Comments on: Ow.ly and Hootsuite in widespread breach of newspaper / other site T&Cs http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/owly-hootsuite-in-widespread-breach-of-newspaper-site-tcs/ Where to find Malcolm Coles, reviews, and tips on how to do things I couldn't do. Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:22:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Phil http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/owly-hootsuite-in-widespread-breach-of-newspaper-site-tcs/#comment-1672 Phil Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:03:19 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=617#comment-1672 It's almost impossible to programatically interpret T&C's and you can't expect these services to manually trawl through the whole of the web. Perhaps the w3c should step in here with a recommendation for sites that don't wish to be deep linked or framed. A simple meta tag would make it very easy for both web developers and browsers to identify such sites. It's almost impossible to programatically interpret T&C's and you can't expect these services to manually trawl through the whole of the web.

Perhaps the w3c should step in here with a recommendation for sites that don't wish to be deep linked or framed.
A simple meta tag would make it very easy for both web developers and browsers to identify such sites.

]]> By: Christian Schenk http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/owly-hootsuite-in-widespread-breach-of-newspaper-site-tcs/#comment-1662 Christian Schenk Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:30:33 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=617#comment-1662 BTW: have you tried entering "ow.ly" into the input field on ow.ly? Guess what it comes up with? ;) Obviously there isn't any extra logic but just the "I'll 'shrink' whatever comes my way" behaviour. BTW: have you tried entering "ow.ly" into the input field on ow.ly? Guess what it comes up with? ;) Obviously there isn't any extra logic but just the "I'll 'shrink' whatever comes my way" behaviour.

]]> By: Malcolm Coles http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/owly-hootsuite-in-widespread-breach-of-newspaper-site-tcs/#comment-1654 Malcolm Coles Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:16:02 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=617#comment-1654 As you know, I had a good laugh at sites with T&Cs <a href="http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/dont-link-to-us-part-two/">forbidding linking</a> - these were ridiculous, unenforcable terms. But I think framing other people's sites is probably worse - forbidding it is a fairly standard T&C on sites (so I'm sure ow.ly would know about it in general), as it mucks about with sites' visitor tracking etc. As you know, I had a good laugh at sites with T&Cs forbidding linking - these were ridiculous, unenforcable terms.
But I think framing other people's sites is probably worse - forbidding it is a fairly standard T&C on sites (so I'm sure ow.ly would know about it in general), as it mucks about with sites' visitor tracking etc.

]]> By: Christian Schenk http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/owly-hootsuite-in-widespread-breach-of-newspaper-site-tcs/#comment-1653 Christian Schenk Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:05:45 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=617#comment-1653 Well, "ow.ly is ignoring them" seems to be a little over the top. They just didn't bother to read all the T&Cs of those pages they're creating short links for and in turn didn't respect the "unauthorised framing" thing in their redirection thingy. So, what might be a solution for this? I don't think and expect the URL shortening services to read all those (sometimes weird) T&Cs. Wouldn't it just be better if you could link to where ever you want? Even frame the content if the "frame" isn't that disturbing? I guess the various URL shortening services will have to obey the T&Cs eventually. In the end they're creating links and should be responsible for them - if the links violate some T&Cs they should be removed. This will result in a lot of "overhead" for ow.ly & Co. ... Well, "ow.ly is ignoring them" seems to be a little over the top. They just didn't bother to read all the T&Cs of those pages they're creating short links for and in turn didn't respect the "unauthorised framing" thing in their redirection thingy.

So, what might be a solution for this? I don't think and expect the URL shortening services to read all those (sometimes weird) T&Cs. Wouldn't it just be better if you could link to where ever you want? Even frame the content if the "frame" isn't that disturbing?

I guess the various URL shortening services will have to obey the T&Cs eventually. In the end they're creating links and should be responsible for them - if the links violate some T&Cs they should be removed. This will result in a lot of "overhead" for ow.ly & Co. ...

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