1y ago

YSK about Sketch Toy

Draw sketches and share replays with friends!

(the link again in case the clickable title doesn't work on all instances: https://sketchtoy.com)

Have you ever tried to explain something over the internet that doesn't translate well into words (like a specific route on a map, the layout of a building etc.) and you also can't find a good picture on the internet showing what exactly you mean? Then just use that site to doodle a sketch. It is free of charge, doesn't require a registration/verification/whatever or extra software, and the sketches seem to stay online forever.

I have an online roleplaying group that relies solely on chat / texts and this site has helped me numerous times to demonstrate the layout of a tavern, camp or dungeon, to show what in-game items look like and/or how big they are, and to add easy-to-understand visuals to in-game puzzles that would otherwise be hard to describe verbally.

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13 comments

Any way to self host this? I don't want some rando hosting that server to own the art I make on there.
Edit: I just read their terms of service and they indeed own the shit you draw on there and sell it to third parties. Fuck this noise.
- Paper. You can use paper and take a picture with your phone.
  
  Hmm does this Pa-per record my usage, or harvest data from the room I use it in? What about the EULA for Pa-per, you know, in case I want to understand all the ways I'm being taken advantage of, but listed in the hardest to consume way possible?
- Yeah, that's not great. It also puts all responsibility of content on the user, so if you post something offensive, they're not going to be the ones blamed. But if you post some art that they can make money off of, they definitely want that. We live in a gross world.
  Below is that policy about data
  Data and Data Ownership
  Data (sketches and associated metadata) on Sketch Toy is not permanent and may be deleted at any time to clear up space. Sketch Toy will do its best to delete only old data that is no longer used. By submitting Content to Sketch Toy for inclusion on the web site, you grant Sketch Toy a world-wide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, modify, adapt, publish and advertise the Content without prior notice.
  
  IANAL, but I wouldn't be surprised if that language is legally necessary to offer the ability to store and share stuff
- Maybe don’t draw art that you want to own on there?
  Do you refuse to throw a piece of paper away because the landfill then owns it? If for any reason the thing you’re trying to convey is private and you want to retain ownership, then obviously don’t use it, and it’s great for you to call that out so others are aware. But to vehemently dismiss some functionality because you don’t find the utility worth the cost is short sighted and childish.
  
  This is a very interesting point that raises a lot of questions; does throwing something in the trash by definition relinquish my ownership? What if I throw something away by accident? Where is the demarcation between my owning something and WM taking ownership? Does it then pass on to whomever owns the landfill, or subsequently whoever might dig it out of the trash? You've done gone and wrinkled my brain for the weekend.
  
  Isn't this why dumpster diving is illegal in many places?
  
  As far as I know that is usually mostly a liability problem. Scavenging can be dangerous in the activity itself, and you don't know "why" someone chose to throw away that "perfectly useable" thing. Maybe you get lucky and the reason was dumb, but there could be a very good reason. Either way the waste management company tells you not to, so when you get hurt or sick from doing it, it's on you.

13 comments