1.08.2012

Link With Love, revisited.

(click on image to enlarge).


Hi friends. Today I'm talking about intellectual property and crediting. Although I've touched on this before, I wanted to revisit the topic as more and more of my friends have entered the world of Pinterest and are now disseminating images all over the internet. I've been passionate about this topic since university and it's something I want to ensure others, especially those closest to me, are aware of. Consider this post my soapbox speech and, if you'd be so kind, I'd love it if you would please read on.


Incorrect image/idea crediting. It's something we've all been unknowingly guilty of at some point. It is also something that is so easily avoided by educating ourselves on the best practices that we are all capable of following.

Before re-pinning, re-blogging, or re-tweeting something, make sure the image (a) has a link and (b) is linked back to the original source. When the link is available, share away; when it isn't, do the work and find the original source to update the link and credit appropriately. By doing so, you're ensuring the idea/ photo/ image is linked back to its original source and subsequent "shares" will be done so appropriately.

It's not all about financial compensation, folks; it's about striking a fair balance between original ideas and interpretations of those ideas. We might not be able to credit absolutely everything that inspires us because sometimes we can't explain it, let alone map it out in clean links. However, in this day and age, when we have google, IMDB, shazam, and other searchable databases at our finger tips, it's appropriate to acknowledge the creator, wherever possible.

The image above (created by erin loechner and pia bijkerk with yvette's lovely handmade fonts) says it perfectly. Please join the movement and continue to educate yourself and share with others.

A great place to start is by following the work of these movements:


In their words... LINKwithlove is the idea that by banding together in a "neighbourhood watch" type way - we, the internet, could teach and learn respect when dealing with intellectual property online.


In their words... Creative Commons develops, supports, and stewards legal and technical infrastructure that maximizes digital creativity, sharing, and innovation.


So... are you onboard? Do you link with love in your daily practise?




(Top image created by erin loechner and pia bijkerk with yvette's lovely handmade fonts).

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