Free Website and Blog Content Bonanza

WebForging · 09-30-2005, 01:51 AM

Copyright 2005 Jim Edwards

Did you know that literally millions of pages of content exist out on the Internet that you can legally use (some would even say "swipe") to put content on your website?

It's true!

In fact, "public domain" material can form the basis for ebooks, articles, blog content and even autoresponder email messages.

So if you need content for your website, this article may hold the key to discovering an avalanche of available material requiring you to write very little (if any) of it yourself.

"Public Domain" refers to any intellectual work that does not carry copyright protection.

Works like books, magazines, articles, music, and film fall into the public domain in one of several ways: their copyright expired; they were donated to the public domain; they are not eligible for copyrighted status.

In the United States, that means any work published before 1923 falls into the public domain.

Any work published between 1923 and 1963 that did not have its copyright renewed in the 28th year falls in the public domain.

So the copyright owner of a work first copyrighted in 1950 would have had to renew that copyright by 1978 in order to retain their rights.

Some legal experts estimate that as much as 80% of works published in the period between 1923 and 1963 never renewed their copyright.

Now, you may wonder, "What does this have to do with me?" Well, in a nutshell, it means you can get access to an avalanche of content without creating it yourself or paying someone else to create it for you.

Check out these websites for additional information on how and where to find public domain material.

http://www.PDRiches.com - Offers an entire course on how to identify, use, and profit from works in the public domain. The creator of the course specifically teaches how to find and repackage public domain information for profit on the Internet.

http://www.pdinfo.com - A website dedicated to public domain music topics which offers a number of resources, a list of 3,500+ songs in the public domain, and a brief tutorial specifically on using musical works in the public domain.

http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm - Offers a concise summary chart of the dates involved with determining if a work falls into the public domain.

http://www.CopyRight.gov - the U.S. Government site that offers a complete guide to copyright and copyright issues. Also includes a searchable database to determine if a work's copyright was renewed.

Using public domain materials does not, however, come without a degree of risk.

If you choose to use a public domain work in your writing, website, blog, autoresponder or other work, you must ensure that the work does fall into the public domain.

As with any matter involving the law, consulting an attorney if you are at all unsure about whether a work falls into the public domain rates an excellent idea to avoid trouble.

But, if done correctly, the use of public domain materials creates an excellent opportunity to share valuable information with a worldwide audience using the new communication mediums only the Internet can provide.

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist & creator of an amazing course that shows A Quick and Easy Way To Painlessly Set Up Your OWN Money-making 'Mini' Websites... Without Being a Computer Geek, Buying Software, or Paying A Webmaster!" Click => http://www.MiniSiteCreator.com
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interstar · 10-19-2005, 12:42 PM

Copying content is an absurd thing to want to do.

On the internet, content is so cheap and plentiful it's almost worthless. You are not trying to fill your server up with dead words that no-one is likely to be interested in. What's important is "attention". And attention is earned by "voice" : ie. personality, opinion and the quality of your own "virtual attention".

If you copy existing "generic" content, far from adding to the value of your site, it detracts from your personality (your "brand" if you like). Casual visitors won't distinguish you from anyone else.

Better, if you *really* like someone else's writing, to link to it, and add your own comment. What you agree or disagree with. That allows you to start a conversation. To use the existing writing as a launch pad your *your* ideas. Ultimately, people will come to your site because of you, as a living, breathing, thinking human. Not because of someone else's ideas that are merely parked there.

WebForging · 10-30-2005, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Better, if you *really* like someone else's writing, to link to it, and add your own comment. What you agree or disagree with. That allows you to start a conversation. To use the existing writing as a launch pad your *your* ideas. Ultimately, people will come to your site because of you, as a living, breathing, thinking human. Not because of someone else's ideas that are merely parked there.

Boy do I have to disagree! The information you've characterized as 'generic' is far from it, from my experience. I devoted a good twenty-plus hours to scouring content sites for blogging articles, discarding well over half that were, indeed, generic - lacking personality, opinion and quality - and leaving good, well-reasoned and insightful opinions for this forum.

My twenty+ hours of editing gave this forum a base to start from. I did the work to scan and sort for easy access in our categories. Indeed, I borrowed the categories (with permission) from another forum because they were proven, in my view, to make it easy for a large community to navigate.

(Note: the other forum, www.NamePros.com, is a domain name forum. Most of the organization of that site translated nicely to the subjet matter of this site)

Far from "dead words", this forum was filled with up-to-date, subject-specific content relating to our needs (viewing ourselves as Members). The fact that we started with over 100,000 words of content - very keword-rich content - helped us jump-start the board. We had about 200 posts to start. Twelve days later we have over 1,100 posts...a feat that would have taken half a year without the jump start, in my opinion.

Indeed, part of my own personality is to always try NOT to "reinvent the wheel" but to assemble the available components into the best possible wheel for the application...and drive from there.

Finally, just because something is cheap and plentiful, that doesn't make it worthless. Music is cheap and plentiful, and extremely valuable. The air we breathe is omnipresent and free, and we couldn't live without it.

We all love to hear a distinct voice, a unique opinion, and we endeavor to create that via a this medium. That uniqueness is built, however, on all of the common threads that bind together in our own way, for each of us here.

Regards,
Keith

saurab · 11-01-2005, 03:05 AM

I have to agree with Keith here. Interesting content culled from various "free" sources do indeed add value to a forum. This was not blatant copying and pasting... rather a process of selecting just the right material and then presenting it with a view to encourage discussions and dialogues.

regards,
saurab

Dave Zan · 11-02-2005, 05:14 PM

I'm actually subscribed in Jim Edwards' mailing list, and I get tons of valuable
tips from him.

Note he wrote about getting content from public domain works, and not just
copying content from "contemporary" sites. As saurab said, it's just a matter
of selecting the "right" material to show to his/her audience.

Incidentally he wrote a "followup" to it. Hmmm, I think I'll post it as another
thread.

dongan · 12-02-2005, 01:43 AM

Interesting thing on. But, the thing is when we have content duplication, regular visitors of of both sites from where we get will certainly find it. anyway, that is a rare phenomena and hope to get more blog contents like articles.

WebForging · 12-02-2005, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dongan

Interesting thing on. But, the thing is when we have content duplication, regular visitors of of both sites from where we get will certainly find it. anyway, that is a rare phenomena and hope to get more blog contents like articles.

Many of the articles in repositories are "dark pages" not see by search engines. One must register and search for the articles on the subject of interest to them. In a forum or a blog these are 'concentrated' and require less searching.

Most people would not be regular visitors to an article repository and a blog or forum that uses the articles.

Regards,
Keith

dgridley · 12-06-2005, 01:28 AM

I agree with Keith.. his habit of importing articles as posts have often been thought-provoking and relevant. I think it's a great method of supplementing a site of any kind.

WebForging · 12-07-2005, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgridley

I agree with Keith.. his habit of importing articles as posts have often been thought-provoking and relevant. I think it's a great method of supplementing a site of any kind.

Thanks, Dave!

Regards,
Keith

dgridley · 12-07-2005, 05:14 PM

I tells 'em as I sees 'em..

IMO, content breeds conversation.. it doesn't matter where it comes from as long as it's a legitimate source and not plagiarized.