The Echo Inside

2014-07-14T19:05:00.002-06:00

Creators and Net Neutrality

I wrote this as a companion article to Chris Oatley’s post on net neutrality: “Our Creative Future Is At Risk: What ‘Net Neutrality’ Means for Visual Storytellers”

“The internet is a series of tubes”

No analogy is perfect, the internet is a novel beast, but lets imagine it as a series of roadways (an alternative, usingpackage delivery) that service the wonderful city of Toontown, with its information travelling along the streets and highways . It’s an apt metaphor, since just as taxes pay for roads, public funds also heavily subsidized the creation (public research), and often the current maintenance, of the networks that make up the internet through public-private partnerships.

As creators, our audience pays for their connection (the “last mile”), and the more they pay the wider their driveway is. The wider the driveway, the more traffic it can handle and the faster the flow of cars (information) in and out. Driveways turn into lanes on the street and merge to become the roadways that cross the city, and highways that connect cities. On the other end, we similarly pay service providers/website hosts/etc, as middlemen, to create our roads. And all of that pays not only for our direct connections, but for maintenance and expansion (if any is put aside for it). So when the audience requests “one art please,” we load up Benny the Cab (Roger Rabbit’s car) and he delivers right to their door as fast as he can. It all works pretty well.

The FCC proposal, at the encouragement of Internet Service Providers (ISPs, a.k.a. Judge Doom), is to create lanes reserved for special non-toon traffic. “Internet fast lanes” that companies pay to use exclusively. They want to paint those lanes until they’re green with “the dip” (toon dissolving acid), leaving fewer lanes for everyone who isn’t paying Judge Doom’s toll. It will mean less efficiency overall, less speed and our Benny stuck in an artificially created gridlock while the larger company trucks stream by beside us.

The proposal places a scaling limit on our capacity to engage our audience. The slowdown may not be noticeable at first, only a cartoon shoe in a barrel, but just as the intent was always to dip all of Toontown, there’s no reason to think the ISPs will stop with large companies or a small portion of the lanes, either (and there’s no clearly defined limit in the proposal). Our livelihoods will basically depend on Judge Doom being “a nice guy”.

Money makes the world slow down

If you’re asking yourself, “doesn’t that mean ISPs would be charging twice for the same service they already provide?” Basically, yes. Their complaint is that large content providers place too much of a burden on their networks. There are too many cars on the streets, even though we’ve collectively been paying for enough road for everyone.

Setting aside that it’s strange (and unethical) to be selling a service they now claim they can’t provide, there’s already been attempts to alleviate traffic for ISPs (e.g. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and peering agreements). CDNs allow for the sending of cars/information from multiple depots spread out across the city, and other cities, that are closer to the audience, instead of from a central office (like distribution centres). Many content providers, large and small, use CDN services to improve the experience of their audience. Less distance to travel and less vehicles on the road for significant stretches of it benefits everyone, what’s not to like? The largest content provider, Netflix, even developed it’s own “Open Connect” network and offered it for free to ISPs, but was still forced to pay (Yes, Judge Doom actually demanded payment to accept free infrastructure and to lessen congestion). They’ve even threatened legal action when customers have been informed their connections are suffering for their refusals and have also tried to default on, or twist, peering agreements.

Even with these systems in place, ISPs still say they can’t handle the traffic, and that’s why they need “fast lanes” (for Netflix, that means they’d be charging 3 times for the same service, if you’re counting). Right now they claim it will only target the largest content providers, Netflix, Youtube, etc. But, even independent creators generate a lot more traffic through our large images, videos, podcasts, etc, than the average user. The same argument could very easily filter down to our levels.

It’s also worth mentioning how badly the U.S. compares to the rest of the world in terms of average speed and access. There are many factors involved, of course, but you have to ask if getting less than half the speed for four times the cost can be explained away, or wonder why countries with more difficult conditions still rank higher. The ISPs claim that additional charges will go to expanding their infrastructure, but there’s no mention or requirement for that in the proposal andcities and towns are already trying to make up for the past lack of progress, at least when they’re not being sued or blocked from doing so or prevented from usingexisting infrastructure. It’s more likely the proposal will discourage ISPs from investing in infrastructure, as they can just continually carve the existing networks into more and more “fast lanes”.

