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!
>And I am TOTALLY copying your master bedroom remodel, but I will continue to give you full credit and link love any time I share pictures of it 🙂
>You have absolutely nothing to worry about. You are doing everything the proper way. I've been featured by you a couple of times and they were always wonderful experiences. Thank you for hosting such a fabulous blog! Don't even give this thing another thought, just relax and take care of you and that new baby on the way. Can't wait to hear your big news!
>That's rediculous.
You've featured me several times from linky parties (yes, I totally read the rules and that was one reason I participated in the parties – I wanted to be featured!) and I've always gotten great traffic and new readers from it. So – thank you! I love that you do regular features! It's great and is a fantastic way to highlight great accomplishments that people in the blogging community have done.
Stay strong – there will always be a few bad apples out there trying to drag you down. 😉
~Chelsea
>Just ignore that woman! I am always thrilled when any blog features me whether I gave permission or not. It is flattering and does nothing but drive traffic to my blog which I truly appreciate. I love you blog and I love that you feature other bloggers. It introduces me to new people that I wouldn't have probably run across on my own! Thanks for doing what you do!
>The person who made the complaint is so out of line and a crazy loon! In my opinion, when I link up to any party I am allowing the hosting blog free rein on my post. People need to get some friends, find happiness and chill out. I enjoy your blog and I have never seen anything questionable.
>Some people. They should be glad they got some exposure. I am a new blogger. I am just starting to learn the rules in Blog land. I really hope I do not offend anyone. So far everyone has been very helpful. Your blog is an inspiration. Keep up the great blogs.
>Oh my goodness! I think you have more than done your part to express the "rules" for being featured. I was honored when you featured us… and Im honored when other bloggers feature our work as well (even if they didnt ask first, just so long as they link back). I wouldn't let them get to you. There are haters everywhere!!
>I am sorry you are going through this. You are not overreacting. I can see why you're frustrated, but stay strong and try not to dwell on this. You are very upfront with the terms of your features and 99.9% of us are very thankful for what you do!
>I have nothing but positive things to say about being featured on your blog. I consider it an honor that you would pick something I created to be shared. Keep doing what you are doing!
>As someone who has sent you some of my projects, and who was featured on Polly Want a Crafter I can say that it was a great experience and you were very clear in what you would be doing with my project. Everytime I click on the website of one of your featured blogs, they are thrilled with the fact that you featured one of thier projects and are full of nothing but praise and thanks. Don't let one bad apple ruin it for you.
>wow, cassity… i am so sorry. what a horrid thing for someone to say or do. especially when it is not true. you have your rules clearly stated, and you always give credit to the author of the submission. don't let it get to you- pregnancy can make your emotions swing higher. there are just bitter, jealous and mean people out there. when things like this happen to me which of course they have, i chalk it up to that person just being miserable or having a bad sday and needing someone else to make feel bad, too. that's all it is. don't let it get to you- if you do you let them get the best of you.
>Oh, that is lame-o ka-blame-o. I was featured on your site a few weeks ago & you definitely asked my permission before re-posting my post. I was kind of relieved to have you copy & paste my words, actually, because I knew I had worked hard to include all of the steps to my project and I would have been nervous that something might have been lost in translation, since it was kind of a complicated project. You have well over 4,000 people who think you are amazing, so those measly three obviously don't know diddly squat.
>I say 'don't worry about what other people think — they usually don't do much of it anyway.'
>I think you have some justified frustration! I think you explain the rules very clearly – it is not your fault if someone doesn't read them. I also feel that when you do feature someone, you definitely have links to their site, so people can easily go there. Plus, who doesn't want to be featured??! It is an honor! Like someone in the above comments said, if someone doesn't want more readers or views, they should make their blogs private. As someone who was recently featured, I thank you for it!!!
>I've been featured on Remodelaholic several times and it has always 1) been an awesome experience and 2) brought tons of traffic my way! Thank you so much and don't change what you're doing! Also I have to commend you on notifying your featured bloggers before their feature goes up. That is always a thrilling email to receive. Keep up the good work.
Meredith @ Welcome to Heardmont
>Cassity I'm so sorry. What a stinky thing.
I have been featured here and at Polly Want a Crafter and EVERY time it has been a fantastic experience!!
You always let me know ahead of time – and it was an honor to be featured. I was thrilled!!!
I understand being upset- but let me reassure that that I love the way you run your blogs and the integrity with which you write your posts.
You're an excellent blogger and a great example!!!
>I've never been featured, but I am a regular reader and always look forward to your posts. I think you make it abundantly clear which projects are yours and which are being featured from another blog. Keep up the awesome work! Haters gonna hate. 😉
>Oh, please. What a load of crap!
Your blog has sent me all over blog land and added new blogs to my reader! You are like the best advertiser a girl could get!
For the record, I am working on a post, in hopes of getting featured and you can copy every single word as long as you send them my way!
Go you! And take care of that sweet little baby!
>I've never been featured, but I would consider it an honor. I can't imagine that anyone you've featured has been anything less than thrilled! 🙂
If I link up to a party; I fully expect that my posts might attract the attention of another blogger in my genre. That idea thrills me! Isn't that why people link up in the first place?
I've rocked your button at the bottom of my blog for a long while and I very much enjoy reading your posts. It's the best of the best without my needing to follow 100s of other blogs. Thanks for your work; it is enjoyed by this Mama!
>OK, you've vented. I don't blame you. I'd want to too and I'm not 9 months pregnant. Hopefully you feel better having done it.
Now, promptly forget what this woman told you. You don't have to justify your blogging methods (which are completely ethical in my opinion) to anyone. I wouldn't spend one more second even THINKING about this.
Oh and I've never been featured here but I'd give my right arm to be. Well, OK, not really, but I'd sure be pleased as punch.