AI and background images
What I'm trying to convey is that I wasn't interested in AI for its own sake, and I don't want to use AI just for the sake of using AI because it's fun, fashionable, or efficient, or because I'm lazy.Oliver Armani wrote: Today, 17:44 you said that you don't like AI, and that you don't want AI in your message.
I've shared with you the pros and cons as I see them, along with the different options available to us. I believe this is the least bad option.
AI and background images
I'm so sorry but I am just going to say this and walk away. I feel I am angry and can't properly convey what I want without unintentionally offending anyone.
I do understand wanting consistency, I very much do. But I feel as if that's being hyper focused on full illustrations. I also very strongly feel like the textured backgrounds are being ignored. As those can very much be consistent if they are made to be so. And they should be, if an actual person puts effort into making them consistent.
I find it hard to understand how someone anti AI (not targeted, I have seen many people who are anit-ai in this thread be ok with the backgrounds) and who doesn't want AI, be ok with using it for a background. When non AI options have been offered over and over again. One's that are cheep and/or free, and that will be consistent.
I don't want to just repeat myself over and over, as many of us have said why AI is bad. So again, I really am truly sorry but I just cant see this as the 'lest bad' option when ones with virtually no cons have been offered.
I do understand wanting consistency, I very much do. But I feel as if that's being hyper focused on full illustrations. I also very strongly feel like the textured backgrounds are being ignored. As those can very much be consistent if they are made to be so. And they should be, if an actual person puts effort into making them consistent.
I find it hard to understand how someone anti AI (not targeted, I have seen many people who are anit-ai in this thread be ok with the backgrounds) and who doesn't want AI, be ok with using it for a background. When non AI options have been offered over and over again. One's that are cheep and/or free, and that will be consistent.
I don't want to just repeat myself over and over, as many of us have said why AI is bad. So again, I really am truly sorry but I just cant see this as the 'lest bad' option when ones with virtually no cons have been offered.
AI and background images
I haven't said I'm pro-AI, I haven't say I'm anti-AI neither. I think that, when it comes to something as complex and multifaceted, it's possible to be something other than simply for or against it? In any case, that's how I feel.
But I don't think my personal opinion matters all that much; the points I was trying to make were about the site and what I believe would be positive or negative for it.
But I don't think my personal opinion matters all that much; the points I was trying to make were about the site and what I believe would be positive or negative for it.
AI and background images
Having backread and seeing that the conversation hasn't really been moving forward in a direction that is productive on either side I only want to share my thoughts. I will not be responding once I have said my piece because its just a selection of thoughts rather than a road towards more conversation. I implore those who take a moment to read to approach my musings with realism. Not pessimism or call out.
sta 6 | eva 8| str 7| STATS | wis 7 | arc 5 | acc 7|
I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream- Sleeping Beauty
When I first entered this site, I used AI Generative Art for Siobhan, Genie(My INPC) and Desislava (My Staff Account) because I do not draw. I have no desire to learn how to draw mainly because it is not my creative medium. Originally, I could not differentiate the difference between my characters and actresses/models which is why I steered away from utilizing the likenesses of real people. I was upfront with people about my usage, and in our Discord there is a slew of AI art that I have posted of my characters which regrettably, I might not have chosen to make, had (at the time) I known the environmental impacts of the usage. I pride myself on trying to be an ethical and moral person and hearing both sides of the argument is the best way for any individual to make informed decisions.
Informed Decisions cannot be made without the position of at least two sides. Our three sides here are "It's fine let's use AI," "No we can't use it at all" and "I don't have an opinion either way." The difference between making an informed decision and the right decision is that the right decision is not always right for everyone. I'm in agreement with the consensus about the following:
1: The blank backgrounds make the Site feel incomplete.
2: We cannot put the site at legal risk for use of copyright infringement so the pictures need (and later the name potentially will need) to come down.
3: AI Writing of whole posts and every aspect of your time here is not acceptable on this site. We are a creative writing site, and you need to create from your own imagination.
What I am NOT in agreement with is how this conversation has evolved.
1: AI is unfortunately not going away. We can make conscious efforts not to use it, but we cannot stop it from being utilized every day. When you use "hey google" or "hey siri" you're using AI. Maps on phones are generative AI, ads on the computer are AI, using social media filters is AI.
2: Everyone is entitled to their opinion and should be free to express it. However, having read all 16 or so of these pages its clear some people are so vehemently against or for AI that it's perhaps best that for their own peace of mind and to be kind to others that someone becomes the bigger person and respectfully removes themselves before furthering an argument that is circling a drain.
I am someone whose specific degree and career path (English Literature/Creative Writing) is in extreme danger of AI pruning, and I am not here advocating for the usage of 400+ AI forums because it's convenient. It is not the only option, that is a true statement. Additionally, I'm not fully opposed to it as a suggestion because currently we cannot reasonably or feasibly ask one individual or even the entire site to contribute money/time/or even art without knowing for certain that the project will be completed in a timely manner. The functional part of the site, the Original Lesson plans took seven years to finalize. For aesthetics? I have a feeling this would start of strong, and crash and burn around a year in because of real world time/money/motivation constraints. I apologize if this seems pessimistic, but I implore you to read this with a mind of realism. If you choose to use AI art for your character's likeness or as parts of their banners (without claiming it is your art) that is one thing. You are in control of your character's appearance (within realistic reasoning.)
