So you may have found yourself on this site with no idea what you're looking at. Don't panic! This page will help you understand, and hopefully introduce you to the fun world of collecting "cyberpets".
"What IS a Cyberpet?"
Essentially a Cyberpet is a picture which someone has drawn, scanned and colored, and put up on their web page. They usually allow other people to use these pictures on their own pages, with the condition that they "link back" to the creator's site so others can collect them too.
Many Cyberpets are normal animals such as puppies, cats, horses and sea animals. However, equally popular are fantastical animals such as dragons, unicorns, gryphons and the like. Even ghosts, 'teenagers', smiley faces, aliens, flowers and other oddities can be adopted. Anything which has been drawn and put into a small file format (such as a .gif or .jpg) can be used as a Cyberpet!
"Why would someone want a Cyberpet?"
Cyberpets cost nothing. They're not real animals or flowers or ghosts. They take up only cyberspace on a hard drive. They require very little if any upkeep. They are often really nice pictures, and someone worked hard on them to make other people happy (or, jealous). There are many reasons to have a cyberpet on your site!
One typical sort of Cyberpet is called a "Page Guardian". These are often based on gods or goddesses of mythology, heroes, archetypes (such as "warrior", "mage", "inventor", etc) or even just an animal which is associated with a particular quality ("bravery", "silliness", "happiness", etc). They often have an image which includes a name plate or a statement about the picture. These are often given out as gifts to people who have particularly nice sites, or friends, or people who need a little pick-me-up after a family problem, natural disaster, or hard day at work. They can also be made as a warning to others to keep their hands "off" the cyberpets and images found on the site otherwise.
"What distinct types of Cyberpet agencies are there?"
Most Cyberpet agencies, or web sites which offer Cyberpet images, run one of two ways (or in combination).
One: the "Click and Take" operation. This means that the images are usually laid out en masse, and are intended to be picked up and used freely by those who come across them. Typically the only catch is that a link image is used to show others where to get this particular pet picture. See an EXAMPLE.
Two: the "Apply and Wait" operation. Many dragon/gryphon/"litter" operations work with this. Instead of having the images all available on a page or two so a person can breeze through and collect at will, these are usually more complex or pretty pictures, which have an individual meaning to them. They often require a character page be set up in advance on the applicant's web site. That page should have a number of things on it, detailed below. Essentially, the Apply and Wait technique ensures that the person collecting the Cyberpet is an honest one, and one which has a bit more than normal interest in the subject matter of the pet itself. See an EXAMPLE.
When someone starts collecting images, usually there are two types of collections.
One: the "Cyberpet Page". This page is a crowded hotel for images. Often a jumble of nice pictures, sometimes merely an html-coded listing of name/image/link. Most of these are frowned upon by "Apply and Wait" organizations.
There are ways of displaying a large number of collected Cyberpets, without looking bad or being crowded. Things to remember about Cyberpet Pages include -- remember how long it takes pages to load on old modems! A large number of small files still loads slowly! A list of pets is just that, a list. Put few images on a single page together, and make them related to one another in some fashion ("horse like animals", "water-based animals", "all my striped critters", etc) so there is a theme to the collection.
There are very few other things to do with Cyberpet Pages, other than show them to other people, help them find their own cute pets, and enjoy the fruits of artistic folks around the internet!
Two: the "Candidate Page". This is a page which an Apply and Wait site will be examining. Most often, the page will reflect the choice of animal or picture given to them by the organization. This page will have at most three or four animals, and usually one will be the centerpiece. (Typically, a dragon or other large "creature", with a small number of pets like the flit on the background of this page, cats, or other such things.)
On a page like this there are many variations, so each organization often has a list or instructions on how to make a good Candidate page. The Healing Den has an extensive piece on how to create a (pern) dragon Candidate page. Each Apply-and-Wait organization will require different things, so one aspect to keep in mind is to READ each organizations rules and be well aware of them before applying.
"I've got a creature from an Apply and Wait site, now what?"
