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Do You REALLY Want to Use WORDPRESS?

By Laura Cerrano

Home Stager with Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island #888

January 24, 2009 12:54 AM

Do You REALLY Want to Use WORDPRESS??

Rarely does a New York Feng Shui Consultant rant. We pretty much learn to "Go With the Flow" and take things as they come. At least, I do. I have spoken of Plagiarism before as have many of you. Here's a post I did on it: Not "JUST" Plagarism Anymore--I've Become "The Blog Watcher" by Feng Shui Long Island & New York

Not once but TWICE this week I have had problems with Wordpress.com http://www.WordPress.com and have not received ANY ASSISTANCE whatsoever.

My first experience was earlier in the week. I came across one of my articles-actually credited to ME (which was hard to believe) but the article had many colors of blue in the mist of the words I had written.

So I clicked on it. Each and EVERY one of the BLUE words was a link to CARS FOR SALE. I notified http://www.Wordpress.com and asked them to remove it, providing information that it was my article.

Time consuming but I thought they would take care of it. WRONG. I got a note back saying the "site was inactive" (oh, really? How did they just put my blog up?) and they were NOT going to remove it. Thanks, Wordpress.

Today (actually about 20 minutes ago) I found yet ANOTHER article written by me a Long Time Ago. So long I had to double check that I wrote it. Yep, I did:

BEFORE You Feng Shui - Things you MUST know before a Feng Shui Consultation Feng Shui 11/13/2006

And there's the date it was published.

The article tonight was NOT credited to me. I had to ask myself WHY am I posting to a site that doesn't protect it's authors and goes against it's own "Terms of Service?"

Is this happening to anyone else? Please note I am NOT posting the link here because the last time I was plagiarized I did....and got a furious email from an AR member that I was giving that person ACTIVERAIN JUICE. I personally didn't see that as an issue because SO many people read Activerain they will see these people who plagiarize for what they are...........

Any thoughts?

I'd really like to expose this site but do not want to give it Activerain "juice." Writing about my other episode with Plagiarism was what actually got them to finally take down MY article.

Back to my regularly scheduled Feng Shui Posts soon : )

http://www.FengShuiLI.com

*Carole Provenzale has been a Certified Feng Shui Consultant since 1997 and is the Founder of Feng Shui Long Island providing Feng Shui Consultations for all of New York City and Long Island and Online/Phone Consultations for those at a distance for homes, offices, businesses, corporations, renovations, and new construction.

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Laurie Mindnich

Centennial, CO

Carole, good for you. Your stuff is amazing, and taking a passive approach to theft is unthinkable. I wish that I could help.

Jan 24, 2009 09:57 AM

Bill Gassett

RE/MAX Executive Realty - Hopkinton, MA

Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate

Your welcome Carol I would do whatever it takes to get them to correct it:)

Jan 24, 2009 10:15 AM

Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Carol, I have had two Wordpress accounts for a long time. I just can't figure out why they let people get away with this. I sent them the orginial article with the date on it....makes me want to give it up.

Lisa, I never even thought of that. I don't know if they can but I will contact them. Two times in a week with no help is not a good way to operate their business.

Gary, I'm more then a little annoyed that they don't help. I hate having my work stolen and I certainly hate having embedded links that don't belong there.

Cynthia, I was actually thinking of having an optimized blog put up there. I thought it was reputable as well but I saw the above comments and know they haven't helped me--what a shame.

Jo, It's twice this week with Wordpress. I can't help but be annoyed that they don't follow their OWN Terms of Service?

Chuck, Honestly, I'd watch my posts. In most places you can't put Copyscape on them but I don't like someone representing that they wrote the article or the embedded links on a post you wrote--now what I would have expected from them.

Laurie, How annoying this is! And these are only the ones I'm seeing--I don't understand why Wordpress isn't more proactive against theft.

Bill, Thank you again. Maybe emailing them again (and again) might help. I'm sad to see they don't take care of these issues, they're important.

Jan 24, 2009 10:40 AM

Sheldon Neal

Bergen County, NJ - RE/MAX Real Estate Limited - Maywood, NJ

That British Agent Bergen County NJ

Oh Carole, I hear it in your post how frustrated this has made you :o(

Unfortunately I dont have an answer as to how you can expose them and get some support from WP to get this type of plagiarizing stopped.

Maybe as Bill said you can post the link and not give that other writer very much 'juice'.

... hope it gets resolved for you soon, and I look forward to your regularly scheduled programming very soon :o)

Sheldon

Jan 24, 2009 11:38 AM

Debbie DiFonzo

Debbie DiFonzo - United Country VIP Realty, SW Missouri - Lebanon, MO

Lebanon MO and Buffalo Missouri Real Estate

I'm sorry this is happening to you Carole but I'm so glad you shared your experience. I had been looking into wordpress.org but put everything on hold with the roll out of AR new outside blogs. I like how you can tweak and customize the wp blogs but that may not be worth it with issues like you are describing.

