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!
>Girl…you have EVERY reason to vent. OMG!!! I can't believe that someone wouldn't come to you and talk to you about it! I find it SO ridiculous how people behave…blogging is supposed to be about sharing ideas…and hopefully people give credit where credit is due!
I am sorry to hear that you're having to go through this especially this week!!
>I've been around the internet and blogging since 2005. In that time I've seen several very immature women start drama online like this.
It happens because some ladies start thinking that this blogging thing is a career that justifies this sort of territorial crap.
You must ignore them and carry on. The internet is not life, as much as it might seem to some people. They just need to get a life and some perspective.
>That's just ridiculous, I would ignore them and try not to give it anymore thought. Although that is hard to do while being attacked.
You have featured a project from our blog before, we felt you were very considerate and we received lots of new hits and new readers from it. https://www.remodelaholic.com/2010/06/best-spot-for-summer-chair-swing-guest.html
Thank you for hosting the link parties each week, many of us out there appreciate it. Don't worry about a few bad apples the majority of us love your blog and your work, and we say keep it up!
>Sounds like somebody's jealous of your popularity!! Frankly, I can't wait to finish a project so I can send it to you!!
>Whoever posted that must had had the wrong information, because you ask, or we ask to be published on your blog. And when that happens, it's an honor! So. just ignore that comment(I know that is super hard now, and that you are pregnant, i understand completely as I am prego with my third) But your blog is awesome, and I love everything you post, and was excited when I was posted on your blog. Thanks for all your hard work!
>Cassity,
I have found you to be completely professional in your approach. You have made it clear that by linking up or sending an email request, we grant permission to be re-posted. Even if you didn't offer the courtesy of getting permission, our fair use doctrine in the U.S. would allow you to use limited content from other sources for the purposes of commentary or education.
You are so right that bloggers are a community, and most bloggers are more than happy to share their ideas. Honestly, if a blogger never wants someone to feel inspired by their creations, they should not share them on the internet.
As far as not crediting a source for an original idea, I do think many people can come up with the same idea on their own. So many times I have been working on something I thought was truly unique, only to find someone else had already come up with the idea and done a blog post about it.
The purpose of our copyright law, according to our Constitution, is "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts..," but when we all hide our light under a bushel, our society cannot build on our ideas to create that progress.
That said, I think your blog does an excellent job of promoting ideas, whether they are your own, or those of others, used with permission. keep up the great work!
~Amanda
>I read your site DAILY, and I LOVE it! I was recently featured, I was so greatful and I got alot of traffic as a result.
Please dont let one desperate Debbie get you down 🙂
>I LOVE YOUR SITE!!! Your site gave me the guts, courage, oomph and confidence to do some furniture makeovers. I think your site is AWESOME I love reading it and I follow you on Facebook and I follow Polly want a crafter. Who ever this person is SCREW THEM! Its blogging we are sharing great projects we have done or featuring someone elses great products. I am so happy I found blogging. I love sharing my posts and I love looking at other blogs. I wouldn't worry about whom ever this person is. Like you said you have had like 1300 posts and maybe 2 negative nellies:) I hope you are feeling great and don't let this stress get to you.
>I didn't read all of the comments that came before me, but I feel certain my response is probably about the same – I love what you do. And I have been featured. And I not only gave permission for that, I welcomed the traffic from it! One of the things I love the most about your blog is that you go out and find all of the great things that I don't have time to go look at. I have a full time job outside the home, and while I wish I could spend lots of time perusing all the cool projects out there, it is not feasible. So I really appreciate that you do that for us! I know it is hard to get past a negative like that, but please realize that all of us positives way out weight the negative!!
>You have featured two of my projects, and I was so thrilled and flattered! I did read the rules when linking, so I knew, (and hoped I would), that there was a possibility I would be featured.
>You are doing a service to all other bloggers by featuring their projects. I started following Remodelholic a year ago and through it I have been introduced to so many new blogs (new to me and new to blogging in general). Now of course I still follow Remodelholic, but now I also follow some of those blogs you have featured as well. Everyone is benefiting from your features.
>Your not being dramatic, The reason I LOVE blogging, is the Inspiration-The Sharing-The kind words-The encouragement- ANd i too agree frustrating when copied- IT happens in my shoppe-and so Frustrating- But overall it some how brings traffic-
I say feel sorry for someone who feels the need to critique or bother to contact you..
I LOVE YOUR BLOG-and keep it up..
Karryann
>I love your site…
It is very obvious to me that you take extra precautions to insure proper permissions have been given before featuring some one… I personally would never accuse you of any wrong doing.
I am peeved that people can be so childish – I am sorry they have upset you {valid anger in my opinion}…
Pleasw don't stop what you're doing – I love seeing your site in my reader!
Laura
@SeeLauraRun
>Yes, KARMA should take care of this one for you.
In the meantime, though I have not (YET!) been featured, I believe this is a good time to offer you my GRATITUDE for your work on Remodelaholic. YOUR blog inspired me to start my own furniture revitalization business (& a future blog!) which is now keeping me home with my children and making me a much HAPPIER mom. So, many, many thanks for being a wonderful role model in so many different ways!
Keep up the FABULOUS work!
>Yes you have featured posts from me before and I thought you did so very well. I was well aware. I have seen my pictures on other blogs that didn't even tell me before. You are doiing fine.
Ronda
>I don't understand this complaint by the 'gossip blog'! First off the title of the feature post ALWAYS has the name of the blog being featured, not to mention that you put it in red! Second, being a blog that isn't bashing other blogs, who would be offended of being featured on a blog that gets great exposure for the featured blogger? I wouldn't even be offended being featured without having emailed you or linking up so long as I got my credit and a link back to my sight, hint hint, just kidding, sort of no really just kidding.
>Okay, I'm ranting sOme more! But how can this be a credible blog if they don't investigate allegations? If they did there is no way it would even have gotten this far!
>I am nothing but grateful for the feature you did on my project (chevron rug diy.) I had extra traffic to my blog as a result, and tons of lovely comments! So thank-you! Your blog is great and you have nothing to feel bad about.
>I love your blog. It sounds like that person is envious of you. Mean spirited people usually are unhappy with themselves, so just consider the source. Keep up the good work!!
>I love your blog and if it wasn't for your blog, I wouldn't be following so many other blogs that I found through you!!! You are kinda a preview of what other's have to offer. If I like what you've featured I venture off to their blog and follow them on my own. You are right to be frustrated and it is a privilege to be featured by any blog who has such a large and loyal follower base!!!