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Exciting Update (8/18): The first Fish Creek House blog I found, the one at http:// – fishcreekhouse – .blogspot – .com went to “invited users” only but now if you go there, this message appears: “Sorry, the blog at fishcreekhouse.blogspot.com has been removed.” PERFECT! The blog at the homesteadblogger site is also deleted! She has at least two other blogs that we know about–one at http:// – etchedbystone – .wordpress – .com and at http:// fvclassic – .wordpress – .com and these two blogs appear to still exist but they are both marked as “protected” and can’t be read by the public. I’ll continue to monitor the status of these two blogs and search for any new blogs this plagiarist may attempt to start up. Thank YOU for all of your help!!!!
8/17 Updates:
And this! Unbelievable! The plagiarized post that was stolen from me and Farmgirl Fare now appears here on Blogowogo for people to vote on what a great post it is!!
Was just notified of this: Fish Creek Watch.
Next day update: At least two of her blogs are more or less shut down in that they are now invite-only, which means she’s still passing off other people’s work as her own to her invited users and may at any time open the blogs up again (when she thinks the heat’s off) and she can go back to stealing-as-usual. She’s still posting openly at her homestead blogger site (one of her 5000 plagiarized blogs). It’s http:// – homesteadblogger – .com/ – fishcreekhouse. Note that I’m taking out all the direct links to her sites in this post so that I don’t help her Google ranking–just take out the spaces and dashes to get there. You can totally call up the Fish Creek House owners if you want. Owners’ names: Cindy and Dan Busarow. Here’s all the contact info, which she has posted on her bed & breakfast website: Fish Creek House B&B, 5913 State Hwy. 41, Whitehall, MT 59759, 406.287.2181, 406.287.3209 fax. Or email her at info (at) fishcreekhouse.com. Also, she goes by “horsewoman” (thank you, Kim W!) when she comments on homesteadblogger blogs. If you are a member of homesteadblogger, please consider asking them to remove her? I’ve written them, but I’m not a member. Notes from members might carry more weight. She steals every single day from people all over the internet. (Almost hard to wrap your mind around, huh?) You can tell them that the current post (August 15) on her homesteadblogger site is shamelessly copied from Green Living Online and the true author is Shelagh McNally. (Thanks for finding that one, Lori!)
Oh, and in the post that contained parts of two posts stolen from me? The part of her post that wasn’t stolen from me, I have discovered, was stolen from Farmgirl Fare.
The Original 8/16 Post:
I was stunned to be notified of this blog– http:// – fishcreekhouse – .blogspot – .com/ and the plagiarism of my posts. People plagiarize blog posts?! It’s unbelievable, but worse, to me, is that part of the plagiarism comes from a deeply personal and emotional post on my blog, A Small Treatise on Happiness. Part of their plagiarism also comes from this post, Not Over It Yet.
The plagiarism appears here– http:// – fishcreekhouse. – blogspot – .com/ –in the third section down, titled The Joys of the Animal Kingdom, and was posted yesterday. The text of the plagiarized post is as follows (I copied this directly from their blog, typos included):
“When I was a kid we watched “Wild Kingdom” every week on TV .. I want to say that it was on on Sunday nights, maybe at six o’clock, right before the Walt Disney hour. At least that’s how I remember it. Mutual of Omaha sponsored the show. I had no iclue what Mutual of Omaha was, but to this day I can still remember their 800 number.
We don’t get the local channels though we do get cable and RFD… Either way, I look out a window and realize we live in Wild Kingdom.
feel like I’m five years old when I see a deer. There’s something so romantic about deer. Maybe it’s all that poetic imagery that goes with them–knights and kings and woodsmen. Or maybe it’s that they’re just plain gorgeous, and that they know how to play hard to get.
It’s certainly not that they’re scarce. Whether it’s the dry weather or increasing population or some combination of factors, they’re everywhere , and not just at dusk when they normally come out to feed, but all day. Leaping across the road in front of my car, grazing in the meadow bottoms, frolicking along the the creek–sometimes dozens at a time.
his is my life, not anyone else’s idea of what my life should be. I delight in happening upon sheep, fording rivers in a 4WD I never would have imagined I’d need, watching snow fall over the hills, and I love, absolutely love, finding chickens in the road. I get excited about things like buying muck boots as they’re a saving grace. I love most things about my life, these days, a statement which I could ‘nt have honestly made in the past. And that, I believe, is what life should be like and why I wouldn’t take back one step it took to get here since I know it’s part of G-d’s journey . It is true that nothing worth having comes easy, and possibly more true of happiness than anything else.
