Handclapsfingasnapz said:

now, you know how cynical and jaded i am.

i didn't see it as a warm-fuzzy gesture - i saw it as a result of some form of agreement between the two sites. it reeked of "there's more to this story than meets the eye", but if HQ was happy and NPGMC was happy, then whee for us all, ya know?

Anxiety said:

i have no idea, but it all gave me an uneasy sorta feeling. nice gesture on their behalf, but still...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Me too. and frankly, I wasn't impressed with the gesture. i saw a lot of those pics in the book I bought, and from other sites, magazines etc. I am talking about tv performances from teh 90's that are no longer televised, nor available for purchase. Believe me, I even went as low as to email npgmc and ask them if they had available for purchase old video, tv performances. Honestly, I was directed to a site that to me look like it might specialize in bootleg material.
i just want to be able to watch videos like Gold, 7, Alphabet St. stuff that SHOULD have received MTV and VH1 airplay but didn't because of the dark cloud Prince was under during the 90's.

it wasnt the giving but the recieving that caused my eyebrow to raise.

The reason is because HQ ask for donations from fans purely 2 help in the running of the site and as all us Prince fans know, the only thing Prince is about is MONEY!!! He absolutely HATES it that anybody is making money off of him other than HIM!!!!
[Edited 2/8/05 22:34pm]

Sure , but i got a right to moan ?!
[Edited 2/8/05 23:40pm]

seriously, i checked out HQ's complaints regarding NPGMC's most recent requests, and i came away from it with three thoughts:

1) i know i won't be sitting at the popular kids' table after this, but...i think it's well within NPGMC's rights to dictate what's done with its logos and with the photographs/illustrations/logos that it produces. to a certain extent, the internet is kind of like 'the wild frontier' in that you can't control all the material all the time, and everyone's gonna sneak off with SOMEthing you post on the web...but when a site appropriates something like the NPG logo, or when they manipulate photography produced specifically for a prince album, and when those appropriations are carried through not just by a user of the site, but by the designers and owners of the site, then i see no reason why they shouldn't be answerable to the owners of those images when they bring on the clampdown with regards to other people using their intellectual property.

seriously, i checked out HQ's complaints regarding NPGMC's most recent requests, and i came away from it with three thoughts:

1) i know i won't be sitting at the popular kids' table after this, but...i think it's well within NPGMC's rights to dictate what's done with its logos and with the photographs/illustrations/logos that it produces. to a certain extent, the internet is kind of like 'the wild frontier' in that you can't control all the material all the time, and everyone's gonna sneak off with SOMEthing you post on the web...but when a site appropriates something like the NPG logo, or when they manipulate photography produced specifically for a prince album, and when those appropriations are carried through not just by a user of the site, but by the designers and owners of the site, then i see no reason why they shouldn't be answerable to the owners of those images when they bring on the clampdown with regards to other people using their intellectual property.

2) not for nothin', but i harbor sincere doubts as to how unpleasant the missive from NPGMC must have been, though i could be wrong about this. it's always unpleasant to be slapped on the wrist for something, no matter how polite or diplomatic you try to be about it. considering the offerings of photo exclusives NPGMC has offered HQ in the past, i'd hardly suspect the club's webmasters have it in for HQ. again: i could be way off-track about this. but i don't think so. and i'm NOT saying HQ is lying or distorting any facts - i'm just saying that sometimes perspective can be a motherfucker.

3) this isn't the first time we've seen this happen - not only with HQ but with other sites as well. seems to happen in between releases of new prince product, right when fans are at their most restless, right when it's easiest to whip us all into a froth over whatEVER. do you think this is coincidence?

really, i wish nothing but the best for the HQ folks, and i hope that in this latest round of general squawking amongst all involved, the folks at NPGMC remember the virtues of grace and mercy. it's all supposed to be about having fun, isn't it?

for the rest of us, i would like to humbly recommend discussing this latest round of unpleasantness with as much respectful calm and proportionately dispassionate debate as can be mustered. seems we always have a kneejerk reaction whenever something like this happens, and this time maybe we can learn by being a little analytical and questioning what we question. not tellin' ya what to think or anything...i'm just sayin'.

I'm not sure NPGMC/Prince fully realise the large volume of free promotion they are given by Prince.org and Housequake.com.

Anxiety said:

I'm gonna join you at the not so popular kids table I think (and yes I'm a die hard HQ'er so I am a bit biased) it hasn't much to do with legal things. First of all I think most of the copyright of the photos is with the photographer and not with Prince. If we would be putting Prince in a bad daylight, making fun of him etc. it would be different. Then it would be bad for his image. But don't forget that HQ is also just a fansite. We don't want anything else than a happy Prince.

And then my second remark: Why is the NPGMC just attacking HQ? I'm sure they have heard of prince.org too. And prince.org has a big gallery and the members have photoshop competitions for which they use Prince's image. I think that is as bad as the things HQ does.

And how come NPGMC allows their members to post HQ scans on their forum when it is a violation of copyright? (And then I'm not even talking about the illegal copying from news articles by the PP's themselves). My conclusion is: They use double standards at the NPGMC.

andykeen said:

and i think we should also consider the fact that exclusive pictures were given to Housequake previously..thats gotta show for something..

I't's nice to know we don't go totally unnoticed then. Im all warm n fuzzy inside. But I think the finger pointing is a little old - dontcha think? I thought we all got ova that a lonnnng time ago. Didn't we? Just thinking aloud - Devils advocate an' all that.

