# Is encouraging Dopers to read my girlfriend's stories a no-no? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 5, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-encouraging-dopers-to-read-my-girlfriends-stories-a-no-no/315795 "2005-08-05T21:49:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-encouraging-dopers-to-read-my-girlfriends-stories-a-no-no/315795/1 "2005-08-05T21:49:08Z")
My girlfriend is a writer, and IMO a very good one. I would like to start a thread linking to another message board where she has posted some of these stories and encouraging Dopers to go read them and respond. Is this taboo? Soliciting? I checked all the FAQs and stickies I could find, and there’s nothing relevant to this question. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-encouraging-dopers-to-read-my-girlfriends-stories-a-no-no/315795/2 "2005-08-05T22:19:24Z")
I’m no mod so have no official comment, but it might be useful to know if your girlfriend’s writing is a comercial endevour? I can see why you might not want to post here and thus lose copywrite control to the Chicago Reader. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-encouraging-dopers-to-read-my-girlfriends-stories-a-no-no/315795/3 "2005-08-05T22:22:03Z")
It’s not commercial at all. Her stories aren’t copyrighted. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-encouraging-dopers-to-read-my-girlfriends-stories-a-no-no/315795/4 "2005-08-05T22:23:49Z")
Uh, yeah, I see your point, now that I think about it. But wouldn’t just posting a link not give the stories to the Reader? ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-encouraging-dopers-to-read-my-girlfriends-stories-a-no-no/315795/5 "2005-08-06T00:14:11Z")
> [@Spatial Rift 47](#): > > Uh, yeah, I see your point, now that I think about it. But wouldn’t just posting a link not give the stories to the Reader? I’m not nearly lawyer enough to answer that with certainty, but I would think there is a great deal of difference between posting the link to posting the actual story viz-a-viz copyright rules/law. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-encouraging-dopers-to-read-my-girlfriends-stories-a-no-no/315795/6 "2005-08-06T01:18:35Z")
I don’t think posting a link will cause a copyright problem. You have my permission to post one such link, and to bump the thread once if there’s not much response. Please indicate that I said it was OK; you can post in Cafe Society, if you’d like. I’d also like to note, seriously, that you shouldn’t post such a link unless you (and she) are prepared for criticism. Some of our members will speak their minds, and not all reviews will be favorable. So, if she’s looking for lots of sweet talk and nice pats on the back, this probably isn’t a good spot. If she’s looking for honest appraisals and comments, go right ahead. (Of course, there are gonna be some people whose responses may be simply mean-spirited and jerkish.) ---
**Author:** ![Feydeau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-encouraging-dopers-to-read-my-girlfriends-stories-a-no-no/315795/7 "2005-08-06T06:22:38Z")
> [@Spatial Rift 47](#): > > It’s not commercial at all. Her stories aren’t copyrighted. Sorry for the hijack, but according to the United States [Copyright Office](http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#mywork): > [@](#): > > Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. She may not have registered her copyright, but her work is copyrighted. Slight distinction. IANAL, YMMV.