It’s time to come clean. I sometimes feel obliged whenever I read an article on the Interwebnets to comment on that article. It’s a human thing to do–it’s one of the reasons there is the Interwebnet. And worstwriter is definitely full of comments. In fact, I started blogging and subsequently learned how to host my own blog because IMHO websites who allow users to interact, usually in the form of comments, do not own my comments. This is especially true for sites like amazon. It’s hard for me to understand how so many people who sometimes write great reviews of books allow their writing to be wasted because they give it to amazon for nothing in return. Of course, if one reads the sites’ user guidelines it becomes clear that that site assumes ownership of your comments, which, again, IMHO, should be illegal. Now don’t get me wrong here. Of course there needs to be guidelines for users and how they interact with sites. Worstwriter need not address the bad behaviour plaguing the Interwebnet. But that in no way means that a site can automatically assume “rights” over my text. And so. I follow a sites’ user guidelines to the T, I never spam a site nor do I use profanity. What I do though is write only a brief summary of my comment which is then linked back to the full comment on my site. Hence, I have a Book category where all my book reviews are posted. So it goes without saying, I guess, that amazon does not tolerate my linking of book reviews to my site. Indeed. Sadly this corpo behavior doesn’t stop with a rinky-dink book seller. Just look at what is required to post comments on the NYT website. I still haven’t figured out how to comment on Slate. And what about The Verge? Oh yeah, those guys. I just got a message that I have been banned from The Verge because I “promote” my own website where my … MY comments are posted in full. Wow! I’m sure The Verge can afford to lose readers. But I digress.
Rant on.
-T
worstwriter 