LET'S COMMUNICATE
Agriculture Communication Newsletter
November 2004, Nov. 107

Contents

   Copyright: What's Fair Game and What Isn't
   Computer Services Help on the Web
   Write the Right Word
   Your Responsibilities for Scheduling Videoconferences
   Printing vs. Copying
   Receive News by E-mail
   Core Rules of Netiquette
   Think About It

Copyright: What's Fair Game and What Isn't

True or false?

* I can copy as much material as I want from publications or Web pages since I'm using it for educational purposes.

FALSE. Even if there's no copyright symbol, all creations are considered owned (copyrighted) by the creator unless otherwise stated. Fair use is a difficult-to- define guideline that means you can use a portion of material from a copyrighted work as long as the use doesn't hurt the market for the product. Under fair use guidelines, educational institutions can probably get away with using a bigger chunk of material, but we should never photocopy an entire booklet or book chapter, for example. On the Web, link to the other resource rather than copy the information on your page.

* I can copy any graphics from Web pages since I'm using those for educational purposes.

FALSE. Photos, drawings and other graphics also are considered copyrighted, and obviously it's nearly impossible to use a "chunk" of a graphic to use the fair use guideline. Just because everybody else copies and recopies graphics doesn't mean you legally can.

EXCEPTION: The federal Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act basically says you may use copyrighted information and graphics without permission as long as they're not available to the general public -- in other words, behind a password protected site or in a learning management system such as Blackboard.

* I can use information from other land-grant universities without asking permission.

FALSE. All resources from the federal government are considered public domain and may be freely used, but state university information, including NDSU's, is considered copyrighted. Though they're not likely to sue if you do use other state universities' information and give them credit, it's both a legal requirement and a professional courtesy to ask permission. Get this permission in writing.

* I can give permission for others to use materials I've developed at NDSU.

FALSE. Technically what you've developed as part of your job is considered a work for hire, so it's owned by NDSU rather than you personally. The Ag Com director has been designated to be the person to grant permissions for publications that have run through Ag Com, so forward requests to me at bkoch@ndsuext.nodak.edu . The Educational Materials Task Force is working on policies for other permissions.

Disclaimer: I'm certainly not a lawyer, but these are the very simplified explanations followed by most land-grant communicators across the country. In summary, unless it's from a federal agency, ask permission to use it. -- Becky Koch

Computer Services Help on the Web

Need some help understanding how to maintain your computer files? Confused on phishing and spyware? Have questions about developing your Web page? Answers to those questions and many more are on the Ag Com Computer Services Web site.

Go to http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/agcomm/accs and click on Support for information on these topics and many others.

If you still need help after checking the Web resources, contact the Ag Com Computer Services Help Desk at 231-9666 or accs@ndsuext.nodak.edu

Write the Right Word

Here are some words and usages that can be confusing.

When to use a versus an: This may sound awkward, but use a before a word beginning with a consonant sound, as in a historic place. Also use a before words that sound as though they begin with w or u, as in a one-year term or a united stand. But use an before words and numbers starting with vowel sounds, as in an honorable man, an NDSU student or an 1890s celebration.

A person who gives you advice is an adviser, not an advisor.

You walk toward the door, not towards it. In the same vein, you look backward, not backwards.

Awhile and a while: He plans to stay awhile. But if you insert the word for, then it becomes, He plans to stay for a while.

Due to or because of: Due to modifies nouns and usually follows some form of the verb to be, as in, Her car accident was due to carelessness. Because of modifies verbs. So the sentence would read, She crashed her car because of carelessness.

That round bakery item you have with your morning coffee is a doughnut, not a donut. -- Ellen Crawford

Your Responsibilities for Scheduling Videoconferences

Each person who wants to have a videoconference is responsible to schedule both the room and the equipment separately. This must be done since most sites are used for regular meetings in addition to videoconferences.

Before calling a videoconference scheduler, refer to http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/agcomm/videoconf/videoconferencing.html  for a list of the Ag Consortium sites, an Ag Consortium scheduling form, tips on how to prepare PowerPoints for videoconferencing and much more.

N.D. videoconference sites outside the Ag Consortium are listed on the N.D. Interactive Video Network site at http://www.ndivn.nodak.edu/ . -- Gail Hokenson

Printing vs. Copying

Customers frequently ask, Which is cheaper to print my job on: a press or a copier? The answer depends on a couple factors. How many do you want? Larger quantities ( 500 or more) are generally cheaper to print on a press. Smaller quantities  (400 or fewer) are normally more economical to duplicate on a copier. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. Color photocopying is still expensive, so if your print job requires any color ink other than black, it needs to be printed on an offset press for any quantity beyond just a few. It is a good idea to compare prices before submitting your job to the printer. -- Monte Kelly

Receive News by E-mail

Ag Communication e-mails an average 10 news releases and columns each week to North Dakota's newspapers, radio and TV stations, specialized publications, NDSU staff and others. If you want to be added to the e-mail list, contact Gail Hokenson at ghokenso@ndsuext.nodak.edu  . The news releases, including the archives, are at http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/2004/current/01index.htm  or the top link in the left green bar on the integrated and Extension Web pages.

Core Rules of Netiquette

In her book Netiquette, Virginia Shea lists 10 core rules. Rule 6 is: Share expert knowledge.

The strength of cyberspace is in its numbers. The reason asking questions online works is that a lot of knowledgeable people are reading the questions. And if even a few of them offer intelligent answers, the sum total of world knowledge increases. The Internet itself was founded and grew because scientists wanted to share information. Gradually, the rest of us got in on the act. So do your part. Despite the long lists of no-no's in this book, you do have something to offer. Don't be afraid to share what you know.

It's especially polite to share the results of your questions with others. When you anticipate that you'll get a lot of answers to a question, or when you post a question to a discussion group that you don't visit often, it's customary to request replies by e-mail instead of to the group. When you get all those responses, write up a summary and post it to the discussion group. That way, everyone benefits from the experts who took the time to write to you.

If you're an expert yourself, there's even more you can do. Many people freely post all kinds of resource lists and bibliographies, from lists of online legal resources to lists of popular UNIX books. If you're a leading participant in a discussion group that lacks a FAQ, consider writing one. If you've researched a topic that you think would be of interest to others, write it up and post it.

Sharing your knowledge is fun. It's a longtime Net tradition. And it makes the world a better place.

We'll cover rules seven through 10 in future issues of Let's Communicate, but if you can't wait, see www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html .

Think About It

Enjoy your work; it'll show.

Source: Paul Greenberg, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper