omgpieplease
Check, Please! (+ hockey) sideblog
Matt, he/him, trans & queer, 31. The Detroit Red Wings are my hometown team. Have mercy on me. I haven't followed hockey since back when they were winning Stanley Cups.
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Automattic will sign a contract with OpenAI for Midjourney to learn off of Tumblr and Wordpress
Hello! Automattic, Tumblr's parent company, will sign a contract with OpenAI and Midjourney so Midjourney can learn off of Tumblr's and WordPress' art and other user data. :) (The full text of this article is copy/pasted in the cut below). You can opt out! but I truly cannot imagine a more idiotic or out of touch decision on the part of Tumblr's CEO.
First thing's first: When/if this goes live, opt out of this immediately. Do this even if you're not an artist. The more people opt out, the less valuable this contract is to Midjourney. in an ideal world, literally all of the active users would opt out, but if we can even get to 50% that's pretty delicious.
Second: Contact Tumblr Support. It's vital that you do this politely. Tumblr staff is not responsible for this decision and the point of doing this is to show the userbase's unwillingness to be involved in this, not harangue Tumblr staff. (Seriously, stop haranguing Tumblr staff). Here's a script:
Hi, I'm writing in to express my disappointment in Automattic's pending contract with OpenAI to sell user data. Midjourney is already embroiled in copyright lawsuits, and it is not possible to train it without compromising copyright, including violating the IP of artists on this site. I strongly protest this contract and will opt out if it goes live. Depending on the privacy terms around what user data is sold to OpenAI and why, it is possible I will leave the platform entirely. Thank you for your time.
Third: Download Glaze and start poisoning them prompts, my friends
Fourth: Stare into the middle distance for a second with me because holy fucking shit? How stupid can one decision be?
Tumblr and Wordpress are preparing to sell user data to Midjourney and OpenAI, according to a source with internal knowledge about the deals and internal documentation referring to the deals.
The exact types of data from each platform going to each company are not spelled out in documentation we’ve reviewed, but internal communications reviewed by 404 Media make clear that deals between Automattic, the platforms’ parent company, and OpenAI and Midjourney are imminent.
The internal documentation details a messy and controversial process within Tumblr itself. One internal post made by Cyle Gage, a product manager at Tumblr, states that a query made to prepare data for OpenAI and Midjourney compiled a huge number of user posts that it wasn’t supposed to. It is not clear from Gage’s post whether this data has already been sent to OpenAI and Midjourney, or whether Gage was detailing a process for scrubbing the data before it was to be sent.
Gage wrote:
“the way the data was queried for the initial data dump to Midjourney/OpenAI means we compiled a list of all tumblr’s public post content between 2014 and 2023, but also unfortunately it included, and should not have included:
private posts on public blogs
posts on deleted or suspended blogs
unanswered asks (normally these are not public until they’re answered)
private answers (these only show up to the receiver and are not public)
posts that are marked ‘explicit’ / NSFW / ‘mature’ by our more modern standards (this may not be a big deal, I don’t know)
content from premium partner blogs (special brand blogs like Apple’s former music blog, for example, who spent money with us on an ad campaign) that may have creative that doesn’t belong to us, and we don’t have the rights to share with this-parties; this one is kinda unknown to me, what deals are in place historically and what they should prevent us from doing.”
Gage’s post makes clear that engineers are working on compiling a list of post IDs that should not have been included, and that password-protected posts, DMs, and media flagged as CSAM and other community guidelines violations were not included.
Automattic plans to launch a new setting on Wednesday that will allow users to opt-out of data sharing with third parties, including AI companies, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, and internal documents. A new FAQ section we reviewed is titled “What happens when you opt out?” states that “If you opt out from the start, we will block crawlers from accessing your content by adding your site on a disallowed list. If you change your mind later, we also plan to update any partners about people who newly opt-out and ask that their content be removed from past sources and future training.”
