Web content - How much can I "copy" from other sites?

heathenmamaof5 · 03-10-2006, 11:31 PM

I'm really thinking about my site and how I want it to read and look

I'm nervous, scared and excited all at the same time. This is a huge step forward and it feels good to be making progress along my path, getting closer to my goals.

My question is - how much can I plagerize off of other peoples sites?

I love Mother the Mother's side bar with the benefits for during and after childbirth.

I also like the way you worded scope of practice.

I also love

how Dynamic Doula words her paragraph on husbands. I want mine to be about families and say partner "family freindly" I really want to enhance the experience for other family members not just work with the mom. I also really like the paragraph where you explain your professional life and personal life.

The Collective I'm in says, "The newest advancement in childbirth is thousands of years old" I really like that. Can I use it?

What about taking stuff from LLL or Cappa or Dona is that acceptable? If I join CAM (california association of midwives) can I use their stuff?

I was talking with the gal from Cappa that does their CLE program, one of my favorite things to say to moms is "I've had my births, this is your birth your way" I apologize Val I can't remeber her name but she has Your Birth Your Way copy righted and no one else can use it.

So I would think that if you switch it around like I just did then it would be OK. It's not a "tagline" it is being used more descriptively.

I don't know this whole writing thing has me a little worried.

I'm going to start with my About Me page it should be interesting. I think I'll type out the stories and then go back in and do hyperlinks or whatever they're called.

I didn't realize how much work there would be for me mentally and emotionally. I get to relive all those births and all those memories. I also had two miscarraiges and every pregnancy was diferent.

Can you tell I'm procrastinating?

OK - I'm outa here...

MothertheMother · 03-11-2006, 08:05 AM

You can feel free to use anything from my site. I don't even care if you word it the same. When I started I did just what you are doing. I visited all of the other doula sites I could find and made a list of the things I really liked. That is how I decided on what pages to have. Then I made a sort of outline as to what I wanted on each page. From there I literally used every resource available to come up with information. Books, CAPPA stuff, other sites and just meshed all of the things I liked together. I do need to go back and cite the Klaus on the study, though. I keep forgetting to do that. Now that my site "looks" the way I want it to I am slowly going back and personalizing it more. In other words I am trying to make it sound a little less technical and a little more friendly. After reading some tips on another board I agree that your site should sell you. some doula factoids are needed but the majority of the message should be how they will benefit from hiring you. It should be emotional to the person reading it. Another suggestion was to spell out any acronyms. Expectant parents are not going to know what they are. that is all I can think of for right now. Hope it helps.

nocomparta · 03-11-2006, 09:27 AM

I was doing some research on copyrighting my slogan, as I'm very fond of it. Anyway, you can't copyright a slogan.

A lot of people stick a copyright symbol on stuff that you can't copyright. You can read about that here http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html.

But if someone has the copyright symbol on something, it usually means KEEP OFF. But legally, it's not copyrighted. It's just up to you if you want to use it.

As far as the wording on your website. It's great to get ideas from other doulas. Basically what you put on your website is the answer to the question who are you, what do you do, and what does that mean? You can only use so many different translations of the same answer. We're all doulas, we have this birth philosophy, and this is what I offer. I don't have a problem using some of DONA's and CAPPA's info, although I usually credit them with anything I use.

Need2read · 03-11-2006, 09:58 AM

I was just going to suggest this to you... I think you should compile all the info you love and section by section read each one, wait 10 minutes, go back and write what you remember. Unless there are any big gaps then you could fill in more information.

But my point is that this way you are getting the facts, using them, but in your own words. Any information you do use word for word you should quote and definitely state where the information came from. I have used plenty of things from DONA just because I feel it is straight forward and is said very eloquently. I did give credit though, and quoted.

If you really want to cover your bases, e-mail the link to your website and ask for permission. that simple.

heathenmamaof5 · 03-11-2006, 12:47 PM

Thank you ladies!

dynamicdoula · 03-11-2006, 01:34 PM

However flattering, I would definitely be upset to find my words on someone else's site w/o my permission. I would say to take notes on what you like and then write it up in your own words- that I would be totally fine with, because it's all you, baby!

Thank you for the lovely compliment! The bulk of my partners page, my husband wrote for me so that it's truly coming from a dad's perspective, and not what *I* think he'd think, if that makes sense. Maybe your DH would be willing to do something similar, or one of your clients husbands?

tlcdoula · 03-11-2006, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynamicdoula

However flattering, I would definitely be upset to find my words on someone else's site w/o my permission. I would say to take notes on what you like and then write it up in your own words- that I would be totally fine with, because it's all you, baby!

