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Plagiarized.

No, *I* didn’t do it. Someone else did.

I found out today that someone grabbed my old Blogspot url, activated the feed, and copied and pasted six of my old posts (words AND pictures) there under the name Diana Reneina. The sidebar is full of text link ads.

I am beyond annoyed about this.

At first I was kicking myself for deleting the Blogspot url, figuring I should have kept it. Truth be told, though, anyone could post any of my stuff on any site.

I found out that my old feed from my old url was showing up in Google Reader for those people who never physically unsubscribed to the old feed when they subscribed to the new feed. After I found that out, I was surprised that it was even possible, because I deleted the feed in Feedburner. I have since discovered, in my frantic afternoon of trying to get the wheels rolling on the solution for this, that apparently once you delete a feed in Feedburner, it’s still in there somewhere in Feedburner’s servers. If you want it deleted so that a new person using the old url can’t leapfrog onto it, you have to make a direct request to Feedburner help at feedburner-feedback@google.com.

Only a week or two ago I was debating with friends whether I should leave my feed settings at “full” or go back to only showing part of my posts in my feed so people would have to actually click over here to read everything. I have always left the feed at full because people on mobile phones can’t always click over, and some people just get downright angry about having to click over. I don’t want to lose anybody, so I decided to leave it alone. Today I was thinking how I should have gone with my gut and shortened the posts in my feed, and then I realized that doing that doesn’t prevent my work from being stolen: this person that I discovered stealing from me today wasn’t skimming my feed: she actually copied and pasted six random posts from the feed.

I feel completely violated, and yet I know it could have been worse. In fact, I’m trying to feel like it was a good thing that she is using my old blog because I’m not sure I would have found out about it today if she wasn’t. I have been full of rage about it, sad about it, frustrated by it, and all kinds of other emotions I have yet to be able to describe, all in the course of one afternoon.

In addition to contacting Feedburner about my old feed, I have filled out a copyright violation form with Blogger, left a comment on the plagiarized blog telling her to take my material down, and even sent her a Facebook message. I’m anxious to see how long this takes to get resolved.

Actually, I’m just anxious.

I’m pretty sure of one thing, though. She made a mistake in selecting me and my blog.

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Carol February 19, 2012, 6:06 pm

    Plagiarists suck. I hate them all. Good luck with this M. I know how upset you are. xoxo

    • Melisa February 19, 2012, 10:11 pm

      Thanks, Carol. xoxo

  • Tara R. February 19, 2012, 6:12 pm

    I feel ya! Had the same person plagiarize from me twice. Livid doesn’t begin to say how I felt. I hope you can get this resolved and have her shut down. ALL of her stolen blogs.

    • Melisa February 19, 2012, 10:13 pm

      Thanks. I hope so too: I’m hoping that I get an email from Google and can actually give them more information than what was on the form I filled out. I’d love for them to check out her profile.

  • Toni February 19, 2012, 6:36 pm

    She has no idea who’s she’s messing with. 🙂 *hugs – I can imagine the anxiety*

    • Melisa February 19, 2012, 10:13 pm

      Thanks. So frustrating! 🙁

  • Mom24@4evermom February 19, 2012, 6:50 pm

    I’m just sick for you. Literally. I hope things get worked out soon. What a horrible person.

    • Melisa February 19, 2012, 10:14 pm

      Thanks. And thanks again for pointing it out! Keeping fingers crossed!

  • Susan February 19, 2012, 6:51 pm

    Shameless. Sounds like you’ve done the right things. I would continue to leave comments on every post she copied, “thanking” her for liking your work so much that she felt the need to plagiarize it and leaving a link to your real blog. Then again, maybe you don’t want to drive up her stats.

    • Melisa February 19, 2012, 10:15 pm

      Yeah, I’m thinking I don’t want to do that. Just keeping fingers crossed that things move forward and this gets resolved!

