vaelyane - Tumblr blog

[vaelyane]

They are already selling data to midjourney, and it's very likely your work is already being used to train their models because you have to OPT OUT of this, not opt in. Very scummy of them to roll this out unannounced.

[vaelyane]

Automattic will sign a contract with OpenAI for Midjourney to learn off of Tumblr and Wordpress

Hello! Automattic, Tumblr's parent company, will sign a contract with OpenAI and Midjourney so Midjourney can learn off of Tumblr's and WordPress' art and other user data. :) (The full text of this article is copy/pasted in the cut below). You can opt out! but I truly cannot imagine a more idiotic or out of touch decision on the part of Tumblr's CEO.

First thing's first: When/if this goes live, opt out of this immediately. Do this even if you're not an artist. The more people opt out, the less valuable this contract is to Midjourney. in an ideal world, literally all of the active users would opt out, but if we can even get to 50% that's pretty delicious.

Second: Contact Tumblr Support. It's vital that you do this politely. Tumblr staff is not responsible for this decision and the point of doing this is to show the userbase's unwillingness to be involved in this, not harangue Tumblr staff. (Seriously, stop haranguing Tumblr staff). Here's a script:

Hi, I'm writing in to express my disappointment in Automattic's pending contract with OpenAI to sell user data. Midjourney is already embroiled in copyright lawsuits, and it is not possible to train it without compromising copyright, including violating the IP of artists on this site. I strongly protest this contract and will opt out if it goes live. Depending on the privacy terms around what user data is sold to OpenAI and why, it is possible I will leave the platform entirely. Thank you for your time.

Third: Download Glaze and start poisoning them prompts, my friends

Fourth: Stare into the middle distance for a second with me because holy fucking shit? How stupid can one decision be?

Tumblr and Wordpress are preparing to sell user data to Midjourney and OpenAI, according to a source with internal knowledge about the deals and internal documentation referring to the deals. 

The exact types of data from each platform going to each company are not spelled out in documentation we’ve reviewed, but internal communications reviewed by 404 Media make clear that deals between Automattic, the platforms’ parent company, and OpenAI and Midjourney are imminent.

The internal documentation details a messy and controversial process within Tumblr itself. One internal post made by Cyle Gage, a product manager at Tumblr, states that a query made to prepare data for OpenAI and Midjourney compiled a huge number of user posts that it wasn’t supposed to. It is not clear from Gage’s post whether this data has already been sent to OpenAI and Midjourney, or whether Gage was detailing a process for scrubbing the data before it was to be sent. 

Gage wrote:

“the way the data was queried for the initial data dump to Midjourney/OpenAI means we compiled a list of all tumblr’s public post content between 2014 and 2023, but also unfortunately it included, and should not have included:

private posts on public blogs

posts on deleted or suspended blogs

unanswered asks (normally these are not public until they’re answered)

private answers (these only show up to the receiver and are not public)

posts that are marked ‘explicit’ / NSFW / ‘mature’ by our more modern standards (this may not be a big deal, I don’t know)

content from premium partner blogs (special brand blogs like Apple’s former music blog, for example, who spent money with us on an ad campaign) that may have creative that doesn’t belong to us, and we don’t have the rights to share with this-parties; this one is kinda unknown to me, what deals are in place historically and what they should prevent us from doing.”

Gage’s post makes clear that engineers are working on compiling a list of post IDs that should not have been included, and that password-protected posts, DMs, and media flagged as CSAM and other community guidelines violations were not included.

Automattic plans to launch a new setting on Wednesday that will allow users to opt-out of data sharing with third parties, including AI companies, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, and internal documents. A new FAQ section we reviewed is titled “What happens when you opt out?” states that “If you opt out from the start, we will block crawlers from accessing your content by adding your site on a disallowed list. If you change your mind later, we also plan to update any partners about people who newly opt-out and ask that their content be removed from past sources and future training.” 

404 Media has asked Automattic how it accidentally compiled data that it shouldn’t share, and whether any of that content was shared with OpenAI, but did not immediately hear back from the company. 404 Media asked Automattic about an imminent deal with Midjourney last week but did not hear back then, either.

Another internal document shows that, on February 23, an employee asked in a staff-only thread, “Do we have assurances that if a user opts out of their data being shared with third parties that our existing data partners will be notified of such a change and remove their data?”