That’s no moon, it’s the end of the internet as we know it

The internet became such a powerful force in our lives because it’s the closest thing to an even playing field humanity has ever had. Everyone is treated as an equal on the roads, when it comes to information flow the system is blind. Small companies or individual creators can access their audience as easily, or generate as much exposure, as the largest conglomerates. Though, in recent times even western democracies have been attempting tocontrol (if ineffectively) the public’s access to information and now with this proposal, they also want cash to influence the flow. Instead of leading the way, the U.S. is actually taking a step backward while the rest of the world moves forward with stronger net neutrality rules.

The stability of the internet as a unified global force has always been tenuous, even more so with recent revelations. Most nations have been discouraged from splitting off their networks by virtue of the opportunity and real costs being too great to seriously consider. That disincentive erodes with the introduction of fast lanes, as it unbalances competition from existing companies in other nations. It also creates additional barriers for new entrants locally and internationally, and even as only a proposal it has already hurt competition and the creation of new businesses. It will even negatively effect education.

The new proposal also sets a precedent where ISPs have influence on how, or what, content flows through their systems. If the past is anything to go by, that’sprobably not a good idea, Judge Doom doesn’t play fair.

And it doesn’t end there. Free services such as comic hosting sites, video hosting, communities like artist hubs and gallery sites can’t afford to have their media heavy content discriminated against, or pay for it not to be. And if they have to pay for access to the audience, those costs will be passed on to us, the creators and may still not be sustainable. If you have a presence or reliance on these types of services or sites, on top of your own website, that means you may also end up paying three times for the same access to your audience that you have now.

Saving Toontown

Why are we even faced with this problem? Well, there’s an issue with the FCC andregulatory capture. It’s not so much a citizen’s institution, staffed by those concerned for the public good, as it is a layover for lobbyists and Telecom/ISP employees. There’s a blatant revolving doorthat’s widespread and with along history. Not satisfied with that, the companies involved also like to pretend to be public groups and have influenced elected representatives to create bills that need to be opposed. That’s why we’re facing proposals that threaten net neutrality for the third time now.

More than just defeating the FCC proposal, we need to ensure a lasting solution.

Some suggest that the internet be reclassified as a common carrier (Title II telecommunications service). That classification is what protects against discrimination when it comes to phone lines. Without it, when you made a call you’d have to wait for an undefined period of time as you waited through a queue, and when it did connect you could never be sure of line quality, and might get cut off, regardless of your location/service. That’s what it means to have a lower priority than major companies who are tying up the infrastructure.

Other countries have managed to ensure net neutrality through very specific rulesaround service, something which was also just put on the table. But, there’s no silver bullet. It’s a complex subject and each method has it’s pros and cons. Preferably both, or more, should be applied for safety and continued equality.

If you agree we need net neutrality, know that there are many organizations(including tech giants) and groups who are fighting to keep the internet free and functional. To add your own voice to theirs, you must submit a comment before the first comment period ends on Tuesday, July 15^th(tomorrow), with the chance for you to respond to other public comments occurring afterwards and until September 10^th.

The EFF, which has actively fought for net neutrality for many years, has provided an easy form for you to make public comment to the FCC here (alternative).

(Comment directly. Or with attachments here using proceeding number 14-28. Or email directly: openinternet@fcc.gov)

And if you want to go the extra mile, the most effective things you can do is contact your elected officials through letter writing or phone calls (alternative), or by involving the media through letters to the editor.

And finally there are a number of petitions available (though their effectiveness isquestionable), such as one for startups and from the ACLU.

Thanks for reading and let’s keep fighting for a free and open internet!
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2014-02-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

Did another portrait for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS, http://aarcs.ca/), so here's Tripp!

Interesting looking character this one, though I'm afraid he's no longer available for adoption, as it seems he found a home right before I finished, which is excellent/I'm glad to hear.

So, consider this picture just a friendly encouragement to support your local shelters (especially if it's AARCS, they do great work ;) ) and to remember that older animals, like Tripp, need and deserve homes too.

