Re: Publishing on WWW Re: Publishing on WWW[stuff deleted]
> Posting private email (without permission) is an obvious breach of
> ethics, the legality of which I believe still hasn't been ultimately
> tested. My feeling that cross-posting an article, or re-posting it, is
> probably acceptable provided that the author and the original newsgroup
> are credited. Usenet is a public place, and IMO articles posted there
> are fair game to be read by the public - with the usual caveat to the
> poster. Reposting simply to discredit the poster is a different story,
> but if you don't want your business contacts in one group to see what you
> post in alt.sex.bondage, you shouldn't be posting there.
>
OK, work with me here -- if Mary Smith writes me a letter (paper) and sends
it to me via the postal service, I own the letter -- I can sell the
letter, burn the letter, or otherwise dispose of it. Right? (or not?)
Now if I get an e-mail letter from Mary Smith, who owns the letter????
The letter was "given" to me, so I own it; the letter was written by her
so she owns it? I know that there is lots of heat about publically
posting private e-mail, but whose message is it aside from the ethical
concerns?
Jill