So I've been hanging around weasyl ever since the giant FA exodus, I'm still only posting on FA at the moment. This site has some nice features, like I like the ability to organize art. the comment system feels pretty stream lined. I acknowledge that the site is still in beta.

but there is one element that I've had an issue with since the site first went active. the collection system. I understand it's purpose of cutting down on double posts, thus saving space. It however I think alienates commissioners. for example, someone gets a commissions, artist posts, and in their description, just puts "commission for [blank]". but the commissioner may have an entire store to go with the piece, they get offered the collection piece, but they cannot put their own description on it. or have their own comments, say for example they like to RP via comments, but the artist doesn't like seeing such comments on their pieces. I know theirs the whole legality behind, commissioners don't "own" the art, and I get that, but they are given permission to repost, it was a creation of their mind, and they don't get to enjoy having their own spin on things.

I voiced this concern on the forums a long time ago, and was basically greeted with, "you're not an artist, nobody gives a fuck what you think." then had my suggestion thread locked. and to me, this was like opening a new great market for artists, treating them well, giving them a good place to sell, then basically as customers show up, telling them they aren't wanted. I think it's one of the biggest reason many people havent come over, why there are so few people faving and commenting, the people that do all that are people like me, commissioners, and they arent allowed to enjoy and have fun with what they came up with and payed for.

I know a lot people just say "fuck it" and repost stuff anyway, but that kinda defeats the purpose of the collection system. and as I mentioned, I see it's use in keeping storage space clean.

I know nothing about programming, so I have no idea how or if this would even work, but it seems like a good idea would be to set up collections in a way, that, instead of going into this unseen secondary gallery like it does now. make it so when some one is offered a collection, it opens a prompt to enter a title and your own description. then "Submitting" it. then it shows up on the front page and the users main gallery as if they had submitted it themselves. but when people click it, the title says the collectors title, but it wouldn't say "by [collector]" it would say "by [actual artist]" and if it gets faved, it favs the actual artists post. so the artist gets double attention. and they collector gets to have their own personal title, description and comment section. How does this save space? well the picture wasn't resubmitted, it makes its own page for it, but the pictures data is only in one place, and is being passed through to the collector's page. so yeah, it will still take up a little extra room, but not as much as having a whole new picture posted, plus it's own page. there could be a caviat in the code about, if you're the commissioner and you post first, say, because it's an older piece, and the artist hasnt uploaded it here, have an option to list them as the artist, so it's like the artist posted it themselves, and for artists who have done hundreds of commissions, this might help them move their galleries!

It was just a thought I had, that I think works out for everyone, weasyl gets to keep things tidier, and commissioners get to enjoy their commissions like they do on FA.

What do you guys think?
if by any off chance a mod/admin sees this, I'd like to hear your thoughts too.