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Wednesday, April 20, 2016

The Downside to Blogging

Well, I originally had something totally different planned for today, but decided to save it for later and write about something else that’s been weighing on my mind instead. 

One of my favorite bloggers posted yesterday that she found out that someone has stolen loads of her photos from her blog, has started fake Instagram and Twitter accounts, and is pretending to be her. 

This, right here, is one of my worst nightmares. 

This, right here, is precisely why I waited so long to start a blog in the first place.

This, right here, is what makes me want to stop blogging altogether. 

Because even though my world may be full of rainbows and sunshine and normal people who would never even think of doing something like that, the real world is full of crazies, losers, and a-holes who have nothing better to do with their time and energy than to terrorize innocent people. 

This whole situation has made me feel really icky, and I just don’t know what I want to do now.  Y’all know how much I absolutely adore blogging… I really think that I’ve found my passion and I really don't want to give that up.  But stuff like this really makes me think twice about it. 

I know that bloggers are a dime a dozen so the chances of it happening to me are probably pretty slim, but I am also the type of person who seems to have bad luck and fall in the minority for that kind of stuff (hello, being in the small 3% who have nerve damage after delivering a baby and hello, being in the tiny 1% who get a spinal headache after a c-section).  I always seem to defy the odds for the bad stuff and that’s a scary thing.

On the other hand, there are thousands upon thousands of successful bloggers out there with public accounts and thousands and thousands of followers.  It makes me think, if they can do it then why shouldn’t I?  Because even if I try to hide, creeps are always going to find a way to be creeps if they really want to.

For now, I have moved my copyright notice to a more prevalent spot, so there should be no question to anyone visiting what is acceptable and what is not. 

Fellow bloggers, how do you feel about this whole situation?  I would love to hear your thoughts and advice because I’m really struggling right now.

*Linking up with Jessi's Design and Going the Distance for What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday. 


25 comments:

  1. My heart just broke for Jess when I read her post yesterday. Absolutely awful. What is wrong with people? I just don't understand why people do things like this. They must be so unhappy in their lives that they have to steal others. What bothers me the most is the fact that this person stole so much that has to do with her children. Mess with me, fine, but mess with my babies and we are going to have issues! I chatted with a few othe blogging friends yesterday and numerous of them have had this happen in some way or another. Say what? My hubby would be shutting down my blog and social media immediately. Ugh. It does scare me.

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  2. I was so disgusted when I read that post yesterday. Just awful! People are going to be crazy though. Not just with blogging, but with any social media account. My thought is that no matter how much you try to censor yourself, the crazies who want to do something like that are going to do it regardless. I really, really hope you decide to stick with it!

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  3. I was so sad when I read this. I can't even imagine the nerve of some people!! Its terrible. When someone first suggested to me that I needed to make my insta profile public I was really nervous about it. After reading about Jess I am tempted to go back to private. I mainly post/blog about my kids and the fact that someone could so easily take that and make it "their own" freaks me out!! I can't imagine the violation she is feeling.

    On a side note.. tell me more about your copyright notice? is this something I should include on my page...on the off chance that this were to happen to me?

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  4. I read her post yesterday and felt horrible for her. I don't want to imagine how that would feel to be violated like that.

    I'm with the commenter above me....should I get a copyright notice? How did you come up with yours?

    Sarah at MeetTheShaneyfelts

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  5. I had a completely different post lined up for today, but then decided I didn't even want to post what I originally scheduled. I'm so torn. I just don't know what to do. :( I feel just terrible for her!

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  6. I felt awful reading Jess's story too, I can't even imagine that kind of violation. The way I think of it is, if you stop blogging, you might as well stop all other social media because your pictures are everywhere, Facebook, IG, etc. So in my mind, I know I probably won't shut down my Facebook or IG so I will continue to blog, but that could TOTALLY change if something like this ever happened to me. I guess I won't know what I would do until I'm in that situation which is hopefully never. Ugh it's just so unfair we even have to think about this stuff.

