What is the protocol for quoting from another person's online journal in your own journal?

Obviously, I'm not talking here about revealing someone's personal info or anything like that. But frequently, I run across some little snippet in someone's journal, a particulary humorous or a colorful turn of phrase that inspires my own writing in some way. Can I just go ahead and quote it, with credit to the source? If so, should I provide a link to their site?

I'm curious as to what the accepted protocol is among journalers in general, and how individual people feel about it.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001

Answers

Aimee,

If you're simply talking about quoting something directly from someone, be it a snippet of a phrase or more, I would think turning the phrase itself into a link back to their site (or better yet, the specific page you got it from) would do the trick; it would be best if you said, something like:

And as Beth said, "link quote here"

or somesuch specific attribution to the journaler's name (the one they go by in the journal) and the direct link.

Quoting here is pretty much like quoting elsewhere -- always credit the source. You'll find a lot of journalers quote each other and link to the specific page so the reader can hop over there and see what inspired the quote in the first place. It's just a nice thing to do.

If you're talking about the fact that someone's way of talking has inspired your writing in general (you're not quoting specific phrases, but their way of writing has made you look harder at your own and figure out a way to do it more creatively or colorfully)... well, maybe a link and a thanks would be due, but we all are influenced by what we read to some extent and it shapes us -- so unless you're quoting directly, it's not really something you can keep attributing without turning every entry into something that sounds like a groupie salivating over someone else's journal.

I hope this helps.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

Thanks Toni, that is very helpful. :)

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001