But it’s also true that it’s worth having.
But now it’s time to get back to innkeeping chores. Yes, life here is the way of the unexpected I looked up the word unexpected in my thesaurus earlier, and this is what it said: surprising, unforeseen, sudden, stunning, eye-opening, astonishing, astounding, amazing, breathtaking. Yes, that was today. And pretty much every day here. We are all constantly surrounded by the unexpected–if we just slow down long enough to notice.
And for me, happiness is cows in the road, horses in the barn and everything that means. What about you? What does happiness mean to you?”
If you look at my original posts, A Small Treatise on Happiness and Not Over It Yet, it’s outrageous. And, I have to admit, because the plagiarism comes from such a personal and emotional post, it’s hurtful. (If they want to steal my words, maybe they could also steal the pain I went through in order to come to a place in my life where I wrote that post.) But what do you do?
(Please see today’s regular post below with Princess’s pics!)
8/16 Updates: Someone notified me that they googled some phrases from the Fish Creek House site and discovered plagiarism of other blogs on the site, too. For example, googling this: “do an I dream of Jeanie folded arm wink” shows that it is in a post stolen from this site. I suspected as I looked through the site that some posts about cows were at least partially ripped off from Pioneer Woman, but I’m not positive. Hey, at least I’m in good company.
Another example, she has also ripped off this site. Wow…..
And more!!!
There’s a post here– http:// – fishcreekhouse – .blogspot – .com/2008_07_01_archive.html –that appears to be stolen from this blog.
More Updates:
Well, thanks for letting me know that the blog has now been closed and made invitation-only! To hide all the plagiarism? The plagiarized blog is part of the Fish Creek House Bed & Breakfast website, by the way– http:// – www.fishcreekhouse – .com. So she’s using all of these plagiarized posts on a blog that is a promotional tool for her business. Making money off of other people’s stolen work. I’ve reported her to 5 Minutes for Mom, a network her blog is associated with, and to Blogger.
Another example just sent to me: “whenever I see two lonely black bananas on the counter, I just know. It’s banana bread time” This come from a post the Fish Creek House blogger stole from this blogger.
The Fish Creek House website shows they have another blog here– http:// – etchedbystone – .wordpress – .com. I haven’t had a chance to search through this one yet to see if it contains stolen material, too, but how much you wanna bet?
Posted by Suzanne McMinn on August 16, 2008
8:20
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http://www.copyscape.com
Here is what it says:
Defend your site with a plagiarism warning banner!
It is sad but some people have no integry.
8:31
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8:52
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I’m so sorry this happened to you.
Many years ago, I had a gallery showing of mirrors I had hand-painted with my own designs and a technique I had developed over time. There was a woman who came to my show who waxed enthusiastic over my work and asked me lots of questions. I shared with her what I learned (I believe in passing things on) and how I did things. She looked me in the eye and said, “Why should I buy your stuff when I can go and do it myself since you’ve told me everything?” I reply something like, “sharing with other artists is a way to promote creativity, it can be a stepping stone to a breakthrough in your own work”…..Many months later I went to a juried showing of art, (That I had not been able to participate in as it’s by invitation) I turned the corner and there were my mirrors! Not just my technique, by my designs. She had taken pictures of my pieces and copied them exactly. I was gobsmacked and then hurt. Betrayed.
I’m all about sharing how you got to a place…discoveries and ways to do things. But not about stealing what was in someone else’s head, their heart.
I though about making a fuss about it, but never said anything. I sometimes think I should have spoke out, made a fuss. Complained to someone, but at the time I dreaded the thought of confrontation. I think now I would be braver, would speak out.
I do continue to share and teach. What happened is on that other person…
But it sure doesn’t make it any easier to take when it happens to you.
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Cole
9:16
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Some people are just plain idiots. Sorry you have to deal with one.
9:23
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http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/copyright-internet.htm
9:30
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everyday for the original, authentic posts! I hope you can do something about a copyright for your blog and site.
9:31
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But, when I come to my senses, I am outraged at the audacity! She didn’t just copy the concept…she cut and pasted it.
Amazing.
I hope you let us know how this comes out.
9:36
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Your words drive people to your blog as well as to buy your books. Unfortunately, many people don’t have that talent, and decide to steal from others. You are right to feel as you do, but I would send a cease and desist e-mail, then go with all the other feelings you write here. You are in a wonderful place, and apparently somewhere that other “blogger” would like to be. Sit on your porch, or give the goat milking another try, then have a piece of buttermilk pie.
