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Stampin Stacey had brought up a point in the what do we want to see in the industry thread that really resonated with me. Wanting more samples of product. After my experience yesterday I felt like it should have it's own thread/discussion.
This was one of those things that as I went around my mundane life kept percolating at the back of my brain. Sometimes Jennifer McGuire picks something, she may do 5 things with it. Other big hitters will do 1 or 2. But yes often there might only be one sample at the mfg site despite there being a DT team. Because (I think?) ...they are on the site blog and not linked to the product listing itself.
B/c nothing is absolute...some companies will show all the DT samples with the product listing. But not enough. And the same is true for gen suppliers both ways.
So yesterday while I was considering getting something at EH who is having a 30% sale on selected items....I wanted to see how it was used.
And I started digging. EH might have samples but sometimes not, so I check the mfg and it may well be the same sample, so I go out into the world..and go where we have for years-Pinterest. Where companies used to at least pin all their product. (I also go to see stuff listed here for sale with no pics)
a) The companies do NOT seem to be listing product shots anymore on there nearly as much.
b) There are like NO samples....where it used to be that there would be a bunch because all the bloggers would pin and so it acted like a compendium.
What the heck?? Has Pinterest become passe? Where is everybody? At Instagram? :confused: Do I need to join that now? Ugh...too much social media for me.
So then I fall back to my last resort-just google it broadband. In the past, as well as showing who is selling it, you could see samples in the "more images" secondary listing. Um....not so much anymore. :(
I just cant look at 30 bloggers to see 30 samples. I would like to know if they are gathering in one place somewhere in the internet universe. But this does not let mfgs off the hook.
So I am sitting myself firmly in the wagon with Stacy on this one.
WE WANT MORE SAMPLES. (or even ANY please)
In 2 side posts:
This says to me that the people who post in the gallery the pictures of the SU set indexes-are doing a HUGE service to the community.
Yes we can search in our own gallery for product-but not if people don't list it with the card.
What do you say SCS? Are you going to join us in this request to the industry? Jump in! Comment!
I agree 100% about the frustration of no samples. I don't CAS designs but I'd like to see the product in use more to get an idea of what can be done with it. It seems like everyone is going to Instagram (I won't be). Even Tim Holtz, if he does a technique, will do it on Instagram - no more detailed instructions with pictures on his blog. This, thankfully, is saving me money since I've cut down on the purchase of his products because of it. (A side of snark: I don't know if it works like Facebook Lives, but perhaps this gives him more of a chance to say hello to all of his insider friends and to receive instant adoration from the common folk - snark over)
I find it amusing when a company posts their products and even they can't be bothered to include a sample on the item page (cough**Simon**cough).
The only blog-hop I will do is for the Hero Arts Monthly Kit, and only if its something I'm interested in and need help deciding on purchasing.
I feel the companies are just lazy and relying on their rock-star bloggers to advertise their products.
I have to say though, an exception to all of this is Betsy Veldman at The Greetery. She's been doing it right, in my opinion, with LOTS of samples and technique videos. She even shows you how to use older sets with new ones (gasp!). Betsy has been the only one getting any money from me this past few months.
The lack of samples could be a matter of time - when a company is releasing things so frequently, there's little time to make samples. The speed of new is frustrating but companies have figured out that new is addictive - that is why the Internet and social media are so alluring! I'm so old school, though, and move at a slower pace. I can use something so much that I verge on beating it to death. I do use social media and my blog to share what I make so it's possible I'm boring others
I like to give from where I receive my blessings - and Pinterest and SCS are stamping blessings to me! For that reason, I post samples daily to each of those sites. There is SO much to learn from both those places! People do still pin, but it could be they are pinning what I am looking for, and not what you want to see, and so my perception is skewed.
I agree with you about the value of listing products with project uploads. It is so helpful when looking for samples. Once I realized this, I started being very detailed in my supply list and descriptions.
What a great topic! I'm looking forward to reading what others have to say!
Wavejumper, I feel your pain and welcome to my team, aka the "show me before I'm gonna give you my hard earned $$ camp".
Pinterest, is practically unusable anymore IMHO. Ironically enough it has steadily gone down hill as it went more and more towards an advertisement type format. It seems like (at least to me) each update makes it less and less user friendly. My feed is always full of junk I'm have never been interested in and/or Etsy for sale listings instead of how to's. I rarely use it anymore as a result.