Andrew Spittle, Automattic’s head of AI replied: “We will notify existing partners on a regular basis about anyone who's opted out since the last time we provided a list. I want this to be an ongoing process where we regularly advocate for past content to be excluded based on current preferences. We will ask that content be deleted and removed from any future training runs. I believe partners will honor this based on our conversations with them to this point. I don't think they gain much overall by retaining it.” Automattic did not respond to a question from 404 Media about whether it could guarantee that people who opt out will have their data deleted retroactively.

News about a deal between Tumblr and Midjourney has been rumored and speculated about on Tumblr for the last week. Someone claiming to be a former Tumblr employee announced in a Tumblr blog post that the platform was working on a deal with Midjourney, and the rumor made it onto Blind, an app for verified employees of companies to anonymously discuss their jobs. 404 Media has seen the Blind posts, in which what seems like an Automattic employee says, “I'm not sure why some of you are getting worked up or worried about this. It's totally legal, and sharing it publicly is perfectly fine since it's right there in the terms & conditions. So, go ahead and spread the word as much as you can with your friends and tech journalists, it's totally fine.”

Separately, 404 Media viewed a public, now-deleted post by Gage, the product manager, where he said that he was deleting all of his images off of Tumblr, and would be putting them on his personal website. A still-live post says, “i've deleted my photography from tumblr and will be moving it slowly but surely over to cylegage.com, which i'm building into a photography portfolio that i can control end-to-end.” At one point last week, his personal website had a specific note stating that he did not consent to AI scraping of his images. Gage’s original post has been deleted, and his website is now a blank page that just reads “Cyle.” Gage did not respond to a request for comment from 404 Media. 

Several online platforms have made similar deals with AI companies recently, including Reddit, which entered into an AI content licensing deal with Google and said in its SEC filing last week that it’s “in the early stages of monetizing [its] user base” by training AI on users’ posts. Last year, Shutterstock signed a six year deal with OpenAI to provide training data.

OpenAI and Midjourney did not respond to requests for comment. 

[vaelyane]

I'm sharing this here because I believe it's important. Even if the deal isn't real and turns out to be a rumour in the end, it's still safer to Glaze and Nightshade everything. Just in case. It's a good reflex to have online at this point anyway.

What is this about the tumblr staff wanting to sell art data to midjourney?

An ex-colleague of mine mentioned yesterday that there may be contacts between Automattic and midjourney in that direction, but nothing is public yet and I don't have any more info. They probably won't have anything specific to share either, since they left the company weeks ago too. That being said:

I have no reason to doubt my ex-coworker word, they are a trustworthy person.

Tumblr's CEO has been absurdly enthusiastic (comically, even) about AI, and is a big fan of LLMs and 'AI' companies.

A deal with midjourney could solve tumblr financial issues (not the same company, but openAi is paying up to 5 million/year to news companies to use their content as training data... tumblr generates several orders of magnitude more content than any newspaper or any media company and it only would need a 20 to 30 million per year deal to be profitable)

So I don't have any extra info yet, but I'm keeping my ears open.

[vaelyane]

I have a Bluesky account! Join me there, if you want. ;)

[vaelyane]

I thought I'd never manage to finish this before midnight here in France, but Krampus and I wish you a Merry Christmas, if you celebrate!

[vaelyane]

🇬🇧   Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! 🎄

Today, on the day of Christmas Eve, I share with you this watercolour painting I made for celi_arts on Instagram as a Secret Santa gift. 👀 Since we both share an affection for spooky things, I could truly lean into my weird habit of shoehorning bats into my holiday cheer. 😂 It’s a bit odd for an Alsatian, but I’m not a festive person. Turning Christmas spooky is the only way I can fully embrace it!

To anyone who might be feeling under the weather right now: these times can be rough, and there’s no shame in that. I hope your woes will ease soon. 💖 And please, take care, everyone. ~~~~~~~~ 🇫🇷  Joyeux Noël ! Une excellente saison des fêtes à vous tous ! 🎄

Aujourd’hui, le jour du Réveillon de Noël, je vous partage cette aquarelle que j’ai faite pour celi_arts sur Instagram, dans le cadre d’un Secret Santa. 👀  Comme nous aimons tous les deux les thèmes sombres, j’ai à nouveau inséré une chauve-souris dans mes activités de fêtes. 😂 C’est bizarre pour un Alsacien, mais je ne suis pas très fan de Noël. En faire un second Halloween est ma seule façon de pouvoir l’apprécier !

