Yesterday, a blogger friend contacted me asking for my advice. It seems one of her students had started a Facebook group much like my friend’s. My bloggy friend was initially thrilled to see that her mentee was growing her business…until she read the group rules and guidelines.
It seems that this newbie copied and pasted my friend’s Facebook group rules. Not a single word changed, paraphrased or deleted. Copied. Pasted.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “It’s just group rules. Your friend holds no copyright.”
I know that.
And that’s why I advised her to ignore and do nothing. But it still stings for her and bugs the shit outta me.
Seriously bloggers. Are you that damn lazy now?
When did it become ok to out and out copy? I see it all the time now. With posts. With pins. With blog names.
Today I actually seen a question in a Facebook group asking how to auto-update someone else’s blog feed onto their own blog. WTF.
We are actually at the point where bloggers are too lazy to even hide the fact that they are stealing other blogger’s work.
50 comments
This infuriates me no end. But it happens.
That just seems to utterly defeat the point of blogging?
Yep.
I had a recorder on my site. I could watch how people use the pages, where they came from, etc. I had a YouTuber that I supported come to my site, I could see him read my post. Voila! A few days later he uses my content for his video and then talks about he filmed it the week before, but accidentally deleted it and how he had been thinking about this topic for weeks. Total BS. Seriously, we aren’t even in the same niche; there is just a similar thread to it. He even used an almost identical title. I did not consider it to be flattery. at. all. Freakin little pinhead.
I don’t understand why it is so hard to admit inspiration? I mean, could he not have said he read it and it reminded him of…? Yes, total pin head. Lol
I cannot understand why people would want to plagiarize someone else’s stuff. If someone inspires me to write a post then I will mention them! I know exactly what Suzie means too when someone makes subtle changes to a post, then denies that they have even the original blog! It’s funny, but I am very protective of my stuff ( I think it comes from being one of 6 kids and having to share everything), and do not appreciate anyone nicking it!!!
I was the youngest and only ever had hand me downs and I still don’t want to share!
Yes! Some are that lazy and don’t want to take the time to be creative. Why should they be if they can STEAL someone’s glory! Bastards! I’d rather not publish a post when I’m brain dead than to even think of stealing someone else’s hard work. Damn shame that some bloggers have no morals.
Great read, Elena! Happy Monday!
Hi Bren! The real problem lies with the fact that I have met many online marketers who see no problem with this practice. Seriously. Their attitude is, if they can get away with it, and make some money, it’s all good.
I have heard that a lot today about blogs that exist to reblog. Not sure why they would do that either.
I avoid the reblog farms (as I call them) at all cost. Some of them can reblog up to 20 posts per day which, if you follow them, will just clog up your email box and/or WordPress reader. Many, also, don’t have an ‘about me’ page. When you click on it, it just says ‘this is an example of an ‘about me’ page… Grr! I think many of these blogs are set up by spammers, so avoid at all costs.
It’s so unfortunate because I think it gives the reblog feature a bad name.
Plagiarism in any way, shape or form is never ok, and creators should know that. I’d also be pretty pissed at myself if I weren’t able to come up with at least a new spin on a subject that’s been discussed, even if coming up with a completely new topic might be a tall order considering how much blogging material already exists online. Learning and getting inspired- yes! Copying and pasting- no!
Everyone gets inspired from somewhere but it is how you interpret it that makes you unique. I don’t know why some bloggers don’t trust their own voice.
I’m aiming to make all my posts link-heavy so even if they’re copied they will still lead back to me ha 🙂
Awesome idea! And that is usually how we find them!
I nearly didn’t read this post because I thought it was an old one. Sadly, angrily, it is not. And I am never flattered when people copy my work. Do they not know it is Illegal? I’m going to find out how much the fines for plagiarism are and publish those too.
Total lack of integrity.
I think they know and don’t care. Sites that are total copies usually originate in a country that can’t be reached legally and who knows, I may be transcribed into different languages too and not know it.
I haven’t have this problem and I wonder why I haven’t since it seems so pervasive. Or maybe I don’t know that I have this problem. Definitely is a problem.
You are so lucky or you just haven’t discovered it yet. lol
I’m signed up for Google alerts for my name and my blog name. I can’t believe how many times people have used photos and posts without permission. I’ve got a copyright on my blog, but I’m thinking about adding clearer like, “Don’t steal my stuff or I’ll go WILD on you! Ha! I actually used to have that on my blog.
It’s crazy that you even have to say that. And you totally should! It’s so you!
