Adding a Creative Commons License to Your WordPress Blog

I was reading Blog Copies Posts Verbatim and Passes Them Off as Their Own from Woman at Mile 0, and I realized it was probably time to add a license of some kind for my content. I have had a couple of sites copy link and summarize my content, but I notice that they have given proper credit that the original content was found on my blog.

So I was thinking, with all this wonderful content that I have been amassing, it might be time to add some type of License. Whenever I use content, I ensure that I give proper credit to the linking source and the original source if they are separate. I notice some bloggers will say they found <original content> [via], with the via containing a link to the source that where the found the original content. Personally this doesn’t work for me, the linking source where the content was found should receive full credit, not some type of [via] link that honestly I won’t click. I think giving credit to your sources is not only the proper thing to do, but is good karma. Not sullying your karma on an issue as lame as not not attributing your sources.

I looked at the Creative Commons License web site, and I found instructions to add the commons license to Blogger, Moveable Type and Typepad, but not WordPress. So I figured I would ‘get er done’ and just do it myself. Have additional questions, check the FAQ for the Creative Commons License. There is also some quick code and logos on the WordPrss site that can be added to your blog.

Add the Creative Commons License to blog hosted on WordPress.com

• Access the Creative Commons License Website with your Web browser – http://creativecommons.org/
• Click License Your Work in the Header on the front page of the Website.
• Select the options for the license you would like to create, and then click Select a License. If you would like more information about any of the options, click more info.

• Now you can select the logo that you would like to appear on your blog, and copy the appropriate code.

• After selecting the license to display on your blog, copy the code for the logo and the link. Click the cursor in the Copy the text below field, and enter <Ctrl> A to select all the text, and the <Ctrl> C to copy the text. You can also click emailed to yourself to have the content sent to an email address.
  After you have selected the text you will need to copy to your WordPress blog. You will add this to a text widget to display in one of the columns on your blog. For additional information on the text widget, you can check Using the text widget on WordPress.
• In your WordPress Dashboard, click the Presentation menu, and then click the Widgets tab.
  I highlighted the Widgets tab, and one of the Text widgets.

• Click Configure in the Text widget. This will display the text box.
• Click in the text box, and enter <Ctrl> V to add the Creative Comments License to this box.

• After you have added the license content, close the box, and then click Save Changes on the Widget Tab.
• Now click View Site, to verify that your page displays correctly.

 

Note that the heading is ‘teh statement,’ the misspelling of ‘the’ is intentional, and is an inside joke to the technically elite crowd. This shows that I too am in the know, and not just a bad speller.

• You are now licensed using the Creative Commons License, pat yourself on the back and feel the satisfaction of a job well done.

Additional Information

I am using a three column format for my blog, and I added the license to the bottom left column. I also have the statement:

All postings on this blog are provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confer no rights. All entries in this blog are my opinion and don’t necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer.

To ensure that readers understand that although I work for Microsoft, I do not speak for Microsoft.

When it comes time to add a license, you might want to take a look at the Creative Commons License. This allows others to use your content, but states they must give you credit.

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