Susan Fox, the force-of-nature behind Park Slope Parents, isn’t naming names, but she’s miffed that bloggers feel free to pick up posts from the Park Slope Parents listserve without first getting the writer’s permission.

"Our privacy policy is on every email, " this civic cyber dynamo told me on Saturday after the Harvest Festival in JJ Byrne Park,

"Content on this group should not be reproduced (or linked to) without
permission of the author. Members should be aware, however, that this is
a public forum, and that any information posted here might appear
elsewhere."

The blurb does, however, acknowledge that PSP is a public forum…

All that she’s asking, Fox says, is that bloggers take the time to get permission from the PSP member before reproducing their post.

Recently, a PSP member was very upset to be quoted on a popular Brooklyn blog. Her name wasn’t used but she was still P.Oed  just the same because her email is on PSP and her identity could be traced.

When I contacted "Lost Boy’s Hat and the "There’s a squirrel in my apartment" person, I found that they were happy to oblige.

I will be the first to admit that I have been guilty of freely publishing posts from PSP members (sorry Ms. Frump). It’s often for expediency’s sake or the desire to get a story out there.

But it’s a journalistic no no and a copyright infringement.

After speaking with Susan, I  realize that it’s
always so much better (and legal) to consult the PSP member to begin with.