  • Des @StressFreeBaby February 19, 2012, 7:04 pm

    I cannot believe it is that easy! Thanks for sharing the info…I’ll be spreading the word along to other bloggers I know who might benefit from it. Now go get ’em and make them sorry!

    • Melisa February 19, 2012, 10:16 pm

      Thanks in advance for sharing! Yep, it’s as easy as copying and pasting. It could happen to any of us. ;(

  • Natalie February 19, 2012, 8:05 pm

    Hopefully “her” dick gets a disease and falls off! What the hell is wrong with people????? Takes all kinds of trolls I guess!

    • Melisa February 19, 2012, 10:17 pm

      Well said. 🙂

  • Amy M February 19, 2012, 9:47 pm

    BLAH. That just flat out sucks. 🙁 Srsly. What goes through people’s minds? Ridiculous to take someone else’s work.

    • Melisa February 19, 2012, 10:18 pm

      After looking at her profile and the huge list of “her” blogs, I think it happens waaaay more often than we all think, unfortunately. 🙁

  • Busy Mom February 20, 2012, 8:17 am

    Go get ’em! I swear, what is WRONG with people?

    • Melisa February 21, 2012, 7:11 am

      I wish I knew. SO annoying.

  • Ally Bean February 20, 2012, 9:21 am

    I had the exact same thing happen to me years ago. It was horrible. I understand your anger and despair.

    At that time I talked with an attorney who specialized in media law and she told me that if the person[s] who steal your stuff are in a country that does not have copyright laws, then you, the victim, have no way of defending yourself. You are screwed.

    My content trolls were from just that sort of country, so I could do nothing to stop them. My only recourse was to either let them continue stealing, or leave the blogosphere. I chose the later.

    I’m really very sorry to here of this happening again… still… within the blogosphere.

    • Melisa February 21, 2012, 7:12 am

      Well, in this case, the person has clearly violated the terms of use on Blogger, so I’m confident that I can get the blogspot shut down; thinking it will just take a while. Not giving up! 😉

  • Heather February 20, 2012, 11:02 am

    Trolls suck, especially those who steal your work, and more so those who know you and steal your work or know you and start dramz or public blogs about you. Been there, done that. Part of the reason why I have such a love hate with blogging. I am so sorry honey. I wish I could make it better for you. xo

    • Melisa February 21, 2012, 7:13 am

      Thanks! I’m pretty sure this is a random act, so at least there’s THAT…

  • tracey February 20, 2012, 5:53 pm

    That SUCKS. I’m glad you found her, but it is way too easy to steal work from the internet… Sigh…

    • Melisa February 21, 2012, 7:14 am

      Well, I found her but haven’t yet stopped her. Still working on it, though!

  • Michelle February 20, 2012, 9:21 pm

    Boo. Just… boo. But you knew that already. Have you received any updates? I’m definitely interested in this one – and I’m going to try to find a good place/session to ask about this at Blissdom, too. Grrrrrrrr.

    • Melisa February 21, 2012, 7:15 am

      Nothing yet. And thanks. I look forward to hearing what info you can find!

  • Hyacynth February 21, 2012, 8:15 am

    SO stressful! I’m hoping this turns out well in your favor, Melisa!

    • Melisa February 22, 2012, 6:49 am

      Thanks Hyacynth!

  • Brandie February 21, 2012, 8:27 pm

    Ugh. This just sucks completely. I’m so sorry 🙁 I hope it gets taken down asap and you never have to deal with anything like it again.

    • Melisa February 22, 2012, 6:49 am

      Thanks Brandie.

  • Cowgirl Chef February 23, 2012, 1:54 pm

    Just found this post…the EXACT same thing happened to me. Same gal, same everything. I’m working on trying to figure out what we can do. Apparently this sort of thing is often generated by a computer that finds old addresses, or so a computer friend of mine says. I’m beyond annoyed, too.

  • Mrs4444 February 28, 2012, 10:28 pm

    That STINKS. It would make me mad, too! I hope it gets resolved soon.

    Off to check out my old url….