x_LoveObject_x
Deleting the picture posts I can understand, but I say leave the icons as they are, I guess simply because they're icons
I know it sounds silly and illogical, but some Japanese artists get even more offended at the use of their art in icons, because it's not just reposting their work without their permission, it's also editing and cropping their art. It's a matter of common courtesy; if they do not wish their art to be redistributed, we should not repost it, regardless of whether it's the whole thing or just 100x100 pixels of it. In the eyes of the artist, I'm sure they're equally taboo, and we can't just make assumptions say "Oh, they probably won't mind". Most fanart websites have big notices mentioning that they do not want their art spread around the internet.
As stated before, it's a matter of courtesy, and Japanese Hetalia fans have shown evidence of seeing the Western fanbase in a negative light due to people scanlating the series (heaven knows why they're offended by it); in any case, we don't want to tarnish our reputation further by using art against the will of the artist. That rule should apply for all fandoms, not just Hetalia. Some fanart sites close because of this sort of thing.
I see no problem with posting links to Japanese sites. I was just pointing out that Hetalink's always there as a comprehensive guide to most Japanese Hetalia fanart sites and you can search by character/pairing, so you should be able to find what you want there if you're looking for something (which reduces the need for "Where can I find _____ art?" threads.)
And
here's a link to a post where Western fanartists have given their permission for people to use their art in icons, headers, etc. I've made some icons out of the art by people there recently, and it makes me think that Western fanartists deserve more attention, because some of their art is absolutely beautiful and rivals that of many Japanese fanartists.
The idea of the Olive Branch Project is not to forcibly ban all fanart icons and the like, or to impose its rules on you in any way. Whether you use/make fanart icons or not, it's up to you and your conscience. The Olive Branch Project is merely a kind suggestion, so that we can work on bettering ourselves as a fanbase.
I-I'm sorry if that sounded too... angry, or anything. I don't want to be seen as a wet blanket, but I do support the Olive Branch Project for the reasons above. It's a highly debatable issue. I don't wish to come off as someone who judges people based on whether they use fanart in icons or not; I myself used to make fanart icons (but, obviously, I do no longer). It's not a personal dig at fanart iconists (the majority of who are exceptionally talented), it's just my thoughts on the issue and the Olive Branch protocol.
EDIT: Also, thought it might be mentioning if you haven't read about it at the LJ comm: I believe some people are working on writing a template for a letter (in Japanese) that we can contact fanartists with, asking for permission to use art in icons.
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