I tend to agree with Kristina, because I know my website is my baby. I have worked very, very hard on it and it has come out of the work I have done for several years.

When I was doing daycare and ran a yahoogroup for providers I knew of one woman who found her entire website copied by another provider and she was so hurt. This woman was the kindest, most generous woman there was. If someone needed a contract she would provide it. If someone wanted to copy something off of her site she would give permission, but she was crushed that this other woman never even asked. She just went in and took the original providers material and claimed it as her own. In the end the original provider did take legal action, but I don't know what came out of it because she left the group because she was so hurt (the person who stole her work was not from our group, but she just felt she could no longer share because she felt so used and heartbroken).

Stacie · 03-11-2006, 05:11 PM

Quote:

I tend to agree with Kristina, because I know my website is my baby. I have worked very, very hard on it and it has come out of the work I have done for several years.

Me, too. I worked hard to write, personally, everything on my website. What I did was decided what pages I wanted to have, and then I compiled my information accordingly. Once in a while I will put in a few phrases from my website into a Google search to see if anyone has lifte anything I said

. I let my doula partner basically use my words, because it was taking her so long to get things going. Afterwards, it bothered me that they were so similar, so I rewrote many of my areas!

I would break it up into sections and decide what you want to say about each. I put in a lot of work to my site, and I would be pretty bummed if someone stole things from me. On the other hand, there are routine things which we regurgitate from doula site to doula site, like statistics, definition, etc. I just made changes to my site lastnight

.

MothertheMother · 03-11-2006, 09:51 PM

I assume the best but want to be sure....I just want to clarify that when I said I visited a lot of other sites and wrote down what I liked I meant the pages I liked, not the content. When I was deciding what to put in my site I used other doulas sites as an outline and filled the content myself. And I would be annoyed if someone used my exact wording on their site without asking me. But if they asked I probably wouldn't mind. At least not yet. If I ever feel like my site is exactly as I want it I may feel differently but we will see when/if that time comes. just watnted to be sure no one thought I was saying just go out that and find what you like and use it....

MothertheMother · 03-11-2006, 09:54 PM

Your site looks really nice Stacy...I just realized we chose the same font!! lol

raspberrymoondoula · 03-12-2006, 12:24 AM

i usually ask permission of the site owner, be sure to list them as the author, and link back to their site.

heathenmamaof5 · 03-12-2006, 01:21 AM

Well, I'm glad that I started this thread! I like it all out in the open and no hurt feelings or anything, that's why I asked

I really like the idea of reading whatever it is and then restating it 15 minutes later. I've been writing my notes and will truly begin writing tomorroe

I absolutelt do not want to piss anyone off, I just meant I liked the way things were worded or "voice" of some sites I've browsed. BTW, Stacie I loved your homepage, I didn't get to go any further that that tonight.

I guess I wanted to know what is ok to plagarize and what isn't. So what I'm hearing you all say is that it'a ok if you have permission and then quote the source.

If we're a member of a prefessional organization it's fine to use their resource/stats and possibly a tag line like "A Doula for Every Woman" that king of thing.

What do you all think of:

expectations...

Together we will strive to realize your expectations of pregnancy, childbirth and beyond

or

Together we'll realize your expectations of pregnancy, birth and beyond

I don't know, I'm just hoping it all comes together tomorow and I'm able to get a page or two done.

I didn't realize how emotionally draining it would be to dredge up some of these memories.

K, I gotta go to bed.

Stacie · 03-12-2006, 02:06 AM

I like the second one. Jill, DO NOT STRESS over the wording at this point. Just free-flow and get it OUT and down on paper (or in the computer, lol). If you get hung up on the first things, it will take you forever! Even if you can't think of the right word or phrase, do your best to try and pound it out in a first run, and remember you can and will come back later. Then you can even ask for more eyes to look at it to see if you can get more suggestions if you are stuck.

Writers never finish, they just revise...

MothertheMother · 03-12-2006, 09:20 AM

I like the expectations idea a lot. I would add to it, though. I think a lot of maintstream women don't really know what their expecations are so maybe something about discovering and realizing their expecations would appeal to a lot of women.

heathenmamaof5 · 03-12-2006, 07:05 PM

Thank you Ladies for your input. My hubby left on a run so hopefully I can get this done in the next week or two.

Christy I joined that Yahoo Group you told me about. Right now I'm all about marketing and getting the word out.

Unfortunately my killer migraine has kicked back in. It's had abated a bit and was tolerable but as of yesterday and today it's back full force. I'm so sick of this, it's been like 12 weeks!!! Oh Yeah, beleive me I'll be on the phone with Nuerology tomorrow morning. Time for an MRI! Ya Think?

Thanks for the support