I always get a little wary when I receive word that a photo I posted to flickr was used on someone’s blog or whatever. A couple of times, they’ve been used for publications I’d want nothing to do with. Yesterday afternoon, I received such a message. Such is the nature of sharing stuff like that on the internet and licensing it under Creative Commons.

The photo in question is this one, taken nearly a year ago on a visit home to the Bronx. It’s a sunset view of Manhattan from Barretto Point Park.

I never set out to take the best skyline photo ever, it was the sunset and the setting that got my attention. So color me surprised to find that the photo was included in a blog post entitled “the World’s Most Spectacular Skylines.” An even bigger surprise was to find enough people dugg the entry to make it to digg’s front page.

Normally, I imagine that someone would be thrilled to find something they did (directly or indirectly) on digg’s home page. In this case, not so much.

Things were not off to a promising start when the first comment on the entry itself said, “seriously the weakest shot of the new york [sic] skyline ive ever seen.” Didn’t take long for the echo chamber to start.

“That photograph is absolutely awful.”

“Weak-sauce picture of NYC.”

“The skyline of New York is completely shameful from a photographer.”

“hong kong > everything else … everything else fails miserably, especially new york”

And don’t even get me started on the comments from digg, not that I consider it a haven of intelligent discourse.

I also don’t think it helped that the photo was cropped without my permission, thereby altering the context which I intended. The Creative Commons license I put the photo under clearly states “No derivative works.”

I know. “Wah. Wah. Wah…. Grow a thicker skin…. etc.” Whatever.

My friend Clarke helped put this in perspective for me over IM yesterday afternoon. To paraphrase:

For every person that actually comments, there is likely a person that saw the photo, really appreciated it for what it was, and didn’t comment. It’s the blessing/curse of having your photography/art in a public forum. Not everyone will get it or appreciate it – but, it spoke to you when you took it [and] that feeling validates the photo – anyone else’s reaction to it is secondary and the people that know you will totally get the feeling behind it.

Clarke added later on that people may not believe me when I say it was him that said it. So, may lightning strike me if I’m lying. Better yet, may lightning strike those who wouldn’t know constructive criticism from a hole in the ground.

Bah, fuck ’em! They’d probably bitch and moan that they weren’t stricken at the right voltage or something.

Mayflower Hotel by FredoAlvarez/flickr)

The Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, probably one of the best-known hotels in the city, was built in 1925 and developed by Allen E. Walker, who also developed neighborhoods in the northwest quadrant of Washington, DC. Its opening event was the Washington Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet; two weeks later, it held President Calvin Coolidge’s Inaugural Charity Ball. President Coolidge was a no-show for the event, but the Mayflower has held inaugural events for every president since.

The Mayflower is said to have more gold trim than any other building but the Library of Congress. Renovations completed on the hotel in 1998 revealed many decorative touches that were concealed during the Great Depression to mask the hotel’s opulence.

The Mayflower made headlines the other day when it announced that it will grant amnesty to anyone who pilfered towels, silverware, and other "souvenir" items stamped with its iconic ship logo. This coincides with the publication of a book on the hotel’s history. Amnesty starts today.

Pictured above is the rear façade of the hotel on 17th Street NW, which includes an entrance that is no longer used. The main entrance is on the opposite side of the hotel, on Connecticut Avenue NW. If you look carefully, you may also see a few flecks of snow. As I write this, the snow has gotten noticeably heavier and by day’s end we’re to accumulate about an inch, maybe two.

General Debris, a robot by Nemo Gould, as photographed by Scott Beale. The robot appears to be fully equipped. (Links potentially NSFW if robotic nudity is an issue. Hey, you never know!)

Emphasis on the fully.

Curious how the equipment is shaped like a pepper mill. Many of us could probably use some fresh pepper, but I don’t think this is what we had in mind.

(via Laughing Squid)