From: smoliar@iss.nus.sg (stephen smoliar)
Subject: Re: Online Citation Formats (Was Re: Postings on sci.virtual-worlds
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 91 19:52:10 SST


In article <1991Aug9.234829.23689@milton.u.washington.edu>
Carrie.Heeter@ibm.cl.msu.edu (Carrie Heeter) writes:
>
>
>What is the preferred citation of an online posting?  From an academic 
>background, I presume the basic attitude is the more an idea is used, 
>the better, with appropriate credit.   Let's worry less about spelling 
>COPYRIGHT correctly in big letters and instead formalize a natural and 
>courteous means of attributing credit.
>
I guess I might as well take my stand on this one.  I view bulletin boards as
basically an extended form of electronic mail (which sort of reflects the
attitude of my operating system).  Similarly, I view electronic mail as the
same of conventional mail--just delivered through a different medium.  If one
of my colleagues sends me a letter with an idea I wish to cite in a paper, I
simply give his name and list it as a "personal communication."  Quite
honestly, I do not think bulletin boards deserve any more specific treatment
since it is unclear how many readers would be able to track down any sort of
specific reference (particularly considering the rate at which these articles
are garbage collected).

At this point I suppose I should raise an issue of courtesy.  I never include a
"personal communication" citation without first clearing it with the person
cited.  I, for one, would prefer to have extended to me the same courtesy I
extend to those who send mail to me . . . even in this extended world of mail
exchange.  Of course I realize that laws of courtesy really cannot be enforced.
However, if I were to discover I was communicating with a community whose
members were, in some way, abusing my mail, I would have second thoughts
about maintaining those communications.

-------------------------------------------

Stephen W. Smoliar; Institute of Systems Science
National University of Singapore; Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Kent Ridge, SINGAPORE 0511
smoliar%iss.nus.sg@nuscc.nus.sg  (USE THIS ADDRESS;  VARIANTS MAY NOT WORK)