any quotation marks. This is merely my way of highlighting the 'shocking' fact that the film is anything but amazing. It is in fact nothing short of terrible.

The good points then, of which I have just 2; the two lead actors are of a tolerable quality, delivering a reasonable show. At the very least the on screen chemistry between the pair is believable. Second good point, the female lead is really pretty.

The bad points then are easily filled in by yourselves, the reader, viewer and all round educated person, as they comprise of the rest of the movie. To my mind the plot was EXACTLY the same as the original Spider-man movie. There were, of course, some differences but these were subtle and, to a very large extent, completely pointless. Rather than entertain and dazzle, this film managed to confuse me for two main reasons; I didn't realise it was a remake, rather than a sequel, until about 30 minutes into the film ... and everyone had very futuristic technology available to them except for, for some some unknown reason, Spider-man who still had to use something called 'film' in his camera?!

I would rate this film a one legged, trapped in a jar with no air about to die, spider on the standard spider movie rating scale. (that's about 1 star in traditional rating systems)

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Strip club: Swansea decision deferred on plan near York Place Baptist Church

BBC News - full story here

What's this story about in a nut shell? 'They' want to licence a strip club in the building next to a church and the church is not in favour of the idea.

Strip clubs are not places I frequent, but I have been to a couple of them. I once had a fairly long chat with one of the girls in one about why she does the job and how she thinks other people view her as a result of the work she does. She simply said it provides a very good wage and ensures she has a comfortable lifestyle whilst studying for a degree. She went on to explain she considers the work decent and honest. What other people think beyond that is down to their own preconceived ideas and values.

This opinion of her own work place and oneself is one that I share. All work is honourable and once you accept this then what the church needs to appreciate is that the business of strip clubs is no more seedy or inappropriate than if a car show room were trying to open next door.

If you examine the situation more closely you'll see the opening hours are between 22:00 and 04:00. Will the church be open these hours? Of course they won't. Indeed, during church hours all the patrons of the church will see is a dull building with a sign on it that means very little to 'impressionable' youths and god fearing families.

We live in a world of political correctness gone mad and to deny a business venture on the grounds that your patrons might be offended simply shouldn't be a justifiable reason.

My final thoughts are that the church needs to mind it's own business and let the club open. If all hell breaks loose days, weeks, months down the line then that would be the time to address it. For the moment try and be a bit more tolerant of your neighbours, as they don't seem to have a problem with you.

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