Discussion Ethics Issue

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

During the threads about KIXI, I noticed some postings that were direct quotes of comments that were in private emails.  I asked the person who authored those emails if he was also posting them on this board -- and he stated emphatically that he is not a participant here.So...rather than calling someone out, can I please ask that if people are passing emails to each other that we not assume it's "fair game" to lift those comments and re-post them here ... UNLESS the person/people who originate the material have been asked and know their material is being put on here?To that extent, it would probably be a courtesy that when we post someone else's messages that we indicate in the post that the content was posted WITH their permission.  Just seems like a courtesy, OK??

[Rob Stutson]

While the spirit of your post is certainly laudable, people need to remember that the expression "private e-mail" is a non-sequitor. When you write an e-mail, you may as well be posting it on the Internet straight away.

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

When you write an e-mail, you may as well be posting it on the Internet straight away.

Agree that risk is always present, though I don't agree it SHOULD be assumed as a given.In this case...the poster took someone else's content from the email and made it his own.Not sure if the 'net is also supposed to be an open license for plagarism (though given the subject matter who the heck really cares!!) ... my point is even though standards seem to be "loose" in online world we should not drop the goal of still HAVING some standards.

[maybescrewed]

Well, not only is it bad netiquitte to post an email, but there are some ongoing discussions out in the world of copyright land saying that under Title 17 USC posting an email might be a copyright violation because there's an inherent copyright involved.I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV so I'm not gonna try to say that it is or isn't.I know that most Forums, in their Terms of Service (TOS) Agreement, it states they will terminate your membership if you do it.

[maybescrewed]

As Rob Stutson said..The wise course is to ASSUME...NEVER EVER EVER put something into an email you don't want others to see.

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Just to be clear on the behavior I'm talking about here...."A" mails "B" and/or "C", "D" etc. in an email with comments and observations about something."E" may or may not even be on that distribution ... but takes the content of the email (written by "A") and posts on this forum as an original comment (no attribution to "A" whatsover).    You folks telling me you don't see anything wrong with that??!The second issue of concern is if "G" mailed "A" through "E" with comments about something ... and "E" posts it on here as "comments from "G".  "G" may not have intended those comments to go beyond the original group -- and I'm just asking that when "E" posts comments from "G" that we include reference to {posted with G's knowledge and permission}.

[maybescrewed]

Ahhh....*Shaking stray alphabet letters out of pocket*In that case...you'd contact the TOS police (usually ABUSE@ whatever the board host is called....the addy is in the HELP link somewhere though)...hell, if there's an inherent copyright..I suppose it's also plaguerism?Geeze....I'm gettin dizzy.....