I HATE plagiarism!! I once had a coworker plagiarize my resume, which made no sense since I was managing her and our job descriptions were completely different lol. I posted a little blurb in a FB group to advertise my blog, the post did really well, and then I saw someone else copy the same blurb WORD-FOR-WORD with their own details filled in (presumably bc they saw it and hoped their post would get the same attention). Those pissed me off badly enough, I can only imagine what will happen when someone inevitably steals writing/photos from my blog. I will track them the hale down, I will show up to their house, idgaf lol
As the day goes on, you guys are getting more militant! Lol
I subscribe to a paid version of grammarly and always check for plagiarism before I post anything in case I’ve inadvertently copied someone. I also google the name I’ve chosen for my blog post before I finalize. Unfortunately not everyone is honest and cares about respecting the work of other people. It hasn’t happened to me that I know of, but if I did see one of my blogs copied I would so publicly expose them they wouldn’t know what hit them. My little group of followers would ban them forever!
Sounds like a public lynching! Lol Your fans rock!
They will make the thief beg for mercy. Hahahaha!
I had the oddest experience with someone stealing my blog content. I review mystery novels, and someone posted the same reviews but which were strangely garbled, as if run through a translator and back again. They were daft enough to a) keep the links in my articles to my original posts, hence me finding the theft when WordPress asked me to approve the links and b) actually stealing the post that I wrote about somebody stealing my blogposts!
Luckily, the blog provider soon shut the site down, but I still keep my eyes out from time to time.
Too funny! Not too bright were they? If only all our stories ended like that.
The person in question did the same to three other blogs – also book reviews but different genres. I wish I knew why – there were no obvious adverts on his site, I can’t imagine he’s going to find any profit from my reviews of long lost Golden Age crime novels. And he clearly wasn’t reading the posts or he wouldn’t have copied in its entirety on his site!
Who did this? That is horrible!! I mean rules are soooo easy to write. Freakin’ write your own damn rules. WTH? I’d be mad too.
I just found your comments in spam! Sorry! And yes, how hard can it be to make up some rules. geez.
One of the major components of an essay is the ability to have your references totally correct. You could have a brilliantly written essay that your lecturer loves, you get a reference wrong, it’s not marked! Why don’t we do it now? Unaccountability, no one is marking. Yes of course it laziness not to do so. As I would say most bloggers can come up with original work as we read so much that many ideas or thoughts or whatever have penetrated our brains, then we think where the hell did I get that from? When researching we look for the original detail then reference! The number of times I have asked bloggers can I use that idea for a blog post and refer back to you, with the answer being I got it from a few sources and can’t remember where.
Very true. It does happen when we read a lot and things become all muddled. But it is very obvious when all the point forms, in the exact order are in a post. And don’t get me started about the stealing of pins. Another issue plaguing bloggers right now.
Good luck to them stealing mine 🙂 Yes, it is quite noticeable in the “professional bloggers” section of the blogging world where the competition gets rather nasty!! Which is nothing new in any sector!!
I hope so. I hate cookie-cutter stuff, but when I do post something inspired by something else, I link to where the idea came from. I’m probably annoying with my footnotes, but credit where credit is due.
I think that’s awesome! And I’m sure the bloggers/sources appreciate it too.
Hi there. I am in the process of starting my blog and have been doing a bit of research and I believe WP has a couple of plug-ins that you can disable the ability to copy & paste so people can’t copying your content. I’m just looking into it myself do not sure on the process of it.
There are plug ins that do that but there are ways around it and it doesn’t stop plagiarism at all.
True…but the more we protect ourselves to make it more difficult for them to steal it, maybe the lazy people will pass it by. Unfortunately as in all things in life we can’t stop lazy people with no morals and all we can do is make harder for them. Just a thought/opinion. : )
Absolutely! I appreciate you sharing!
I haven’t been around in bloggland long enough to see much of this, but I trust that it is happening and it makes me sad. If someone is doing it, it’s not about creating great content and connecting with people. I did have someone copy from my resume once and it bothered me immensely. Such a violation. Even if it’s unintentional it, as you say, Elena, stings.
It is very sad. I understand inspiration. But copy and paste is just so flagrant. And welcome to blogging! Lol
From what I can see, largely no 🙁 I am reblogged on an almost daily basis, by people who don’t know me and only write about half of their own blog. (If it was all reblogs, I’d guess spam…) Laziness runs deep.
I have seen blogs that are entirely made up of reblogs. I’m not sure what the point is or even why they have a blog. Oh well. Let’s just keep supplying them with fresh content!
It’s infuriating. I see so many blogs now that are essentially made up of copied posts. It isn’t uncommon for several blogs to post things about the same subject within the same time frame completely innocently, and I understand that, but I’ve read numerous posts now where something I have already read on one blog has been copied and changed just enough to make it so they can’t be accused of plagiarism on another. And then, when this is pointed out, what follows is a series of ‘me? I’ve never even read that blog? I don’t know what you’re talking about?’
Meh.
That’s the worst! At least when you’ve been caught, admit it. Reminds me of the Shaggy song, “It wasn’t me.”
It’s not hard to show reference to the source is it. We use to call this plagiarism!!! ha ha 🙂
At the very least, bloggers should tag where their inspiration came from.
Exactly, it’s not difficult.