[Vikki]

I received this ridiculous email today. I don't intend to respond as I'm not really bothered by it. If this individual needs to steal my images to get a job, they won't have it for long. I don't really believe any of it, but thought some of you might get a kick out this.
Regarding the thread title: the reference to www.retouchpro.com in the following email from retouch@imageconcepts.com.

"I just wanted to say thank you for all the great photos that I took off your site. They really paded my portfolio and got me a really good job with a real popular magazine. If I told you the name you would know it right away. This should have been your job, but thanks to you I got it. I just love people that don't watermark their images. It makes my life a whole lot better. See ya on www.retouchpro.com I check back on your site if I need more photos.


Image Stealer"

[Noelf]

Ah further proof that everywhere I turn, there be morons.

What a waste of your bandwith to even have to read such garbage

- Noel

[W. Rose]

Vikki:
He is a lazy person and will not last doing anything in this field if he is unable to do it himself now. I'm sure he will be found out as soon as he had to do some work by himself for a client.
But i do give him one thing, he does know quality work when he sees it but unable to do it on his own.
What a moron he is.
Wayne

[Vikki]

LOL,

But i do give him one thing, he does know quality work when he sees it

Thanks, that's a good way to look at it.

It's really an odd email. The person sounds young and immature. They're assuming I would want a job I wasn't aware of, or wanted - crazy.

[Flora]

Hi Vikki,

there's nothing really I can add to what Noel and Wayne have said already ....

I think this person's gloating will be reduced to the damage he/she thinks to have caused you ....

I might be overly suspicious, but the fact that this individual thought of sending you a 'warning' e-mail with a much too obvious reference to RetouchPRO .... makes me think that he/she might want to make you wary of RetouchPRO .... since, as Wayne said already, "having 'paded' a portfolio" with your work isn't going to help him/her in the long run....

....Hope you and everybody are having a Happy Easter ....

[Xaran]

Of course the whole thing could be just a malicious hoax to try to worry you.

If it isn't - what makes him/her think that the people he/she is going to work for don't check the retouching web sites - I sincerely hope they do and that it backfires on him/her.

Christine

[Rexx]

There is something strange here I think.

The "tone" of this e-mail is the same as spammers and virus/worm writers use, which to me is a give-away. Probably what you refer to as "The person sounds young and immature". I believe that only half of it may be true. Someone may have downloaded specimens off your server, either worthless images resized for web or full-size images if you actually do store them there.

I don't believe the other half, just like the rest of the gang here say. A stolen portfolio may land you a job, but you're out again on the second day.

The whole point is to make you mad. Why, I haven't the faintest idea.

And eh .... Vikki, please check your virus protection... Just in case.

Photoshop: See this recent thread

[Rexx]

Another possibility is that this mail was not directed at Vikki at all, but was intended to disrupt the forum. We can now safely start suspecting one another, posting snide remarks, etc etc.

I fail to see the point of that too, but then again I never see the point of anything vandals do.

[ExclamPt]

To paraphrase a line from "A Streetcar Named Desire" ...

"I'm often amazed at the unkindness of strangers."

BTW, Tennessee Williams didn't watermark his plays, either.

[Vikki]

Thank you all for your kind support. This person does not have me worried. I am curious though, what his/her point is though.
I received this email today, so it I think it's safe to say this is not a random spammer, and is directed at me. Since this person saw my post, he/she is most likely a member here.
I rest my case about the person being "young and immature".

Subject: There's an Idiot Among Us
Yeah there is........YOU!!!! You give me so much credit. You even posted my e-mail for everyone to read. You are so sweet.
Image Stealer"

[Chip Hildreth]

Copyright is copyright and if this kid is ignorant enough to think he/she/it can steal your stuff then he/she/it is probably stealing from others also. All it take is one mis-step and he/she/it is wide open to civil and possible criminal actions.

Copyrights are yours the moment you create the image and they stays yours unless you legally transfer one or more of them to someone else. Watermarking an image doesn't change or enhance that status at all. Besides, if he/she/it can't handle a simple job like cleaning up a watermark they won't have a job for long anyway.

Hardly seems worth the risk to fake a portfolio.

[Rexx]

I find it hard to believe that a person of this "maturity" level can be able to hold a job?

[Flora]

Hi Vikki,

I've just been to your site (really, really great .... at least, Image Stealer shows good taste!!!) ....

I saw that, of course, you have an e-mail address in the headings ....

Just curious .... did you get the messages through the RetouchPRO Mailer? If positive, then yes ... the individual is a member ....

[Vikki]

Flora, no I did not receive the email through RetouchPRO, it was sent via the link at my site (thanks for the nice comments!)
This individual said in the email "see you at RetouchPro", and in the second email, acknowledged they had read this post about the email.
The person wants to remain anonymous and has used a fake email address. If they had sent it through RetouchPRO, I would have been able to see who sent it. I have an idea who it is, but I do not intend to pursue this. I just wanted to give everyone a "heads up" that an individual such as this, is amongst us.

Actually, if that person wanted to pull my chain, they should have said that they stole my photos for their portfolio, and was rejected because of them.

[Flora]

Originally Posted by Vikki

...The person wants to remain anonymous and has used a fake email address. If they had sent it through RetouchPRO, I would have been able to see who sent it.

Sure .... how silly of me!!! (great detective I am!!!!)

Originally Posted by Vikki

Actually, if that person wanted to pull my chain, they should have said that they stole my photos for their portfolio, and was rejected because of them.

Nobody in his/her right mind would even think of rejecting any of your works!!!!