Saturday, May 11, 2019

Doll-A_Day 2019 #130: Ello Creation Systems

Today's dolls are some that you build yourself. They're Ello.

This is the Shopopolis set.

Ello termed themselves a 'creation system'. It was Mattel's attempt at a construction toy for girls.


I still don't think girls need special building sets. Why can't they build with the same sets as guys?

'ElectroCling vinyl stickers'. You know,like Colorforms,only cheaper. As I recall,they didn't stay on very well.

It was a short lived toy though. Ello was only made from 2002 to 2004. 


They lingered in the stores much longer though. Ivy was born in 1999,and she got Ello sets when she was old enough to play with them. In fact, I came across this set the other night,and the reason it's still sealed is because it was bought at the tail end of Ivy's Ello interest and she ended up never being given it.


The Ello pieces were unique amongst building sets in that they could be used to make people,settings,furniture,and even kid sized jewelry.






One of the creators of Ello was Richard Manville,who had previously been the creative director of Barbie packaging.


The pieces have a very stylized look.

When built the people are about 4 or 5 inches tall.

Not counting giant hats.



All my kids, including Ivy.loved their Legos. Ivy really enjoyed the Ello too.She especially loved the people.


You can watch a commercial for this set HERE.
  That's today's doll. Now: I would like your opinions on something. In researching my recent post on my Baitz doll,(which you can see HERE.),I gathered information from various places. My main concern was finding out which doll I had,and providing a little information about the dolls in general. I found a picture of a doll like mine on a Flickr page, which hadn't been active for about 6 years From that I found out which region  my doll's costume is based on. I relayed that information, in my own words,in my post.  My doll "represents the traditional attire and hairstyle from the Baden-Wurttemberg region of Germany,home to The Black Forest". Here's what the Flickr page said. Today I got a comment left by the lady whose Flickr account it is. She asked me to "credit my Flickr site...when using my description of Baitz dolls",saying she has collected them for many years and worked very hard to research them. I don't feel I used her 'description',only repeated basic information in my own words. I do feel her page would be helpful to others researching Baitz dolls, and I'm only too happy to put a link to her Flickr in my post. But 'credit' her page? Is that appropriate?  If someone obtained information from my blog,and used the information to add to what they were saying about something,in their own words,I wouldn't feel I was entitled to a 'credit'. (Using my photos is another matter.) But should I feel bad? Do you think I 'used (her) description'? Information isn't someone's property,is it? If I had used her exact words that would have been different, but I didn't. Follow the link and read her actual words. Do you think I did something wrong? Here's what I said to her in response:

"I have added a link to your Flickr account in the blog post on my Baitz doll. I think the information and identification on your page will help people interested in Baitz dolls.
  I obtain my information for my posts from many sources. I don't consider that I used your 'description' by stating the region my doll was based on. That information came from seeing the doll you have that looks like mine,but that's like saying if I had a Chatty Cathy doll and didn't know what it was, and found a picture of one where someone said it was Chatty Cathy,then identified my doll as a Chatty Cathy, that I was stealing their description. That''s just repeating information,which hopefully we can all share for everyone's benefit.
  I would probably have directed people to your account on Flickr, but, as you haven't been active for about 6 years, I thought it was dormant.
                     Tammy"
  Please let me know what you think. Honestly,I've been yelled at and I feel bad!

13 comments:

  1. I had forgotten all about Ello! Even though I was too old for it when it came out, my Dad bought me a jewellery making set because he thought I would have loved it when I was small! I don't really remember how it worked though.
    As I read about the flicker thing, I admit, I was thinking "Hmmm, but if the lady knew at first glance the info was from her page . . ." Now having looked at your page and her page, unless she made up what region the doll is from, or knows that it's wrong, it's not her info you've even repeated. Unless she owns the name of a particular German province. Because that is all you've repeated.
    Then again if you want to be super duper Queen of England polite, every time you get any information whatsoever about anything you could do "this site suggests" with a link. That would make your blog very ploddy reading though.

