The Copy Editor: Tumblr and link attribution

theatlantic:

wnyc:

motherjones:

kateoplis:

thepoliticalnotebook:

copyeditor:

I’m reading Anthony DeRosa’s post again on how some traditional media companies refuse to enter into the link economy.

The practice is also prevalent here in Tumblr, it seems.

Photos and articles are sometimes posted sans attribution or links to the sources. Other Tumblr users, meanwhile, delete the link pertaining to the original tumblelog that posted the material.

No. If it’s on the web, it’s not yours. You can’t pull out the fair-use-clause card if you don’t attribute or try to claim something that is not yours. Remember Krip?

Fellow Tumblrers: This is important. I see this a lot, particularly when it comes to crediting photos. The rule is, give as much credit as you know, and if you can’t find enough information to credit the photo, quote, or article, DON’T POST IT. This isn’t something to be casual about.

This issue really bothers me. Yes, the photo posts are the majority of it but I see it happening in all kinds of posts: videos uploaded to Tumblr w/o links (Tumblr’s video upload is reserved for videos you’ve taken yourself, no?); text w/o block-quotes and sources, etc. It’s especially disheartening when it’s from “reputable” Tumblrs.

From a Tumblr editor’s perspective, I cannot promote a post without proper link to the source, per Tumblr’s Editor Guidelines, and I refuse to reblog one based on the same criteria. Please take the extra minute and credit.

We (and a lot of our friends, big and small) have fallen short of these standards on some (recent!) occasions, and we’ve been fortunate enough to benefit from the patient instruction of a few standout wardens in the Tumblr community. So the only thing we’d add is: When somebody doesn’t attribute, call them on it! Chances are they’ll do the right thing.

Memo and great reminder to all WNYC Tumblr contributors! (A good post to “like” to keep handy for reference.) -L.A.

This is a great point, and one that should be made frequently. If we miss an attribution somewhere, please let us know. - J.K.