Well, if you've gotten that far, you're way ahead of a lot of folks. There is a thing called "upkeep" on Apply and Wait type lists. Why? Because many A&W sites have "staged" or "Growing" creatures.
Either of these terms applies to the same theory: that there is more than merely one picture which will go on that site! There are anywhere from two to six "growth" stages of some cyberpets, from "Egg" to "Ancient".
Here's a rundown of how a Staged creature site works --
The Cyberpetter creates a page worthy of getting a creature from an A&W site. The site's creator often looks over their choices (as many times, more than just one or two people are applying for the same creature!), and chooses their favorites. Then, those sites are awarded with the first of the stages of this creature they have asked for. Most often, this is an "Egg" or some other form of non-creature looking item.
It is up to you, the adoptor, to put up that picture quickly. When you've gotten that picture, it means that the caretaker of the site thinks you're appropriate to take on one of their pieces. It's a great honor, and it is often quite a difficult decision to make, choosing which sites among many will get a picture. The site creator usually gives a deadline for their adopted creatures to be placed upon the sites. If you can't put them up in that time, it's YOUR responsibility to tell the creator. It is NOT their responsibility to ask! If you know you're going on vacation, or your computer has broken, it is still your responsibility to tell the agency that you won't be able to update your page. But usually, they will understand and extend your deadline. It's that simple -- ASK, and you shall get it!
But if you don't put up that picture, the creator might not trust you for any other stages, and you certainly won't be getting another pet!
Next, when everyone's "first stage" has been put up, the site owner will send out an announcement with the next stage, and so on. Usually, if there is an "Egg" picture, this stage is when you actually SEE your creature for the first time! Some agencies require the egg picture (or coccoon, nest, or some other token that you've visited the site) to be up on the page BEFORE you request a creature. Again, be sure to follow every rule.
Each time the site sends out a new stage, IT'S UP TO YOU to put those stages up. When there are a large number of people adopting, if even one or two of them stalls out on this stage, it's not fair to the others, because often the agency will WAIT for you to put them up! That means you'd have a TON of angry adoptors waiting and waiting...
"Oops, I forgot to update this site! But someone else has my picture now! That's not fair!"
Well, yes it is fair. It's only fair to people who keep up their sites, and pay attention to their adoptions. By taking the responsibility of an Apply and Wait site, YOU are reponsible for losing your pet. If you don't tell the owner that your pages have moved, or that you were on vacation, or that you had to borrow someone's computer to do all your work, it's still YOUR fault you lost your pet. Don't get angry, especially not at the person who might have wound up with "your" pet. If "Your" pet wasn't on YOUR page, then... It was wandering around Cyberspace, alone, unloved! Someone wants it, and apparently it wasn't YOU.
Doesn't sound too nice, does it? Don't let it happen! Updating pages and simple email communication is SO easy, there really isn't any excuse for getting angry if someone else takes a pet which has been "Abandoned." I've had to do it, sending out someone else's image to a new adoptor, and then getting a nasty email from the pet's originally-intended owner. But I had to explain very carefully that if I made exceptions to my rules of "put it up or don't apply" then I'd be better off just running a click-and-take... (Which I do, also.)
So to summarize, if you're applying to an agency for a Staged pet, it is YOUR responisibility to get that image on your page, and to make sure that YOU know what you're in for. It is NOT the responsibility of the site owner! They do all the hard work -- drawing and sending out images, keeping track of who has what image, and what stages have and have not been put up.
"I'd like to try my hand at this! It sounds fun!"
Well, don't jump the gun. If you want to open a Cyberpet agency of either type, you should be fully prepared BEFORE you put even ONE image down on the internet.
What to do to start a site
First, make sure that the images you have are YOUR OWN, or are legally usable by you. That's the main thing -- if you aren't the image's creator, you MUST have permission from their creator or owner to use them. You CANNOT run a site off of someone else's images without asking! That's illegal, and totally lame to boot!