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    1. That was sweet of your dad! I don't think some of the pieces held together as well as they could, but some of it was ok.
      Please follow up on the next post where I give some more information and give me your opinion again. I'm still really bothered by this.Thanks for your support.

      Delete
  2. Funny dolls.

    No, I do not think that you have done anything wrong. You did not "use (her) description." You even helped her get traffic on her Flickr. As it is, we can follow the link and see from who you got some of your info. On the other hand, in school I learned that it was a good rule not to put the link on a word like "HERE", but instead link a descriptive word/phrase (in this case it could be "Elisabeths Baitzdolls" and the rest of the sentence could be "is a Flickr page that is an excellent source of information and photos of a large collection of Baitz dolls that may help you to identify your own."

    If she does not like that others benefit from all her work researching which dolls she has (by getting to find out which doll they themselves have/would like to get), then she should not publish the information.

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    1. Thank you. I can't understand why she thinks using the information in your own words is 'using her description'. I always word things myself when I gather information. This still really bothers me though,and the story continues. lease read the next post and give me your opinion again. I want to do the right thing and am very bothered by this. Why put information out there if nobody is allowed to use it. Ken brought up a good point: Where did she get HER information? She didn't give any credits, and it had to come from somewhere.

      Delete
  3. Ello reminds me a bit of Betty Spaghetty. I wonder why she didn't get the same popularity as Betty did?

    CREDIT HER PAGE??? Hell's bells, I thought a link to the source was enough!!! That's what Talolili and I do on our blog. Sounds to me like that Flickr user is just TOUCHY!!! Hold your head up and don't let that dame upset you. You've got an awesome blog.

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    1. I see your point about the Betty Spaghetty!(Or, as Ema used to say when she was little, Betty Mugetty.), There is a resemblance.
      Thanks. Please read the next post for the latest and tell me hat you think again. This really bothers me.

      Delete
  4. Dont't worry Tam, You might as well have learned such knowledge from Your aunt living in Germany, or from other third person. Sometimes people are weird, strange and with many complexes and the internet is the only form of appreciation (and my english is bad). You do fantastic work, so keep calm and ... google "keep calm" Greetings :*

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    1. Thank you Magda. Your English is fine by the way. That's sort of the way I felt.It was repeating basic information.Yes, She researched to find it, and so did I. As Ken pointed out, she didn't give anybody credit for her information. Please read the next post and follow the new episode in this story. I can't help being upset by this, I'm very sensitive about this sort of thing and I feel bad.

      Delete
  5. Ello dolls are an interesting idea, but I can see why they didn’t last long. I don’t really like their faces and I can guarantee that my daughter would not have liked the look of these at all. She would say they are creepy! Still an intriguing concept though.

    I don’t think you are in the wrong at all and providing a link to her page is sufficient enough. You didn’t use any of her pictures or copy and paste her info, so she doesn’t need credit on your post. It’s not like she personally hand made the dolls or owns that part of Germany. Just because her info is similar to yours doesn’t mean she gets credit for your blog post.

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    1. I can see your point about the Ello. It veers somewhat into Picasso territory! And thanks for your show of support. I feel the need to be vindicated!

      Delete
  6. Hey Teach, do not feel badly. You are on righteous ground.
    From an academic standpoint, if information is in the public domain, then it does not require a citation. In other words, if this lady was the only person who knew this information, then a citation would be in order; however, you noted that you got information from a range of sources.
    About the ello toy, I agree with you. I think there should just be toys and whoever wants to play with the toys, then fine. I don't think there should be "girl" toys or "boy" toys.

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    1. Thanks Dorothy.
      I'm glad there is someone who feels the same way about toys. i played with cars and dolls and everything. Why should girls feel like everything they play with has to be pink and girly. Some things are just 'peopley'!

      Delete

Thanks in advance for your comments.