11 replies to this topic

[MoonChild]

REFERENCE --> http://www.ghostvill...0;start=165#165

Hello all

Now, this is a kinda tricky situation I wanna address and seek opinion on. Whenever we discuss any subject, I am sure that we get the information from different sources. So it makes it pretty difficult to give a reference or credit to ONE particular source. The source could be books, sites, paper articles......... or even a disussion with one of our friends or colleague. It is appropriate to give due credit to the original, but how far can we do that? In the above given post, I have posted something about science. But I got this information from lot many sources, and a very few of my own words too, to make it suite the situation. So, I need some input here from my fellow villagers, so that we have some kinda standard here in giving and taking credit.

God Bless all......

[Gregory]

The only hard-and-fast rule I have here is that you must always indicate when you are using somebody's exact words.  You needed to cite your source in this particular case because you were directly quoting this site.

[MoonChild]

hello Gregory. I have included the URL to the mentioned site in my original post. Now, if you ask me why I didn't include it when Jim pointed out, well, the answer is that I don't know where from I got the information. I come across lots of information on the web, books etc and I do quote the ideas here in my posts.

[whispers_of_fire]

I agree with Gregory, document your points*shudders at flashbacks of foot notes from University papers*its not always easy, but...maybe a log or journal by your comp, especially if it regards the paranormal

[hawkerdriver]

So, what's the exact question?

[Bridget]

Yeah Hawkers, I think we missed the whole deal, we know why:-)

[Paul_G]

Come on, guys. Aren't we going a little overboard here? What's the big deal? We aren't making a profit off it, we aren't gaining anything from it. We're just stating an opinion. Every opinion we have is based on some source. I mean if I talk about something in the news with someone in day to day life, do I have to quote the newspaper, article and author? This site would turn into a huge bibliography.

I sometimes do put a source when I write something online, but that is so someone reading what I write can see the context which I am writing it in, or know that I'm not just making something up.

Odds are, if you got information off a website, the author probably got that info from somewhere else and so on. If someone wants to sue me because I wrote some fact on a message board, I'll take my chances on that.

[Gregory]

Quote

Come on, guys. Aren't we going a little overboard here?

Overboard?  There were exactly three posts about MoonChild's post, maybe four sentences total.  And two of those were specifically in response to a question asked by MoonChild.  How is that "overboard?"

Quote

What's the big deal? We aren't making a profit off it, we aren't gaining anything from it.

There is no big deal.  It was a small issue that was quickly resolved.

Quote

We're just stating an opinion. Every opinion we have is based on some source. I mean if I talk about something in the news with someone in day to day life, do I have to quote the newspaper, article and author? This site would turn into a huge bibliography.

No offense, but I think you're the one blowing things out of preportion.  Nobody ever claimed you needed to provide citations for your opinions, and I don't know where you got the idea that people thought that.

Quote

Odds are, if you got information off a website, the author probably got that info from somewhere else and so on.

Sometimes.  And sometimes the author of the web site is himself an authority in the field, or has done research in it, or has personally spoken with or consulted primary sources.

Quote

If someone wants to sue me because I wrote some fact on a message board, I'll take my chances on that.

Out of proportion again.  Who the devil said anything about lawsuits?

[MoonChild]

Quote

Every opinion we have is based on some source. I mean if I talk about something in the news with someone in day to day life, do I have to quote the newspaper, article and author?

You are right Paul, and THIS IS EXACTLY why I had to make this post here.

In the reffered thread I agree that I had overlooked - for specific reasons and quoted the contents as it was. And I am sorry about this, it wasn't quite intentional. I log in to GV from work (also from home, but mostly at work) and when I came across that information, due to one or the other reason I was in at that time, well, really didn't make any changes before I posted. I didn't even remember which URL it was untill Gregory pointed out and I have included the URL inthe original post to avoid any mistakes whatsoever had happened from my side. In GV I agree that we have been following a certain protocol, where the originals where duly acknowledged and even moderators have specified about this. Usually what happens is that, when I come across some interesting article, I do BEST my post on that, but mostly try to put it down in my own words - or the best I can.

Quote

So, what's the exact question?

Quote

Yeah Hawkers, I think we missed the whole deal, we know why:-)

Yeah, my ORIGINAL question was - WHAT IS THE BORDERLINE, for which I guess Gregory and Whispers have already made valid points, and I appreciate if my friends can add on to it.

Quote

Overboard?  There were exactly three posts about MoonChild's post, maybe four sentences total.  And two of those were specifically in response to a question asked by MoonChild.  How is that "overboard?"

There is no big deal.  It was a small issue that was quickly resolved.

Well, when we see it from the angle of "MoonChild posted the actuals and it wasn;t credited", yes, it is resolved...... but I guess the thread has scpoe more than that. For more an open discussion.

Quote

Out of proportion again.  Who the devil said anything about lawsuits?

I guess Paul didn;t mentioned about someone suing me or anyone IN HERE, but well, there sure does exist a chance in this crazy world out there.........

[Gregory]

My own policy is to go by MLA rules.  Whenever I use a source, I credit it, whether I went to it for information, am paraphrasing it, or am quoting from it directly.  However, you do not have common knowledge, so to take Paul_G's example, you wouldn't have to provide a citation if your discussing the news; that's common knowledge.

[Paul_G]

Of course no-one is going to get sued. Gregory, some of my post was a form of sarcastic exaggeration. And I didn't actually say that people thought...

You know, I'm not even gonna continue this explanation. It's ludicrous. Just relax, dude.

A couple of people did seem to be overly worried about quoting a source, so that's what I meant by overboard. And in fact, thats what I meant by the whole post.

[secretsign]

Give credit where credit is due is imo.