404 Media has asked Automattic how it accidentally compiled data that it shouldn’t share, and whether any of that content was shared with OpenAI, but did not immediately hear back from the company. 404 Media asked Automattic about an imminent deal with Midjourney last week but did not hear back then, either.
Another internal document shows that, on February 23, an employee asked in a staff-only thread, “Do we have assurances that if a user opts out of their data being shared with third parties that our existing data partners will be notified of such a change and remove their data?”
Andrew Spittle, Automattic’s head of AI replied: “We will notify existing partners on a regular basis about anyone who's opted out since the last time we provided a list. I want this to be an ongoing process where we regularly advocate for past content to be excluded based on current preferences. We will ask that content be deleted and removed from any future training runs. I believe partners will honor this based on our conversations with them to this point. I don't think they gain much overall by retaining it.” Automattic did not respond to a question from 404 Media about whether it could guarantee that people who opt out will have their data deleted retroactively.
News about a deal between Tumblr and Midjourney has been rumored and speculated about on Tumblr for the last week. Someone claiming to be a former Tumblr employee announced in a Tumblr blog post that the platform was working on a deal with Midjourney, and the rumor made it onto Blind, an app for verified employees of companies to anonymously discuss their jobs. 404 Media has seen the Blind posts, in which what seems like an Automattic employee says, “I'm not sure why some of you are getting worked up or worried about this. It's totally legal, and sharing it publicly is perfectly fine since it's right there in the terms & conditions. So, go ahead and spread the word as much as you can with your friends and tech journalists, it's totally fine.”
Separately, 404 Media viewed a public, now-deleted post by Gage, the product manager, where he said that he was deleting all of his images off of Tumblr, and would be putting them on his personal website. A still-live post says, “i've deleted my photography from tumblr and will be moving it slowly but surely over to cylegage.com, which i'm building into a photography portfolio that i can control end-to-end.” At one point last week, his personal website had a specific note stating that he did not consent to AI scraping of his images. Gage’s original post has been deleted, and his website is now a blank page that just reads “Cyle.” Gage did not respond to a request for comment from 404 Media.
Several online platforms have made similar deals with AI companies recently, including Reddit, which entered into an AI content licensing deal with Google and said in its SEC filing last week that it’s “in the early stages of monetizing [its] user base” by training AI on users’ posts. Last year, Shutterstock signed a six year deal with OpenAI to provide training data.
OpenAI and Midjourney did not respond to requests for comment.
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When French-Canadian hockey player Ghyslain and French ballet dancer Florent meet at the end of their respective careers, they rediscover what it means to truly love what you do.
You buy the whole comic on my itch for whatever price you like ❤️
Love of the Game is an erotic comic meant for adults over the age of 18.
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Rallying Cry
He’s taken some arrows but this steadfast and colorful paladin will continue to stand up for his flock.
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Inspired by Pride- past present and future: by the ones who came before us and the ones who’ll pick up where we leave off, by community and strength in the face of adversity.
Painted in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil on 140lb Arches hot press paper. Accented with gold ink and genuine gold leaf.
Painted for Every Day Original (and sold!)
#my art#my stuff#not check please#not even hockey#im not active in the fandom anymore but i'm still very actively creating art!
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Keeper of the Vernal Labyrinth
The Prince of Spring hosts merry tourneys on his festival grounds, but the twists and turns of hedgerows nearly muffle the revelry, allowing the humble keeper of the Labyrinth to delight in the pleasant “snip snip” of creating order from chaos.
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Inspired by evergreen boxwoods, by the tease of a warm spring breeze in the middle of winter, and by the joy of getting lost in the details.
Painted in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil on 140lb Arches hot press paper. Accented with 23K gold leaf.
The artwork is double matted and framed in a vintage frame, painted to match.
Available on Every Day Original
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Hello all!
I’ve got these 4 little frames I’d love to fill with tiny, detailed watercolor/gouache paintings (embellished with gold leaf) of your characters. RPG characters, OCs, fursonas, you name it.
Please reply or email w/ info and your preferred frame.
