Website copyright dates

Hey folks,

I was just thinking about the copyright dates at the bottom of the
various Websites I manage, and that I should think about changing them
soon to reflect 2005.

Anyway, I was wondering what everyone here thinks about copyright dates,
and when you get around to changing them. Is it too early to change the
date to read xxxx-2005 before the end of the year, for example? I'm sure
we probably had this discussion last year, and probably the year before
that too, but who am I to ruin tradition?

It's hardly the day for a Webmasters' discussion, but after having just
finished the present-wrapping and eaten my (omg) 11th (!?) mince pie
already, I'm a little bored now

Anyway, "Merry Christmas" to those who do it and "Cheerio" to the rest!

--
Dylan Parry
http://webpageworkshop.co.uk -- FREE Web tutorials and references

Dylan Parry wrote:

> I was just thinking about the copyright dates at the bottom of the
> various Websites I manage, and that I should think about changing
> them soon to reflect 2005.

Why not let the site change by itself?

<p>Copyright &copy; 1997-<?php echo date("Y"); ?> Your Company Name.
All rights reserved.</p>

--
-bts
-This space intentionally left blank.

Beauregard T. Shagnasty wrote:

> Why not let the site change by itself?
> <p>Copyright &copy; 1997-<?php echo date("Y"); ?> Your Company Name. All
> rights reserved.</p>

A good idea, and one which evidentally I must have seen last year, as it
appears that I actually did change my code to do this

I used "Copyright &copy; 2001-<?=date('Y',time());?>" though, which I
suppose equates to the same thing.

It's strange that I don't remember doing this, because I certainly
didn't write this into the code that I originally developed and haven't
really touched it since 2003, except for a new layout in May this year.
As everything is database driven, not much really gets changed in the
PHP file

--
Dylan Parry
http://webpageworkshop.co.uk -- FREE Web tutorials and references

Dylan Parry wrote:
> Beauregard T. Shagnasty wrote:
>
>> Why not let the site change by itself? <p>Copyright &copy;
>> 1997-<?php echo date("Y"); ?> Your Company Name. All rights
>> reserved.</p>
>
> A good idea, and one which evidentally I must have seen last year,
> as it appears that I actually did change my code to do this
>
> I used "Copyright &copy; 2001-<?=date('Y',time());?>" though, which
> I suppose equates to the same thing.
>
> It's strange that I don't remember doing this,

I stopped by that day you were out and changed it for ya. Ask yer girl
friend. <g>

> As everything is database driven, not much really
> gets changed in the PHP file

We're assuming there is only one 'footer' entry then, correct?

--
-bts
-This space intentionally left blank.

"Dylan Parry" <usenet@dylanparry.com> wrote in message
news:332ottF3sn9suU1@individual.net...
> Hey folks,
>
> I was just thinking about the copyright dates at the bottom of the various
> Websites I manage, and that I should think about changing them soon to
> reflect 2005.
>
> Anyway, I was wondering what everyone here thinks about copyright dates,
> and when you get around to changing them. Is it too early to change the
> date to read xxxx-2005 before the end of the year, for example? I'm sure
> we probably had this discussion last year, and probably the year before
> that too, but who am I to ruin tradition?

I make my changes just before the end of the year, and FTP them on Jan 1.

Beauregard T. Shagnasty wrote:

>> As everything is database driven, not much really
>> gets changed in the PHP file
>
> We're assuming there is only one 'footer' entry then, correct?

Well, yes and no. There is only one *file* driving Webpage Workshop.
Everything is in the index.php file and all of the page contents are
stored in a MySQL database. The footer is just a variable in the
index.php file, so it's pretty easy to change it for all 200+ pages in
one edit.

--
Dylan Parry
http://webpageworkshop.co.uk -- FREE Web tutorials and references

Charles Sweeney wrote:

> You only need to change them if the copy changes! Sorry to state the
> obvious, but some people reading this might assume that one *must*
> update the copyright year, every year, when in fact the copyright date
> refers to when the copy was written.

Yes, I suppose you are right here, but copyright can cover individual
documents or a work in its entirety, so I think that if anything changes
on your site at all during the year then you should update the copyright
date, as your Website is technically an entire work in itself.

> I have had two mince pies so far tonight, could easily have more, and
> might well do!

Heh, I've eaten pretty much nothing but mince pies all day :\ So far
this December I am up to around 13 or so. I'm quite disgusted at it to
be perfectly honest I'm quite looking forward to Christmas Pudding
tommorow (this) afternoon though...

--
Dylan Parry
http://webpageworkshop.co.uk -- FREE Web tutorials and references