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Does no one have ethics anymore?

by Andrew K
8 replies
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Hi all, I contemplated the best place to talk and ask others about an issue that has come up and decided on this forum.

Until recently I have stayed pretty well under the radar but I decided a few months back to reveal my true self to the online world. In order to monitor what reactions and what activity my name and my new blog were recieving I setup some google alerts.

So I get an alert and I go to check out the site. What I find is a scraper blog. On this blog I find around 10 articles that have been posted using my own name (its a pretty unique name and you'd be lucky to find 10 other in the world with the same name). I considered for a moment that perhaps its someone with the same name.

That was right until I scrolled down to the first post and found one that I did actually write. So I look at the post and sure as anything, its been scraped, but the hack removed the link back to my original article. This article is on my own blog post as well as, in a rewrite, on ezine articles and goarticles.

So I continue to look through at the other posts that are there listed as being written by me. All of these actually kept the back link in place. When I followed a few of those links back to the original content I found that the articles were genuine and all but one were good quality and posted with the original authors name.

So I'd like to know your thoughts and opinions. I am in two minds about what to do. On the one hand I am not happy about the fact that this spammer is using my name on other peoples posts to scrape onto his own pathetic blog. On the other hand its publicity, maybe not good publicity and maybe not very effective or far reaching but its publicity all the same.

I'm also wondering what your opinons are in regard to informing the original authors and perhaps notifying Google. As we know Google despises copyright theft so at the very least it could potentially have this joker banned from google which is exactly what he wouldn't want.

Looking forward to your replies.
  • Profile picture of the author Profnet
    I've been online a long time (something like 11 years). I've written a ton (maybe two tons) of stuff to this point. It started getting "stolen" almost from Day One. It really ticked me off and in the beginning I actually hunted the thieves down and cut them off at their knees. Today, it would be a full time job for me to do that. I would get nothing else done. And I would make no money.

    The thing I figured out is that not too many people who steal stuff are all that motivated to continue to do the work (or continue to do ANY work) that is needed to have what they stole from me, do them any good.

    Yeah, from an ethics point of view, it sucks. But these people are lazy, lazy, lazy (unless they have something PERSONAL against you - then they are motivated, motivated, motivated - but that's a different topic). I don't have enough hours in the day to work on finding these people.

    It's sorta like how I feel about the rabbits in my garden. If I plant enough goodies in the garden, I won't miss what the rabbits eat.

    Respectfully,

    Nancy Roebke
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    • Profile picture of the author Andrew K
      Hi Nancy thanks for your input. I completely understand and agree with what your saying here and it's not the stolen content that has me concerned. It's the idea that this guy is stripping the original authors name and placing my name as the author. It almost seems to be an effort to deflect any perceived liability of copyright infringement away from himself and onto me.
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      Make it a great day!
      Andrew

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  • Profile picture of the author webpromotions
    No...most people don't have ethics anymore, and if you do, you're labeled as a 'marketer who hates being marketed to'.

    In line with your post, one of the most senior members on this forum (based on post count) was 'convicted' of article plagiarism on this very forum in one particular thread...but that topic quickly faded away, only to be shadowed by the 'thanks' of the yes-men crowd.
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    • Profile picture of the author Andrew K
      Hi Doug. Yes I kind of got that feeling. I wasn't aware of the conviction you spoke about though so thanks for that info. I guess I'll have to resolve myself to the idea that I am in the minority.

      I'm not a yes man, and I have no issue with being marketed to, and I'd never be caught dead using black hat techniques and producing spammy blogs or content.

      Yet I am still successful in my own field so maybe there is somethine for the yes men to learn from there.

      Thanks for your input.
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      Make it a great day!
      Andrew

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    • Profile picture of the author MikeAmbrosio
      Andrew - at the end of the day if your content is being used in a manner you don't approve of, then I would take steps to have it removed. Your content is supposed to benefit you.

      As far as informing other authors, ask yourself if you would want others to inform you of this.

      Originally Posted by Doug English View Post

      No...most people don't have ethics anymore, and if you do, you're labeled as a 'marketer who hates being marketed to'.
      Really?

      I have a ton of ethics. And I love being marketed to. Those who don't like being marketed to are USUALLY not marketers, but are mostly opportunity seekers looking to make fast, easy money.

      Being marketed to is THE best way (in our business) to learn how to, and how NOT to market.

      Mike
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      Are you protecting your on line business? If you have a website, blog, ecommerce store you NEED to back it up regularly. Your webhost will only protect you so much. Check out Quirkel. Protect yourself.

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      • Profile picture of the author Hasan Barbary
        Originally Posted by MikeAmbrosio View Post

        Andrew - at the end of the day if your content is being used in a manner you don't approve of, then I would take steps to have it removed. Your content is supposed to benefit you.
        I agree with this, but I also feel that you have to pick your battles. Every time I write a blog post or publish an article, I see it scraped within 2-3 days. Sometimes with my links intact, sometimes not.

        But to directly address the OP's question, YES, there are still people ~ even internet marketers ~ who try to "Do the Right Thing". But the nature of online leverage is such that bad practices propogate as quickly as good ones, and if unethical tactics are found to be profitable (at least in the short term), there will always be a lowest-common-denominator of bandwagoners who give the good guys a headache.

        Is the battle worth your time? That's the question I try to ask myself. And I wish more people would, especially given all the drama & vitriol present on this very forum in the last week. One thing is for certain ~ there is NO direct correlation between ethics, common courtesy, and post count.
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  • Profile picture of the author slvrsrfr
    i think there are people out there with tons of ethics. it's just the odd ones that prove the exception to the rule i think.

    if you think this is particularly egregious and perhaps it is, then maybe looking into squashing this bug is a good call. if anything it'll inform you of the kind of effort involved and how google etc, support you.

    and from that, i'd be very interested to hear how it goes. sometimes you have to make a stand, but only you can decide when that is.
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    What would you do IF you could do it?
    After twelve years of therapy my psychiatrist said something that brought tears to my eyes. He said, "No hablo ingles."
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  • Profile picture of the author artwebster
    Here we have that eternal topic - "Is stealing on the internet something we should do something about?"

    Just about every time this topic is raised the answers always seem to be that it is too difficult to trap the thieves.

    You can plant as many greens as you like in your garden so you don't miss what the rabbits eat until the rabbits become so numerous (because of their great diet) that your garden is no longer able to support both you and them.

    Then of course, the humane members of society will say you can't kill the poor bunnies - even if they are vermin.
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    You might not like what I say - but I believe it.
    Build it, make money, then build some more
    Some old school smarts would help - and here's to Rob Toth for his help. Bloody good stuff, even the freebies!

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