One of my favorite websites is SmashingMagazine. Rarely a day goes by without them posting a great article on design or a collection of free downloads (fonts, photoshop brushes, patterns, icons, etc).
In a recent post, they had a collection of free Photoshop patterns. When I went to download some, I found the majority were rendered useless by pattern creators throwing attribution (”you must link to my site if you use this”) or permission-only (”email me before you use commercially”) clauses.
It reminded me of the rise and fall of the Stock.Xchng.. a photosharing site where photographers would upload stock-style photographs for free download and use. In 2004, Stock.Xchng was great… but then something started to happen. Photographers began putting these attribution and permission clauses on almost every good photo. The whole point of the website: If you give me some free photos, I’ll give you some free photos, had been lost.
Sometimes it is good to share just for sharing’s sake.. all of us designers post a few things here and there without restriction (except that someone doesn’t resale the collection), and we all have more tools to use in our work.
In 3 years, if I choose a pattern, font or photo out of the thousands on my computer and throw it over an element in my design, I won’t be able to dig around and figure out who I am ‘required’ to link back to in order not to violate the copyright.
Plus, what bank, corporation, government agency or business is going to allow the designer to throw “Random square pattern barely visible in background of contact form by [link]PhotoshopPWNRdood[/link]“? They won’t, therefore the pattern is completely useless for downloaders.
I quickly check the Terms of Use on each freebie I consider downloading, see if there is an attribution or ‘ask permission’ clause, and if there is, I have to skip it. When I post my own freebies, I un-cuff them and let the community use them, knowing others will do the same and it will benefit me. These designers should do the same. If you want credit and money, then please just sell your work.. but don’t tease us with a free download that is anything but.
Yes! so true….. where’s the altruism these days? why people can’t just make something good and be happy to share it without needing the validation of being credited, is beyond me….