This blog is being copied and pasted word-for-word somewhere else without linking back here or crediting me in any way. I'm pissed off about this - my blog isn't all that much, really, but it's mine and everything in it belongs to me. I also feel kind of violated. I know that everything on the internet is open to anyone, but at least when it's on my blog I have a sense of who's reading it. My blog does reveal information about my life and it bothers me that someone would steal my posts, making my life their own.
The guy who's doing this is also doing the same thing to many other bloggers. This thief runs a number of websites across quite a few domains and it appears that almost all of them are automated spiders that just grab and paste other people's posts. I found an account where someone did contact this guy and apparently the guy said that he was messing around with auto blogs and deleted the person's posts. He didn't delete anyone else's posts, however, so it's hard to believe that he's just playing around.
Stealing people's words is straight-up theft. Just because something is published on the internet doesn't mean that the material is available for every scumbag to copy and post as though the scumbag wrote it. This is so not cool.
I found some information on the internet on how to deal with this situation. I have found the thief's name and contact information as well as alternate contact information. Hopefully he'll stop taking my posts and will remove all of my posts from his site when he receives my email. I've contacted some of the other bloggers whose posts he's stealing and I hope that they contact him as well. I wish I could make him stop stealing everyone else's words because I feel so strongly about this issue.
Ironically, this post will almost certainly be stolen as well.
4 comments:
Hi Chantelle,
It's Alex again. Thanks very much for posting this. We're doing the same today on our blog, and we're sending another email to the Thief today in hopes that he will stop.
As mentioned yesterday, the same guy had another auto blog thing about a month ago, and he was stealing our posts then, as well. That time, we were able to get a response from him, and he stopped.
He's at it again, and we're furious.
Obviously, he doesn't care about the morality of what he's doing, but as you mention, it is theft.
Our blog, like yours, is copyrighted material, and we are going to do everything we can to get the guy to stop.
Good luck on your end, and hopefully we can be in touch.
Best,
Alex
www.exfanding.com
What is this thief blog? That is soooo wrong! I've had pictures stolen without permission, but I don't know about posts.
You guys have way to much time on your hands.. there are probably bigger morality issues to worry about in this day and age.. If you send me a polite email we will see what happens.. HEY YOU MOFO THEIF YOU ARE A HORRIBLE HUMAN BEING oh and can you take the duplicate content down? hahahahaha
Of course there are bigger morality issues to worry about these days, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't worry about this particular morality issue.
I did call the person taking my posts a scumbag in this post, which wasn't very nice. In my defense I was quite upset at the time I wrote it. I know I shouldn't have done it and if I ever get an email response from him I'll apologize for that.
I'd like to get this situation resolved between just us since, as Thief says, this is a relatively small issue. To that end, I've sent two emails to the person who is taking my posts. I thought were reasonably and professionally worded and they definitely didn't call him any names.
The ball is in his court right now. I do hope I hear from him via email soon.
Chantelle
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