Read This Before Blogging

 

Image courtesy of Pixabay

I am a casual blogger and one thing that concerns me regarding writing out my thoughts and ideas to the world is the legal aspect of it.

Writing online has given me a great feeling of liberation and confidence, knowing that I am speaking to the whole world with my written words. However, it also entails a lot of risks and therefore requires a big chunk of caution on a blogger’s part.

Blogging and writing online has similar consequences with writing on pen and paper and publishing it. The only difference is that online work easily gains access to the public eye with just the click of a button.

COPYRIGHT

 

Image courtesy of Pixabay

I just ran into a blog site called BlogHer, where the blogger Roni Loren has openly talked about an image copyright which has caused her a lot of trouble with the person who uploaded the image to Google. She openly talked about it to inform other bloggers of the consequences of inserting images into their own blogs without permission from the photographer.

I presume she did not have any intention of ever violating any copyright law because she used an image from Google Images with the thought that the images there could be used publicly and without any need to use attribution. After all the images were published in Google and were presumed to be for public use.

She has pointed out quite a number of important things to take note of when using images and posting articles online.

I myself have thought once of using images from Google Images since my blog site is under Google and I also honestly thought that the images there would be free to use for any article.

Good thing my mind was telling me to search for information about using Google Images first before actually importing images into my blog. So I found this article from BlogHer, with Loren sharing her experience on using Google Images into her blog. The author has learned a lot and willingly shared her experience to warn others of the importance of being extra careful in posting and publishing your posts.

I myself have been using Pixabay images, which have been very helpful for my blog GraceR on Life. The images there are absolutely free and need no attribution for use. Of course if you’re kind enough to at least thank the image contributor, it wouldn’t hurt to at least leave a “thank you” comment under the image you want to download into your blog post.

You can also choose to donate some amount for the image contributor by clicking on the “Buy Coffee” tab on the image itself. I plan to do that as soon as I get my first pay check from my online work.

Other sites where you can get free images for your website include Open Photo, Flickr: Creative Commons, and Creative Commons Search. I haven’t tried them yet but they’re highly recommended by Blogger for free images.

ONLINE LIBEL

 

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Just recently, I saw a news report on ABS-CBN’s news program TV Patrol about a famous Filipino blogger named Michael Sy Lim, the author behind the famous blog Fashion Pulis, being sued by Deniece Cornejo, the model/actress who accused TV host/actor Vhong Navarro of allegedly raping her in 2014. The case on Navarro was eventually dismissed.

Lim is being sued for Online Libel because of a post he wrote about the model/actress’ leaked medical report allegedly revealing that Cornejo was positive of a sexually transmitted disease. Cornejo is willing to negotiate with the blogger though, so I guess everything will be well and good again soon.

With this in mind, I couldn’t help but feel more cautious as a blogger. I’m actually learning a lot from the cases I have read and heard.

It all boils down to being a responsible blogger and individual. I myself have a lot to learn but I hope I would never encounter any problem someday with regards to my articles. My aim is to write out my thoughts and ideas on some topics without offending or affecting anyone in a negative way.

BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS IN POSTING

 

Image courtesy of Pixabay

We bloggers and writers sometimes make mistakes too and overlook some of the important things in writing our articles but we also learn from each other’s mistakes and try to correct or avoid them from ever happening again.

If you are a blogger or someone who plans to have your own blog soon, it is advisable to read about the rules and legal responsibilities of blogging and publishing online. There are numerous internet sites where you can read about the legalities involved in this kind of business.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a very informative website where you can learn all about the legal aspects of the internet world.

If you are a Filipino blogger, try visiting Manila Principles for in depth explanation regarding Intermediary Liability for internet users.

I hope this post has helped you in some way. Remember, if you are in doubt about any move you do on the internet, do your research on legalities first before posting anything. It pays to be a little cautious sometimes.