Peter Pan and Captain Hookby Walt Disney
I've run into some pirates lately and so have a few other bloggers I know. They're taking our valuables. Certain combinations of words have been seen in someone else's treasure chest. One bluebeard actually pinched a few photos and flew them from the mast of her ship. (Get your own husband, Matey!) The Blogosphere is a pretty small ocean and it doesn't take too long for the news to float back.
I work for hours writing my blog. I'm not kidding. I know that sounds like a waste of time to some of you, but I love doing it. I can sit here until 4:00 am, reading my thesaurus, looking for just the right words. I have books of writing exercises that I study, and I use my Strunk and White like a Bible to improve my technique. Writing is my craft, my art. I'm not great, but I'm getting better.
I hope my words have a positive influence somewhere. I hope someone will get a spark of an idea from me. I'm flattered if readers adapt thoughts, or try something I've suggested and make it their own. But don't copy my words!
I love to see a link like, "TravelinOma had an idea that got me thinking..." but please don't copy a post word for word! That's MY hard work! Write your own.
And if you have ads on your blog, you're selling my work as your own. It's called plagiarism. Real piracy.
Sorry to rant. I've been up 'til all hours for a month, writing and rewriting my Women's Conference talk, and my sister saw part of it on someone's blog. It feels like I've been punched in the eye. (Maybe I'll get an eye patch.)
10 comments:
I can't imagine how angry you must be. Plagiarism is verbal theft and SO naughty. If I knew who it was I would shake my finger at them for you. :0) Hopefully they get the picture from your post here.
I'm sorry that this happened to you! I hope you said something to the offenders.
I received a forwarded email that contained your daughter's awesome post about Mormons, including the pictures. I'm sure it started with someone who thought it was a cool blog post, and then just got forwarded by well-meaning people. But, it was wrong of that person to send it in the first place. You can be sure that I didn't forward it along!
What a shame that anyone would do such a thing! Anyone that has read the original Oma won't be fooled by imitations :)
I hope that you give them a tongue lashing, if nothing else. I supose if someone copied me (and they haven't, to my knowledge) I'd be both mad and a little proud, but more mad!
The ABC's have calmed. The pirates didn't mean to be pirates. I received peace offerings. We all took off our eye patches and we're playing together nicely.
I think it's pathetic to steal someone's own words and claim them as your own. I would have been FURIOUS. I know how hard it can be to get a good blog post written, and then to have someone just lift it? Lame!
Aarrrgh! Throw 'em to the croc. That stinks, I'm looking forward to hearing your original words from your cute face.
Hi Travelinoma,
Thanks for leaving a comment in my post S.B. Gobbinathan copied my blog post word-for-word. Sorry to see you suffered the same fate as me. I have responded to your comment. Don't know if you are interested, but there is a link where another blogger copied not one but a few of my blog posts and it was detailed how I dealt with it. Not 100% waterproof, but there is one suggestion as to how one might try to deter would-be copycats.
Peter Blog*Star
Blogger for Dummies
I loved your restraint in not "outing" the offender. You chose the better part-and good for you. Glad to hear all is now fading into the lessons learned category. BTW, how about a post on what 'writing exercises' you mentioned you use? I'll wager I'm not the only one out here who would love to learn to write as well as you--without the plagiarism.
(Oh, and drop over for a quick visit, I've got a fun contest running.)
It's almost like a form of rape, isn't it? Such a violation of one's sense of self! I dunno if I've been a victim of it or not, really, as no one's ever come and told me they've seen something I'd written anywhere else. But I made a funny sign once about my Dear Hubby asking anyone of they'd seen me...I'd gone blogging and never came home. Now, THAT I've found in a few strange places, just stumbling upon it accidentally. If someone wants to 'steal' that, they're welcome to it, but I sure wouldn't want someone to steal what I'd written, either. I don't always remember to link back to everyone's blogs where I find something that 'inspires' me to write...but I try to. And sometimes I'll store away a gif or graphic I spot that I think I might like to use on a future post of my own. But I would NEVER take anyone's personal photos...that is sooooooooooooo wrong. I read of a case of that not long ago where a photo of someone's children was used by another blogger who claimed those same children were her ADOPTED children!!! The REAL mother went ballistic, and rightfully so!!! There are some strange pople out there in cyberspace....
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