So I was telling a friend about how Obie Holmen at Spirit of a Liberal quoted my blog in his piece abut Dr. Egertson, and how I felt so cool because I love that blog. And then she asked if he linked to my blog or gave me credit for the words I said. Of course he did. It would have been not only rude, but plagiarism if he hadn't. And then I thought about it. How many people who write on the internet recognize that rules still apply here? Apparently very few, because this little flowchart exists:
[Sorry for the language, to anyone it offends.] And like the people at loldwell.com and systemcomic.com, I agree that not sourcing the words, images, and ideas you include on your blog is irresponsible and rude. If you took a picture, and other people put it all over the internet, masquerading it as their own, you'd be upset. Or if someone shared a recipe you'd perfected. Or if someone loved a dress you'd designed. Or if someone wrote some words you'd said. Or if someone shared an idea you'd thought up.
If you think what you have to share with the world is valuable, and you think that what other people have to share with the world is valuable, you should let the world know where that comes from. There might even be a law or two about that.