As you know, you are very lucky, and are lucky enough to recognize it. As far as I’m concerned, that’s pretty good revenge! :rockon:
Naomi
9:38
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A couple of years ago, I googled my name and found that another pastor had presented on the internet an entire sermon I had published in a book. He had mentioned my name as though I had written the opening anecdote and then proceeded to use the rest of the sermon, presenting it as though it were his own work. I emailed him and asked him to give me full credit. He didn’t. I probably should have called his church and talked to him directly. But I didn’t.
But at least God knows what he did
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Hugs from my cat Emma and me. :purr:
Nancy
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10:09
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Sending lots of
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10:17
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http://www.sweetsalty.com/sweetsalty/2008/7/23/the-sincerest-form-of-flattery-in-coopernico-land.html
Also, I hope that you write to this person about taking your words and report them to Blogger! This is your blog and your personal thoughts. Don’t let them just do that to you. I love this blog.
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a brain
the ability to use that brain
the ability to even know how to see ‘poetic imagery’
knowledge of Mother Nature’s creatures
the ability to see the beauty of our world
a relationship with God/Jehovah/Budda or whomever you choose to call Spirit
a life, only because she stole the actual words to be able to have an idea what the word ‘life’ means
something in life because in reality she knows she is so empty of humanity and unworthy of life’s gifts because she evidently doesn’t have a concept of working hard and has stolen to take the easy way
to have happiness because she cannot truely have happiness because she knows she is unworthy
to know how to use a thesaurus
This woman has shown all of us that she has no soul, life, or happiness by stealing another persons life experiences and posting that soul, life, and happiness and posting them as her own.
Suzanne
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At this point in my paranoia I would be worried about stalkers coming down the road to my perfect place in the country. If they steal your soul, would they stop there?
What would your publisher do if they found your latest novel issued under another name and another author with only the barest of changes? Sue them, for starters I would guess. Can you tell how mad I am??
11:13
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But still, I am Soo angry for you. Let us know how this comes out.
For punishment Plagiarizing Thief should have to come face the wrath of Spartacus! And clean the chicken coop and milk Clover (without cookies), scoop up goat poo, give Coco a bath, weed the garden, etc…
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i read your blog every day and i enjoy it. keep it up.
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Get those pointy-toed-cowboy boots in kicking position… and kick you some…you know.
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This totally stinks. Sooo sorry this happened to you.
12:46
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I swear, people will plagiarize anything. It’s happened to so many bloggers I know — many of them not as well-known as you are. And the type of things that were stolen were really personal, too. Creepy!
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Leave a comment and a link to your blog in their comments. Let others know where all this creativity really came from.
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So sorry this happened to you.
1:18
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I’m sure she’ll keep reading your blog. So: FISHCREEKHOUSE blogger, get your own life!
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This page tells you how to deal with people who are ripping your content – how to get them to stop doing it legally.
http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2007/08/17/content-theft-is-a-personal-violation/
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I have emailed her using her email address from her Reservation link on the Fish Creek House B & B site linked above asking why she thought this was a good idea. Bet I don’t hear back…
Best thing I can figure is karma will come back and bite her in the ass. In fact, maybe it already has…
2:36
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I’m really sorry to hear about this.
Its a shame what people are willing to do and what they do without a second thought of the people they are hurting. As previous posters have eloquently stated, WE come here because we LOVE your writing and that you are willing to put your life and yourself out there to share with us. So many of us struggle through events in our daily lives and having your blog to escape to if only for 15 minutes is a blessing every day. Thank you for all that you do and for continuing to share with us – your life, your photos, your words and yourself.
I know you’re stronger than the thief – emotionally and mentally, but know that we’re all hurt and angry with you. And that we all join with you today, in your internet kitchen with love and hugs and great bottles of wine. :friday:
Of course, we may leave you with all the dishes to wash later :thumbsup:
2:40
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I have emailed you using your “Contact Me” link.
I sent you information on how to search for pages with your stolen words and still be able to view the blog pages she has up.
Let me know if you didn’t receive it and I will send it again. Or I can post the info here.
3:08
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Screen Shots are a wonderful thing.
Also ANYONE who has a gmail account can sign into Blogger and report them.
3:10
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She should be banned from blogging.
3:22
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plagiarizes from http://www.roadandtravel.com/roadhumor/funnyquestions.htm, who attributes it to a poll from Travel Industry Association of America.
