   Anonymity, Photos, and the Net
  I'm nearing "completion" of a "game" that features "levels" by different people I know (or knew) in real life. There are 9 levels, 2 of which were created by myself, 6 by acquaintances, and 1 by my father.I have gathered high resolution photos of all of these people save for one. Some of these people have shown concern for their image being placed on the Internet (more specifically a game downloaded from the Internet). But failed to provide adequate reasoning for their aversion. I wasn't going to give up without a good reason and so I got my photos.That was ~1 year ago. Now I'm trying to understand the reasoning behind being weary to place your photo on the Internet. Is it just being uncomfortable with strangers looking at you and you never knowing? Is it concern for keeping secrecy from the government? Is it only a problem when the face is attached to your full name, because this might lead to identity theft?So what should I do, I worked hard on getting the photos, resizing, aligning to texture size, etc. and so I don't want to throw away my hard work. Obviously it wouldn't be illegal to use the photos, but personal feelings are more important. Should I try to hunt down contact information for each person and ask them? What if they don't reply, should I err on the side of caution or go ahead with using the photos to identify the levels? Should I forget the matter altogether? Or should I just use the photos (probably no one will download the game and nobody will be the wiser) and hope no one complains?Thanks for your advice Lounge Lizards.   
  Would leaving the photos out really detract that much from the game experience? Refusing to "throw away hard work" is not a useful strategy.   ;  I actually feel that it would.Seeing who helped create the game creates a sort of personal connection. For me, at least, it brings excitement to know I'm being challenged by a real person and not just a machine. So often in using software/chatting/forums we forget about the real people and just imagine the messages/software coming from "somewhere."The gameplay ain't that great, it brings nothing revolutionary or even comparable to most indie games. It's just a little project. You get a menu screen, a select level screen, and the game itself. So the level select screen is important.I see a lot of nontechnical people have this strange fear that the guys on the Internet are not just normal people. They have some sort of disconnect between reality and these strange ideas of wierdos, crooks, and pedos on the other end of a T1 line. It's just regular people at the other end of that phone line!   ;  It has nothing to do with the internet.  Some people just don't like having photos of them floating aroud period, even if it is among a very restricted group of friends.  I'm not sure it's very rational, but I know a lot of people who feel like this, and if your aquaintances still refuse after you explain the situation, well there's not much you can do.Email them asking for permission, and if they don't answer, don't put them in.IANAL, but using the photos without their consent MIGHT be illegal.   ;Quote:Original post by BoderI see a lot of nontechnical people have this strange fear that the guys on the Internet are not just normal people. They have some sort of disconnect between reality and these strange ideas of wierdos, crooks, and pedos on the other end of a T1 line.That's exactly why they are paranoid about putting personal details about themselves on the net. By the way, who said we are normal? [grin] A lot of "normal" people tend to stay away from the internet for this exact reason...   ;  Well, you can always take photos of people in public places, and you can do whatever you want with those photos. But since you're asking about people's feelings, it gets a little different.Will you be posting the names of these people?   ;  I'm thinking about using first names only or nick names right now. The last name doesn't really add anything.Remember when skjinedmjeet asked for photos and people rushed to put on their best show. That's what I thought it would be like. I thought everyone would be overjoyed to be in a video game, so it was somewhat of a letdown (for a gamedeveloper) to see people that didn't share the enthusiasm.   ;  My view on this is pretty simple. It is your obligation to respect these acquaintances of yours, and if they don't want their photos on the internet, then don't put their photos on the internet.If you really want to have photos of real people, can't you just get some more? After all, last time I looked there are quite a few real human beings out there. [wink]   ;Quote:Original post by BoderObviously it wouldn't be illegal to use the photos,Are you sure? If they've not signed a release, and you feature their likenesses to a significant extent, then it might actually be illegal.;  I guess it's just coming to grips with the idea of putting yourself out there and being confident enough in yourself and your image.I think over time people develop this comfort level with the Web, knowing they are anonymous and can do whatever they want. They know the Internet is such a big place and a marvelous method of communication, but they want to hide and observe everything and everyone in the safety of their abode. Therefore, seeing themselves on the Internet comes as a shocker when they realize the implications.It's the same experience as stepping in front of a group of people and leading them or instructing them with your words and realizing all their eyes are on you. At first you are scared and reluctant, but then you realize they are just people and you imagine them in their underwear (except that might actually be true on the net...[grin])   