Pictured are the frames I've got available, and two examples (my own characters)
$150 each. ( +Shipping, which will depend on your location!)
Payment via paypal invoice.
My email for questions or to claim a frame is:
mspencerillustration [at] gmail [dot] com
(I also posted these on twitter if you like to communicate on the bird site)
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Last year, I illustrated Alia Terra: Stories from the Dragon Realm (by @avakellyfiction for Atthis Arts). This year, they're releasing a COLORING BOOK version of Alia Terra as part of their current Kickstarter!
More info in their update here: https://kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/treasures/posts/3658472…
Please check it out!
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Do you like to read? Are you in search of the darker side of genres like horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, but wish you could find work told from queer perspectives? Do you like to feel a chill creep up your spine before an alluring trepidation grips your heart tight and sinks to the pit of your stomach? (All from the safety of your couch, armchair, bathtub, bus seat, what have you).
Please consider preordering The Crawling Moon: Queer Tales of Inescapable Dread from Neon Hemlock. It's funding on IndieGoGo right now, and there are a NUMBER of really excellent rewards available (pins, patches, candles, BOOKS so many BOOKS) and some SUPER exciting stretch goals (more stories! a free pin for backers! Illustrations by me @mspencerdraws! A full novella! In the anthology!).
The lineup of contributors to The Crawling Moon is amazing so far- look at this bunch:
(and if you're a writer, you could very well join them, since Neon Hemlock is open for submissions!) Editor dave ring is fantastic to work with, I can say from personal experience!
The last anthology of this sort that Neon Hemlock produced, Unfettered Hexes, co-won the Shirley Jackson Award, was fully illustrated, and sold out its first print run! You can order your own copy of Unfettered Hexes from the second print run as part of the Crawling Moon campaign!
Please please consider directly supporting this queer-run small press that's publishing incredible speculative queer work by queer creators!
#not omgcp#not even hockey#but i might become involved#and it's queer as fuck#so#please consider checking it out!#my stuff
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I am Open for Commissions.
I will draw OCs, DnD characters, anthros, animals, robots, fanart (hello Critical Role, OmgCP, OFMD, LotR, TMA, fans in particular) etc.
I am also happy to design tattoos,
I’m usually happy to figure out options based on any budget (within reason).
I would LOVE love love to paint more queer characters in general, but especially queer DnD Characters.
I am also a complete sucker for TAROT inspired commissions. Give me a card and a character and I’ll just go wild.
For more examples of my work, just look at the rest of my tumblr, or check out my website: http://www.mspencerillustration.com/
If you’re interested in anything, or have any questions, the best way to reach me is by email: [email protected].
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I’m still alive (and posting more actively on Twitter)
Please look at my gay swans.
The Lovers
The seventh (finished) card in The Courtly Beasts Tarot. Card VI in the Major Arcana.
The Lovers have made a place for themselves. They see eye-to-eye in this harmonious union lit by flames as bright as their passion. The are unfazed by any threat from the serpent or the expectations of the outside world. They know the universe is smiling on them- gracing their romantic sanctuary with a lunar rainbow.
The Courtly Beasts Tarot is intended to be a deck that draws loosely from the imagery of the classic Rider-Waite illustrations, but creates a world of its own through the use of anthropomorphic animals cast in the archetypal roles, historically inspired costume, and lush environments. Each card is another step in the journey.
I’m giving Patrons a look at my working process, as well as early access to the full illustrations before I share them publicly.
I have The Fool available for everyone on Patreon as a bit of a preview post!
Other Cards
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Alia Terra: Stories from the Dragon Realm
Release day! On Mărțisor, March 1st, we welcome spring and renewal.
Alia Terra is an all-ages illustrated fairy tale book about a different kind of happiness: kindness and self-acceptance.
Find Alia Terra here.
#my art#not check please#not even hockey#but i did illustrate this book!#this lovely queer book of beautiful stories
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Alia Terra: Stories from the Dragon Realm funded on Kickstarter this past Thursday and we hit *all* of our stretch goals!!!!