I could think of myself as an incredible sleuth, but the truth is that you just google a bit and there it all is!
3:49
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I just wanted you to know how much I enjoy reading your blog
daily. I wasn’t sure what the word “plagiarism” meant and had to look it up on Wiki. Dang shame for both of us. Me because I didn’t know what the word meant and you because it happened to. :fryingpan: Anyway keep up the good work! We all love YOUR blog.
3:50
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I agree it is hurtful, especially when you are posting of very personal experiences, as I was about my journey with my illness. After I complained, my blog was crawled with a bot intending to plant a virus but it didn’t work as far as I know. And I had some weird traffic for a day or two from them. But no comments. I don’t know if they are still up and running because, as WordPress says, it is a website and it is very difficult to stop it when it is. On Blogger, you have more control if they are also on Blogger. But they can delete one and start another. Using Copyscape helps you to see if your posts are “out there”, but I don’t want to know right now, it upset me so much! There are other programs, not free, which help you keep a rein on all this, if you don’t mind paying for them….I am not sure it isn’t better to move on, however!
Good luck in dealing with the situation. Chances are you won’t be bothered by these people again with so many responses! I was told by WordPress to not make a post about it but I had already done it. I am not sure if I completely agree with that because this way, you especially, as your website is so popular, can really make a difference in telling people what is going on out there. I don’t think I had one comment to my post before I pulled it. Oh well, let’s hope this scum just crawls off and leaves bloggers alone! It is, indeed, very hurtful and feels like someone punched you in the stomach.
3:51
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that she thinks she can just do this and not even care about other people and what her actions are causing! She should not be permitted to have any other blogs!
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http://www.rakishwit.com/recipes.html
the author of rakishwit.com has a copyright notice directly on the bottom of his page. I’ve emailed him already, and left a comment on gpstone’s etchedbystone blog that another example of her plagiarism was easily found.
etchedbystone is still linked to from her business website as her inn blog. how weird that she’d leave it there and not delete it like the others, or make it invite only.
4:31
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http://www.homesteadblogger.com/fishcreekhouse/
the latest (Aug 15) post is directly stolen, words and commas and cute turns of phrase and all, from
http://www.greenlivingonline.com/HomeGarden/why-wildflowers/
written by Shelagh McNally.
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I hate to say it, but women too easily roll over and just let sh*t like this go, and you need to defend your property. Think of it as you might if a trespasser came onto your farm and stole from you, maybe killed your goats, chickens, etc. Maybe like a varmint you have to get medieval on with a shotgun. Same thing. Find your inner warrior. And copyright your site.
Love and Bullets,
Lola.
5:39
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I’m sorry this has happened to you and to so many others, Suzanne. I know I’m repeating everyone else’s sentiments, but my goodness! It’s absurd, this kind of theft and deceit. Is this person so lacking in intelligence and creativity that she (she?) must steal other bloggers’ work? Apparently so! It *IS* sleazy and I’ll ditto Gail’s thoughts on response #64 — if this person is running a B&B, who knows what else she is stealing?
Time for some criminal prosecution! Copyright theft is copyright theft, be it in print or on-line. Though I don’t know what the laws are like in regard to this….
Gees, I’m so glad my life is boring and small — at least I don’t have this issue!
(((Hugs)))
-Kim A.
6:31
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R.E.V.E.N.G.E. But I can’t think of anything proper to do.
7:02
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Plese let us know how this all turns out.
Blessings from Ohio…
7:20
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Then one comes to realize it is all about $$$$$… profit.
7:21
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Blessings from Ohio…
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7:42
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I want to say how much I’ve enjoyed reading your site after finding it just last week. I added it to my Favorites and come often to read.
I was born and raised in WV and so proud of my state and it’s people. I’m not a writer by any means and have always had trouble putting my heart into words. I read in your words exactly what I try to convey to people about our beautiful state and what it means to be part of it.
It’s hard to imagine people would go so low to steal another’s writings from a blog. Just last week, a lady from a cooking forum I read at, found her picture of a beautiful tart she made posted at another site. The person claimed it as their own, along with a recipe. Sad, isn’t it?
I’m so sorry this has happened to you.
Hugs,
Linda
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Sorry you had to go through that. Good for you for calling them out on it! :clap:
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I’m very sorry you and others have been affected by this.
- Suzanne, the Farmer’s Wife
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Molly
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Do you hear Twilight Zone music somewhere? SHEESH!!
Blessings from Ohio…
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Suzanne, you are an original….no one can be you. Thank you for your blog-I think it’s just terrific and a highlight of my day.
