Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Venting

I am a hostess of an ATC (Artist Trading Cards) Yahoo! Group. I received an email of someone saying how they had been ignored when they asked questions in the past. I apologized and informed them why they were unable to join a certain swap that they had inquired about. Then I went to the group website and found that when this person asked questions, I responded to all of them.
This is the newest in the problems I've had with this group (and I guarantee it won't be the last). The drama of some certain members of this group make it not so fun to deal with, but I know that if I kick them out then they'll get to talking to each other and will drop out. I've had that happen.
I had one member that got their card posted on the homepage (I pick one of my favorite cards from the swap and post it on the homepage), and had asked if they could have that card. I happened to be the one who had that card, so I emailed her privately and told her that I was holding onto it. And that in the future when she complained about someone else's cards/items, that they should try NOT responding to the whole group (I just happened to be the lucky person she was complaining about). I did the better person thing and did not strike back at her through the group, I didn't respond at all and let it slide. After this email (about the homepage card), she sent an angry email to the whole group about how mean I was and how she shouldn't have been treated a certain way and ended up making (at least I'm guessing, as I never got to explain what happened) someone leave because of it, and then she unsubbed. A month or so later she emailed me again, and profusely apologized for her behavior and asked to join again. Once again I did the bigger person thing and let her join.
Then I had one person take a card that I had made for a certain swap and use it for another swap. Instead of making her own background, she chose to use my card as the background and add her stuff from that swap to it and make it into her own card. Imagine if a big artist had done this with someone else's work, would it be considered flattery? I don't think so, as this was my original art, maybe (only maybe) if it were a photocopy. To which I told the group this was unacceptable, and she apologized to everyone for making that so. In my mind you should always make your own backgrounds, whether out of paper that you altered or even just using a magazine page.
I can't say I'm a fan of all the art that comes in, but everyone has their own idea of art and I try to keep an open mind when I see the artwork. I made the mistake of raising a stink about someone's artwork in the past and received a blown up answer from her and she got quite upset with me and left the group in a huff. Now I realize that everyone is trying their hardest and if they see it as fit to send in and that they are proud of it, I use them all.

Just curious is anyone that reads this blog a hostess of any art groups on Yahoo! or otherwise that I could chat with? Let me know in the comments section.

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