# The web is public domain? Thanks for the info, Cooks Source magazine! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 4, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487 "2010-11-04T17:56:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/141 "2010-11-09T20:45:02Z")
NPR ran a little story on this yesterday in which they reported that NPR has already sent a cease and desist letter to Cooks Source. I would be very surprised if other organizations (i.e., Disney) haven’t done the same. That crappy little non-apology isn’t going to get them very far. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/142 "2010-11-09T22:30:35Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > It’s called “humor.” I realize this may be a foreign and difficult concept. If you find yourself getting confused, try lying down and watching some public access educational television until the room stops spinning. It was an honest question about Facebook culture. I don’t think I really deserved that snark. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/143 "2010-11-09T22:37:28Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > It was an honest question about Facebook culture. I don’t think I really deserved that snark. It was an idiotic question. You totally deserved the snark. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/144 "2010-11-09T22:41:24Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > It was an honest question about Facebook culture. I don’t think I really deserved that snark. To further explain, I wouldn’t say it was particularly reflective of a Facebook culture. If anything, it’s a bit more chan–that kind of fill-in-the-blank joke (I call it template humor) is endemic on chan forums. I’m not sure I could identify a Facebook culture, actually. There are too many of them for me to think of them as constituting a single culture. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/145 "2010-11-09T22:49:39Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > It was an idiotic question. You totally deserved the snark. Again, why? Although I threw out three options, I was mainly wondering if they might be gaming the search engines. It wasn’t something easily Googled, and I don’t do Facebook so I didn’t know if it was a specific cultural thing there. I am interested in Net Culture, memes, etc. even though I don’t get around as much as I used to. I don’t know why asking the question was so upsetting to folks. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/146 "2010-11-09T22:51:27Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > That is an extraordinarily poorly thought out “apology”. I am starting to think she suffers from Chronic Lack of a Clue. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/147 "2010-11-09T22:51:39Z")
You seriously asked a question in the Pit about people posting a bunch of mocking shit to some company’s FB wall and you expected people not to snark at you even the tiniest bit for not realizing that it was, in fact, a bunch of mocking shit? Really? C’mon, **Una** , I know you’re much smarter than that. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/148 "2010-11-09T23:10:49Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > You seriously asked a question in the Pit about people posting a bunch of mocking shit to some company’s FB wall and you expected people not to snark at you even the tiniest bit for not realizing that it was, in fact, a bunch of mocking shit? Really? C’mon, **Una** , I know you’re much smarter than that. My question was very specific - I knew it was frivolous behaviour but I wanted to know what the root cause was. Trolling, search engine loading, or just randomness. If you read my post you’d see I had clearly limited it. In any event, what was the purpose for re-opening a dead issue to attack me over this, or attacking a causal question in the first place? I’m having a shitty day of shit at work and at home and healthwise, and even though everything sucks ass…you know what, enough. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/149 "2010-11-10T00:03:56Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > [Cooks Source has apologized.](http://www.cookssource.com/) Kind of:No, it wasn’t an error. It was deliberate. I think those infamous emails prove that well enough. The apology starts with this. I think it’s amusing that they’re complaining about their content being used without their knowledge or consent, since that’s exactly what they’ve done, [dozens of times](https://spreadsheets.google.com/lv?key=taalz5wQHGj15bKh6KyxDTA). > [@](#): > > We have cancelled our Facebook page on Thursday, November 4th, 2010 at 6:00PM. It has since been since been hacked by unknown parties and now someone else unknown to us has control of it. Their inclusion of Cooks Source issues and photos is used without our knowledge or consent. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/150 "2010-11-10T00:37:03Z")
FWIW, Una, I believe you know what humor is. (I still chortle over some comment you made years ago about going into restaurants and demanding a pinot noir or you’ll start questioning the stability of that load-bearing beam in the ceiling or some such.) Cooks Source is so dead. It is to laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/151 "2010-11-10T00:38:39Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The apology starts with this. I think it’s amusing that they’re complaining about their content being used without their knowledge or consent, since that’s exactly what they’ve done, [dozens of times](https://spreadsheets.google.com/lv?key=taalz5wQHGj15bKh6KyxDTA). This is confusing. Are they actually complaining that people are linking to the ORIGINAL articles that Cooks Source STOLE in the first place? Or what? This (non) apology comes across as clueless about how a webpage works (the “apology” appears on the very website that they say was "cancelled), and clueless about how facebook works (hint - people posting on your wall are not “hacking”) And what the hell does this mean: > [@](#): > > However: Cooks Source can not vouch for all the writers we have used in the past, and in the future can only check to a certain extent. Therefore, we will no longer accept unrequested articles, nor will we work with writers or illustrators unless they can prove they are reputable people, provide their sources, and who, in our estimation, we feel our readers and advertisers can trust and rely on for accuracy and originality Are they implying that the writers they have used in the past are not reputable? That would be the writers whose work they stole from NPR, Disney, etc. etc.? How about the pictures on their website and in their magazine which have been shown to come from other sources? Sounds like they are trying to shift the blame, and doing a piss poor job of it. (much like the piss poor job they did of seeking permission to publish articles) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/152 "2010-11-10T01:02:26Z")
