Frustration?!…. Please let me know.
Please do me a favor, read this post and give me your opinion:
I need to do a little venting… Please bear in mind that I am due to have a baby within the week and so hormones may not be at completely stable levels and please be understanding- but I really need to make some things clear.
Let me give you the background to this little vent.
I was contacted yesterday, by what seems to me to be a gossip blog aimed at mom blogs. The person contacting me stated that she had received the assignment to write a post about my blogs because that they had received a single anonymous tip (with no proof) that I was copying other bloggers without permission and that they are upset about my featuring other blogger’s posts in full. (she- the lady who contacted me, is btw the author of a crafting blog that features other people’s posts too) Just so you know (including the anonymous tip) is only the third complaint I have ever received in the last 2 years out of 1,300 published posts. BUT I have received a LOT of thank you email for features.
So, I would like to address that accusation of blog copying openly- right now, right here, for all to discuss.
I have never featured a story without express or implied permission! EVER!
First:
Let me explain how I feature other bloggers so we can be perfectly clear:
- Email Submissions projects
- Party Highlights
- Requested permission to share great stories that I find.
If I feature an entire blog post in full on my blog it is with the author blogger’s consent either implied or express as stated about everywhere I can put it on my blog, from the be featured post, the contact post, every party link… and it should be sorta obvious from the posts we feature. But here is what I mean by implied or express:
- Express consent from emails asking me to feature their projects.
- Implied consent from bloggers linking to parties with rules clearly stating that by linking to the party they give me FULL permission to post the feature in full. (which I have not been doing lately BTW, since no one reads rules before participating, and somehow that is my fault?????)
Second:
The rules to be featured are listed in my “Be Featured” post, linked in my contact post and on every party I have. I have also started re-emphasizing the full feature policy in my reply emails to be sure people understand that is what they are agreeing to. Is it wrong that I expect people to:
- Please read the rules before participating in my blog, by party or email submissions.
- Contact me directly, if they have a problem with a feature of their work.
Third:
If you are frustrated by the “full” features, I would really appreciate you contacting me directly. Ask yourself these questions first:
- Did I read the rules completely, before submitting a project or joining the party?
- Is it my story that they featured? (if not- you can bet that I did not feature it without permission granted in which case you have no right to say anything- the blog author has granted their consent- it has nothing to do with you!)
Fourth:
You may be surprised to find out that I have had my share of frustration over other blogger’s featuring my projects without my consent, as it was not listed in any rules for participating in their linkys, etc . Or readers being inspired to try one of my projects (yea- isn’t that the point?), directly coping my projects, taking their own pictures along the way of the steps I showed them and then passing it off as their own idea- ugh, very frustrating!
BUT and this is a big BUT (no I’m not talking about the one I am sitting on!) I cannot take back the traffic they gave me from features or links. I cannot take credit for my blogs growing on my own. It is all about the blogging community. Once a new reader finds a blog from a link or whatnot and they join my blog, I cannot take that traffic back, I owe it to the blog who featured a project and gave a link and I am thankful they are helping me to build my blog. I may wish they didn’t feature it in 3 months, but guess what they did, I gained new readers from it and that is that.
I should mention that I am not talking about it being okay to copy a full post without permission and posting it on a blog, that is wrong, Let me make it clear that I have never done that. I won’t ever do that, and I would be thankful if people didn’t wrongfully accuse me of doing that. Thanks!
Venting session over.
Am I being melodramatic?
Am I being unreasonable?
Please let me know what you think.
AND if you have been featured and it was a positive experience, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU- I could use some support! Please leave a comment!
>WHO IN THE WORLD IS THIS PERSON AND WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE? That is SOOOO ridiculous. I wish they would put their blog link on here so we can all visit this "so called" blog that is reporting. Who really gossips about blogs? I would tell them to get a life. Or give me their email and I will tell them for you.
>This is so weird! I love when people feature me with permission or even contacting me and say 'hey I really loved this, so much so that I wanted to share it with my readers!' which is awesome!! I often find things that are super awesome & blog about them. I make sure to contact the owner of the post/image/link though & let them know how much I love what they've done & that I think other people will too.
Why was she 'assigned' to write about you? what makes her posts different from yours? (I would ask her that) I think you are doing great..and I know that most likely 90% of people who see what you feature here head over to the original blog.
Perhaps they/she/others are misunderstanding what you are posting? I don't know how they are….but perhaps there is a miscommunication. Why also would they care to put this on a gossip blog? what are they doing…saying 'oh so and so does this, yada yada…lets talk about it..don't visit there.blah blah blah.' do they plan on gossiping about other blogs?? if so, well now, I don't think that is nice at all. out right uncalled for if you ask me!
well, I hope that you don't feel like you are doing anything wrong…you wouldn't have a zillion followers if they all hated that you showed them awesome stuff. 🙂 🙂 🙂
>You do an amazing job on your blog and you are right to be upset when someone accuses you of doing something that you are not doing. I was lucky to be featured by your blog and I'm very grateful you saw something of value in a project I did to share it with your readers.
I think you will find far more people feel the same way, but it doesn't stop it from stinging, I'm sure. Keep doing what you are doing. There's always going to be people who feel the need to complain about something.
