Summary

The web content discusses proper attribution etiquette on Medium, emphasizing the importance of giving credit to other writers' work and the complications that can arise from improper or insufficient attribution.

Abstract

The article titled "A Note on Proper Attribution Etiquette" addresses the nuances of crediting other writers on the Medium platform. The author, who identifies as a writer rather than an editor, shares experiences with both rude editors and writers who have challenged the rules of attribution. The piece highlights the automatic acknowledgments added by Medium at the bottom of articles and the author's discomfort with these automatic additions, despite not manually including them. It stresses that embedding entire poems or pieces without proper attribution is unacceptable, likening it to plagiarism, and suggests that proper attribution should include a direct link to the original piece and, if quoting, a subsection of the work rather than the full text. The author, Lucy Dan, expresses gratitude to those who have responded positively to edit suggestions and provides a link to a guide on professional source citation by Allison Gaines.

Opinions

The author feels that automatic "Thank you" notes at the bottom of Medium articles can be inappropriate, especially if the editor's involvement was minimal.
There is a strong opinion against embedding entire poems or articles in one's own work, as it constitutes profiting from someone else's work.
The author believes that proper attribution is crucial and that it should be clear and direct, including links to the original work.
The author appreciates writers who make changes when informed about proper attribution and respect the writing process and boundaries.
The author has encountered unreasonable behavior from some editors and writers, including rude comments and accusations when addressing issues of attribution.

A Note on Proper Attribution Etiquette

And what can’t be changed and what you should probably do

To preface these statements, I want to say:

I’m a writer more than I am an editor on this platform
I have encountered rude editors who stood by unreasonable rules (e.g., editing out aspects of my storytelling about my experiences with racism to reframe the experience).
I have encountered writers who tested the limits of each rule — most do it unknowingly and are kind about making edits. Others have gotten down to swearing and questioning my integrity for something as concrete as ensuring that captions are added to photos for proper attribution (which Medium requires).

1. Acknowledgements that appear at the bottom of a piece are automatic by Medium

I’m communicating with you for the third time to say, that I do not want your name at the bottom of my poem — as you’d zero editing concerning it. Please remove your thanks and ahem — it’s not acceptable that you use another writer’s work to place /advertise yourself !

I full-heartedly agree that if what I’ve done is leave a note to remind you to add a caption, it’s not the same editorial involvement as recommendations, edits and suggestions made by an editor.

Yet, Medium automatically applies a “Thank you to xxx” (hide) at the bottom of an article that has any private, not conversation made prior to publication. This is usually

I don’t manually add these and quite frankly, have second-hand embarrassment that some of these are added if I’ve only commented to remind you to add a few formatting things. Yet, there’s no way for me to toggle the option of avoiding this being shown, to the best of my knowledge. (If you have tips, let me know!)

While I strive to amplify others’ pieces in mine, I don’t expect you to nor have I made it an explicit rule. I merely leave a suggestion that it’s highly encouraged to shout out another’s piece, and it most definitely does not need to be mine.

2. Please do not embed the entirety of someone’s poem in your article

This particularly stands if you are considering attributing your poem to someone who writes on Medium. Particularly if you are monetizing your article, embedding the full poem means that you get the full account for someone else’s work. You’re the one getting paid for someone else’s work.

In fact, if this were an academic situation and this was an assignment, using the exact words of someone else, even with citation, is in many cases considered plagiarism.

Even if you tag the writer, it’s often too much work for a reader to specifically look for that piece. Moreover, I’ve definitely had people paste the entirety of my poem into a piece and just credit by saying “Thanks Lucy”.

I hate it say it, but there are very many Lucys in the world writing a great number of poems and this attribution is insufficient. I’m a dime a dozen.

I’ve had a really good case record with asking people to stop doing this — most quickly make changes and share that they were just unsure how to properly attribute. I’m so grateful to folks who have responded this way and made swift changes, or who have checked in beforehand.

Few have devolved into quite nasty accusations, rude comments, arguing back that they should have full rights to earn money on my work, etc. It’s very wild.

The proper way to attribute

Include a direct link to their Medium piece (or if hosted externally, to their website)
If you would like to include an excerpt, particularly pertaining to what aspects inspire you, feel free to include a SUBSECTION of the piece!
If the piece is something short, like a haiku, I don’t include quotes, but rather write a brief hook to encourage readers to check out the person who inspired you!

If you’re looking for more formal attributions in the form of citations, Allison Gaines has a great guide on citing sources like a pro:

Your Complete Guide to Citing Sources Like a Pro

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Hi I’m Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) and I want to send out appreciation to everyone who has responded to edits and suggestions with grace, including when they disagreed with my comments. A number of great writers have either provided their reasoning or withdrawn their piece to submit to a publication with closer values, which I absolutely respect. I’ve been on the other end of this writing process and have had to make the same choices and respect that it can be difficult. To everyone who has been respectful towards boundaries and guidelines, TBIN is always an open community and support. ❤

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