Ethics of Using Forum Comments in a Blog Post

[Jenny]

Hello. Does anyone have any thoughts about the ethics of using comments from this forum as quotes in a blog post? I've been really interested in a particular thread and would like to expand in a direction that seems out of context on Steve's forum. If I was quoting something found in another blog or from an article I'd just do a link back or otherwise note the source but not sure what's appropriate in this case...

If I wanted to quote would you suggest I:
~Just note that it was a comment found in Steve's forum and/or;
~Should I check the profile of the person who posted and include their name and if applicable, their blog address?
~Do you think I need to contact each person first (through a private msg) and get his or her permission?
~Should I notify people via the private msg option if I do use their comments even if I don't get their permission first?

I am really interested in hearing your thoughts.

[Elenny]

Hi Jenny,

I would think that proviting credit to the source (the forum) with a link back should be enough.

Sending a PM to the authors is also a nice gesture, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary, since it is my understanding that anything and everything that is typed on this forum actually belongs to Pavlina LLC.

Unless you're starting a new blog using all of the content on this forum, I don't think Steve would have a problem with you quoting something from here. And the same goes for the authors, since the information is on a public forum anyway.

But that is just my personal opinion. I'm sure others might disagree.

[Adrienne]

I would say a PM to the person you are quoting, ask if it is ok, and a link back to their blog/homepage etc would be good.

I quoted a couple things from a post i wrote, and i still referenced it back to the forums. I quoted someone elses repsonse as well, and i made sure i got their ok via PM to do so.

The reason i say this is because what someone writes is their thoughts, opinions, etc. I feel they should know where their writing ends up. On the forums, if someone wants to delete their post, they can, but when you quote them, you take away their right to do such.

Just my two cents..

Adrienne

[Mark Lapierre]

Originally Posted by Adrienne

...if someone wants to delete their post, they can, but when you quote them, you take away their right to do such.

Interesting point. Everyone does have the right to delete things that they say, but should they do so? If you say something and people hear you, you can't take it back. And if you post something, and people read it, you can delete the post, but those people will still have read it. It gets even more complicated when someone responds to a post, and then you edit or delete yours resulting in the reply making no sense.

So I do think that people should be informed about where they're being quoted, but I also think that everyone should think carefully about what they say before they post it, and clarify via correction, not deletion.

Normally, when I'm quoting someone on my blog, I'll note their first name, and provide a link to the source. If I think they'd be interested I'll let them know. I rarely have a reason to post more than a fraction, never their entire post. But I don't ask for permission because this is a public arena, by posting you're implicitly giving permission for your words to be used. Just not in their entirety, for someone else's profit.

On a vaguely related note, here's Neil Gaiman's opinion on quoting his notes.

[Michelle]

I used the comment of another poster on my blog at one point but only after getting their ok. I also linked to the source.

[Adrienne]

Originally Posted by Mark Lapierre

So I do think that people should be informed about where they're being quoted, but I also think that everyone should think carefully about what they say before they post it, and clarify via correction, not deletion.

I agree. Tho i do occationally edit to correct a spelling issue, i dont change the content.

I ask because i know if i was quoted, i would want to know. But if you link back to their homepage, then they know anyway because you can see that in the logs. So i would be ok with that as well.

Adrienne

[Jenny]

Thanks. The feedback is helpful.

[Keith]

Legally speaking, people own copyright on their own posts. You could probably include a small excerpt under 'fair use' provisions (in the USA, anyway), though.

The simplest and most ethical way to go is probably just to ask the poster for permission to quote them.

[Mark Lapierre]

Just came across this today. Someone did their homework. Blog Law » 12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Mark Lapierre

Just came across this today. Someone did their homework. Blog Law » 12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know

Thank you for that link Mark... most informative...

.

[Jenny]

Thanks for finding and posting this list Mark.

[Brutha]

And do you have written your post? (link, link)