I was somewhat surprised to find a photograph and a paragraph on the Coconut Telegraph this fine sunny morning, both lifted from my essay on the Key West airport, with one last sentence added by the borrower. Anyone is free to copy or quote anything from this diary, it is after all on a free service on the World Wide Web, and nothing in it is published that would embarrass my late mother. However attribution used to be a journalistic rule and would be polite.
I did not write the opening entry on the Big Pine Key Coconut Telegraph on August 13th 2008, nor do I necessarily disagree with it.
Thank You.
7 comments:
Conch - The entire essay was lifted verbatum! Now that may be the purpose of the page, checking the pulse of the community, as it were... But geesh!
You are more gracious that I.
I have no problem with someone using pictures or words, but attribution would be nice! What bothers me a bit about the Coconut Telegraph is that most submissions are anonymous thus someone seeing the comments on the airport at the top of the column might think I was the author and I'm not. Simply saying "I read this in Keyt West Diary" would be fine.
You should post a link, so we can all shout at them. It's illegal.
The Coconut Telegraph is in my web link list and I wrote a note for tomorrow's edition. Besides I have no idea how to post links and I hate them as they interrupt the flow (I'm eccentric but I like my words). I don't mind if people use my stuff, its out there for all to see, but attribution is appropriate and nice. Mad Jack uses my pictures in his adorable blog and I am very glad of that- we have actually met as he lives in Key West.If you need to illustrate Turkey with Key West have at it!
Jezz, man, I'd just be glad to see somebody was actually reading my blog! :)
yeah yeah. I just don't want the dark knights of the Conch Republic descending on me en masse because I am identifiable in the coconut telegraph apparently being critical of the powers that be! This is a samll town you know!
While I am not surprised someone would lift your engaging words it just leaves me cold thinking of people doing it without even a mention of where it came from.
I guess the bright side is that it is positive reinforcement for the quality of your work.
Put a copyright notice on your site and you can sue for statutory damages. No need to prove damage. Just take the $50K and run.
That's a bit harsh though...
I'm still posting on Scooter in the Sticks. It's safe now.
Steve Williams
Scooter in the Sticks
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