I have Instagram but it is more of a picture with no info kind of format. If I'm looking for how to do something it is not always the best way to get that info. Even as a visual learner it is not always enough and there are rarely a "products used" list.
All that being said takes me back depending the companies to have plenty of examples of their products and how they can be used.
Unity are generally great for loads of samples. Google is my go-to (after here, but I agree on people not always listing what stamps they used here, or uploading SU stamps to the designated galleries). I think people used to be more keyword-aware and would include set names as a keyword as well as in supplies, and I loved using those as a hopping-off point. And IiI used to enjoy running a slideshow of a specific set, still do from time to time. I don't tend to CASE cards but if I'm thinking of buying, I certainly like to see that there's a range of ways to use a stamp, even more so with dies as they ain't cheap. It's creative ideas that appeal to me most. I might see amazing colouring skills but that's never going to be me, so it's not what keeps my attention.
I can't speak to Pinterest as I've stayed away, but the general opinion I pick up here is that the advertising has become too obtrusive for some.
I miss Tim's blog posts; even though I never followed his blog I knew I could always go and find information and ideas. I am not a video person, except when I'm sick and stuck in bed.
The only upside to the paucity of information in some uploads here is that it's good for my budget ;-). I've never yet wanted to know so badly what a particular stamp was that I've taken the time to contact the uploader. Well, I lie, I did ask once about a koala stamp but she couldn't remember.
stampinstacy, with you 100% regarding Pinterest. Definitely each 'upgrade' has made it less user friendly, and like you far too much stuff of no interest to me. Lately, it's been knitting & crochet, neither one I've ever searched for, or pinned. Not my thing.Using it less and less, used to have a browse daily, now it might be every couple of weeks.
I too like to see samples, and at the moment certainly, UK stamping companies are doing this, lots of samples on blogs and being showcased on FB so if you want the technique, you can go visit the blog.
My first place to look for them is an internet search. Company name, set name, "cards". The newer the set, the less samples there are, obviously. Pinterest is another whole issue with me...I have drifted away from it, but search responses always include something from pinterest anyway.
I'm with Nichole as to why. Design teams get new sets every month. They make a few samples then go on to something new. There's not enough time for anyone to start being creative with a set before it's set aside as "old and passe". If my voice meant anything, I would shout loudly for "LESS RELEASES!" There's a gazillion companies out there, all wanting our money and having to keep up with each other, be better than the others, do more than the others. I don't know about you, but for me it is an overload.
So, YES! I join in and request that more samples be made by the companies for cards. More. Lots! That's usually what sells your product, after all!
Then I will also put myself on the line and ask...beg...cajole...SCS posters to please include the information about the stamp sets in their uploads.
I agree 100% about the frustration of no samples...
...I have to say though, an exception to all of this is Betsy Veldman at The Greetery. She's been doing it right, in my opinion, with LOTS of samples and technique videos. She even shows you how to use older sets with new ones (gasp!). Betsy has been the only one getting any money from me this past few months.
Debra
Amen and hallelujah! Betsy is releasing every other month, usually toward the end of the month; the first of this month was an exception in order to get Christmas sets out in time for us (her customers) to work with them.
Her releases have been on April 26th, June 21st, Aug 23rd and Oct 4th. She sets up Lookbooks so you can see all the products and projects up close and personal without going to individual blogs unless you wish to.
She offers new videos or projects a couple of weeks AFTER the release showing additional ways to use products just released. She offers stencils that accentuate her stamps or act as additional elements. She has offered a sentiment suite each release, targeted to a theme, such as birthday or thinking of you. One die set works with all of the sentiment suites.
She's been doing it right in my opinion too, Debra. Maybe some of the other shops need to take a step back and realize that the market is being oversaturated. I have unsubbed from almost every online stamp vendor. I don't need it shoved in my face. When I want something, I know how to find what I want.
And just in case you couldn't tell, I am a HUGE fan of Betsy Veldman and The Greetery.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
I have never been a big Pinterest-er because it is overwhelming and not very well organized. It is too easy to be completely surrounded by cards on the internet, with posts from stamping groups and stamp companies on Fb plus Pinterest plus sites like SCS and scrapbook.com. That leads me to put too much pressure on my own card making, feeling like I can't compete and can't keep up.
