Armchair BEA Day 4: Ethics & Non-Fiction

Day four here at the Armchair BEA focuses on two things: Ethics in Blogging, and Non-Fiction, one of which I may have something to contribute, the other I'm thinking almost none at all. Take a guess on which is which!

ETHICS IN BLOGGING:

What guidelines must we follow as bloggers--attribution, disclosure, honesty?
I feel like the answer to this is very basic. There is no gray area. Attribution? Yes. Disclosure? Yes. Honesty? Yes. Plagiarism? NO. I don't know how much more I can say other than I know sometimes it is hard to do the right thing, when it seems like the wrong thing would benefit you, but regardless of the benefit, wrong is wrong.

Have you had an experience with plagiarism (victim or perpetrator?), and how did you deal with it?
I've never had any experience with plagiarism. As someone who writes for pleasure, I never felt the need to take anyone else's work and use it as my own - where's the pleasure in that? And I don't think any of my writing has ever been used without my permission, thank God. I don't know what I would do. I've seen many posts in regard to plagiarism "scandals" around the blogosphere with tips on how to handle it, but I'd probably just be pissed and go internet-apeshit. Who knows? You never know until its you.

Do you have recommendations to new bloggers about how to ensure that credit is given to whom/where it's due?
I don't like to a lot of things unless I'm discussing a post or a particular picture, which I generally just put a link to where I got the idea or picture from. Books I'm reviewing, I generally just throw in the book stats because most readers/bloggers know how to find a book. Memes, I usually mention or link back to the hosting blog. Its tedious and it can be annoying, but imagine if it was you who wasn't given credit for something they wrote or a picture they took?

I just don't see this issue as much more than a "do the right thing" type of thing. There's no ifs, ands or buts - just do it.

NON-FICTION

Now I'm sure you've guessed that this is the topic of the day that I actually have nothing to contribute. I never read non-fiction. I know it doesn't sound believable, and I set goals at the beginning of this year that I would read a couple of non-fiction books, but I just haven't yet. I saw on Armchair BEA's link-up post a mention of The Diary of Anne Frank. Yeah - I read that. In the 6th grade!!!

I just don't think that counts for me. Now like I said, I do have a bookish goal this year to read a couple of non-fiction books. So for you non-fiction lovers out there - what would you recommend for someone like me who just plain old doesn't read non-fiction? Go easy on me now.

A.