The staff and I have been seeing an increase in opening posts and replies that are composed of completely of material lifted from other websites
without proper attribution or links. Along with this, we're also seeing more and more incidents of posts where significant portions of the content is
material from other sites or sources, without appropriate attribution.
AboveTopSecret.com Is Different
We respect the work of other writers online.
One of the long-standing hallmarks of what has made us different, and will continue to make us different, is our insistence that our contributing
members respect the content found on other websites,
no matter what the stated usage rights might be. We believe strongly in giving credit
where credit is due.
If you find material worthy of sharing with the ATS audience,
please simply post a snippet of the content, then a link to the web page on which
you found the material.
Appropriate Attribution Example: Normal Content
Here is an example of an acceptable way to include content from another site, or online author:
creativecommons.org...
Too often the debate over creative control tends to the extremes. At one pole is a vision of total control — a world in which every last use of
a work is regulated and in which “all rights reserved” (and then some) is the norm. At the other end is a vision of anarchy — a world in which
creators enjoy a wide range of freedom but are left vulnerable to exploitation. Balance, compromise, and moderation — once the driving forces of a
copyright system that valued innovation and protection equally — have become endangered species.
Creative Commons is working to revive them. We use private rights to create public goods: creative works set free for certain uses. Like the free
software and open-source movements, our ends are cooperative and community-minded, but our means are voluntary and libertarian. We work to offer
creators a best-of-both-worlds way to protect their works while encouraging certain uses of them — to declare "some rights reserved."
What makes this acceptable on ATS:
1) A clear link to the source material is provided.
2) The "external source" tags (
[ex] to open, and
[/ex] to close) are used to differentiate the external
material from your post or quotes of other members.
Why we like this:
It shows respect for the work of the author and sends traffic to the website containing the author's work.
Appropriate Attribution Example: News Content
From time to time, there will be important material you find on news websites that isn't necessarily breaking news for an opening post, or is
important breaking news for a reply to a post. In these cases, here's an example of appropriate attribution:
blogs.pcworld.com...
So will YouTube have an effect on the U.S. elections? It undoubtedly will. Will the election turn on one or more YouTube videos? It might. Does it
make it frivolous for a presidential candidate to be chosen based on some YouTube videos? No. YouTube is just another communications channel. You
either tune into it or tune out.
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
What makes this acceptable on ATS:
1) A clear link to the source material is provided.
2) The "news" tags (
[news] to open, and
[/news] to close) are used to differentiate the material as coming
from a news-oriented website which helps readers who are scanning the thread to quickly ascertain the potential importance the material you posted.
Why we like this:
It shows respect for the journalistic source and potentially sends traffic to the entire article. (Even if we may not fully respect mainstream media,
this approach demonstrates impeccable online manners.)
Appropriate Attribution Example: Offline Content
In some cases, there will be material from books or magazines that supports a point you're making in a post. Below is the appropriate way to source
offline content, and provide appropriate attribution:
From Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven"
'Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
'Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'
And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!
en.wikipedia.org...
What makes this acceptable on ATS:
1) A clear link to online content about your source material is provided.
2) The "external source" tags (
[ex] to open, and
[/ex] to close) are used to differentiate the material as
coming from a source not on ATS.
Why we do this:
There are two primary reasons we desire our members to follow these simple guidelines, and neither of them have anything to do with fear of legal
ramifications if we don't:
1) Being Good Netizens: Using snippets and links to interesting online content is a long-standing practice of being "good Internet citizens"
that dates back to the early 1990's. In all that we do here at AboveTopSecret.com, portraying impeccable ethics is at the top of our list. From an
"Internet ethics" standpoint, it doesn't get any better than this.
2) Perhaps We Will Be Given The Same Courtesy: In the past 30 days, more than 6,000 different websites (other than search engines) sent traffic
to ATS. And an average of 8 new websites link to us every day. We're an often used source of interesting information. If we consistently and clearly
demonstrate an unwavering respect the work of others, perhaps we will be treated in kind.
Exceptions to the rule:
1) Simple links with no comment: we don't want to see posts that are simply "look at this" then a link or embedded video.
2) Using your own website without permission: we're not a means to send traffic to your own website. However, if you feel you have something
important, please contact us to receive permission.
3) Sites with porn, racial hate, exceptional vulgarities, gore or other inappropriate content: I'm not sure how this material would be of value
within our posts anyway.
But... What about fair use?
In many cases, there may be content available for you to use in your post where the intellectual property concept of "fair use" might apply, or
where the author has clearly indicate you may share the material however you see fit.
I don't care.
The right thing to do is to indicate source, use a snippet, and link to the originating website.
Yes, We Are Serious:
Violations to these guidelines are subject to immediate post removal or thread deletion. As ATS is becoming a more busy place, our staff may not have
the time to edit your post to apply appropriate attribution notice and links. Please help keep AboveTopSecret.com the excellent example of impeccable
Internet manners that it is, and properly source and attribute outside content that you use in posts.
If you repeatedly use the work of others without any effort to indicate the source, we will likely assume you're trying imply you wrote the content
and your account will be subject to termination.