A tous les gens qui ont le blues ces derniers jours : les fêtes ne sont pas forcément faciles à vivre, et il n’y a pas de honte à ça. J’espère que vos soucis s’allégeront bientôt. 💖 Et surtout, prenez soin de vous.

[vaelyane]

🇬🇧 I'd love to finish a new Krampy this year, if my body allows me. I started sketching this one with CSP during a horrid cold in November!

I really like CSP so far. The brushes feel organic to use and I think I could have fun painting in there. But I haven't yet found my bearings with linework, which is something I'll have to figure out before I attempt to bring a bigger project to life. ~~~~~~~~ 🇫🇷 J'aimerais beaucoup finir un autre Krampy cette année, si mon corps me le permet. J'ai commencé à croquer celui-ci sur CSP durant un rhume des Enfers en Novembre ! J'aime beaucoup CSP jusqu'ici. Les brushes ont un côté tactile et organique, et je pense pouvoir m'amuser niveau peinture. Mais je n'ai pas trouvé mon compte avec l'encrage pour l'instant, ce qu'il me faudra travailler avant de me lancer dans un plus gros projet.

[vaelyane]

My belated Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas wishes to you, everyone! 🎄⭐🎉 I’ve decided I’d only paint Krampuses I want to dance with, for Christmas. I hope you’re all ok with that. 😂 To be perfectly honest, Christmas makes me uncomfortable for a myriad of reasons. But picturing monsters partaking in the cheer makes me feel like I can, in my own strange way, find some joy the festivities as well, somehow. Even if that implies hand-stitching bat plush dolls for my family, or drawing a weirdly cheerful version of a demonic creature from germanic folklore. ~~~~~~ Mes voeux de Bonnes Fêtes tardifs et un Joyeux Noël à vous tous !🎄⭐🎉 J'ai décidé que je ne peindrais que des Krampus avec qui je veux danser, pour les festivités. J'espère que ça vous va. 😂 Pour être totalement honnête, Noël me met mal à l'aise pour une myriade de raisons. Mais m'imaginer de drôles de monstres participer aux fêtes avec entrain me donne l'impression que moi aussi, je peux trouver un peu de bonheur dans ces festivités, à ma façon. Même si ça implique de coudre des peluches de chauve-souris à la main pour ma famille, ou dessiner une créature démoniaque du folklore germanique d'une manière bizarrement plaisante.

[vaelyane]

🇬🇧 Hey there! Hope you're doing well! I got frustrated with Photoshop (which I've used for years) and decided to give Clip Studio Paint a try. I chose our favourite cunty old man, Astarion, for my very first painting with CSP, and I have to say… Not bad, for a first! I loved the gouache brushes. If you have any tips for a CSP noob, please let me know! Take care, everyone!

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🇫🇷 Hey les amis ! J'espère que vous êtes en forme. Je me suis senti frustré par Photoshop (que j'utilise depuis des années), et je donne donc sa chance à Clip Studio Paint. J'ai choisi notre troll invétéré Astarion comme sujet pour le tester, et je dois dire... pas mal, pour un premier essai ! J'ai beaucoup aimé les brushes de gouache. Si vous avez des astuces pour un débutant avec ce logiciel, faites m'en part ! Prenez-soin de vous !

[vaelyane]

