MM, someone on your board must be a practicing attorney (I am a lawyer--gosh, can't you all tell from my recent posts how argumentative I can be?--but don't practice and don't know ANYTHING about copyright issues) who could tell you what references you should check about using members' words.

I know other sites do similar things...my husband is actively involved in a listserv on medieval genealogy (don't we have odd interests?!) and the guy who moderates that publishes a book each year with tons of excerpts from the postings. There have to be rules about it.

In my field (psychology), there are strict guidelines about what counts as "publication" of our work (because we're not allowed to submit things to academic journals once they have been published elsewhere) and when your work is protected.

I bet nobody would change a thing about their postings if you had a message like that. People here are generally very civil and thoughful and, when posting negative comments, usually give lots of explanation rather than just "Hostal XYZ is horrible!"

Ooh...voila! Hooray for Google!!

http://bailiwick.lib.uiowa.edu/webbuilder/copyright.html

http://www.fplc.edu/tfield/cOpyNet.htm

http://www.cyberspacelaw.org/dogan/dogan4.html

More than anyone ever wanted to know about copyright, fair use, and other issues!!! THIS is why I don't practice law. No amount of money will get me excited to read all that junk!

WRITE A BOOK!!!!!!!!! In my study abroad class last semester we read a book by an Italian... "Chao America: An Italian discovers America" (or something like that :p ) You could do "An American discovers Spain" And of course... to "discover" Spain, you would have to do as this Italian did and live in Spain for an entire year!

And of course, MadridMan, if you need any kind of administrative help while abroad, I can make the sacrifice, pack up my stuff, move to Spain and be your employee while there. You know, when you're out 'researching' things, I can be in the mobile office (laptop on bench at the Retiro Park) copying down your memoirs and notes or arranging for your appointments...

HEY! I'm the FIRST to offer, so the job is MINE!! (Can you tell I'm the youngest of 5 kids...) Sorry for that outburst...

But, MM, I agree w/ Tara that I don't think people would hold anything back...you may have some posters trying to outdo each other in their eloquence (did I spell that right? I'm sure Cali will tell me if I didn't!!) and literary styles...

And what's that OTHER project you have on your plate, or are you not telling us??

-GG (Who's excited at the prospect of working abroad and not just being a working broad...)