Need Help - re: stealing blog posts

[Kathleen Garber]

I posted a review on my blog a day or so ago and someone let me know that it is posted here on someone else's blog. Not the whole thing, just part of it and they include a link to my original post. Is that stealing? It looks like every post on their blog is the beginning of someone else's posts with links back to theirs.

Don't they have to clear it with me first? Is there anything I can do about it? Has anyone else had this problem?

[Maw Books]

I get these kinds of posts all the time. To tell you the truth, I haven't bothered with them simply because I don't have the time. So I think it's all up to you how you want to proceed. It is an automated site. Your keyword "home school" picked up the post for them.

If you want to take action, there is a thread in the blogging tips group that has some links to help you out:

http://bookblogs.ning.com/group/bloggingtips/forum/topics/protectin...

[Kathleen Garber]

Thanks for those links, they were very good. The funny thing is, if they had asked, i would have said yes!

[Dave Rosenthal]

Callista, I don't like the practice, either. It's a lot like the way Google news takes advantage of newspapers and other media to populate its site. Google doesn't have any reporters, but it is making zillions of dollars while newspapers that supply the original content are in financial trouble.
The site credits you, by linking back to your site, but it still doesn't seem right, does it?

[Kathleen Garber]

Yeah at least they aren't putting my whole review up there and they are linking back so I guess I won't bother. I suppose it could be seen as sending more hits my way.

[The Book Cave]

No, not @ all.

[Jodie]

Well Bookslut's blog is pretty much made up of posts full of links and quotes back to articles written by others. If they credit you it's not stealing, it's really increasing your exposure.

[Kathleen Garber]

I guess it does increase exposure but I still think they should be asking first. As for sites that have no original content, than they are making money (assuming they are a money making blog) on our posts.

There is another website who has asked my permission to repost one of my reviews on their blog. That's the proper thing to do.

[Maw Books]

Isn't the site that you are talking about a site with no original content? The blogs that do the same thing to my posts have zero original content. They are all money making blogs with lots of ads. Everything is an autobot that picks up content based on keywords. This happens to me on a weekly basis. Still haven't had time to deal with it. As far as link backs to me, they aren't blogs that actually would increase my exposure. They are spammy blogs to begin with.

Now a service that I use (BlogRush) does reprint my articles in online newspapers like Chicago Sun, etc. Now that is a better use of increasing my exposure.

[Trish Collins]

Natasha, when I googled BlogRush, it said it's shut down??

[Maw Books]

Sorry. I meant BlogBurst! BlogRush is shut down.

BlogBurst is a blog syndication service. Your blog is reviewed by an editor and then accepted into their service. An example of an article that was picked up.

[Kathleen Garber]

Yes it has no original content. I guess this situation is more stiky than I thought. You're right if it has no new content, who knows if anyone would actually read it and come to me. Although if they have ads they must be making money on it or they wouldn't continue right? So if they make money doesn't that mean they have readers?

Thanks for the info on BlogBurst.

[Phyl Good]

I'm waffling on this, and really don't know what I think. It's true they didn't ask, but on the other hand, it's like when you quote someone and put a footnote to give them attribution. You don't always ask permission to quote someone, and if you list proper attribution, then it's okay, because the attribution points back to the real writer and it's obvious that's not you.

So this might actually be okay, if it prompts people to think, "That sounds really good; I want to read the rest," and they go back to your blog.

I did take exception to one site that simply copied my entire post verbatim and posted it on their site, even though they too linked back to me. I think it's pointless to have a blog at all if all you're doing is pointing to someone else's stuff and essentially saying, "What she said."