Our comments, in MN books, who owns our collective wisdom?

Hang on Boffinmum - it's clear mmnet owns the copyright as it's stated when you join. You posts don't have a copy proteceted statement on them so it would be a free for all if the website didn't retain copyright.

Oh, come on. There is a huge difference between citing a published work, with references, and recycling internet chat.

I don't mind being cited, people do that all the time, and it's how my industry works, but people citing me don't usually attempt to take away my IP for their own profitable ends. That's the bit I object to. If it's not properly referenced, we call that plagiarism where I'm from.

I think if MN ran an advert for my books I would expect to pay for that, but otherwise I expect a bit more warning if they're going to milk my comments for profit (although I think it's unlikely they will in my case as I am fairly new on the MN scene). I don't think they were as transparent as they could have been in this case, and it has damaged the brand IMO.

Finally it's fair enough to say that anything you put out in the public domain may be wantonly plundered and so on, and this is indeed true, but there is another side to the internet - the freeware, shareware, generous and altruistic side that characterised the beginnings of the www, and which you don't have to look very far to find still. I would urge suppliers and users to hold this in mind, and not completely throw the baby out with the bathwater in search of profit, otherwise our community will be the poorer for it. While MN may be a commercial venture, and should probably remain so, at heart we are a community.

I had no idea.

I found Mn through my BT magazine when I had the broadband set up, many moons ago.

Wow. Thankfully I am not very witty so I do not think my comments would be puplished.
[hopes]

Thanks Justine - I'm happy they're not all with the names & are anon. Will look out for these books - better than other parenting books as from rl.

ABloke there are already a few books, that is how I found mn.

Wow.

I have only scanned the thread.

No book please. tell me there is n ot a book?

Thanks Justine

Threadworm, yes, that is the one I have the best chance at too!

OK, next question: when are you going to do the MN book on Generally Whittering Without Making Any Useful Parenting Remarks.

That's the one I'm counting on getting into.

Meant to add - no problem with it

Are the names in the books?

And ditto for journalists! I'd be pretty peeved if they trawled through all my posts in an attempt to figure out who I am. But if they quote me as "on MN, OhBling says,.." I'm okay with that.

Justine could you answer my Q about withdrawn posts please?

(I do understand it is too late if the books are already out there or nearly out there IYSWIM)

I am looking forward to the books and am intrigued to see who is in there, didn't you do a list of contributers on the first book MNHQ? I seem to remember it caused much excitment (and probably increased "home crowd" sales )

Agree with Crumpet. This is the Internet and Mumsnet, while here to help people etc etc is still a business with a need to run itself and I see no reason why making money is in some way not "the spirit of mumsnet"

As far as I'm concerned, the "spirt of mumsnet" would mean that if some MNer was silly enough to write information that very very clearly identified them, "I am one of only three people who have ever had 8 children in one go and I am telling you it's hard", I'd expect MN to be sensitive to accidentally "outing" this person in the book. Other than that, if you write something online, especially if you're not identified, surely you accept that it might appear somewhere else?

And, BoffinMum, in the event that some enterprising person tracked down your books and bought them based on your posting, will you be paying MN a commission?

It's the internet! If you post your stuff out into the ether you have to think what might happen to it - or not care. For all MN know, some pearls of wisdom might have been cut and pasted from elsewhere, or people might be passing off their best friend's knowledge or jokes as their own, where does it end?

I don't think not reading the small print is ever an excuse for feeling outraged and downtrodden. And this 'but it's MY wisdom' sounds a bit self-important. We post behind fictional user-names and talk amongst ourselves - MN edit and compile bits of it. Anyone can come and read it online for free, anyway!

Sorry, have just seen BoffinMum's post. I fundementally disagree with the view that MN outght to make a charitable donation on this basis. Don't post if you don't like the conditions of use. MN was not set up as a charity.

Shared copyright would be a bugger to administer

What happens with shared copywrite?

1. Glad and reassured to see MN have the balls to respond.
2. We should share copyright, not have it taken away from us, then it would feel fairer.
3. There should be a charitable donation out of the profits (if any) in recognition that some of this advice is actually very valuable yet given for free (eg top quality HR, legal, medical, breastfeeding advice).
4. We are not daft and we all understand that MN costs something to run, and therefore I imagine people have no problem with the idea of offsetting these costs providing it is done so in the spirit of MN. I think on this occasion MN fell somewhat short of that, so please see points 2 and 3.