A Public Service Announcement

[xyzzysqrl]

Commenters on major news stories continue to not understand how the Internet works!

I personally have always believed it's important to keep yourself documented, and keep things around for people in The Future to have. It could be nice for an archivist in the future to read over some of this stuff. And that's great! Even if this archive never gets touched again! Also, I respect the rights of anyone who disagrees. That's also great!

...but people continue to not realize that if it's on the Internet, it is not "private". It is not "protected". You wrote something in a place where several million people roam about, clicking any piece of text or picture that holds still and several that move around. What makes you think, exactly, that people aren't reading your crap? What makes you think it's not within their rights to sell your nickname and everything you've ever said to an advertising company? Or, in this case, donate it to the LoC? And by "their" and "they", I mean Twitter, Livejournal, Dreamwidth, Facebook, that message board you signed up to in sixth grade.

I am putting this on the Internet: DON'T PUT PRIVATE THINGS ON THE INTERNET. If you're not comfortable with the idea of everyone you've ever known and several hundred strangers thrusting their metaphorical faces against your metaphorical windowpanes, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.

Comments

[seawasp]

Because in many cases my ToS doesn't give them those rights, and I have copyright over everything I write. This is covered by the Berne Convention. You want to reproduce something I say or write in a context other than the one I said it? Talk to me or my agent.

[xyzzysqrl]

You want to reproduce something I say or write in a context other than the one I said it? Talk to me or my agent.

[seawasp]

My lawyer will be talking to yours shortly, unless you send me the $0.001 I charge for quoting my lines snarkily.

[xyzzysqrl]

I'll see you in Internet Court.

(Where is that, anyway? CERN?)

[seawasp]

Wouldn't that be the Court of Public Opinion, wherein whichever of us can slander the other one more effectively and rouse the rabble best is the winner?

[xyzzysqrl]

...eh, you win.

[xyzzysqrl]

As a less-snarky reply: The terms of service does appear to give Twitter at least that right. I'd be willing to bet the Livejournal terms of service do something similar. And people can always simply save what you write to read later, or read offline, or print on a poster and stick up in the middle of the park if they care to. It isn't private. It may be LEGALLY PROTECTED, but not private.

[bossgoji.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this right here. 'Protected' just means they can't alter what you said or attribute things to you that you did not say. Unless you SPECIFICALLY indicate nobody is allowed to reprint with a personal copyright, and can back that up with legal action, then free speech and Fair Use allow anybody to quote and reprint anything they want.

[seawasp]

The messages posted in public are not private, yes. Any private data involved in my signing up with those services, though, should remain private. I don't post my credit card numbers or social security number, and many people don't post their real addresses, etc.

I think there needs to be a mechanism for individuals to control their data more globally, though. The "Anonymity War" which is part of the background of my new book Grand Central Arena is based around that idea.

[xyzzysqrl]

I agree with at least the first part of that, but... I don't think the Library of Congress handles credit card information. And anyone posting their credit card number on Twitter has issues I am not qualified to solve.

[ff00ff.livejournal.com]

Er, the library of congress is the governments repository and reference for works that are copy written. A copyright isn't presumed to not exist just because reference to it doesn't exist in the LOC, but if a work does exist in the LOC it is presumed that the copyright belongs to whoever is given credit for the work there. Um... in other words the LOC is an inherent part of legal copyright protections, and reserves for itself the right to house a copy of anything. You can't sue them for violating copyright because they are the very upholder of it.

[xyzzysqrl]

My original point wasn't restricted to the LoC though.

[arkofeden.livejournal.com]

While I've probably given out enough vague hints over the years for a truly dedicated person to figure out who I am IRL, I try to avoid being direct about my identity for reasons like this. It's why I avoid Facebook like the plague, because my account is under my legal name and I have no interest in connecting a ton of material to something so easily Google-able.

I'm always surprised at how many people in my age group don't get this about the Internet either, like the ones who put pics of themselves getting drunk/stoned/laid online with their actual names, never thinking that potential employers might be interested in searching for that stuff. O_O;;

--Riss.