Second, make sure you have the TIME. If you barely have time to check on your own Staged pets, you do NOT have time to run an agency, no matter how cool your art is. Real life takes a toll on sites like these. If you're in school, make sure your homework is done or your studies are complete, BEFORE you even start trying for a site. I've known too many teenage kids who have been forced off the internet so long their agencies disappear, because their folks are convinced they aren't doing any homework.
Third, be prepared to do a lot of organizing. You must be able to either write HTML or use a good page program (like I use, geocities' page builder), and be prepared to use it OFTEN. Sites need updating ALL THE TIME. Parent's lists, new colors or information, new pets, blacklisted people, links, contests, all those things take a lot of effort to maintain, and if even one link goes bad, the whole site might be ruined. Be aware of your site, and listen to your adoptors!
Fourth, make sure you have a working email account. If you don't have contact information, don't come crying to anyone else that "no one wants my pets!" Make yourself available to your adoptors! Have a board, club, or group available where your adoptors can get together and talk! It's a good way to get them interested in new pets, to share information, or to talk about what works and what doesn't, on a site.
Fifth, don't get angry when someone does something against the rules. Don't lose your cool, just drop them a line and be polite. Even when someone has done something really bad, or really stupid, it's possible they're too young to understand, or they're just not paying attention. Explain rules five or six times, if you have to, and expect to continue explaining them to newcomers. If you really have trouble with someone, say for image theft, there are better ways to deal with it than getting angry. If you've created the images, and someone steals them or claims them as their own, be prepared to contact their Server with PROOF that the images are yours. You CAN have someone's site removed, by telling their server. This should ONLY be a last resort, however. It's most likely that the person just didn't understand. There are hundreds of people out there who will love your site, but all it takes is ONE bozo to make an owner angry and shut it down. Don't let the bozos get to you! Never give up!
Sixth and last, ADVERTISE properly. If you do a search for "cyberpets" you'll find lots of good sites which exist PURELY to advertise OTHER cyberpet agencies! Also, go around to other agencies and email them with your information. I've gotten large numbers of people this way! Don't go spamming people, but do have a polite, short and informative message ready to show off!
"I just want to put my pictures up so people can use them if they want."
That's great. So the same rules generally apply as above. Be patient, don't sweat it. Advertise. But also be VERY clear as to your rules. If you want people to tell you where they are putting their pictures, or you don't want them going on certain pages (for instance, pages with pornography or hate-messages, that kind of thing) YOU must tell them straight out in your rules page, and YOU must make that page quite clear BEFORE the adopting goes on. If you put your signature on the pictures, that's the best way to make sure people do not claim they drew them. If not, you're going to have to grin and bear it when it happens... If you want to make "color it yourself" pictures, or ones which you don't care where they go to or who uses them, make is just as clear that those purposes are okay. NEVER assume that anyone knows what you want! See an EXAMPLE.
Every agency, even Click-and-Takes, has rules. It is very important to read them before taking any picture and putting it on your page.
Before you Adopt: Remember that your Cyberpet is an image which takes up space on a hard drive on someone's server site. YOU are responsible for "clicking and taking" the Cyberpet (if that is the type) and putting it on YOUR page. So the most important method to remember is: right click and "save as" to YOUR OWN computer first (or if you use a Mac, click and hold, then "save as"), then upload the image to your web site. NEVER use html coding to link to an image source. That hogs up bandwith so every time someone wants to view YOUR page, the links must go into overdrive and find all those pictures scattered out there in cyberspace. It shuts down Cyberpet sites quickly. Don't do that.
One: LINKING BACK. This is THE most important rule in the world of Cyberpets. When someone puts their art on the internet for you to use, it's more than common courtesy to link to their site in some way. If you don't, it is actually considered image theft, or copyright infringement! Especially sites which claim that they themselves created the images -- and there are some out there which do this disreputable deed! So the most important thing to do is, even if you aren't sure where the image came from originally, if you take something, remember where you got it from, and link to that site with a text link. If you're taking pictures from a known Cyberpet site, more often than not the site also has a keen linking image or two, which displays a picture of what you might find there, and the site's name. Use this image or a text link on EVERY page which a Cyberpet appears.
