The purpose of this site is to be a place where we can develop and discuss the use of internetDNA (iDNA) at the bottom of websites. There are certain reasons why this should be fully developed:
- It gives credit where credit is due. - Many websites mention other sites or link back to the site or designer that created/maintains their site. WordPress, phpBB, MediaWiki, and other programs are designed by large groups of people, and to fail to link back to their site while using their software is a severe form of plagiarism. Using someone else’s design (even if you modified it heavily) is something that needs to be noted. It just makes good academic (and karmic) sense.
- There is currently no real convention. - Though a lot of people will use small text at the bottom of the page to cite their sources, there has never been a real convention for doing so. Consequently, there are an unlimited number of ways one could cite their sources on their website. This can be confusing because it sometimes makes it seem that (for example) the team that created WordPress has had just as much work on the site as the individual who simply installed it and changed a few graphics.
- It can be streamlined. - Instead of having over-sized or overly verbose copyright notices at the bottom, the iDNA can succinctly pack into a small space only the information necessary to make a usable link.
- It will become easily recognizable. - Like the copyright symbol, RSS, and CSS logos, the shape and consistency of the iDNA will make it obvious to users what they are seeing.
Got any ideas or suggestions? Please let us know!