🇬🇧 Hey there! I'm still alive, working on a few bigger pieces. :D Here's a preview of a knight featured in the painting I'm currently working on. I'm more active on Bluesky, lately! I find it easier to post over there. Here's the link to my page.

~~~~~~~~~~🇫🇷 Hello les amis ! Je suis toujours en vie, à travailler sur de plus grosses pièces. :D Voici un aperçu d'un chevalier sur une illustration en cours. Je suis actuellement plus actif sur Bluesky ! Je me sens plus libre de poster là-bas. Voici le lien vers ma page.

[vaelyane]

i think i never shared a flipthrough of fathoms final print publicly! 🤲 here it is.. the fruits of our labour.. im so happy to have it on my shelf and to have been able to send it out to all our contributing artists weeps

[vaelyane]

I'm going to have to talk about Webtoons(company) at one point, and its... impact on the webcomic sphere too. Trying to find the most eloquent way to say that these companies aren't your friends, and that I am seeing more and more creators getting chewed up and spit out when these places are done with them. I'm legit worried for how The Content Creator model is going to hurt so many more people, who have been led to believe that this is the only way to get their work out there.

[vaelyane]

🇬🇧 Hello there! 👀 It will soon be my good friend @violettenouvel's birthday, and I finished a portrait of her prickly Faelinn for the occasion! Happy Birthday, my kind bean. Thank you so much for your friendship and the wonderful times we've had watching films and chatting away far into the night. May this new year of your life bring you nothing but the joy you deserve! (And I can't wait to see the rest of your story aaaAAAA)

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🇫🇷 Bien le bonsoir ! C'est bientôt l'anniversaire de ma chère amie @violettenouvel, et j'ai terminé un portrait de son intense Faelinn pour l'occasion ! Joyeux anniversaire, ma bonne patate. Merci pour cette belle amitié et les moments formidables que nous avons partagés. Que cette nouvelle année t'apporte toute la joie que tu mérite ! (Et j'ai hâte de voir le reste de l'histoire aaaAAAA)

[vaelyane]

Here's a photo I took of the piece as well! My post-production digital tweaks for this traditional painting were very minimal. Mostly just a bit of clean-up. Pretty happy about that!

I'm excited to finally post my full Fathoms zine watercolour piece! I hope you'll like it. It was the perfect occasion for me to use my favourite teal and my favourite brown together again. :') This image is also very, VERY gay. Once again, I'd like to thank @oooocleo and the whole team for the incredible job they've all done. Take care with this heat, everyone! This summer is a nasty one so far. ~~~~~~~~ Je suis tout frétillant de pouvoir enfin poster mon aquarelle pour le Fathoms zine ! J'espère que vous l'aimerez. C'était l'occasion parfaite d'utiliser à nouveau mon turquoise et mon brun favoris ensemble. :') L'image est aussi très, TRES gay.

J'aimerais encore une fois remercier @oooocleo et toute l'équipe pour le travail formidable qu'iels ont tous•tes fourni. Prenez soin de vous par cette chaleur ! Cet été est une vraie saleté jusqu'ici.

[vaelyane]

I'm excited to finally post my full Fathoms zine watercolour piece! I hope you'll like it. It was the perfect occasion for me to use my favourite teal and my favourite brown together again. :') This image is also very, VERY gay. Once again, I'd like to thank @oooocleo and the whole team for the incredible job they've all done. Take care with this heat, everyone! This summer is a nasty one so far. ~~~~~~~~ Je suis tout frétillant de pouvoir enfin poster mon aquarelle pour le Fathoms zine ! J'espère que vous l'aimerez. C'était l'occasion parfaite d'utiliser à nouveau mon turquoise et mon brun favoris ensemble. :') L'image est aussi très, TRES gay.

J'aimerais encore une fois remercier @oooocleo et toute l'équipe pour le travail formidable qu'iels ont tous•tes fourni. Prenez soin de vous par cette chaleur ! Cet été est une vraie saleté jusqu'ici.

[vaelyane]

Hey there! It's me again. :D I spent several hours doing some moderate clean-up of a random digital speed portrait from a few weeks ago, mostly from memory. I had vampires and oversized poofy elizabethan sleeves on my mind, apparently. 🦇 I still find it unpolished, but I hope it's decent enough regardless! And as usual, take care, everyone. ~~~~~~~~ Bonjour ! C'est encore moi. :D J'ai passé plusieurs heures à nettoyer un petit portrait numérique rapide d'il y a quelques semaines, réalisé principalement de mémoire. J'avais la tête pleine de vampires et de manches élisabethaines gigantesques, apparemment. 🦇 Je trouve que ça reste assez brouillon, mais j'espère que ça fera tout de même l'affaire ! Et comme d'habitude, prenez soin de vous.

[vaelyane]

🌊Attention! FATHOMS zine sales will end on the 26th!🌊

Only a couple of days left! Now's your last chance to buy a PDF of our anthology! If you love merfolk and want to support a diverse team of talented artists, this book is perfect for you. We all poured a lot of love and care in there, and I'm sure you'll appreciate it! :D