Mary Beth
Adding another complaint to the list here (ALL of which I agree with TOTALLY!): Why, oh why would a stamp company remove sample photos that used to be there? This has happened at one specific company (not going to say who, 'cuz I'm cool like that) and I find it exasperating, to say the least. You already HAD the photos, why delete them? Okay, I'm done now...
Pinterest isn’t passé for me, I go there all the time. The key is to search a particular set, then I get tons of ideas for that set, although one search can lead to another idea and off I go on another rabbit trail. But it works for me, probably because I am a SU user, and there are thousands of people of like mind to draw inspiration from. I don’t know about other companies as has been mentioned.
Lack of samples has been so great for my budget. I look at a stamp set and see it only used one way and can't find other examples then I am usually not buying said stamp.
This would not be an issue with stamps of yore. Back then a stamp we could find our own creative ways to use it. Stamps nowadays are leaning towards specific techniques. That's fine and lovely. If I can only find one or two examples of what that stamp can do then it's not a good purchase. I don't like purchasing items I can use only in one certain way.
This is why I have been ignoring the industry and buying used products.
Pinterest has become horrendous. I only use it to catalog some of my collections- books, games, & dolls so I don't buy doubles. The other day I logged in they showed me one of my dolls and told me that I might be interested in purchasing it, lol.
I guess I'm in the minority of those chiming in so far, but I still use Pinterest a lot. I don't find the home feed helpful as it's cluttered with advertisements. BUT I do use it to pin cards from designers that I want to CASE or am inspired by. Maybe they used a technique I want to try, I like the layout/sketch, etc. I find it helpful in getting inspired.
That said, I do think many companies are moving towards Instagram because they can show multiple projects using the same stamp set in one post. I know Altenew does this a lot.
When I'm looking for inspiration on a stamp set, I turn to a Google search first. You can usually find something, but not always more than a couple projects that you may have already seen on the manufacturer's website.
I still use Pinterest a lot. I like it because I can save pictures into my own board. I am loving Instagram, but can’t save any pictures, so have to take a screenshot. I see lots of cards using new and current stamp sets on Instagram, but sometimes it takes longer to see samples of cards on Pinterest. However when I search, and save, I end up seeing more and more samples. I can always go back and see what I’ve saved and make more and more cards. The advertising doesn’t bother me. I just scroll past it.
I don't even understand how Instagram works. I just was over there, had to open an account to even find any info on how it works (which I resent) and I still have no idea.
Like what does hashtag even mean? I thought it was just a specific search point.
It feels a lot like Pinterest. A bunch of still pics. I know you can do vids too. What is the difference? Why do I want to keep this account? I looked at a couple of mfgs and yes there are samples. So maybe that is why.
It sort of feels like that instachat thing people do instead of email which I never understood either. Just email.
I only joined Instagram so that I could keep in touch with my young teen granddaughter who spends a lot of time in hospital. She taught me how to use it, but I discovered that I love it! I see all the top card makers cards and can even chat with them. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it’s worth it.
I still use Pinterest a lot. I like it because I can save pictures into my own board. I am loving Instagram, but can’t save any pictures, so have to take a screenshot. I see lots of cards using new and current stamp sets on Instagram, but sometimes it takes longer to see samples of cards on Pinterest. However when I search, and save, I end up seeing more and more samples. I can always go back and see what I’ve saved and make more and more cards. The advertising doesn’t bother me. I just scroll past it.
You actually can save posts on Instagram. Not in a nice orderly file system, but you can save. Under an IG picture on the right hand side, is a little emblem that looks like a banner. If you click on that, it turns black and gets saved to ‘your collection’. If you go back to your own profile, click the 3 lines at the top right and chose ‘saved’. You can view what you have saved although as I said, it’s in one big file. But better than nothing perhaps.
I don't even understand how Instagram works. I just was over there, had to open an account to even find any info on how it works (which I resent) and I still have no idea.
Like what does hashtag even mean? I thought it was just a specific search point.
It feels a lot like Pinterest. A bunch of still pics. I know you can do vids too. What is the difference? Why do I want to keep this account? I looked at a couple of mfgs and yes there are samples. So maybe that is why.
