On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Once you put something onto any kind of web list or forum it's in the > public domain.
Um, not exactly. I hate to bring up the c-word here, but the author still retains rights over his or her postings. The post may be publicly viewable or accessible, but it is not public domain. (I think it was obvious what you meant here, but I get nervous when I see phrases like that misused, as they can be taken at face value by others.) This is the same point more often raised about things like photos -- just because they're on the 'net doesn't mean they're public property and can be republished or otherwise used by anyone at will. Of course you're right that it's simply common sense not to commit to electrons anything you wouldn't want your best friend, your worst enemy, your mother, or your boss to read. But regardless of whether (technically) "anyone" might be lurking and could see a post, it's reasonable to expect that you're dealing with a certain audience, if loosely defined, when you post to a list. And regardless of whether it's technically possible for anyone to see your posts assuming they knew where to look, it's simple bad netiquette for a person to reproduce your words (and your e-mail address) elsewhere without your permission. So it comes down to "play nice." Ask permission. It's the courteous thing to do. --Robin _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
