Glad to participate in the sic-ing.

Don't you find it fitting, considering you stole the idea from that article from another blogger yourself?

As that "blogger" is a friend of mine, or so I consider her, I can't imagine that she'd consider an idea we discussed extensively a theft as its implications trickled onto my own site. Stealing implies theft, theft implies that something is not yours; grow up and understand that a post crafted by its author which shares an impression elsewhere on the internet is not even close to the same thing as the breach of copyright exhibited on the diaryland site referenced above.

Really, is this distinction so hard to make?

Roland (or, "NO COMMENT"),

It sounds like you were saving that one up? Do you make it a point to tear down someone who's trying to protect their work?

You are no hero.

And attacking someone who clearly has a point, and can back it up, doesn't help promote the kind of community most of us are looking for on this grand ole internet.

Remember Thumper. Try to say nice things.

has anyone else noticed that it's always diaryland folks that steal? every single incident of blogtheft i've seen is by someone on diaryland. coincidence? i think not.

One minute it's all there in its plagaristic glory... then next, it's welcome to deletesville.

Awww, man! The "writer" has already realized her shame and has deleted the blog.

There seems to be a sudden rash of blog-theft lately. Another blog (http://offkilter.blogspot.com/) recently discovered that her ENTIRE blog (archives, images, etc) had been stolen by someone calling it their own! (see this post: http://offkilter.blogspot.com/2005/04/dj-vu.html) And the "author" still hasn't taken it down... Some people have no morals.

Wow, someone really needs to contact Blogger/Blogspot/Google about that. I am sure they will see it that the offending material is removed. Be vigilant, folks! This is wrong on too many levels to ignore.

Just a quick comment about contacting Blogger/google, etc: My very good friends work at Blogger and have always given me the best under-the-table support, but with copyright infringements they can't do what you'd expect they could. Don't expect that you can send off an email and they'll delete the blog for you, they can actually only go so far as to offering you a formal letter of complaint to be issued with the US Copyright Infringement board or some such place. Believe me, my website and its content has been "stolen" or thieved PLENTY OF TIMES, and the only way to really *punish* the person responsible is to contact them directly or link to their theivery publically.

Google has very strict privacy issues to they will not just go and delete a blog where copied material is posted, but they will help YOU see the issue through to the end. Google is fortunately not a fascist company, and believe it or not that Creative Commons license is NOT a real copyright, so you can't lean on that for protection. Your best bet is to contact the offender, try to locate their ISP and send a letter of abuse complaint to them AND to blogger if it's a blogspot blog, and then make as big a deal as you can to try and humilate them into submission.

Otherwise, keep in mind that the things we love about the internet can also drive us crazy, and be vigilant legally. Most times you're dealing with an ignorant kid, not a professional scam artist, but make sure you've got real viable means to prosecute before you threaten to.

I have to say this has made me laugh. I usually enjoy your blog, but not so today. I understand that someone copied your words, however to react the way that you did, instead of like an adult, I find to be childish. This person is in the wrong, I agree, but how can you call this person childish when you go about solving your issue, the way that you did? It appears as though you both have maturity issues. And for those of you who are going to retaliate to this comment, fine. We are all entitled to our opinions. This is mine.

Andrea:
1. A person who has plagiarized an entry of mine, claiming it as her own, publishing it on her site.
2. Myself, asking readers to respond to this issue.

Does the difference really need to be clarified?

As I said each to their own opnion. I still think it could have been handled in a more mature way than sicing people on her. Your words; your reaction, but I always found name calling and getting a group of people together to get your point across as immature.

Actually, given all the possible outcomes and means at Debs disposal I think what she did was fair AND admirable.



And most importantly it worked.



If I were in the same position I think calling someone a "twit" is a model of restraint. I would also be trying to tracking down "deliriously_yours@hotmail.com"



Here is Googles cached version which probably won't be around for much longer.

Its not like the person behind the theft got her tires slashed or anything!

Andrea cracks me up!!!!

"I always found ...getting a group of people together to get your point across as immature."

I think that would be called the democratic process and in other circles "power to the people". Let's think back a few years to where this tactic was useful. Ever heard of the Boston tea party, or maybe the vietnam war protests? How about the civil rights movement? How about the constitution, yep, it's in there!

Further, if she finds our very democratic and effective methods distasteful, perhaps she can share her BETTER way????

A truly mature person would not only register her concern over another's tactics but would offer, in good faith, better way?