>I hate people sometimes. There is always someone out there that wants to ruin everything for everyone else. I also think there are the people who want to stir the pot in order to get some good gossip. I wouldn't allow the person who contacted you to waste your time. Keep doing what you are doing!
>It has been said that there are no new ideas under the sun. I believe this to be true. Everything done is a version of something someone has already done. that being said, I have noticed a few bloggers that do replicate others work or use their pictures or blog without giving them credit which I don't think is ok. But I have never noticed this from your blog! Most of us are here to gain inspiration from others and share our projects with others. I know I am more than thrilled if someone uses something from my blog…as long as they link back to mine and I always try to do so when I post a blog using another bloggers idea.
Keep up the good work and ignore the comments from the peanut gallery!!
>OMG! Your blog is one of my absolute favorites for going to for inspiration, which is why I've had you on my blog roll since the very first day of writing my blog. I don't think you can be any clearer about featuring other bloggers.
I know I'd be doing cartwheels to be featured, not be complaining. I thought the whole point of linkup parties is to show off your stuff and maybe gain some exposure.
Keep on doing what you're doing. And no, you don't sound hormonal at all.
>You are not overreacting at all!!
>I have a complaint! You've NEVER featured me!! LOL
Well I just think that's crazy!! I would be honored and most likely faint if you featured me:-)
I love when you feature others cause it gives me a chance to met/see/follow a new blog I might not have ever found!
Also I write a ton of tutorials on my blog…I share everything and do understand when I link up I'm giving that blog permission to take what they need for a feature…
I also don't have my blog copywrited or my photos right click protected cause I'm all about sharing info and helping others…
I have a take what you need policy!
When I first shared my Sesame Street hat patterns people told me I was crazy cause I wasn't selling the pattern!! Well I think it's crazy to sell information that could help others with talent…
I have helped so many people by sharing info and having readers take tips/photos from my blog and it makes me PROUD…One lady used my pattern to make hats to donate and another used the pattern to sell them and made enough to go visit her grandson!!
That's my rant!
I LOVE your blog…that's my story and I'm stickin to it!
>OMG – How terrible! I've been featured here a few times and I NEVER have had any complaints with your site! You provide such a wonderful outlet for the "smaller" bloggers to be able to show their wears! THANK YOU, Remodelaholic! YOU DO GREAT WORK!!
Lindsay
Tell'er All About It
>You've featured me and I really appreciated it! THANK YOU!! 🙂
>That`s ridiculous!
I Can`t even wait till I see my post at your blog!;)
I think you`ve doing a great job!
I love your parties,
I love all the ideas, other people show!
I can`t even imagine, why some people must say or write such things!
Come on girl, you`re doing great, don`t worry, love your blog!
And many, many others do too;)))
Lovely greetings…
https://pudel-design.blogspot.com/
>I have found several great sites (which I now follow) because you featured them. It's not like you are trying to pass it off as your own work. If the person who wrote it gave you permission then more power to you and any third party can suck it. They didn't write it and they should butt out.
>First off…let the record show, as you indicated in the two years you have been blogging you have only received a couple of frustrating emails…that is pretty darned good. I would think girls would be knocking down your doors to get featured over here at one of the TOP blogs out there. It is very apparent that email was jealousy driven. It happens, and it has happened to me once recently. I don't bite on that stuff…but I do commend you for setting the record straight..but we all know you are doing a fantastic up and up job over here!!~ Keep on keeping, and hey keep us posted on that baby! XO
>Who DOESN'T want their blog to be featured? I mean really, if they don't want people to see it you might as well make it private! And yes, they should have read the rules if they submitted or linked up. That should be a no-brainer. … But maybe common sense is too much to expect of some people!
>You're not wrong, and that person needs to read your posts. I mean actually read them. You always give the most amount of info from where they came from. Just forget about her. She's probably jealous that your blog is bigger. 🙂
>You have featured a couple of my projects and I thought it was a complete honor! I just love your blog! There always has to be at leat one *#%^#&^%$%^&# to ruin a good time.
>ick. i hate when mean spirited people try to ruin a good thing. i love this blog. i love seeing the inspiring posts and love getting great ideas here! keep up the good work, and don't let them get you down!
>I only recently found your blog, but I'm shocked someone would begrudge the honor of being featured! Anytime I enter a Linky party, there's a little glimmer of hope that my project will be liked enough to 1) be featured by the host or 2) be referenced (with a link back to my blog) by someone else. I just assume that if I'm putting my ideas/content out there, that it's fair game to be referenced in some form or another as long as the person doing the referencing gives me credit for my photo or idea. That's how I do it with ideas I see and like, without ever guessing that maybe that person is upset about it? Any new link will generate traffic for that person and I can't imagine they wouldn't be appreciative of that. It's no different than discussing an article and including a link back to that article!
I think you have every right to be irritated, and I've seen your disclosures about links being fair game to be featured, so I think you're doing everything right. Even if you didn't have disclosures, I believe people on the web should be prepared for their ideas to be 'shared' with appropriate credit given.
>Don't let one person who doesn't know how to behave to others out of thousands of bloggers (and thousands of readers!) ruin your day and put stress on you. Your projects are incredible. I rarely subscribe to decorating/remodeling blogs because I lack the experience to try too much too soon. But your blog features such a wide spectrum from novice to advanced, it is great to scroll through and get ideas.
>Nothing but positive when you featured me and my living room!