Philippines Ethnographic Weapons Museum

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by David

Well, there is one particular Bali keris on Eriksedge.com that i have personally seen for sale on eBay 3 different times.

Man, they are relentless aren't they? And considering that one is born every minute, I guess they'll never run out of 'customers'.

Originally Posted by David

That said i don't think watermarks or tracking is the answer. I know i have been on sites that simply do not allow me to click-an-drag images to my desktop. I don't know what software they use, but it can't be that expensive to set up.

Originally Posted by Rick

That's what I was thinking also David. I have encountered that feature myself.Any one know about this software ?

They can prevent the click-and-dragging of the pic for sure. But that really won't prevent the pic from being copied

It just takes 2 to 3 seconds more, to copy the pic --

[1] if pic can be clicked-and-dragged, in one second or less it's done;

[2] if the above technique or right-clicking the pic has been disabled, then it takes me just 2 to 3 seconds more to copy the pic (and it's no secret: the technique is via screen capture, which takes just a few keystrokes).

But as said, the effort to make it difficult for would-be scammers must still be made.

So here's the long and short of it according to this website:

:: How To Copy-Protect Images ::.

Most people know that they can steal an image from the web by right-clicking on it and selecting "save image as." Be forewarned though - You may be downloading an image that contains a watermark and might be confronted if you use it on your site. If you would like to protect your own images, this article explains a few measures you can take.

There are three main methods that you can use to protect your images on the web:

JavaScript Method

This method essentially captures the "right-click" mouse event and runs a JavaScript that informs the person that the images on the page are copyrighted and not available for download. This method would not prevent the person from doing a "screen capture" to get the image.

Watermark Method

This method allows you to add a digital watermark or signature to each of your images. The watermark is invisible to the naked eye, but can quickly be retrieved using a watermark reader. Additionally, some services (like Digimarc) will search the web for your images and generate a report for you so that you can confront the offender. Watermarking doesn't prevent someone from copying an image, it simply makes tracking down the offenders possible.

Adobe ImageReady (that ships with Photoshop) includes a filter to watermark your images (after you register and get a PIN number from Digimarc).

Software Method

Specialized software that walks you through protecting your images. Weblock Pro will even protect your web page source code.

And here's another primer. But at the end of the day though, it's all in vain

If anybody can show me a website where he/she thinks the image cannot be copied, then I'd gladly point out how it can be easily circumvented (via the screen capture method, that is).

[Battara]

A good point. I have seen my weaponry on many Filipino sites so far, even on the cover of a Filipino published book! (I got nothing, not even a mention on it ). Posting on the web means giving it free on the streets.

[Alam Shah]

For images, watermarking.. something like what Ashoka Arts is doing is good, www.ashokaarts.com

What ever method is used to capture the image, the watermark will remain. As users, you can still see the image properly. But if the image is used elsewhere the source would be known. Of course you can do a digital clean-up of the image, but it will be time consuming and traces of the watermark can still be found..

[t_c]

The image rights issue will definately take some working out, and there is apparently software that will stop image theft, but it requires a plugin so it may be of dubious value (who wants to install a plug-in to view a web page?). Also costs $500. More info on that here:
http://www.artistscope.com/copysafe_web.asp

For simplicities sake, I think the watermark might be the most reasonable option. There will always be some unscrupulus people, but I don't think we should let them ruin things for the rest of us.

I'd love to see an online museum and would gladly offer photos of my humble collection. I'd like to share an idea with you about an online "museum" of sorts in hopes of moving the conversation forward. I had this idea for a visual map interface a while ago and have spent some time sorting through the details, but I'll keep it brief here:

My idea was to have an online map of the Philippines where a user can hover over a region and see the local weapons there and follow links for more detailed information. Usage: you would hover your cursor over the map and you get a little pop-up window (or a sidebar display). In this pop-up you get a list of regional weapons. The user can select one of the weapons from the list and get a page that shows further examples (member provided) and has a little write-up on that style of weapon (bolo, kris, etc.). The write-up might be general or it could be region specific depending on the type. You could also include a link to search in the EEWRS forums.

I do have some experience doing this sort of thing and could offer some help (the idea was inspired by cubicle farm map I did for a former employer). I hope this gets those creative wheels churning and people offer their ideas as well.

[Rick]

I really like that idea tc .
With all the islands and tribes of the Philippines this feature would really tie the whole thing together .

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Battara

A good point. I have seen my weaponry on many Filipino sites so far, even on the cover of a Filipino published book! (I got nothing, not even a mention on it ). Posting on the web means giving it free on the streets.

Battara, thanks for your comment

I was just thinking, could it be that sometimes people just don't know who to attribute the photo to? Also, I may own the sword but if somebody else took the photo, I think the intellectual property right of the photo would belong to the photographer and not to the owner of the sword.

But I'm not 100% sure about those subtleties, so please (anybody) correct me if I'm wrong.

For me in my website, I just adopt the practices under the "fair use" concept -- I create a link to the source webpage, and explicitly cite the website's name as much as possible.

I do know that for example if a certain photo (in the Macao exhibit website) has a file name "JCA-xxx.jpg", then that's Battara's. But since I'm not sure whether the sword owner wants his name mentioned (e.g., privacy issues), then I don't dare put the name of the owner.

On the other hand if the sword's pic will be given to me directly by the owner, then what I'll do is directly attribute the pic to the owner.

Just thought that I mention the thought process of any blogger whenever he encounters a picture he'd like to post in his website.

By the way, if I can go back to the US sometime late 2010 or early 2011, I hope you'll allow me to visit you for me to see your most excellent 'puppies'

Originally Posted by Alam Shah

For images, watermarking.. something like what Ashoka Arts is doing is good, www.ashokaarts.com

What ever method is used to capture the image, the watermark will remain. As users, you can still see the image properly. But if the image is used elsewhere the source would be known. Of course you can do a digital clean-up of the image, but it will be time consuming and traces of the watermark can still be found..

Thanks for the comment. I still feel that putting the watermark right smack on the image itself (vs. putting the watermark on the margin), makes the sword photo less attractive. But on the other hand, I also understand that it's an effective way of foiling the use for bad purposes. So yes, for me watermarking is the way to go, too.

Originally Posted by t_c

My idea was to have an online map of the Philippines where a user can hover over a region and see the local weapons there and follow links for more detailed information. Usage: you would hover your cursor over the map and you get a little pop-up window (or a sidebar display). In this pop-up you get a list of regional weapons xxx

Originally Posted by Rick

I really like that idea tc. With all the islands and tribes of the Philippines this feature would really tie the whole thing together.

I agree that it's a great idea. Maybe another website can be put up to have that user-friendly feature.

For the website I'm developing, I think such format will not be allowed as I'm using a blogging service (Typepad) which has a cut-and-dried template that does not allow great flexibility.

But it's also best that there are several websites on Filipino weapons instead of just one or two or three, etc. That way if one goes down, there will still be others who can continue to provide the service.

Just my two cents

[KuKulzA28]

Just a thought...

The Philippines currently also incorporates many Bangsamoro. Will Moro weapons be exhibited? Is this a museum of weapons from the Republic of the Philippines, or the "Filipino" peoples of Luzon and Visayas who were under Spanish rule and part of their empire? Any political or cultural undertones here? Just something to consider maybe?

Also, will this include armor, shields, spears, muskets, 'modern' guns, Hokkien weapons, Spanish colonial arms, American arms, and Japanese invasionary arms? Is this a blade-only thing? Is this all ethnographic arms? Is this all ethnographic arms of the Philippines?