It sort of feels like that instachat thing people do instead of email which I never understood either. Just email.
I like it under my rock more every day.
I like Instagram because I can keep connected with friends and family’s Pictures. I am not on Facebook. I primarily follow people I am close to, and things that interest me, such as Downton Abbey, some card makers and the Royal Family. In my own account I post a few pictures that mean something to me and have my privacy set that only people I accept can see.
The big trend of ‘influencers’ and money making opportunities of IG does NOT interest me in the least. It is just a way for me to share the lives of people close to me via pictures. And yes, you can message them as well.
Hashtags are a way of searching topics rather than specific users. And I use them for fun... like #tryingtoexplaininstagram
Cardmaker2, thanks so much for this information. I tried it and it works. As I said I had been doing a screen shot and then archiving the pictures. I’m not on Facebook either, and enjoy sharing cards and pictures with family and keeping in touch with loved ones who live on the other side of the country. I had hunted and hunted for a way to save pictures and my husband did too, and we couldn’t find any information on it. Thanks again.
Cardmaker2, thanks so much for this information. I tried it and it works. As I said I had been doing a screen shot and then archiving the pictures. I’m not on Facebook either, and enjoy sharing cards and pictures with family and keeping in touch with loved ones who live on the other side of the country. I had hunted and hunted for a way to save pictures and my husband did too, and we couldn’t find any information on it. Thanks again.
Oh I’m so glad I could help! I like IG and it works well for my needs
I love Instagram. I am about ready to make mine public. A lot of drama llama's lately so I haven't had time, lol.
I do think IG will change in the next couple of years with the FB controversies. Please, not being political at all, promises. Tech girl so I know the formula for changes. I think Zuckerberg will sell IG or make it more like Flickr. Why I am writing all of this? Be patient if IG is really overwhelming because I do think it will change. It will need to change with IG users becoming more advanced.
hash tags are your new search engines. For example you are interested in AlteNew for example you would type in #altenew to find inspiration. If you are looking for AlteNew's official page then you use @AlteNew. Think of @ is your new .com. Instead of typing in www.altenew.com you use @ instead. You can also do this in your Google search engine and it will take you to official pages. All of this is our new official web language.
I won't do FB but I adore Instagram. I am loving cardmaker2 following Downton Abbey. I am a Downton Abbey forever fan. I follow a lot of snail mailers, celebrities, doll collector's. I really don't use it for stamping or cardmaking. I do love to find # searches. If I need some inspiration that is unique and different for using Distress Inks, as an example, I will look for Distress Ink tags like #DistressInks, #TimHoltzDistressInks. If you click on an account you can even find more hash tags in their descriptions to find even more cool things. It will be unique like decobooks, gelli plates or distress ink journaling. Instagram is a great tool but you do have to power use it and find your style. If you don't it's just a confusing mess.
I DO NOT follow social influencers at all. No way, that is no, not happening. I want to be inspired and not annoyed, lol. I know it's a form of advertising. There is a reason when mute button showed up on remotes in days of yore I thought that was the best thing ever, lol.
I find Google Images to be the fastest way to search for alternate ideas when I am considering a purchase. I need to see it in use to gauge how large the stamp is and how adaptable to different styles.
I wish more companies/designers would do like Tim Holtz does with his releases. He shows multiple samples of the new releases and the many ways that the different creators use the products. He also does ONE blog post with all the samples and links to their blogs if you want to dig deeper into how a specific card was made.
I'm not a big fan of blog hops, especially when the list is long. I'd rather see a brand post like Tim does. All the samples in one place with links if I want more details.
Samples with the product in the shop is better than nothing, but often times it leads me to searching for hours to find out who did the sample and where the details are for the card to learn more about a technique that has caught my eye.
I agree that Pinterest is largely unusable for trying to find samples of a particular product. We might want to take a page out of Ravelry's book - end users post their own pics linked to any project/yarn/pattern/artist. The algorithms obviously pick up and cross-reference automatically when users post a new project and designate which product they have used. Very user-friendly.
I find I needed enough categories for pinterest to work for me and to subdivide those categories further.
I'll do a google search when I get something new or in from the sight I bought from, if available.