Have a wonderful day! :)

2013-12-26T14:01:00.004-07:00

Recently did a portrait of Penny for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS: http://aarcs.ca)

Here is her story:
I was surrendered by my previous owner and lived outside with lot’s of brothers and sisters was tied up most of my life. I did not have much interaction with people during this time so I am very shy but I have made huge progress. The first few weeks of my foster care, I was afraid of venturing out of my kennel but now I quite enjoy the company of other dogs and people. I’m now very curious and love to follow the other dogs and people around the house and yard. My favorite spot in the house is lying on my bed and watching everything that’s going on around me. You are more than welcome to talk to me I have a good temperament but still shy of people that come close into my space. I will take gently a treat from your hand, and come to you when my name is called. I am house trained indoors and love being outside, good on my leash however need my distance. Be patient with me I’m still a little nervous and untrusting but believe me I have come a long way I have been told!

I would love to find my furever home, I’m looking for a small family or single person who has lots of time, patience and understanding as well someone who would be dedicated to my confidence building. Someone who can give me the love to trust all in due time, I know I’m worth every penny of it!
Penny would do very well if there was another dog(s) with a yard or acreage as she has always been among other dogs for company. Not too sure about being in a family with small children as she is very nervous if approached too quickly. Penny is playful outside yet relaxed in the house laying on her bed chewing on a bone.

Details on how to adopt her can be found here: http://aarcs.ca/portfolio-item/a19116681/

Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo - Gaming Event

2012-04-25T13:30:00.000-06:00

So, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to do some art to help him promote the traditional gaming event at the Calgary Expo this year (http://www.calgaryexpo.com/gaming/). Sounded like fun and being part of the expo, even in a small way, gives me the warm fuzzies so I agreed. The pieces ended up being rushed, honestly, as everything* that could possibly go wrong during the time period, did... But, I think they turned out pretty decently. Hoping those at the expo enjoy it, as that's the important part.

Finished just this morning after another all nighter, you should be able to see this as a giant poster at the gaming area itself, a dragon who may be hoarding the myriad of prizes up for grabs at the event:

And created for posters/handbills which you may have already seen around the city, a Warhammer 40K: Grey Knight Terminator, firing wildly at something larger than himself that appears to be breathing fire *cough*:

If you're at the Expo, it'll be worth checking out, the event will be in the main convention hall (it's marked on their map). Whether you're into competing in the events(as they have all sorts of ones and for every genre and universe I've ever heard of), or just because you'd like to be a spectator and watch the gladiatorial bloodsport of the mighty geeks. (Link again: http://www.calgaryexpo.com/gaming/)
See you there, I'll be the one fussing about everything I could have done better with the art ;)

* Everything is hopefully taking a break from adding additional things for now, but included: dog dying, sudden deadline changes and doubling of workload, grandmother dying, car breaking down, girlfriend having mysterious illness which led to multiple emergency room visits, sudden pre-emptive concerns of legal issues which required a complete change of concept, my having an entirely unrelated mysterious illness, computer crashes, and, as always, terminal insomnia ;)

Mech Monday: RobotJox

2012-02-06T22:33:00.000-07:00


RobotJox by Robert Simons http://falarsimons.deviantart.com/art/Viscom-Final-RobotJox-154485417

And to catch up fully, here's RobotJox by Robert Simons (Falarsimons). Interesting design here, a nice mix between more organic forms and the traditional synthetic ones. I also have a tendency to enjoy reverse jointed legs, they seem to give a much more preadtory feel. Not sure about the overall balance of the design, but nice colouring and forms.

The rest of his gallery has a lot of interesting little twists like this, worth checking out.

Please note: The image in this post is used in accordance with the doctrine of fair use/fair dealing, under the consideration of commentary and criticism. I ensure all images are credited to the creator, link to one or more of their sites and include metadata (when possible) to the same effect. If you are the creator or copyright holder and for whatever reason desire the removal of this image, contact me and I will remove it as soon as I am able. Thank you.

