About TTG

1. TTG is completely independent

This site (and ttg.video) will never be affiliated with anyone else.

This the world’s largest website dedicated entirely to issues of image manipulation.
2. No corporate ties / No advertising

As with the “Nonfiction” label on books, there will never be any commercial or for-profit affiliation with, or influence on, TTG.

There is no advertising on this website and there never will be. Readers looking for ads will have to search elsewhere on the Internet.
3. TTG’s business model

“TTG is a principle, not a product.”

All labor to support TTG is donated, and there are no running expenses beyond website-hosting fees and the occasional can of pop. There is no merchandise for sale, no office, no company picnic, and no corporate plane (or even bicycle).

Considering that there is no payroll, no budget, no income, no growth projection, and no possibility of ever “monetizing” any aspect of TTG, venture capitalists might be wise to look elsewhere.

But in return, TTG will always be free for all, with no fees of any kind ever.
4. TTG depends on reader input

Suggestions are always welcome: Readers who have ideas about how any part of this site could be improved — better examples, different links, clearer phrasing — are encouraged to submit their suggestions.

Corrections are also encouraged: corrections are made as soon as a problem is reported, so it should be assumed that any mistakes that are found have not been reported yet. (With pages constantly being revised, new opportunities for introducing mistakes arise every day.)

The Contact page is linked at the bottom of every page on this website.
5. The development of TTG

TTG was created by a photographer who was intrigued by the Digital Dilemma.

In 1996 he conceived the idea of a simple label for identifying photos that have the characteristics that trusted photos have.

From there, the biggest challenges were identifying those characteristics and then figuring out the logistics of a label that could be used worldwide.
6. First time going online (2021)

This website went online in early 2021 (it was called “TCQ” then).

The only public announcement made at the 2021 “launch” consisted of 20 words published on a photography blog, which elicited a predictably minimalist reception.

After that, nothing more was said publicly about TTG until 2026.
7. Second time going online (2026)

Less than a year after this site first went online in 2021, the information world was upended by new AI-generated content (AI-GC) technologies.

Soon cultural observers began voicing serious concerns about the destructive effect that AI-generated content could have, not only on the visual-information world but also on culture in general.

In response, this website was taken down and updated to integrate references to AI, a parallel website was created for videos, and in early 2026 TTG was put back online.

After that, it was just a matter of waiting for the public to recognize the danger posed by deceptive AI-generated images.
8. TTG never judges photos

. . . and no one else judges photos on TTG’s behalf
9. Places to discuss TTG

There is no published-comment section on this website — and TTG does not host, sponsor, or endorse discussion forums elsewhere — but discussion of TTG is strongly encouraged.

Websites that host photography forums are welcome to set up TTG-oriented areas where photographers can ask each other questions, compare notes, discuss specific images, and post TTG-labeled photos.
10. Translations of this website

Because photography is the world's most universal language — and because TTG was designed to be a worldwide standard for that language — translating this website into other languages is a natural goal.

More will be posted here when there is progress to report.
11. No spam, no scams

TTG never sends out e-mails of any kind except as specific individual replies to specific individual inquiries.

Unless a person has written to TTG, they will not be getting an email from TTG.

Any unexpected e-mails (or other communications) claiming to be connected with TTG may be discarded without opening.