Creativity is necessary. I never copy cards exactly. That's not much fun. I put my own spin on cards with different colors, embellishments, similar stamps, etc.
If most stamps on a sheet can't be used in several ways, I save my money.
I love the classics like Hero Arts Leafy vines, or Penny Black Gentle Whisper (orchid) SO many ways to use them.
From what I understand, a lot of companies do not want to upload images because of theft, from Asia specifically. If you look around, companies are now only giving 1/2 of the image of stamps. They can turn off the C&P function, but there are ways around that too.
Look at the prices of dies - Asian mfg are selling the exact same dies as the retailers but at a drop in the bucket. Asian mfg are now selling Tim Holtz dies. THAT is a huge surprise.
My biggest complaint is seeing an example, Simon, but the items used are not listed or are no longer available.
You can organize things you bookmark on Instagram to different categories like on Pinterest. I also use Pinterest to save but not as much for searching. I agree 100% that it’s frustrating to not find lots of samples on the companies own product page. And even if they do, Thank you C&9th, once the product is retired, they no longer have that info. Grrr...
I’d love for all companies to have a gallery section on their site for all their design team samples AND allow people who love that set to upload their own as well. Or at least submit them for review if the company feels that’s necessary.
I think this is happening because ********** is using the pictures to sell their counterfeit die and stamps with.
:(
Quote:
Originally Posted by gregzgurl
Adding another complaint to the list here (ALL of which I agree with TOTALLY!): Why, oh why would a stamp company remove sample photos that used to be there? This has happened at one specific company (not going to say who, 'cuz I'm cool like that) and I find it exasperating, to say the least. You already HAD the photos, why delete them? Okay, I'm done now...
I like to CASE cards, but do change them up. In fact I challenge myself to CASE a card with only similar stamps, not identical. Or use some of the same stamps but with different backgrounds, frame, etc. The originals are just good to look at to get ideas of how to use these expensive purchases. I have ordered once from Ali Express, just to see what it’s all about. The American/original designers needn’t worry. Ali Express products are substandard, are much smaller and the dies don’t fit/work well. Yes, they only cost three dollars, but they weren’t even worth that.
I still use Pinterest a LOT, but that's probably because I mostly have been using Stampin Up stamps, and I can always find ideas for them there and on YouTube. That lack of ideas has been one of my biggest turnoffs with stamps from other companies. I can't find any, or barely any, for so many of the other companies. Even the My Monthly Hero from Hero Arts - depending on the kit, it seems, ideas and samples can be very sparse. And I have a lot of stamps from them (and other companies) that I can find NO ideas for, anywhere. It's very frustrating. Our Daily Bread Designs/Divinity Designs is one of the few companies that seems to be pretty good at getting samples for their stuff, along with Dare2BArtzy. But so many others have nothing, or next to nothing. That leaves me feeling safer with SU stuff because there is no lack of ideas for their stuff.
I do use Pinterest all the time! I did notice that they changed what automatically gets entered in the captions, and I think it is less organized since they did that. If I upload something, I try to use the stamp company name, and sometimes the stamp set name, in my caption. I hope that helps the searching!
However, sometimes if you search the stamp name in google, the Pinterest results will also show up, so maybe that is the best way to search?
I like Instagram for sharing. But not as well for searching. If you search the company name (if it is a small stamping company) you might find what you are looking for.
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I rarely pin anything new any more on Pinterest - it really irritated me that they have gone to almost all paid advertising now. When I search I get garbage because most crafters are not going to pay to have their items found at the top.
I actually prefer Instagram now- # searches are so much more accurate. Try it!
Or maybe you could start a Pinterest profile share thread and we could all add our links (is that even allowed here?) and follow each other.
Could it be because so many products are being counterfeited by Chinese manufacturers? I don’t know this for sure but maybe having them out on Pinterest has been seen as part of the problem? Just one thought.
[QUOTE=fionna51;21876418If my voice meant anything, I would shout loudly for "LESS RELEASES!" There's a gazillion companies out there, all wanting our money and having to keep up with each other, be better than the others, do more than the others. I don't know about you, but for me it is an overload.[/QUOTE]
I totally agree with this. Although I love the new releases there are just too many now! Truthfully, I have found it so overwhelming that I am purchasing and stamping less than ever now.