Aw come on, **Euph**. Delusional people can be fun! Just be sure and keep some distance between, eh. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/153 "2010-11-10T01:42:03Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > FWIW, Una, I believe you know what humor is. > > (I still chortle over some comment you made years ago about going into restaurants and demanding a pinot noir or you’ll start questioning the stability of that load-bearing beam in the ceiling or some such.) I remember it now; thank you for the laugh. Better days. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/154 "2010-11-10T16:26:47Z")
I’m so making that schadenfreude pie for Krismas dinner! As for the “apology,” it is fairly incoherent, but I think they mean to say that they’re only guilty of slight negligence (which is totally excusable because they’re a scrappy little local mag with a tiny staff, working their fingers to the bone [cue violins]), because writers X, Y, and Z, who said they were writing original articles for CS, actually stole the content and passed it off as their work, and CS accepted it on face value. Of course the fact that CS’s editor talked about lifting things off the internet all the time, and opined that anything online is public domain, kind of detracts from that “horrors, we were innocent dupes!” defense. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/155 "2010-11-10T16:45:22Z")
The apooogy is esepcially braindead in the sense that most of the outrage had little to do with lifting the article I (ok, a lot of the outrage has to do with that), but is more directed at the response about the internets being public domain and how the original author should pay Griggs. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/156 "2010-11-10T16:58:32Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > My question was very specific - I knew it was frivolous behaviour but I wanted to know what the root cause was. Trolling, search engine loading, or just randomness. If you read my post you’d see I had clearly limited it. In any event, what was the purpose for re-opening a dead issue to attack me over this, or attacking a causal question in the first place? I’m having a shitty day of shit at work and at home and healthwise, and even though everything sucks ass…you know what, enough. **Una** , I’m sorry you were having a shitty day. Maybe when you’re having a shitty day, you shouldn’t read threads in forums where people are going to make fun of you when you say something stupid. Because it was really, really stupid to ask what people are doing when they’re posting to someone’s FB page to say hyperbolically ridiculous things about how terrible they are after that organization did something stupid. Anyone who’s been anywhere on the internet should be familiar with this behavior. Ask a silly question, get a silly answer. And, you’ll note, I \*did \*answer your question–I just \*also \*poked fun at you for not realizing it yourself. No clue what you mean by “re-opening a dead issue”–I responded to four posts when I found the thread, including yours, and I did it in an active thread. Because, shockingly, I don’t jump into a thread having only glanced at the OP, which means I like to respond to other parts of the discussion that caught my eye. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/157 "2010-11-11T00:36:27Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > Again, why? Although I threw out three options, I was mainly wondering if they might be gaming the search engines. It wasn’t something easily Googled, and I don’t do Facebook so I didn’t know if it was a specific cultural thing there. I am interested in Net Culture, memes, etc. even though I don’t get around as much as I used to. I don’t know why asking the question was so upsetting to folks. If it makes you feel any better, apparently the general social consensus now is that anyone who isn’t on Friendface\* is some sort of antisocial weirdo with no friends. It gets tiring trying to refute it, too. \*[del]shamelessly[/del] lovingly taken from _The IT Crowd_ as a generic name for “The Social Networking Site Du Jour” ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/158 "2010-11-11T03:09:02Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > If it makes you feel any better, apparently the general social consensus now is that anyone who isn’t on Friendface\* is some sort of antisocial weirdo with no friends. It gets tiring trying to refute it, too. Looks like we’re seen strong evidence of that right here in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/159 "2010-11-11T05:00:40Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > Looks like we’re seen strong evidence of that right here in this thread. Meh. I’m not on any social media websites, either. Maybe we can start up a No Social Media Websites social media website. You can join that thing only if you _never_ join those things. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487/160 "2010-11-11T05:03:11Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Meh. I’m not on any social media websites, either. > > Maybe we can start up a No Social Media Websites social media website. You can join that thing only if you _never_ join those things. Sounds good to me. Never join a group that will have you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-web-is-public-domain-thanks-for-the-info-cooks-source-magazine/559487.md?page=9)