Hi, all

Barbara Latterner wrote:

>
>So, does anyone know what rights one has for privacy when they respond online
>in this way?  What of an author "quoting" people without indicating the
>source?  I was totally under the impression that these people quoted in the
>article had been interviewed-it seemed so the way it was written.  Jeanette
>asked is this an inherent risk to responding online as a professional?
>

Interesting question. I've recently found myself in a similar situation of
sorts. I answer breastfeeding question for the iParenting websites
(including breastfeed.com) and back in November I was asked about the
effect of caffeine on nursing babies. I wrote a response that was posted to
the web site.

This summer I received an email from the editor of the breastfeed.com site
I work with congratulating me on being quoted in the August Parents
magazine. Of course, I had not a clue what she was talking about. As it
turns out, someone from Parents had posted that question to our site as
well as two others and printed all three replies as examples of the kind of
breastfeeding information that was available on the web. Fortunately, they
gave their stamp of approval to all three sites.

Neither my editor nor the owner of the iParenting sites knew that the
original question was a "test" of sorts, although they were pleased to get
the positive press. I was pleased to get the exposure as well, but I think
Parents should have contacted either me or the website owner to get
permission to use the site like this.

Most of these kind of sites have statements regarding the use of the
material there. Copyright laws (as I understand them) have not completely
caught up with all the implications that the Internet has created, but to
use information from a website without giving proper acknowledgement and
permission is very likely a breech of the existing laws. You'd think common
courtesy, at least, would be in effect regardless!

The quoting that Barbara refers to sounds like a lazy writer at work who
didn't want to take the time or effort to find someone to interview and
quote directly from them.

There's another issue here as well, namely the whole business of replying
to breastfeeding questions in a public forum. Obviously that is a poor
substitute for a realtime visit with a lactation professional! There are
questions I get on our site that I refuse to answer online because they are
much too specific or difficult or complicated or urgent and not something
that other moms could easily relate to.
There is no privacy on the Internet with regards to this kind of helping.

I do think that those of us who help mothers on the various websites this
way are performing a valuable service, however, in disseminating some badly
needed information out there, but there are definite limitations. Being
quoted out of context  like Barbara is describing is potentially dangerous,
and I'm guessing could even create some liability issues.

I'm interested in hearing what others have to say on this!


Melissa Vickers, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant for iParenting's Breastfeed.com
<http://breastfeed.com/experts/panel/mcvickers.htm>
mailto:[log in to unmask]

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