Plagiarism or Flattery?

Like most bloggers, I blog for a variety of reasons. Its a wonderful venue for advertising. Almost like you are speaking to your customer directly, pointing out an item's features.

Of couse advertising alone is a great reason, but as well as to put some of my random thoughts to paper.. very much like keeping a journal, which how blogging was started. For me its really therapeutic to blog.. and fun! I can spill my little heart out, share thoughts and research, personal memories, fun things, and of course point out features in my vintage items..

I have become a crazy lady blogging. I work with the Reflections of Vintage blog~ where there are 5 of us blogging, my "advertising" blog on word press, my blogs contributed to the RubyLane blog, and this one which includes more of my personal thoughts and experiences.. Its almost an obsession. I'm telling you, i really love this. Maybe a wee bit of "frustrated author" in me? who knows.

And.. we just never know who's reading our blogs, if anyone. We hope to have a following, that someone out there in this big old world of blogs enjoys our (my) ramblings..

Recently I was trying to identify a piece of Sarah Coventry jewelry. Of course i googled, and up comes an item with the term~ "lots of recipes for jello salads".. WHAT? that's MY line! i recognized it immediately.. so i click.. and low and behold, there is my research blog on Sarah Coventry, on another's web site.

This person did not email me, did not ask permission to use my blog. But she did it. My blog, on her site came up in the first page of google search. That alone is an accomplishment. Her web site is beautiful. Well done, and actually a compliment to me. Also, she gave me full credit for authorship and a link to my Rubylane shop.

A few days went by and my "up-bringing" won. My mother pounded into all of us the virtue of morals, ethics, scruples AND thank you cards.

I emailed her and thanked her for using my blog, and asked if it was perhaps "social media etiquette" to contact the author of a blog, ask permission or even thank the person?

Instead i was surprised with her reply. It was part of an advertising agreement with Rubylane that she reprints blogs, and they must be linked back to RubyLane. It is mandatory for her to re print blogs. No permission required. As a regular contributor to RubyLane's blog "notes from the Lane".. my blogs are fair game.



Again.. i have no issue.. and was flattered she chose my blog, and i thanked her. But should people at least let you know, or thank you or something? I know I'm "old fashioned".. but that's how i was raised...to just acknowledge and appreciate things.

So the random search began after this incident. Yep. my blogs are out there. Mostly on peer's web sites which again is wonderful and i have no issue with that.. Occasionally i find an item or a blog on a customer's site.. again, that is REALLY flattering, as there is nothing better IMHO than a satisfied customer who recommends you to others. The ultimate compliment, and i thank you for that!

My worry would be a stripper named Olga and my "History Olga Nightgown" blog being re published on a porn page ~ lol..

As long as my things are on nice web sites, i have resigned myself to "this is good" and "its totally flattering" and appreciate the time the web site owner put into their site and including me. I appreciate it even more when i'm credited for authorship, or an item used is linked back to my selling site. Very Complimentary.

The ultimate surprise though was Sunday night. I was researching another lingerie manufacturer for an upcoming blog and found the most AMAZING site! It "appears" to be the site of a young lady, and it is one of the most impressive, best designed personal web site I've seen. It is tasteful, fun, interesting~ everything you would want in a web site. Sadly, there is no authorship, no email, no indication of who's site it is. Totally anonymous.

She has sections for Fashion, Fitness, Fashion & Shopping and ~ Vintage! This girl has also re-published some of my blogs and featured some of my items as well as our Reflections of Vintage group items.. what a little doll she is!

http://usgirl.info/mothers-day-history-and-vintage-gift-ideas

No.. she didn't ask permission,nor did she even let us know she used our items or my blogs, but again it reflects back to her site. Its a compliment to be included on it.

I know the world is rapidly changing.. and we are loosing control with the powers of the internet. Thank you cards? a thing of the past. There isn't much we can do about plagerism or re publishing .. once something is out there, it seems it is just fair game even with copyrights. So we resign ourselves and just roll with it.

And for "us girl" ~ i tried to find you, googled you like crazy, searched every page of your web site to try and find who the person was behind the site..I want to send YOU a thank you card!!