On Using and Sharing Content, with Credit

As technology has advanced, our jobs and activities have presented ever-increasing occasions to contribute to the sea of media and content we see online. Our enthusiastic use of the internet has presented us with certain moral dilemmas in light of consideration that previous systematization to which we were accustomed has yet to make much of an impact in the yet-wild frontier of the Web. The referencing and citation of copyright material is one example.

Regardless how much writing or authorship we've done, it's likely that we have some instances of content usage that haven't been credited to their original creator. Whether done maliciously or by casual default, this newfound techno-cultural slight of propriety contributes to an ever-darkening economic outlook by denizens of that visionary world which lives on the images and perceptions of its creative output.

Merely benign oversight under most circumstances, lack of attribution could nonetheless put a damper on any fire that might have developed had proper credit been given to the source material developer(s). While it's a slim chance, it's entirely possible that an artist or creator could benefit, down the line even, from some piece of work they've shared (that's been credited to them). It's possible, for example, that an outstanding meme producer could land a permanent, recurring opportunity with a political magazine through a credit to some of their work that's been floating around online.

One way to think of it is that we'd surely rather be a bridge than a wall. As such, we should always seek to offer due credit to the content we share and which inspires us, when possible.

Trackbacks are Good - Enable Them, Use Them

A writer may, or may not, be aware of trackbacks. Trackbacks, in the form of linkbacks, pingbacks, referers, etc, have been a peripheral boost in the application of due credit through content sharing. Using trackbacks, bloggers know that all they need to do is link another blog in conversational reference. The automatic result (when blogs are set to allow trackbacks) is two-fold:

1. the link leads readers to further information (if they click it)
2. the link pings the author, creator or curator of the material from which they retrieved it.

At least this way, the source of a bloggers linked information can visit and review the way in which it's used. Were there any issue, it'd be easy to contact the publisher and request change. Otherwise, we may just say, "Hey- thanks for thinking of me and including me in your post!" 

Don't Rely Solely on Trackbacking

Such credit through linking isn't always automatic, nor is it always feasible. Plus, it's not always credit, per se. We're not always writing/sharing in links for reference, and when we do . . . we sometimes do a poor job of offering actual credit to anyone. Sometimes, our approach could even be offensive.

The point here is, we could do a little bit better in our referencing and linking. Maybe we don't have a quotation to cite, but maybe our entire post was spun off another post. Maybe one doesn't have anything to do with the other in any way that matters; or, maybe that other post deserves some sort of mention. Can we tie it in? If so, we should give some credit in the form of a written thanksgiving (or other gesture) to the author.

We can lead thirsty horses, but (you know the rest).

These are some thoughts on all the sharing we do, and how it relates to the end-game as far as the creatives may be concerned. Naturally, much of what we create is off the cuff and never intended for any return of appreciation, necessarily. There are countless memes and anecdotes that have never been attached to any signature. Still, there are innumerable instances of content that could have been credited and wasn't.

I Only Use Public Domain Content!

This post refers primarily to content for which the creators would definitely expect to be referenced. But, it's most useful to make the point of credit-sharing in relation to the free-for-all category of public domain content, a medley of content out there for anyone to grab and use. This category-- works of which receive very little in respect to any return acknowledgement per use-- is a hot spot for moral compassing, as users may be adrift of any protocol or standard in this area.

We should strive to know more about best practices of using public domain media and information. If you're new to blogging and social media, or just beginning to get a grip on the more professional ins and outs of these newer mediums of interactive mass communication, then set aside some time to review traditional citation guidelines as well as take a look at some basic standards in place across [most of] the board. A great place to do so is at Wikimedia Commons, where contributors are in constant watch and development of best practices regarding the sharing of public domain media and content. Be sure to bookmark their home page, where they post their picture of the day and media of the day selections. (For inspiration every day, try setting the homepage as one of your browser's opening home pages. Who knows, you might end up contributing!)

Do you use images and other content from the public domain? If so, do you always credit the source? Why, or why not?