Now, I got to see what the goats are up to …missed few days….
6:42
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I hopped over and checked out her sites that can still be accessed. What I found most appalling was how she closes out lots of her posts with a bible verse. Perhaps she ought to head on over the Exodus where God said something about “Thou shall not steal.” Just a thought. I also truyl believe that what goes around comes around!
I have such admiration for how you make the words just flow onto the page…it truly is a gift and I appreciate it. I have trouble even creating a shopping list!
Just know all your readers love you ( and your menagerie of animals, kids and relatives….Oh and 52!)
12:19
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I’m not sure if this is too vindictive, but have you thought of contacting her local paper with this info? It’s the sort of thing our local paper would LOVE to publish and is the sort of thing that would also really affect a business.
Again — maybe too vindictive, but the extent of her plagiarism is pretty spectacular.
1:41
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So sorry!
2:16
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Thanks for sharing your story. It helps make everyone aware that plagiarism happens a lot, all the time. It isn’t just happening to blog posts. Content is stolen from websites, magazine articles, and books. It’s happened to me and to lots of other people I know.
I plan to blog about this at my Writer’s Workshop blog and to let everyone know at the professional writer’s organization I belong to (ASJA) so they can blog about it, too. I’ll include a link to your post so people can read your story, and will also include the really helpful links that some of your commentors gave.
I hate when people plagiarize. It’s stealing, and to me, it’s stealing of the worst kind. They’re stealing what came from your heart and soul.
5:03
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Simple remedy, time to send Spartacus to Montana for a short visit.
Pete
5:24
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Her profile: inspirations–good people and god. “Liars” bug her. heh.
9:38
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I’m glad she was caught, I really enjoy your blog, you are my first blog reading every morning.
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http://fishcreekhousewatch.blogspot.com/2007/09/keep-your-eye-on-prize.html
She didn’t have ads on any of her blogs, and considering how much time she dedicated to running a gazillion blogs and posting all over blogging communities, it’s hard to imagine she has much B&B clientele. So I doubt her plagiarism is about promoting her business or making money. Some people will do anything for attention, even if it’s negative attention…
8:51
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Be well.
8:51
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1:53
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So this woman is a real con artist! I am on vacation in France and have been in a rural village without access to the Internet for several weeks. Now that I’ve changed my location, I checked my blog and found that a reader had warned me that this woman recently lifted a post from August 16, 2007. I e-mailed her about it and she immediately made her blog private again – within 2-3 hours! I’ve got her name, address, phone number and location. I’ve got an attorney. And I am ticked off. (I mean, I am in Paris and this is how I am spending my time.)
If any of you have information that will be helpful for me, please send it to me at frenchkitcheninamerica@yahoo.com. Please include your phone number.
Let’s work together on this, if we can. Unless we file some sort of legal action, her local paper will not write about it, if it is a legitimate paper. I’m a former investigative reporter, and by the way, Cindy, if you are reading this: I have contacts in your part of the world.
By the way, if either of you are the reader who tipped me off, many many thanks.
Mimi
http://www.frenchkitcheninamerica.com
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By the way, the post with content from your blog also appears here: http://dandianaldn.blogspot.com/2008/08/christian-blogosphere_15.html
I don’t think she’s the author of this blog; it looks like some sort of Christian webring that posts content based on member RSS feeds.
You can still file a DMCA complaint with blogger to get at least the content stolen from your blog removed. I’m in the middle of that process with regards to my stolen content.
Annoying, but unfortunately with my content at least I am finding she didn’t just post it on her blog, she submitted it to other sites as well. So closing down the blog isn’t sufficient to remove the content (and its association with her) from the web.
8:44
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I am a neighbor of this person that is PLAGIARIZING
She continues to have her B&B and has in the past used
pictures of our property along with our horses grazing
Interesting read~ check out the travel rating site to see what B&B victims have reported about the Fish Creek House
Her blog is handled by her hubby~(he is a computer geek)
knows all about how to open and close the blog stuff
There is an amazing amount of info I could let you in on!
I am so happy I found your blog!
NAK
10:02
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I’m curious about something I noticed in some of the comments:
“G-d.” I’m assuming that is “God” but I don’t know why the “o” is left out. Can someone tell me? (I’m no wiz on the Internet, so if that’s a dumb question, pardon me.)
9:53
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I know this couple quite well too, and unfortunately you are quite right. It is good to know that you are keeping your eyes open to all of this!
LN