One of the more useful blogger features is the Stats tool bar. I use it regularly to see how many hits I get from different countries and to see which posts are most popular. When I checked the stats this afternoon, I was none to pleased about it: for I noticed a curious web page. Once I clicked the link I was redirected to a suspicious looking site that was selling something or other, dog tuxedos I think it was. The furious bit: they stole the text from some of my blog posts. And by stealing I mean literally copy-pasting the text without crediting me.
I tried not to be too upset about it but truth be told I am rattled by the whole experience. I know my blog has a curious name: cat's pajamas, dog's tuxedos, and I did get a disturbing comment on my blog once, a blatant self promoting link from a tuxedos selling company from the Philippines ingeniously entitled "American Tuxedos." As my readers know well, I am not in the pet apparel business! But while I can control what gets published on my blog, I can't control this immoral ruthless people stealing the contents of my posts.
I did change the password of my google account and plan to do so regularly. I also wrote a stern e-mail demanding the stolen contents be deleted from their web page.
Has anything similar ever happened to you, dear readers?
I'm so sorry that happened. Guess I haven't been blogging long enough for that to happen to me. Or else I don't have steal worthy posts! :) So, I guess just look at it as jealous admiration?? Hope the rest of your day goes better. :)
ReplyDeleteI had this happen to me years ago with an old blog that I've since taken down. It was a terrible feeling. In my case, I decided not to e-mail the offender because I was afraid they might use my e-mail address for spam.
ReplyDeleteIt's unlikely that they hacked into your account. They probably just copied and pasted. Unfortunately, it is very common. The good news is, readers can usually tell the difference between sites that use stolen content and authentic sites.
I did some research and the most common recommendation was to write a line crediting yourself and your blog ("Written by coffeeaddict on Cat's Pajamas...") somewhere in the text of each post. That way, at least readers will know the true source and author of the post; because thieves or their software usually don't take the time to actually read and edit the posts that they steal.
In the end, for my blog, I decided it wasn't worth the trouble.
Well, well. Something like this has never even crossed my mind.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I will have to check this out, and comment later.
Interesting, I will have to check it out, never occurred to me that any one would want to steal post texts! I'll let you know! Thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteShirley: Thank you :-)) I had a lovely evening walk yesterday, picked some daisies and felt much better:
ReplyDeleteMs. M.: I'm sorry the hear about your misfortune. I suppose if you didn't feel up to battling with these people that's okay. I don't mind people using my material as long as they credit me and don't use it for their profit. But this was just unacceptable.
Mette: I was first made aware of this issue when the same thing happened to a blogger I was following. This is a much more popular blog than mine, so I found it very scary that a blog like mine was subject to such exploits. I always assumed I was safe from this kind of intrusion because my blog is not internationally recognized or famous. I guess I was wrong.
Mandy: You're welcome! I believe this is what a blogging community is all about, sharing the knowledge and good intentions.
Woah. How awful!
ReplyDeleteLori, thank you. I tell myself it doesn't matter but can help but be mad about it, even just a little bit.
ReplyDeleteThe only 'funny' thing that happened to me was on a reply I made it had at the top 'edith' not my name so have changed my password.
ReplyDeleteThink it is a cheek to take posts from other bloggers without permission....the internet has good points but alot of weird folk out there I have learnt that the hard way in the past. Ida
Ida: all the friends I've made since actively blogging are well worth the few occasional weirdos. But ever since this incident I've learned to be even more cautious.
ReplyDeleteNo idea why it would say Edith instead of Ida, though. Just strange.