I'm still reeling at what we accomplished. I am so full of gratitude- and excitement that Alia Terra gets to become everything we envisioned.
I am going to be thrilled to get to take a breath and focus on actually **illustrating** this beautiful book to its -fullest potential-. All thanks to everyone out there who helped.
Thank you thank you thank you 🙌💜💙💚💛🧡❤️🤎🖤
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So much has happened in Alia Terra Kickstarter news!
We hit our Hardcover goal! The book will now be available as a hardcover for a small add-on fee!
We almost have 200 backers! Woah!
We only have 3 (three) Original Art Tier spots remaining!
We have eight days left of the campaign!
In the latest update, @avakellyfiction and I put together some awesome character profiles for our cast! Check it out to learn a bit more about the people, dragons, and undersea critters featured in our book of queer, nonbinary fairytales.
(Paintings done with Watercolor, Ink, and a bit of Gouache)
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In the latest Kickstarter update, author @ThunderEternal & I discuss costume design for the characters in our queer, all-ages fairytale book! Romanian folkwear, historical context, togas, flower crowns- we touch on a little bit of everything in this one!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/alia-terra/posts/3210220
Any backers, at any level have our sincere gratitude- as do folks sharing and recommending our book to their friends!
Our next stretch goal is within sight- we’d love to reach it so we can offer a hardcover version of our queer, nonbinary, aromantic fairy tales!
Bonus: Every pledge adds more art to the book!
(Rewards start at $1 ;D)
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Alia Terra: The genders of words and pronouns in Romanian
As the Dragon Realm buzzes with news of the three stories, my first update to the project talks about the genders of words and pronouns in Romanian. Currently, in Romanian, we don’t have an official, ungendered, third person pronoun. What we do have is a polite, formal set. Dumneasa, in third person. It means, in literal translation, “their lordship” as it’s the modern, compact form of “domnia sa.” More about this here.
We are absolutely thrilled to have reached our first goal for Alia Terra! Thank you everyone! Minimum funding gives us one illustration per story, but if you’re like me, your inner dragon will want the hoard of pretty drawings to increase! Emily’s update talks about what happens next.
Alia Terra’s talented illustrator, Matthew Spencer, talks about his process and the stages of our main graphic image here.
Thank you for joining us on this journey through the Dragon Realm! We appreciate sharing this project!
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The Chromatic Fates Tarot Card deck
The kickstarter is now live! I mentioned a while back that I had the opportunity to create the seven of coins card for this deck. I’m happy to announce that the kickstarter is live!
Link: https://www.kickstarter. com/projects/chromaticfates/the-chromatic-fates-tarot
remove the space between .com since tumblr hates links.
some examples of the deck:
my card:
Please reblog!! So many different artists worked really hard. I want the whole world to see.
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Alia Terra: Stories from the Dragon Realm
Alia Terra: Stories from the Dragon Realm - a book of three all-ages queer fairy tales highlighting nonbinary characters, aromanticism, and personal acceptance from Atthis Arts. Written by me, illustrated by Matthew Spencer @mspencerdraws and edited by E.D.E. Bell, these stories in English and Romanian hold a message very dear to me: Our happiness is our own.
Pre-oder a copy here! If your inner dragon, wants some hoard, we have art carts, Romanian bookmarks, a custom D20 die and many other goodies.
We appreciate sharing this project! Thank you.
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It’s launch day!
Alia Terra: Stories from the Dragon Realm is a book of three all-ages queer fairy tales highlighting nonbinary characters, aromanticism, and personal acceptance, written by Romanian author Ava Kelly (avakellyfiction), edited by E.D.E. Bell of Atthis Arts and illustrated by me!
If you’re unfamiliar with Kickstarter, this particular campaign will allow you to pre-order this book, get some extra goodies if you want, *and* each pre-order will help boost the number of illustrations in the book! Spread the word! If you know someone you think might be interested, every share and recommendation makes a huge difference.
Kickstarter link HERE.
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