EDIM 514 Creative Commons Licensing Justification

I have learned about Creative Commons several times now in different graduate courses I have taken. Every time I am instructed to read up on it though, I learn so much more! I had to take a certification class to teach the engineering class that I teach. By getting certified to teach the course, I also was entered into a huge network of other teachers around the US that were certified to teach the same course. This network allows myself to post questions, resources, documents, etc. as well as download, edit, and use what I download with barely any restrictions. I also am a very active member of a website called Thingiverse.com, which is an awesome 3D modeling website where people upload 3D files for sharing use. The files are free to download and edit without a problem as well.

Since I do download, edit, and reuse materials all the time, I felt that it is only right to pass the favor on. That is why I chose the Creative Commons License that I did. By choosing the Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike license, I am letting people use my work, make sure the credit is given where credit is due, but not make money off of my hard work.

• Side note: I do some freelance graphic designing on the side as a hobby. I didn't protect a few of my randomly made logos. There was a rather pricey restaurant that opened up near where I lived at the time, that decided to use my logo for above their bar with their name on it. Not having any money to back my argument or hard proof other than the computer files to prove I made it, they got to make money off of my logo. It literally was sold on shirts behind their bar. Nothing makes me more angry than when someone benefits from someone else's hard work and acts like they did it all.