I hate pseudoscientists. I wish the "Face on Mars" people would learn to do a bit of research before making sweeping claims. Beginning a few weeks ago I began a dialogue with a young self-proclaimed expert on "Transcelestial Ontology, Posthumanism and Theoretical Ufology" in which he requested permission to use a copyrighted image posted on the Oriental Institute website in an upcoming book. He provided a web address. With a little bit of digging, I discovered that he was violating our copyright by using the image on his websitewithout permission. Further, the ignorant "expert" was first presenting it as a possible corrolary to some formations on Mars. Later in his journal on Mars, he says that it's artificial and must have been sculpted (see his 12/11/01 entry on the page given above).
Why yes, it is artificial. It's a tepe - which is Farsi or Persian (I can't remember which) for tell which is Arabic for: an artificial mound formed as the result of thousands of years of human occupation building up over time as buildings were destroyed and new ones built atop them. It was not "sculpted" deliberately. I negleted to inform him of this fact, however, and am still reluctant to do so for fear of opening a new proverbial can of worms for the Face on Mars researchers - specifically that the "formations" they keep finding while staring for long hours at fuzzy photographs are tepes/tells on Mars which proves that Mars was occupied by sentient beings. I don't want that on my conscience.
In any case, I was instructed to inform him that he was in violation of our copyright and had to either remove the image from his site or pay for use of it. I might add that the OI is a non-profit institution, the money we make on photo orders and permissions covers operating costs and is quite reasonable in comparison to similar institutions. Most of the photographs were taken as part of OI expeditions, all of them have negatives stored in climate controlled conditions on site, they have been catalogued, and prints are made from the negatives when needed - all of these things cost money.
His response was rather snippety - he agreed to take the picture down as he didn't wish to pay for it and was of the opinion that we were stupid not to avail ourselves of free advertising.
This evening, I checked the site to see if the picture had been removed. It has not been. I also discovered that seems to be ANOTHER of our images posted illegally.

I also found the following post on his blog
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Friday, October 03, 2003

I started James Blish's "A Case of Conscience" today . . . and not much else. I was going to see Al Franken this evening, but a petulant student assistant at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute drove me to distraction by stating that I owed the Institute a cool $40 for an archaeological image I have posted on page 25 of my Mars site. Give me a goddamned break. I'm making absolutely no money from the image; moreover, I've linked to the Institute's source pages. This practice is commonly known as free advertising. Yet they're troubled because of some pre-Internet fine print.

My editor is requesting permission to use the image in my book and I get chills thinking what absurd price he'll be quoted. I personally think we've lavished quite enough time on securing permission for various images as it is. The U. of Chicago can stick it up its bureaucratic ass. Let's get the book on the shelves, already.
posted by Mac at 10/3/2003 12:01:26 AM

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I've been called many things, but never "petulant" - right now, I think righteously angry would be a better description. And I am so sorry I kept him from seeing Al Franken. He kept me from playing with Oreo, translating Middle Egyptian, reading about early Mesopotamian history, and reading abut the Egyptian Predynastic, since I had to stay late to finish working on his order. Oh, and the price he was quoted for use on the web page was a one time fee of $40.00, the same as for commercial print use - if he'd bothered to read the attachement I sent him TWICE that outlined fees and procedures, he'd know that. Hardly absurd. He should try contacting the Louvre for images. Now that's some fun and expense. And I do wonder how he would feel if someone started circulating free photocopies of his book, thus preventing him from collecting royalties? Then again, that would presuppose that a sufficient number of people wish to read such drivel to provide him with a decent income. I'm almost tempted to follow in the footsteps of my doppleganger to acquire a copy of the book when it comes out and burn it.

So, a week of classes has passed an I am:
1. already way behind
2. have already slept through a day's worth of class (oops)
3. waiting for an outright revolt in our required 2-Year Seminar
4. no longer in my "happy class" that I was auditing, as my advisor ordered me to drop it so I wouldn't "jump of a building or something"

In addition to all of the above, a movie is being filmed on campus. If I had more free time, I'd go looking for Anthony Hopkins and be silly and get his autograph, or dress up to go be an extra on Wednesday, but, well, I have no time. The funny thing being that the "Winona Ryder Effect" has picked up on campus (at least, I think that's why people keep giving me double takes) even though, so far as I know, she is not in the film. Well, when it comes out, keep your eyes peeled for my hunched-over form, frantically smoking a cigarette and running across the quad.
We have another Nobel laureate running around campus now - they're worse than the damned pidgeons.
And there is an ongoing garbage strike making life mildly unpleasant - at least if you need to go into the alley for anything.
Oh, and the world is coming to an end: the Cubs are winning!