Copyright questions?

I’m not entirely sure if this is an official PDF, but I was wondering—could I potentially use some of the posts I've read here for my own projects?
How exactly is the content protected, or is everything posted here essentially public domain?
Basically, I need to put together a catalog for an exhibition of mine, and I’m really not feeling the urge to write a formal preface... plus, I’m not particularly fond of the introductions others have written about me. So, instead, I was thinking of pulling some excerpts from a discussion on this forum. Is there any risk of someone suing me for doing that?

Frank Watson5 said:I’m not entirely sure if this is an official PDF, but I was wondering—could I potentially use some of the posts I've read here for my own projects?
How exactly is the content protected, or is everything posted here essentially public domain?
Basically, I need to put together a catalog for an exhibition of mine, and I’m really not feeling the urge to write a formal preface... plus, I’m not particularly fond of the introductions others have written about me. So, instead, I was thinking of pulling some excerpts from a discussion on this forum. Is there any risk of someone suing me for doing that?

No, they won't.

hiddenmoose3 said:No, they won't.

I’m with 😁

So, how much actual expertise are we working with here? Any moderators lurking in the threads... I’m thinking about dropping some posts into the catalog—one way or another—regardless of what happens next. I just want to know if they'll actually stay up. Purely for informational purposes, really... just so I can mentally prepare myself.

Feel free to go ahead; since this is a public forum, if you're under the impression that we lack the necessary expertise, you might want to consult some of these folks, but there's no pressure from my end. 😉

P.S.—If you're looking to get a second opinion from someone else on the matter, I’d suggest reaching out to our administrator, desiree, via the link provided above.

Alright, thanks for letting me know!

Don't mention it 🙂

Frank Watson5 said:I’m not entirely sure if this is an official PDF, but I was wondering—could I potentially use some of the posts I've read here for my own projects?
How exactly is the content protected, or is everything posted here essentially public domain?
Basically, I need to put together a catalog for an exhibition of mine, and I’m really not feeling the urge to write a formal preface... plus, I’m not particularly fond of the introductions others have written about me. So, instead, I was thinking of pulling some excerpts from a discussion on this forum. Is there any risk of someone suing me for doing that?

And why on earth would they be public domain? If you start sharing things, don't expect your own contributions to remain private; anyone can just swoop in and claim them.

Posts are intellectual property. You can certainly quote them, provided you follow standard citation etiquette by identifying both the source and the author—even when they use a pseudonym. If you're looking to distribute content more broadly, the polite thing to do is simply ask the original author first.

goldengull3 said:And why on earth would they be public domain? If you start sharing things, don't expect your own contributions to remain private; anyone can just swoop in and claim them.

Posts are intellectual property. You can certainly quote them, provided you follow standard citation etiquette by identifying both the source and the author—even when they use a pseudonym. If you're looking to distribute content more broadly, the polite thing to do is simply ask the original author first.

Of course I intended to credit the authors and mention where the posts came from. I just wasn't entirely sure if I also needed to hunt down specific permission from everyone involved in the thread.
Goodness, I wasn't planning on passing this off as my own work. I'm honestly just drawn to this format because it’s so direct—it lacks all that unnecessary academic fluff found in other styles, which I think makes it more impactful. If I were to try and rephrase someone else's point into my own opinion... well, my own sense of integrity wouldn't allow me to manipulate the message like that. The whole thing would lose its meaning then...

goldengull3 said:And why on earth would they be public domain? If you start sharing things, don't expect your own contributions to remain private; anyone can just swoop in and claim them.

Posts are intellectual property. You can certainly quote them, provided you follow standard citation etiquette by identifying both the source and the author—even when they use a pseudonym. If you're looking to distribute content more broadly, the polite thing to do is simply ask the original author first.

Just wanted to point out the correct answer. 😉

Charles Ramirez59 said:Just wanted to point out the correct answer. 😉

thanks