Forum Posts Published in Model Engineer

It was a bit of a surprise to me over the weekend when I found one of my posts on this forum had been published in Model Engineer. Having re-read the copyright notice on this forum it is clear that the owners are claiming this right.

It would have been nice to have been informed that it was going to happen, before it did. I will be keeping their copyright statement in mind for any future posts/threads I might choose to start.

Jo

Wasn't there a time when they used to pay for any letters they published? ... or was that another magazine?

Russell.

For anyone interested

See Clause 3 of this

MichaelG.

Can't say it would worry me; not that I would imagine anyone would want to publish any of my posts in ME. Any post, or thread, on the forum is already in the public domain, and the forum has a much wider audience than ME, since it can be reached via search engines.

Andrew

I was rather proud the one time decades ago I got a letter published. Pity the next issue a reply rather pulled my argument apart.

Been pretty much the situation since day one of the internet

By posting on a site you give them the rights to it

On the flip side if you post something naughty and they don't delete it they become jointly and severally liable for the post in a court of law

Varies from country to country, in places like Finland some people have shut their sites down because the legislation and interpretation is so strict

edit

The bottom line here is likely to be if they reserve the right to "own" all posts and republish them, and thereby profit from them, then they are making a contract to be jointly and severally liable for all posts made on that forum

Edited By Ady1 on 20/05/2013 12:33:06

Jo, I have sent you a PM.

The hope was, from the beginning, that publishing extracts from the forum would add interest to the magazine. The substance of the discussion is the only reason for choosing the text to print. It is completely irrelevant who is writing. We will never reveal the identity of a writer, hence the use of initials or short nicknames. We don't intend to publish personal opinions (other than 'how to' ) - just practical advice and ideas. In this way it is slightly different from Posbag, which is the place to express your opinions on all kinds of matters... and sign your name in full!

Diane

Edited By Diane Carney on 20/05/2013 12:57:33

Agreed. Unfortunately "courtesy" seems to be a rather forgotten thing these days.

Russell - in grumpy old man mode.

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.Excuse me but I paid good money for that tee shirt

It's the internet. It's out there, for all to see. And use. Plenty of newspapers do the same thing with quotes from the public comments on their websites. Rule No1 on the net is don't post anything you would not say in front of your mum, and don't post anything you don't want to be available to the public FOREVER.

It's going to be real interesting when the first generation of Facebook teens reach middle age and their kids can look back through their FB timeline!

Not fair. I want to be grumpy too. Why aren't my posts being published. All my words of wisdom just wasted on a few internet surfers.

Putting myself in the shoes of an anonymous contributor to a forum - any forum, not necessarily this one - it would not bother me in the least if my text was lifted from the forum and printed elsewhere. In fact I would be glad my thoughts were considered interesting.
If I write something on a forum, am I not, by default, giving my permission for others to read it? What is the difference between publishing on a forum and publishing in print? It's all 'making public' at the end of the day.

If there are half a dozen contributors to a thread it would be utterly impractical to contact each and every one of them, wait for them to respond, etc. etc. before printing the thread in the magazine. If you think it is necessary to do so then the whole idea is dead in the water.

I am disheartened by some of the the posts above, especially at the intimation of discourtesy. I am glad now to see that some others see it as I do.

If you would like to see 'From the Forum' stopped please let me know.

Diane

I don't mind one way or the other; but the time any posts appear in ME I will have already seen it on the forum, so I don't read it in the magazine.

Regards,

Andrew

Bother, double post deleted because my computer apparently stalled without posting, but it was telling porkies.

Andrew

Edited By Andrew Johnston on 21/05/2013 15:55:38

Thanks Andrew.
Of course, the purpose is to enlighten mag readers who don't frequent the forum. Maybe it will lead them to do so. And if they don't - they might have learned something... maybe...

Diane

Forum post, printed in a magazine, billboard on the high street - who cares, it all helps to spread the word and enlighten. If the information is useful then why not publish it by whatever means are available.

Forum users should read the T's & C's BEFORE agreeing to becoming a forum member - how many of us do NOT read the small print and then bitch about it afterwards?

Get a grip!!

CB

Ignore those stuck in the "Generation Gap" and continue your welcome small but significant changes to Model Engineer.

The world moves on, and us old codgers need to, too.

Another JohnS.

Hi, well I can't see any problem with having posts printed in the magazine, after all any posts can be copied and printed by anyone. I personally have no problem with any posts that I have made and if it helps only one person with a problem or a query, then it's worth it. Is it not the main purpose of the Forum posts to help others without expecting any reward.

Regards Nick.

Diane - If anything I had written on the forum was published in a magazine - any magazine - I would consider it a complement. Please do not be disheartened by readers whose criticisms sting - people do it all the while! And if you do feel unjustifiably rebuked in future then may I recommend good chilled Chardonnay and large glasses. NIL CARBORUNDUM.

Rik

To be honest, I don't mind my posts being used, although I'll cringe if some of my attempts at humour get into the mag...

Personally I think that some of the build/technique threads on here would make great articles, if tidied up by the original author. If I was Diane Carney or David Clarke, I'd be relying on the forums for 'talent spotting'

Neil

Hang on, wasn't the previous previous editor of ME a DC as well - is this a conspiracy? I think we should be told...