Ultimately, this is Zach's creation and respectfully he should have the final say. When the final decision is made, he will have done his due diligence and informed the community while having heard the responses. There is no possible way that he, as one individual, can please every single person who has accessed our website or WILL access our website in the future. Much like it is his decision to finalize what will be done aesthetics wise, it is also YOUR decision on whether you stay here and contribute to the site. At that point, it will not be fair to Zach or to your fellow writers here to dump your opinion on every aspect of change that is occurring.
Optimistically, I would hope that our community could reach a kindhearted consensus and contribute thoughtful remarks. But there have been defensive diversions on both sides which I think have changed the conversation from "How can we create a user-accepted aesthetic" to "I'm not attacking you but you're making the wrong decision."
@Zachary Winslow, I apologize for the ping. You are working to make our site better and this conversation should have remained a conversation- not become a soap box.
sta 6 | eva 8| str 7| STATS | wis 7 | arc 5 | acc 7|
I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream- Sleeping Beauty
AI and background images
I am responding to address one issue: branding. I am qualified to address this issue because of my real-life career as a marketing manager and as a photographer.
These background images, as they were, are not a brand. They are part of a larger, whole, yes. But there any many ways to achieve that feeling. The word 'feeling' is important because what you experience with a product or a service (this website is a service) is a feeling. And what many people have expressed here (rightly) is that what they love about this website is the community, or feeling of community.
Now, if we want to keep that feeling of community and, importantly, if we want to maintain and grow that same audience, we have to keep that feeling of community. There have been several suggestions to achieve this. Perhaps the most notable being community art. We have such wonderful artists—all you have to do is look at that art forum to see it—and they are ready and able to help. We should believe our artists that they can get this done rather than assuming they can’t or that it would be unmanageable.
As for the question of consistency, yes you do want a brand to be cohesive. But cohesion is not the same as consistent. Cohesion means that things make sense together as part of whole and something that celebrates the diversity of the site, in my opinion, is cohesive. We can further bring things together by color palette, visual motifs, etc. Something does not need to be AI-generated (aka stolen from artists) to be cohesive. We are perfectly capable of achieving that on our own.
There are many real-life examples of products and services that are successful because of their community. We just have to listen to ours.
Thank you for your consideration.
These background images, as they were, are not a brand. They are part of a larger, whole, yes. But there any many ways to achieve that feeling. The word 'feeling' is important because what you experience with a product or a service (this website is a service) is a feeling. And what many people have expressed here (rightly) is that what they love about this website is the community, or feeling of community.
Now, if we want to keep that feeling of community and, importantly, if we want to maintain and grow that same audience, we have to keep that feeling of community. There have been several suggestions to achieve this. Perhaps the most notable being community art. We have such wonderful artists—all you have to do is look at that art forum to see it—and they are ready and able to help. We should believe our artists that they can get this done rather than assuming they can’t or that it would be unmanageable.
As for the question of consistency, yes you do want a brand to be cohesive. But cohesion is not the same as consistent. Cohesion means that things make sense together as part of whole and something that celebrates the diversity of the site, in my opinion, is cohesive. We can further bring things together by color palette, visual motifs, etc. Something does not need to be AI-generated (aka stolen from artists) to be cohesive. We are perfectly capable of achieving that on our own.
There are many real-life examples of products and services that are successful because of their community. We just have to listen to ours.
Thank you for your consideration.
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AI and background images
Also, let's not forget AI works on samples provided to it; those samples are made by humans. They are being given to AI without prior permission, and they do not credit the original artist either. AI is not just stealing jobs; it is stealing creativity.
AI and background images
Again, 400 forums will take a lot of time. But how many of those 400 are used frequently? Creating art for the backgrounds that host the most traffic could go first, and you would see the most change the quickest, and then move on from there. Yes it may take somewhere up to a year to finish, but being transparent about it will help new users know what’s going on and may inspire them to help, and will eventually develop into a satisfying whole! And there’s always the option of placeholder plain backgrounds in the meantime.
𓂃✍︎ seer . future hogwarts valedictorian
cher horowitz inspired. < 3
AI and background images
I was suggesting this in my earlier post and would like to add that I understand it gives a nice thing to look at but you also have the option to reuse background across multiple forums I think my point got looked over in my rant about image aiEmma van Elst wrote: 29 minutes agoAgain, 400 forums will take a lot of time. But how many of those 400 are used frequently? Creating art for the backgrounds that host the most traffic could go first, and you would see the most change the quickest, and then move on from there. Yes it may take somewhere up to a year to finish, but being transparent about it will help new users know what’s going on and may inspire them to help, and will eventually develop into a satisfying whole! And there’s always the option of placeholder plain backgrounds in the meantime.