One "A": NEVER CLAIM TO HAVE DRAWN SOMETHING YOU DID NOT DRAW! This is another of the cardinal rules of Cyberpetting. You didn't make the picture, someone else put hours of work into them! Give them credit! Otherwise it's just theft. Creating a background (such as the one which I use here) with a "public domain image" is all right without crediting because honestly "no one knows" who drew this picture of a flying dragon. I designed it, but I did not DRAW it. Changing a picture does NOT make it "yours"! It only makes that version of it yours, and it is NOT an original piece no matter how much you want it to be! You can't alter the Mona Lisa and then claim that "you drew the Mona Lisa". You might be able to redraw something, but if you're copying someone else's work you're still COPYING. Want to make something new? Do that. But everyone -- EVERYONE -- who has ever put up a Cyberpet HAS had them stolen and used this way. That is why those of us who DO them are so adamant about these rules. Some creators list freely that their work is to be altered, colored in, or whatever you wish to do. THEY are the only ones which are known as "Public Domain" and don't need a link and do not need to be left as is. But ONLY those pieces which are labeled clearly as such!
Two: Don't give the pictures to someone else. That's not your job. That's the Cyberpet agency's job! If someone wants a nice picture for their own page, and sees a link on your page to an agency, that means the person who actually drew the artwork will get their "business". That's only fair!
Three: Don't "neglect" your Cyberpets. This is most common on Cyberpet Lists, which have a lot of images and nothing else. Give your Cyberpet a name, maybe even write a little paragraph about it -- how you found it, a little event which tells people why you named it what you have, a fanciful story about how it found your site, or a mate, etc! Use your imagination! It's just a picture but if you put some effort into it, when you look back at the pages online, it is far more entertaining! It's like having a picture album with stories to go along with them!
Four: Tell the Cyberpet creator where their work is being displayed. Not every organization requires this, but in addition to a link back to the site, some Click and Takes ask that you at least sign a "guest book" to show off your page. It's a courtesy, and you might even make friends with the creator if they like your page!
Five: If your page moves, tell the Creator of the pets on it where the new ones are. The saddest thing in the world of Cyberpets is seeing a list of "parents" of Cyberpets, trying to click on their links, and getting nothing but 404 errors. Update pages often, check to make sure that your site has not gone down. This rule is important for Apply and Wait pages, more than Click and Takes, because of the work involved in creating a special pet for this individual page.
There are other rules, but those are the main ones which I want to stress. Also, that every agency is different. Don't assume that you know the rules to a site, just because it looks like another of its kind. They may have VERY different requirements.
"What to do if I find a picture that I think was stolen?"
This is a problem which usually happens to every creator of pretty pictures at least once. They start putting their own pictures on their own web pages, and suddenly they are told, "hey, did you know someone is using your picture as a background on such-and-such a site?"
Well, if you find a Cyberpet, or any picture page in general, which does not have a clear link or an explanation of where it was from/who drew it (even a painting or book cover), it's a good idea to try and FIND who did it. Or if you know who it is, immediately email them with this information:
Who you are
Why you're emailing
The name and URL of the stolen art
What exactly it is that appears to have been stolen
Don't necessarily confront the owner of the page yourself, but if you know the artist and feel it strongly offends you (ie: the art is being used in a derrogatory way, the art is being claimed as their own and you know it isn't theirs, etc) then feel free to send a short, CALM and POLITE letter informing the offender that you know their art is stolen and the original artist is being contacted about it. After that, it's really not your problem. But what this does is inform the creators of certain images that an individual is likely to steal without asking, and if they eventually DO ask, those creators are far less likely to award an image to somene who steals.
Art on this page was designed but not originally created by me. If you'd like to use it, please email and use links back.
