I fucking love science. It is proper a way to gain knowledge. Real science is open and transparent. You are able to see how it is done and what is behind the numbers. You are also told, who has financed or sponsored the research, and so you can estimate, if there are some vested interests.
The owner of the I Fucking Love Science facebook site (IFLS) asked me, if she could use my cartoon of Mr. Bill Gates and frogs producing illegal copies, at her site. I happily answered yes.
She then replied, that she’ll be posting the “Monsanto suing nature” cartoon now, and the Bill Gates cartoon tomorrow. She said she’ll credit them both as I asked.
What happened after that, was quite confusing.
I found, that the Monsanto cartoon was actually posted at another FB site called Genetic engineering techniques (GET).
and relinked right after that to the IFLS site.
After that the IFLS site posted also a link to the GET site, commenting that the cartoon has caused a considerable debate:
“We seemed to cause considerable stir with our discussions on GMO yesterday. Well, you know us. Nothing better than a good scientific debate.
Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of people don’t understand GM technology very well, or the issues surrounding it (and that goes for both sides). To counter that, this week we’ll be running a partnership with Genetic Engineering Techniques, an independent page that focuses on education. Hopefully we’ll be able to tackle the issue from all sides, and get some rational debate going on.
They’re also our featured science page of the week, so go and check them out!”
The GET site is only one week old. It was established on Sept. 13th 2012. It now has over 9000 followers.
The GET site has used my cartoon free and without permission, to market their new site, with the help of the very popular IFLS site. All the clicks of the cartoon linked at the huge IFLS site (or shared by people) go to this brand new GM technology site.
I feel ripped off. I do not normally even sell my cartoons for advertising.
Who is editing the GET site – Nobody knows! I would fucking like to know, who is editing and funding the GET site and where I can send an invoice. I also hope that the IFLS site will tell, how much we can trust an independent educational science website, which is not open and transparent and has not named its editors or sponsors!
Seppo Leinonen, cartoonist
I posted the message above to both FB-sites (without the images, or links). After few minutes my cartoon was removed, also link at IFLS site, and including all comments of course. I will post the message here in case someone likes to know what is happening.
I will update this page if some new information about the owner of the mysterious Genetic Engineering Techniques FB-site emerges.