Space Sunday: Rawkets

2012-02-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

Ended up busy with work and half-dead with illness yesterday, so only posting now, but hopefully that's made up by how excellent this piece is!
Rawkets by Reid Southen http://rahll.deviantart.com/art/Rawkets-209713749

This is Rawkets by Reid Southen (Rahll). I've been following Reid for a number of years now, and his pieces constantly continue to increase in quality. This piece is one of my favorites from him. The composition is good, the designs are excellent and the level of detail, especially in the smoke and explosions is incredible. I also love all the little additions Reid puts into his piecies, like all the falling debris/guy, etc, since it lets my eye roam around exploring and finding interesting things.

Looking forward to see what he produces in the coming year.

Please note: The image in this post is used in accordance with the doctrine of fair use/fair dealing, under the consideration of commentary and criticism. I ensure all images are credited to the creator, link to one or more of their sites and include metadata (when possible) to the same effect. If you are the creator or copyright holder and for whatever reason desire the removal of this image, contact me and I will remove it as soon as I am able. Thank you.

Mech Monday: Hobgoblin

2012-01-31T00:26:00.000-07:00

Hobgoblin by Alexander Iglesias
http://flyingdebris.deviantart.com/art/Hobgoblin-259907579

It's Mech Monday (almost Tuesday, oops) again and time for another giant robot, this time from Alexander Iglesias (flyingdebris). This one is interesting for a lot of reasons. First off, I love the design, it seems both hulking and agile at the same time, very predatory. The amount of detail is impressive and I have a fondness for 3 barrel weapons, one of which features prominently in this design. It's a bit hard to read in parts, but still, great overall impression. Interesting as well, is that it's a departure from the style usually seen with Battletech designs, seems to be a move to modernise, perhaps?

Anyway, here's hoping your week started off well.

Please note: The image in this post is used in accordance with the doctrine of fair use/fair dealing, under the consideration of commentary and criticism. I ensure all images are credited to the creator, link to one or more of their sites and include metadata (when possible) to the same effect. If you are the creator or copyright holder and for whatever reason desire the removal of this image, contact me and I will remove it as soon as I am able. Thank you.

Space Sunday: Front Lines

2012-01-29T23:37:00.001-07:00


Front Lines by Adam Burn

http://phoenix-06.deviantart.com/art/Front-Lines-246157737

Another (hopefully) weekly feature now, Space Sundays. And what better way to start, than an epic space battle filled with missiles, plasma bolts and explosions.

The above piece is by Adam Burn (a.k.a. Phoenix-06), not a lot to say on it, other than it tickles particular parts of my brain and reminds me to a degree of one of my favorite games of all time, Homeworld. Interestingly enough, this piece is one of a number that are being posted on his account in relation to a new MMO space RTS called Novus Aeterno by Taitale Studios. I'm enjoying their ship designs a fair amount already and sounds like there's going to be a lot of customization possible. Something to keep an eye on, certainly.

Check out his dA page here: http://phoenix-06.deviantart.com/

And you can follow along with the game developments on their twitter, here: http://twitter.com/novusaeterno

Please note: The image in this post is used in accordance with the doctrine of fair use/fair dealing, under the consideration of commentary and criticism. I ensure all images are credited to the creator, link to one or more of their sites and include metadata (when possible) to the same effect. If you are the creator or copyright holder and for whatever reason desire the removal of this image, contact me and I will remove it as soon as I am able. Thank you.

The CGHub Production Challenge 2012

2012-01-26T23:45:00.003-07:00

Just a pretty quick post to mention the contest for CGHub this year. I actually love CGHub as a platform for artists, it's one of the best out there, especially for displaying yourself in the hopes of getting paid work. I'm currently not very active there, though that's for the simple reason that it's incredibly intimidating, not because the people are unfriendly (they're more friendly than most places I've experienced), but because the standard of art on display is so high across the board.

With that said, if you're looking to challenge yourself, their contest is a great place to do so. Just take a look at last year's results to see what I mean:
http://cghub.com/blog/view/production-challenge-1-roundup-adrian-smith/

The concept for this year, is just as spectacular:


CGHub Production Challenge 2012 Concept

And in additional, this year they've added a 2D category, so (I assume) there's going to be a lot more diversity and challengers. For myself I'm going to primarily use this as a means to cut my teeth on/teach myself ZBrush. Here's hoping I manage to produce something respectable. You can find all the details for the challenge here: http://cghub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8942

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of the WIP threads that caught me eye so far.

