I am new to blogging and had once thought that a blog was
just a place where you went to rant and rave and post your own personal
opinions for the world to see. Although this is what some people do, I have
found that there is a proper etiquette to blogging in order to get your point
across, in order to establish yourself as a respectful and credible source.
This is a summary of what I found in an article from the Houston Chronicle
about the etiquette of blogging, dealing with citation and attribution.
Fair Use
The copyright laws in America make it acceptable for a
person to use someone else’s material for reporting, teaching, or commentary.
This includes written works and also imagery. But, one can only use the
relevant part of the work or else you jump from fair use to copyright
infringement.
Attribution
Even if you use someone else’s work and it falls under fair
use, it is necessary for you to give the author’s name, if available, the name
of the blog or site in which you got your information, and a link to the
original article.
Creative Commons
Instead of getting their works copyrighted, some creators
have started releasing their works under Creative Commons. This means that
although there is no copyright of the work, if you chose to use part of their
material, it is still deemed legally necessary to correctly attribute the work
to the original creator.
When in doubt, ask the writer or artist if you can use their
work. Most are glad to help.
Warning
Even if you’re correctly citing your source, it is still
illegal to use the material for commercial purposes without having the written
permission of the person who created it.
Considerations
When in doubt, ask the writer or artist if you can use their
work. Most are glad to help.
Here is a link to the Houston Chronicle site in which I gathered this information, written by G. D. Palmer of Demand Media.
Thanks for reading!
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