The Best Ever Site Use Policy: Hats Off to BoingBoing

BoingBoing’s Wonderful Policy

Boing Boing has a linking policy:

“After years of making fun of ‘linking policies’ that set out the terms under which a website can be linked to, BoingBoing has decided to create a linking policy of our own. Here it is — now, abide by it!

“Boing Boing doesn’t believe in linking policies. They’re dangerous, have no basis in law, and they break the norms that make the Web possible. They’re a wicked, stupid idea.That said, if you believe in linking policies — that is, if you believe that people who make websites should be able to control who links to those sites and how — then have we got a policy for you:

“No site with a linking policy (other than a policy such as this one, created to deride and undermine the idea of linking policies) may link to Boing Boing. Ever.”

Who you refer to with a link on your own private server really shouldn’t be anyone’s business. If someone doesn’t want their HTML code referenced in a link, they probably shouldn’t post it without some security around it.  Linking to something is the equivalent of pointing at it. It is no more copyright infringement than pointing out a wonderful house is the same as breaking and entering.

You, of course, are welcome to point out Useful Arts with a link.

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