Posting
Posting is the term used to refer to the act of adding new content to a regularly updated website such as a blog, social network, or forum.
Posting is the term use across the Internet to describe pieces of content added to a portion of a website that is updated frequently. For example:
- You post a status update to Facebook.
- Your latest blog post is the most recent article posted to your blog.
- If you have a question about virtually anything, somewhere on the web is a forum where you can post your question, and other forum members can post replies.
- Even on sites like Twitter that have created unique words like “Tweet” to describe updates seen on their site, ultimately a “Tweet” is still a type of post.
Also See: Blog, Social Network
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all posts publicly accessible to anyone on the Internet?
In most cases, posts made to a blog, forum, social network, or website are publicly accessible to anyone. So be careful what you post!
In some cases it may be possible to restrict who can see your post by password-protecting your blog, or setting your social media profile to private. However, as soon as a single visitor views your post, you no longer have control over who can see it since that visitor could easily copy the content or take a screenshot and repost the same content. In other words, never assume that anything you've posted anywhere on the web will remain private.
Can a post be removed?
Although there are exceptions, on most platforms you have the ability to remove any posts you make. However, you are only able to remove posts from the platform where you post them. If the content you've posted has been copied and reposted elsewhere on the web, you can request it's removal, but you cannot take it down yourself. Even if you have the legal right to request removal of the copied content, it will often be several hours, days, weeks, or even longer before the material is actually removed, during which time other sites may be copying and reposting the content.
In the case of copyrighted material, you may be able to have the content removed more promptly if you send in a DMCA Takedown Request.
What type of information can be included in a post?
The content that can be included in a post will vary from one platform to the next. In most cases, posts may include formatted text, images, and video. However, the capabilities of a specific platform may vary to suite the needs and purposes of that platform.
Who is ultimately responsible for the content of a post?
It's not unusual for a user to post content that is illegal – especially content that violates copyright laws. Who is responsible in these instances?
YouTube has extensive experience in dealing with users who post content in violation of the material's copyright. Thanks to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA), YouTube isn't liable for content users upload. However, as soon as YouTube is notified of content that violates a copyright they are required to act swiftly to have the content removed. As long as YouTube does this, they avoid becoming liable for content that is posted to their site in violation of copyright laws.
The same general principle applies across the web. Websites are generally not responsible for the content users post. However, they are responsible for telling users what content is considered unacceptable, and for responding as quickly as possible when notified of the offending content. As long as they do that, the user who posted the content retains responsibility for the violation.