Ok, wavejumper, I'm joining you under that rock. I just got on the internet, using a computer. (we had smart phones, for years). I live near Death Valley, so the information highway didn't reach us until 4 years ago. Everything is so eyeopening to me. I expect my internet highway will, over time get potholes, cracking and even lane shut-downs. LOL. The shine will go away. I love wood rubber stamps, but, I have alot of cling stamps. I to agree that I learned more ways to use stamps through shopping in brick and morter stores, and magazines. I buy alot off E-Bay. I also would like to see companies (Ranger Tim Holtz), use more older items along side the new. I have a box with the leftovers from other TH projects, hoping to see them used another way, in a new project. Yet, I see samples of filled diaromas all with new items. My box is getting filled, with each new project I make. Pintrest is still new to me, and I love it, to catalog my ideas. Here's to hoping that someone (companies) go back a bit.
Well, I’m so out of it, I don’t even know what EH (in the original post) is.
Like others, I used to browse the home page on Pinterest, but don’t usually do that anymore. There is a way to say that you’re not interested in such and such post, it takes upkeep, which I’m not interested in having that occupy my time.
I’m mostly a SU stamper, so I usually do a search typing Stampin Up Lovely as a Tree, or whatever. Although you may get other sets, if you click on one picture that uses the set, and scroll down, you’ll see more photos using the same set. I save way less things than I used to.
I’ve never done Instagram. Enough is enough for me.
That being said, the more samples the better for me too. I’m actually not all that creative. I need help!
It makes sense that they might be holding back because of AE. I believe there are instances of artwork theft, but I don’t think they follow copyright rules.
In full disclosure, I’ve bought diamond paintings from AE, but only ones in public domain.
Asia does not have copyright laws like we do here, so they copy what they see we like, hoping to sell to "rich" Americans. I search for what I want on Pinterest, but quit having the emails sent to me and I rarely look at my home feed. It got to be kind of overwhelming, so I pin what I want there like a card board of others' cards = Pinterest
I was on a design team for about 7 months until the last recession hit (we were let go because it cost the company too much to constantly send us stamps to make sample cards for shows; we had to pay for our own supplies - their brand- to make the cards with and pay the postage to send our samples back to the company) and I was required to have a blog to make more cards to display. But then I began seeing my designs changed up a bit, like in a different color, but in every other way the same and published in other craft magazines as that person's own idea. That gets really aggravating. I was mostly published in the defunct Scrap & Stamp Arts magazine, Just Cards!, etc. Here on SCS it's okay to CASE, because the website was begun to give demo's an idea of what to make to sell their stamps with, but it's a big NO-NO at other stamping companies. I have a channel now at YouTube and save videos in playlists like my Pinterest boards. I began the channel to have the freedom to do that and to make comments, but lately I've been making videos of a positivity journal. If you can't find what you want online, go offline and buy old magazines. The thrift stores and used bookstores like Half-Price Books sell old magazines all the time here. I used to get together with a friend (before she passed away from breast cancer) and we would sometimes experiment just for the fun of it with one stamp set and see how many different cards we could make from the one. We also had shoebox parties. Those were fun times. And last, but not least, make your own design journal. I use a spiral sketchbook to doodle designs in. I like to doodle layout sketches and then experiment with the stamps I have using the sketches. Any of the cards I especially like from my experimenting, I scan and save in a folder on my laptop, so I can go back to it for inspiration again. You all have a nice weekend, you hear!
Well, I’m so out of it, I don’t even know what EH (in the original post) is.
Like others, I used to browse the home page on Pinterest, but don’t usually do that anymore. There is a way to say that you’re not interested in such and such post, it takes upkeep, which I’m not interested in having that occupy my time.
I’m mostly a SU stamper, so I usually do a search typing Stampin Up Lovely as a Tree, or whatever. Although you may get other sets, if you click on one picture that uses the set, and scroll down, you’ll see more photos using the same set. I save way less things than I used to.
I’ve never done Instagram. Enough is enough for me.
That being said, the more samples the better for me too. I’m actually not all that creative. I need help!
It makes sense that they might be holding back because of AE. I believe there are instances of artwork theft, but I don’t think they follow copyright rules.
In full disclosure, I’ve bought diamond paintings from AE, but only ones in public domain.