Just wondering if you would allow articles and images posted on the forum to be usable on the site without required consent. There are dozens and dozens of articles and even more pictures, a wealth of web content. Putting them on the site without asking for permission is kinda not cool, but many authors haven't been around for heh, more than 6 months and the such.

It would save me a lot of trouble, past and in the future if there is Implied Consent for using posted content, but it is your choice. Only at this forum do you get to decide an issue like this, so vote today!

Looks split so far. Legally I think you can do this without asking if you own the message board. However, I am unsure of how InvisionFree modified that agreement. I added a bit in my TOS about publishing forum content and email content, mainly intended for mailbag emails but also intended for good forum posts. The only non-mailbag item used with that has been Pepper's homemade, and Pepper was a member of our staff at that time if I remember correctly. If you intend to do this, add a bit in your TOS about it. ;)

Oh, the joys of copyright laws...

In my own belief, I still feel it really doesn't hurt nor involve much time to ask a member whether he/she would mind if you use something they posted on the forums. In the end, I still feel it shows a form of mutual respect between the board admins and the membership.

While most don't seem to mind, some do prefer not to have their posts/images re-pushed elsewhere. If you want to make a particular submission-based thread or threads, that's one thing. However, to state that any content posted on the entire set of forums is open to being re-used assuming implied consent may be a little too presumptive.

B)

The main reason for bringing up this issue is what to do about content I would like to put up from members who have vanished and obviously won't be able to grant that permission. That's where it goes into a grey area, the more recent stuff certainly warrants asking before uploading, although several recent requests have recieved vague, if any, answers. [Cough/Wink]

So far it looks like Implied Consent will not be applied, and of course I understand why.

Just send e-mails asking for permission, and stating that if you don't recievea reply in 30 days, you will take that as a yes, as the person obviously doesn't care about the soaker world any more.

Uh, IMO, that should be 'if you don't receive a reply in 30 days, you will take that as a no'.

If a person doesn't care about the soaker world anymore, that does not imply that they don't care that what they've said or posted is used. Failure to respond could simply be due to incorrect contact info, not necessarily disregard for a question regarding permission to use something.

However, I completely understand Dux's position on wanting to use some good content from members who had otherwise disappeared from the active community. The best workaround to this is to re-write content giving proper acknowledgements to the source ideas. Re-writes obviously require a little more work, but doing so makes the new work yours while still giving the proper kudos to those who shared their insight, but can no longer be contacted. Granted, re-writes only work for text-based content. Images are something else.

B)

I voted "make you ask". I really don't want you just posting every word I've ever said on the site. While I probably wouldn't mind, and I don't think you would post any personal/embarrassing information, at least intentionally, I would just want to make sure. ;)

30 days of inactivity is no grounds for assuming some is "no longer interested". Many have taken breaks longer than that and come back. Examples: Soakologist; Black Six; Field Marshal Yang.

And what if someone has changed their email address?

Ok, consent will be obtained before putting up any posted content with the exceptions of:

.If it was posted in a submissions topic [like "Images for the Gallery"]
.If consent was already granted [applies to some old topics where I already asked]

Other than that, permission required first. When I do re-writes in the case of member absence, they will be cited in the entry [like "some article"-written by Duxburian
-Original article by "name"

Or something like that. And for newer-ish members, read some of the really old topics, especially on SSCentral, and you will see that my moral values have not changed much since 2004. One of my weaknesses is being too honest sometimes.