Our Online Civilization
Written by Ann Pietrangelo on May 18th, 2009 in Conversations.
I don’t shy away from controversial issues, but I don’t try to stir up trouble unnecessarily, either. Whether I’m blogging about multiple sclerosis, health care reform, or just life in general, I do my best to keep it civil.
I don’t believe in hurling attacks upon or demonizing people who disagree with me. I don’t have the stomach for it, nor do I see the point. It’s hardly an effective way to get a point across. If I wouldn’t do or say something out in the real world, I won’t do it online.
There’s something else I won’t do. I won’t take someone else’s work and post it on my blog — even with a link back — unless I first obtain permission. If I like what I read, I’ll mention it, or write a teaser paragraph, and send readers to the site that posted it in the first place.
That includes articles posted by newspapers. Whether written by a particular newspaper’s reporters or distributed by the Associated Press, the content is not mine to take, although I’m sure it would be appreciated it if I link to the story. It’s just another common sense thing.
There shouldn’t be a distinction between how we behave in real life versus how we behave online. As the hours we spend online increases, we need to remind ourselves that the internet is real life too — the people out there often remain nameless and faceless, but they are people nonetheless.
As George Costanza once said, “Some of us are trying to have a civilization here!”
May 18th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Excellent reminder of how we should consider our words and actions online and offline. I’ve had someone take words from a comment I left on a friend’s blog and create an entire post based on the presumption of what those few words meant to them. The resulting post insinuated a negativity and lack of hope in my “attitude.” I attempted to leave a comment on said blog to clarify my beliefs and viewpoint on hope and healing. Result, my comment was deleted, so I left it again and once more it was deleted.
I personally do not censor people just because their viewpoint may differ from mine. I do delete spam comments however. This same blogger has gone on to bad mouth me to other bloggers. I don’t find this particularly civil and it makes me want to fight back. But that’s nonproductive and works against my philosophies.
Now in response to your mention of taking someone else’s work, I admit that I do this. I’ve posted complete articles before with links to the source. One reason I’ve done this is so that I will continue to have access to it. Sometimes articles go into archive and the original link no longer works. So if it’s significant to me, I’ve reproduced it.
Also, with the Carnival of MS Bloggers, there are times where individuals have not submitted something to post. In this situation, I go through what have been my favorite recent posts I’ve read and include them in a carnival edition. I don’t usually ask and oftentimes folks are thrilled to see their work for which the source is clearly identified. Perhaps this is something I should ponder.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
The situation like the Carnival of MS Bloggers is a tricky call. As you say, most of the time folks are thrilled to have their work reproduced with a link back. I’m usually flattered when it happens to me, but there have been a few times that sites that benefit from advertising dollars take my content without permission or compensation. Unlike you do, they post the content as their own and, since I have the same content on my site, I run the risk of looking like the thief, and reputation is everything. It’s very maddening.
Right after you left this comment I logged on to LinkedIn, where there is a similar conversation going on. I don’t know all the legalities of reproducing content online, but I do know that some publications are trying to crack down on the practice. I’ll try to find a reputable source for information on this topic.
Thanks, Lisa.
By the way, your efforts to connect MS Bloggers to each other are amazing — I doubt anybody connected with the carnival would have a problem with that.