Comments on: Can I post this to the blue or not?

Can I post this to the blue or not?

andihazelwood — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:09:17 -0800

Is it "legal" to post something to the blue that includes a link to a site I work for? I am responsible for posting interviews and other content to a non profit public service broadcasting website. Recently I posted an interview to the site, conducted by one of our correspondents. The interview introduced me to a new report on climate change and it provides a more in depth look at the issues discussed in the report. I think both the report and the interview would be discussion-worthy and of interest to the MeFi community. But is it "legal" to post links to the interview/transcript, given that it's on a site I am paid to update?

By: cerebus19

cerebus19 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:10:31 -0800

No. Post it to Projects if you think it's worthwhile, though.

By: boubelium

boubelium — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:11:17 -0800

It can be difficult to overcome the desire to share something you are interested in that came to you via your workplace. But you must resist.

By: andihazelwood

andihazelwood — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:13:17 -0800

It's legal to post the report in a FPP, then link to the interview in comments though, right? Since I have nothing to do with the report itself?

By: cortex

cortex — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:14:41 -0800

It's really pretty dicey territory, even if your intentions are good and the content is good. If you're wondering if it's a good idea, generally that's a sign that you should err on the side of caution and not do it.

As cerebus19 says, if it's something that's web accessible that you're directly responsible for, posting it to Projects is okay. If that's not really a good fit—if your custodial role is indirect enough that you'd feel weird about claiming it as "your" project—you could drop a line about it to a mefite you trust who doesn't have any relationship with the organization and let them post it if they feel like it'd be something they can get behind.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:25:29 -0800

No, this is a bad idea for all the reasons cortex says. This isn't a case of what's strictly "legal" but more what is a good idea. If your interview is what led you to the report and you link to both [even in the comments] it just looks like a sketch way to link to your interview and we don't want to have examine people's motives. Plus, climate change/global warming is likely to be a contentious issue anyhow and so I'd be double-plus extra sure what you were posting about wasn't something you'd worked on or by someone you'd worked for.

By: misha

misha — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:31:11 -0800

Of course, you could always ask another Mefite to post it for you.

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:32:03 -0800

Just post it to Projects. If it's FPP-worthy someone else usually takes it to the blue.

By: andihazelwood

andihazelwood — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:36:53 -0800

Okay. It'll be in projects soon. Hopefully someone will find it worthy for the blue, I think it'd be a very lively discussion. Thanks all.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:48:22 -0800

Thanks all.

What? Just like that? Where have al the flameouts gone?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:50:02 -0800

Um, that's all the flameouts... I think Al the Flameout is still working the Coney Island Sideshow.

By: jmd82

jmd82 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:54:38 -0800

Eye thenk where ripe 4 a flaemout ovre speling.

By: Alvy Ampersand

Alvy Ampersand — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:55:13 -0800

Oh good, now I have Paula Cole in my head. Thanks, flapjax!

*Shoves Dremel tool up nose*

By: andihazelwood

andihazelwood — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:55:33 -0800

I'm just not a flameouty type person, flapjax ;) I've posted it to projects... I think. Does it take time to show up or am I a doofus at hitting "submit"?

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:57:28 -0800

We have to approve it but it should be pretty pro forma. Oh look, there it is!

By: andihazelwood

andihazelwood — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:01:50 -0800

thanks jessamyn :)

By: localhuman

localhuman — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:23:17 -0800

This thread is overly civil, informative, and helpful. What is it doing in MetaTalk?

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:19:23 -0800

I just found out today that another guy in the office, who's generally pretty cool, part of his job is to astroturf for our magazines, and they're attempting to quantify it now—he'll have to make X posts a day to get paid, etc.

Aside from telling him that I think it's fucking sleazy, which he kinda laughed off, I don't know as there's anything else that I can do without getting fired, but it pisses me off.

And Christ, knowing that they're googling for mentions makes me feel skittish.

By: andihazelwood

andihazelwood — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:32:17 -0800

(just in case the inference is that I am attempting to astroturf.... I'm not. I get paid to generate content and to post content, not to flog it. I realise there's no way for you to know if that's true or not, but it is. In the four years I've been working for this organisation, nothing has shaken me like this report. I just thought others might be interested, and might be able to provide some perspective. Or ideas. Or something.)

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:37:20 -0800

No, no, just that I'm wary of the appearance of impropriety lately, and that I wanted to complain about my company's policy in sort of a passive-aggressive way.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:29:20 -0800

It's legal in Australia, but anything goes there.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:08:16 -0800

Of course it's legal.

You would get banned though.

By: Wolof

Wolof — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:50:52 -0800

It's legal in Australia, but anything goes there.

I've got my eye on you, matey boy.

By: Item

Item — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:09:53 -0800

A dingo ate my Metafilter.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:11:50 -0800

I miss Australia. Especially the dingos.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:32:42 -0800

A dingo ate my Metafilter.

Actually, I think that was Wolof.

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 04:20:28 -0800

You'll get a beatdown.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:02:35 -0800

I think Al the Flameout is still working the Coney Island Sideshow.

He's part of what I miss about NYC. Not only was his act terrific, nothing tasted better than marshmallows roasted over what you would have sworn was his smoldering corpse until he jumped up (always scaring the bejeezus out of the more impressionable members of the audience) and ran backstage to prepare for the next show. Of course, they charged an arm and a leg for the marshmallows, but sneaking your own food into movie theaters and sideshow acts is one of the first survival techniques you learn as a New Yorker, right up there with turnstile jumping.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:59:38 -0800

Of course, they charged an arm and a leg for the marshmallows, but sneaking your own food into movie theaters and sideshow acts is one of the first survival techniques you learn as a New Yorker, right up there with turnstile jumping.

Of course, turnstile jumping with only one arm and one leg ain't the easiest thing to do, but, hey, New Yorkers are tough and resourceful...

By: cgc373

cgc373 — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:00:30 -0800

languagehat, you know they charge an arm and a leg so they have body parts to roast, right? You can check it on Snopes. It's the only way to get that roasted-corpse aroma.

By: quin

quin — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:13:29 -0800

stavrosthewonderchicken : Especially the dingos.

Get an Australian Cattle Dog, they're part dingo.

*notices remains of sofa*

*eyes guilty looking cattle dog*

On second thought, avoid them like the devil spawn that they are...

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 14:28:33 -0800

No, no, no. Devils are an entirely unrelated species, quin.

By: TheNewWazoo

TheNewWazoo — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 18:24:52 -0800

I found that Aussies didn't generally find "a dingo ate my [x]" jokes to be very funny.

Alas.

I still laughed, though.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:32:00 -0800

Indeed, it's actually a really great way to annoy the Aussies. Be sure to get the accent all wrong, and always follow it up with, "That's note a knoif, thees ees a knoif." Then order a Foster's, and duck.

By: cgc373

cgc373 — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:30:21 -0800

I heard bold-faced duck was one of those Australian specialities, like Barbie Shrimp^® but I forget where I heard it.