First up, Ricardo Luiz Mariano's thread: http://cghub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9085

Quite a lot done in a short amount of time. I like where the anatomy is going with the demon, it gives a nice impression of strength, the only thing I wonder about is the feet. In their current form/size they seem to take away from that sense of power and seem a bit clumsy. The greatest thing though is the amount of detail already put into the head and neck, the little nodules and textures definitely give it that born from sulfur feel.

Next is Renderluz: http://cghub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9056

Different approach with the demon in this one, far more slick and goblin-like. Just shows how varied the expression of the feel of the demon can be. Again I like where the anatomy of the demon is going, though the facial features on the woman seem a bit doll like to me. The part I like most is the use of such distinct hands for each pair of arms, delicate versus heavy. You can see the common anatomy, but can easily imagine their different purposes/uses/feel.

And now a 2D one from tiong1: http://cghub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9031

Not a lot to say here, but some great initial sketches. Good amount of variety, but you definitely get the common theme of how the two characters are close companions. Nice use of pose and composition to distinguish the nuance of that relationship, from one side of the spectrum to the other, from protective and child-like as in #7, to more equal and aggressive as in 4 and 5.

Back to 3D with Alex S: http://cghub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8982

Nice degree of detail on some of the smaller objects for the concept, like the skulls and a very impressive blade hilt. What really stands out for me though is the gesture and anatomy in the woman so far. Great living feel from her (even at this early stage), which I think is going to be one of the most important things for the final piece, especially in regards to being able to draw in the viewer.

And here we have Sinzalot: http://cghub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8959

I'm honestly not sure how I feel on some aspects of the anatomy, especially on the hands and stomach area, but it's still early days. What I found interesting and well done though, was the build up from a skull into the facial anatomy for his demon. Definitely adds to the realistic feel of it and ends up giving a nice balance between the sort of slick feel and gnarled feel seen in the other entries above. Emphasizes again how this concept can be interpreted all along that scale.

And finally, another 2D, this time from zigi: http://cghub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9091

Wondering if this piece may actually take the interpretation a bit too far from the concept, but at the same time, it's the reason it caught my eye. Very sort of old classic, almost barbarian-and-damsel-esque posing and feel to it. Nice impression of movement even at the sketch stage.

And that's it for now, I'll post my own work in a WIP thread and here at some point, but I'm taking my time so it'll likely be a while before that. Will also mention other threads to keep an eye on as I see them.

Again, if you're looking for a good challenge and a bit of fun, definitely join in. Good luck to everyone participating or thinking of doing so!

Mech Monday: Mechs Advance

2012-01-23T22:07:00.001-07:00

Starting to revive my online presence. And to set that off, I'm starting with a new feature, hopefully ever week, called "Mech Mondays". I've been a fan of the giant robots in one form or another since the first computer game I ever played, back when they came on 7-inch floppies. It was called "Battletech: The Crescent Hawks Revenge" and I loved it.

In the spirit of the epic battles I enjoyed as a kid, I present to you, this epic scene created by Jim Hatama entitled "Mechs Advance".

Mechs Advance by Jim Hatama
http://jimhatama.deviantart.com/art/mechs-advance-275018700

A nice uniform palette that feels gritty and really makes the small bursts of colour stand out. I like that it's not only mechs, but a mixed force, similar to how armor gets used in current battlefields. The level of detail being varied and some atmospheric effects give a good sense of depth as well. There are some parts in the sky and ground that feel a bit too loose or scratchy to me, but it doesn't take away from the overall image. I really do enjoy how it feels like we're at the edge of the front line as it slowly lumbers forward, chaos all around as it does.

If you enjoy this piece, definitely check out the rest of his work at: http://jimhatama.deviantart.com/

Please note: The image in this post is used in accordance with the doctrine of fair use/fair dealing, under the consideration of commentary and criticism. I ensure all images are credited to the creator, link to one or more of their sites and include metadata (when possible) to the same effect. If you are the creator or copyright holder and for whatever reason desire the removal of this image, contact me and I will remove it as soon as I am able. Thank you.