StalinDC

I am considering posting a new addition to my ongoing series Terran Civil War. This new project will deal with the Terran Civilization as a whole, from the ground up. From when it started to the everyday lives of the average Terran. It will be more informational than story driven. Historical characters will be mentioned but not deeply examined. This piece will describe Terran society and the surprisingly diverse world of the Terran people.

This piece will cover even more than what I have posted here. The Terran Civil War storyline shall continue as well. Let me know if there is an interest in learning about the 'Terran man and woman on the street'.

WELL, I've been reinstated after a wild few days that was started by an IMPOSTER who joined the group under a false name. The Founder and I had battled this person before when she hacked the group and demoted me. She deleted three galleries and claimed that she was the group's original founder. I told the actual Founder and he purged her from the group back then and we thought that was the end of the story.

Unfortunately, back in May the imposter returned, disguised as someone else, using a new screen name and profile. Ironically it was me who let her in as I usually did when people ask to join the group. Our group is very welcoming, all we ask is for members to be kind to each other and submit your best art. Everyone complied with those rules and all appeared well. But little did we know, we were nursing a viper in our busoms..

She remained quiet for months then struck over the weekend. She approached the Founder, offering to help with the group if he would make her a co-founder. The Founder, who is an extremely talented and very busy artist agreed and promoted her, with the understanding that she would HELP me and we'd work TOGETHER. I was on vacation at the time and only checked the group early that morning and would not check it again until the next day. That is when I discovered that the group had been rearranged, entire galeries had been deleted, I had been demoted, and this person was co-founder alone. When I reached out to the Founder, he didn't know that this had happened and immediately sent me an invite to be co-founder again. But the 'person' saw it before I did, blocked and banned me, before I could accept. I thought this was strange but couldn't reach the Founder for clarification because he was away. So... I was officially BANNED.

I found myself in a slightly annoyed state but went on with my vacation. When I got home I tried to find out more but couldn't. I felt the urge to rant a little so I banged out yesterday's message to get my feelings off my chest. I had no idea that many of the fans of my stories would come to my aid and show me such great and warm support. There was one person that actually took my mishap personally, and that was https://www.deviantart.com/missionchronicles one of the group's Contributors and someone who has do ne artwork featuring my original characters. He took it upon himself to investigate this mess and it was he who discovered the real identity of the imposter. He then began a one man war against the imposter in which he discovered the plans, the other false identities, and the other groups where this person had pulled the same crap. MissionChronicles contacted me and the Founder and explained everything that had happened and who the imposter really is.

I got the Founder's email address from MissionChronicles and contacted the Founder. He got back to me over night, while he took immediate action against the imposter and all of her fake personas. He expelled her from the group, blocking and banning her, while he sent me an invite to become co-founder again. Of course I accepted and have returned...

This whole thing was the machinations of a truly evil and miserable person. I found myself laughing when MissionChronicles called the imposter SAURON, comparing her to the Dark Lord of Modor. He is actually right in his comparison and 'Middle Earth' could have fallen. But MissionChronicles 'Frodo' saved the day and drove the 'Dark Lord' out by rallying the good guys.

The Founder and I agree that we must become more vigilant when it comes to security and allowing people to join. We want the group to be friendly and welcoming, a great place for sharing science and science fiction art. And you all know that STAR TREK is science fiction and welcome in the group. No science fiction will ever be banned.

Finally, I'd like to thank all of you for your support and warm words during this weird episode. I'm glad to know that good people can be found in the groups and galleries of Deviantart..

I've been BANNED from a group where I've been a Co-Founder for more than seven years. In all of that time I had never taken a day off from administering that group. I made sure that the group was functioning properly, art was being accepted and placed into proper folders, member questions were being answered, new members were recruited and accepted, as well as a number of other mundane daily tasks. I tried to create a friendly, warm, and welcoming atmosphere while at the same time working hard at keeping the group's standards as high as the Founder wanted and expected. The Founder would be away from the group for months at a time, all the while, I kept the group going and increased its membership. I kept in touch with the Founder often and even alerted him once when the group had been breached by a 'hacker' who changed everything around. ( I currently believe that this person is the new Co-Founder, just using another screen name. This person thinks STAR TREK isn't Science Fiction! )

Well, for all of my hard work I found myself out and banned from the group. But worst of all I've been told that ALL of the art that members had submitted under my watch has been DELETED, even my own. This is the same thing the hacker did some time ago, that is why I suspect the new Co-Founder is the same person. Especially after they banned STAR TREK artwork!

I hold no ill will towards the Founder, he is a good person, and a very talented artist who is extremely busy. I wished him luck but I am saddened that the members who submitted art over all of these years have had their work deleted by a fraud.

As for me, I am still administering nine other groups of which two I am the Founder. I give each group the same attention and care that I did for the group in question. I am considering building a new group of my own from scratch or offering my services to another established group, there are many who could use the help.

Let me hear your opinions... do you think Star Trek isn't science fiction? What shall I do next?

ART THIEVES AND THIEVERY..

I have been a member of Deviantart for a long time. I have been a victim of art thievery a few times but none has been so bold as to post artwork that I have commissioned and own the intellectual properties of, on their Deviantart gallery as their own! Deviantart notified me about this and I contacted the thief, telling him to remove my artwork immediately. I also contacted the artist that I hired and asked him to do the same. Deviantart has been notified and a complaint lodged so we'll see what happens.

This piece was one of the few that I didn't attach a watermark, thus making it easier for the thief to steal. I originally had one on it but fans kept asking me to remove it so I stupidly did. My piece ( seen below ) is very popular and the watermark takes away from the beauty of it. My friend, Jetfreak -7, did an awesome job on this six (6) years ago and it angers me that it was stolen and enrages me that the thief has the unmitigated gall to post it on his Deviantart page as if it is his own!

From now on all of my art will have the watermark and do not ask me to remove it.