If ever there was a time over the last 12 months for independant Prince sites to come together and unify even just a little more...and what's happened? Sweet f.a.

The way I see it, the positive stuff to come outta the last 12/16 months is that the main 'contenders' online seem to have settled into their niches, and that's kinda cool. But people in glass houses... y'know? Basically, stand firm and don't be getting all squidgy when the heats turned up. Sometimes people like to push to see how far they CAN push. Maybe that's all this is...that's all Im sayin. Maybe it's not - but it's worth noting all the same.

The Org said it last time, and we'll say it again here and now...we got your back. The thing is, if the chit went down - would you have ours?

Of course you would.

bananacologne said:

And the hypnotist from little Britian said to Bananacologne "look it to my eyes, look in to my eyes, not around the eyes. You are feeling sleepy. When you wake up you are going to forget about British culture and start typing like you are American....three, two, one wake!"

it wasnt the giving but the recieving that caused my eyebrow to raise.

sosgemini said:

yeah, me too. but I was just hoping that that gift was a peace offering and a let's cease fire gesture. So I was like whatever, let's just get on with what we can legally do and get this party back on track.
I guess in a way HQ was puffing it's chest a bit because of the exclusive pics. I didn't get it and figured it was because I was naive, stupid, something... because those hard won "exclusive" pics was all over the web before I even had a chance to see them from HQ. I think I saw it first here on the org.

I have found a way around this latest snafu, but it still pisses me off. and these newbies with 5 and 6 posts all posted on this particular thread keeps me ranting and raving about it. The purple koolaid drinking sheep can at least be discreet or a little more subtle about it!

If only i knew how to hack

sosgemini said:

yeah, me too. but I was just hoping that that gift was a peace offering and a let's cease fire gesture. So I was like whatever, let's just get on with what we can legally do and get this party back on track.
I guess in a way HQ was puffing it's chest a bit because of the exclusive pics. I didn't get it and figured it was because I was naive, stupid, something... because those hard won "exclusive" pics was all over the web before I even had a chance to see them from HQ. I think I saw it first here on the org.

I have found a way around this latest snafu, but it still pisses me off. and these newbies with 5 and 6 posts all posted on this particular thread keeps me ranting and raving about it. The purple koolaid drinking sheep can at least be discreet or a little more subtle about it!

The best course of action if one disagrees with the current action taken by the NPGMC, is to boycott the NPGMC.

Do not purchase anything from the NPGMC download store.

I know I'm blowing smoke out of my ass, if this thing carries on, it won't belong before another carrot on the stick is offered for purchase over at the NPGMC, and we'll all run off like good little sheep to hear the new 'Princez Jamz' (remember Xpectation?).

But if you don't like what the NPGMC are doing to fansites like Housequake (and let's not forget this is just the latest in a long string of attacks on "the competition"), then the only way you can truly show your distain for their activities is by boycotting them.

We can post here, on the org and on NPGMC until our fingers go numb, but as long as the $$$ is still coming in through the NPGMC, they won't give a shit what you think.

I'm a newbie there too , but i really liked the video section
What makes you think you have more right to moan than me ?!
(no offense)
[Edited 2/9/05 2:16am]

Sorry , overlooked the last sentence (i should've known)

I't's nice to know we don't go totally unnoticed then. Im all warm n fuzzy inside. But I think the finger pointing is a little old - dontcha think? I thought we all got ova that a lonnnng time ago. Didn't we? Just thinking aloud - Devils advocate an' all that.

If ever there was a time over the last 12 months for independant Prince sites to come together and unify even just a little more...and what's happened? Sweet f.a.

The way I see it, the positive stuff to come outta the last 12/16 months is that the main 'contenders' online seem to have settled into their niches, and that's kinda cool. But people in glass houses... y'know? Basically, stand firm and don't be getting all squidgy when the heats turned up. Sometimes people like to push to see how far they CAN push. Maybe that's all this is...that's all Im sayin. Maybe it's not - but it's worth noting all the same.

The Org said it last time, and we'll say it again here and now...we got your back. The thing is, if the chit went down - would you have ours?

Of course you would.






































....Wouldn't you?

So why do I still feel so decidedly uneasy about that?

Dewrede said:

tis' okay. Actually I appreciate your guts to admit if you could hack....
And i am ducking right behind you saying "yeah!, me too!"

I think we feel the same. I didn't mean pointing out a finger to prince.org . I only wanted to illustrate that there is no difference between HQ, prince.org or any other unofficial fansite. They all violate copyright laws, but that is not the point imo.

Most important thing is that we, the unofficial fansites, stand together on this issue. What happens now to HQ, can happen to any other fansite.*

(Don't forget that I'm a Dutch blonde girl who tries to write down her opinion in English, which is sometimes a bit difficult because it is not her first language )

Don't forget that I'm a Dutch blonde girl who tries to write down her opinion in English, which is sometimes a bit difficult because it is not her first language )

sosgemini said:

yeah, me too. but I was just hoping that that gift was a peace offering and a let's cease fire gesture. So I was like whatever, let's just get on with what we can legally do and get this party back on track.
I guess in a way HQ was puffing it's chest a bit because of the exclusive pics. I didn't get it and figured it was because I was naive, stupid, something... because those hard won "exclusive" pics was all over the web before I even had a chance to see them from HQ. I think I saw it first here on the org.

I have found a way around this latest snafu, but it still pisses me off. and these newbies with 5 and 6 posts all posted on this particular thread keeps me ranting and raving about it. The purple koolaid drinking sheep can at least be discreet or a little more subtle about it!