Re: ?etiquette of hits

[Carol Simpson <csimpson@TENET.EDU>]

On Thu, 23 Feb 1995, Cathy Cheely wrote:

> This is prompted because I have seen several postings of hits
> recently that included private email where people had somewhat
> unkind/ harsh things to say about their
> school/administrators/library colleagues.  Should we assume
> that whatever we send privately can be posted as a hit? Should
> names and addresses be removed when we post?  I can't help
> thinking that some folks are cringing when their words are made
> public...
>
Current opinion holds that e-mail is copyrighted by the writer - as is
anything put down in a "tangible medium."  If you have indicated in your
request for information that you plan to compile the responses into a
hit, you are probably in a fairly safe position when you repost.  If you
didn't explicitly state you would repost all responses, however, you
should ask permission to be on the safe side.  Slander/libel suits as a
result of electronic postings are not unheard of...

Carol Mann Simpson                   csimpson@tenet.edu
Facilitator - Library Technology          214 882-7450
Mesquite (TX) Independent School District