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  7. Oh my gosh!! That is probably the scariest thing ever! I need to go read her post. Ugh icky is right :(

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  8. When I read her blog post yesterday I was so sadden.. It could happen to any of us. This world is so scary. I am going to have to start copyrighting my pics. So sad....
    Chelsea@ http://thewilliamsjourney1.blogspot.com

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  9. YES this has me FREAKING out too but I haven't done anything yet because I'm sooooo freaked out and don't know where to start lol.
    Off to add a copyright thing somewhere

    Simply Shaunacey

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  10. OH MY GOSH! This is awful! I would HATE for this to happen to anyone...I don't understand why people do the things they do. So scary...I am not sure who you are talking about, but I really hope things with her and her blog are okay and she is able to shut down the impersonator.
    xo, Lily
    Beauty With Lily

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  11. I've been MIA the past few days and just read it. Wow. Just wow. I just made my IG account private. I'm wondering if I should change my blog settings to invite only too. So scary.

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  12. I haven't read thr blog that you were referring, too, but I have thought about this many times since I started blogging in January. I would like more info on your copyright notice, too.

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  13. So many thoughts on this.. I was sick yesterday thinking about it and I was 99% to the point of just quitting. But my husband encouraged me not too... to not let the few creepers ruin my passion. I did think a lot about it though and I decided to make IG private. I think that is what makes me the most uncomfortable.. being able to search tags and see pictures... and IG didn't send that much traffic to my blog anyways, so I'm ok with disconnecting the two. I'll just keep posting pics on IG to the followers I have now (I went through and purged a bunch of odd looking ones) and I'm not going to use hashtags anymore. So my IG is back to just being me, and not really my blog. I'm going to keep blogging and will watermark pics, or maybe just post a few less pics.. but I don't want to give up writing. Don't quit... I love your blog too much!! I'm just really cutting back on "promoting" my blog especially through IG. And I feel at peace with that.

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  14. Ugh. I just read it. Terrible...it makes me sick. I love to blog, but I may completely change how I go about it. Perhaps less pics of the kiddos, more projects, more house stuff, more kids' products...it scares me that their little innocent faces could be out there in someone else's hands...

    Sending virtual hugs to all my blogging buddies!!!

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    1. Yes, I'm thinking the same thing! Hugs, Marie! Love you, girl!

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  15. I also struggle with this, and it's why I won't post pictures of or the names of my children. I'm too paranoid and I know everyone else does it but I don't even share pics on my private Facebook or Instagram.. needless to say it makes my family mad haha

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  16. I was so sickened when I read her blog yesterday. It's just so awful, I hate it. Why do people have to do things like that? I had something in the works for a blog post today, but I honestly just don't feel like posting anything at all right now. I just hate it for her and fear of something similar happening to me!

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  17. I had no idea that this was happening! How scary. I never noticed your copyright before and it makes me wonder if I should put one up as well...
    Evelina @ Fortunate House

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  18. There are some serious creeps in the world! A few years after I started blogging I got an email asking if I knew a person who was commenting on my blog. Apparently that person who was commenting had stolen the identity and all the photos and was writing her own blog using them. It's so awful. There really is a downside of blogging and sometimes it hits me that I want to quit, but I just do my best to protect my privacy as much as I possibly can.

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  19. Ugh, I know. This made me sick to my stomach. Just awful.

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  20. Also, did you just make your own copyright? I need to put one up on my blog.

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  21. Oh my gosh that is just terrifying!! I'll do the copyright asap!! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

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  22. Definitely doing that copyright thing very soon!

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  23. This is my biggest fear with blogging and social media. I want to share photos of Lilly and myself and my life but I want to share it for the people who care and won't hurt me or my family. I have a copyright up but I just hope it will not happen to any of us!

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    1. Me too, Annie. It sucks that bad people have to ruin it for everyone.

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