No.

Definitely not. You can only cite a few words or sentences designed to evolve or enhance your own text

Just because you can freely view an article for doesn't mean its free to use and this is true in most cases. This also holds true with images as well.

Despite what people want to think the internet is not a free for all sure there are items entered into the pulbic domain that you can use but if you don't know for sure assume its not.

I think you can copy and use entire free copyright articles in your own website if you cite the article resource and the Author Bio. Articles must be published in their original format, unedited. you can find many free website content online.

Allen

ebayllen said: I think you can copy and use entire free copyright articles in your own website if you cite the article resource

Sorry, but you thought wrong. What you describe is plagiarism, pure and simple. Citing the source just demonstrates that you knew full well that the content wasn't yours.

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With respect to About.com, its usage policy [about.com] contains the following:

BY ACCESSING THE SERVICE AND THE SITES, YOU ACCEPT, WITHOUT LIMITATION OR QUALIFICATION, ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS IN THIS USER AGREEMENT.... The materials used and displayed on the Service and the Sites...are the property of About.com or its affiliates or licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark and other laws. Any such content may be displayed solely for your personal, non-commercial use. You agree not to modify, reproduce, retransmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish, broadcast or circulate any such material without the written permission of About.com or the appropriate affiliate.

In other words, no, you can't republish the content from the About.com site.

Eliz.

ebayllen may have been referring to article web sites where people submit articles for re-use by others, and include their web site links in their author profile. Thus, the importance of including the author's bio when re-using such content.

That's what I think ebayllen may have been writing about, but I could be wrong.

If you want free articles like that, visit one of the 1000 article submission websites out there.

Just follow the terms and you are set.