Jan 24, 2009 02:01 PM

AMBER NOBLE GARLAND - Top Real Estate Expert, Property Tax Appeal Specialist & Author

Strategic Marketing Expert & Relocation Specialist Serving New Jersey and nationwide! - Marlboro, NJ

- The Agent You Can Trust To Deliver REAL Results!

Carole, thank you for making me aware of this!

Jan 24, 2009 03:13 PM

Gayle Balaban

The Best Spot Realty/Waterfront Real Estate/Ooltewah Real E - Chattanooga, TN

E. TN Waterfront Real Estate

Hi carole I have not hd this problem yet but I do post on WP and find it a frustrating blog to use. I may change to Technorati or one of the others.

Jan 24, 2009 03:34 PM

Gayle Balaban

The Best Spot Realty/Waterfront Real Estate/Ooltewah Real E - Chattanooga, TN

E. TN Waterfront Real Estate

Hi carole I have not hd this problem yet but I do post on WP and find it a frustrating blog to use. I may change to Technorati or one of the others.

Jan 24, 2009 03:34 PM

Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging

Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR

"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Carole ~ How frustrating to have to go through this and not get any help from that service. I was just thinking of using them for my personal blog to go on my website, but will now reconsider. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.

Jan 25, 2009 03:34 AM

Kathy Clulow

Uxbridge, ON

Trusted For Experience - Respected For Results

Carole - Bless the internet, where nothing is sacred, and everything is fair game until you get found out. Good for you for keeping on top of it and chasing it down.

Jan 25, 2009 09:33 AM

Joan Whitebook

BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH

Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

Wow, This is incredible. I wonder why they are so unresponsive. I hope they will see the light and take care of this.

Jan 25, 2009 12:17 PM

Cristal Drake

Prudential California Realty - Fullerton, CA

Realtor - Fullerton Real Estate

Oh Carole! This just stinks! Would you believe that I just posted three articles to my wordpress blog? My friends set it up for me for free. I love the layout they did for me but it is tough to use. It is my name so it is the one I typically tend to put in print...I will think again!

Jan 25, 2009 01:00 PM

Katerina Gasset

The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT

Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

Carole- I hope you get it worked out. I have had the same thing happen to me and I could not get even a call back or anything back email or anything to rectify it. I hope you do.

Jan 25, 2009 01:11 PM

Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Sheldon, It gets discouraging. I sometimes feel that I'm writing for other people :(

Debbie, I was actually looking into it as well! But I can't see dealing with a site who goes against their own terms of service--and allows this to happen.

Amber, You're welcome. Set up Google Alerts and I hope it never happens to you!

Gayle, Interesting that I actually checked my "stats" and come up higher in Ezines. How about short articles? That's a good site and easy.

Maureen, I have a Wordpress.com blog with them and was going to make it an .org site. I don't want to, however, because of this....By allowing it they are basically saying it's ok to do this.

Kathy, There is no way to put Copyscape on these sites. So I believe it is up to them to enforce their own rules and intervening when this happens.

Joan, Clearly they can't take time to enforce their own Terms of Service--or the law. Twice in one week IS discouraging.

Katerina, I haven't received anything either. What a shame, I really did believe they were a reputable site.

Jan 25, 2009 01:41 PM

The Somers Team

The Somers Team at KW Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA

Delivering Real Estate Happiness

Carole - Wow, that is kinda crazy. It is a shame that other people copy content.

Jan 26, 2009 12:47 AM

Annie Pinsker-Brown

Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging - Los Angeles, CA

Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager

Ugh, how infuriating! It's awful that they won't take responsibility to fix the problem.

Jan 26, 2009 06:26 AM

Jeff&Grace Safrin

F.C.Tucker 1st Team Real Estate - Valparaiso, IN

SpousesSellingHousesTM

Can't remember if we have used it - but now we won't for sure :)

Thanks for the heads up carole - good luck trying to get this resolved - I'm sure someone here who knows more about it may be able to help.

Sincerely,

Grace

Jan 26, 2009 08:49 AM

Rich Dansereau

Positive Real Estate Professionals - Knoxville, TN

I actively write on several Wordpress blogs (and other platforms as well) and there is a site that uses everything I publish on one of there sites. I don't mind because they always leave it as I wrote it and give me credit and a backlink. As for stopping it, I really don't know how that could be done, you may be forced to seek legal council but that could honestly be quite futile as they could simply set up another site using a different service and continue to plagiarize your stuff. I know this might sound ironic but in a way you are lucky that your plagiarizer uses Wordpress like you so that you might have some hope of getting it removed. This could happen if your use AR, Blogger, Wordpress, Facebook, MySpace, etc. to infinity. The ability to cut and paste everything from text to links to images will not be able to stopped. Good luck in getting some satisfaction.

Jan 26, 2009 10:56 AM

Margaret Oscilia

Creative Concepts-Home Staging and Contracting, Salem Oregon - Salem, OR

Home Stager, Salem Oregon

Carole -- what a frustrating situation! I had planned on starting with wordpress, but now I'm not looking forward to one more thing to monitor!

Jan 26, 2009 11:32 AM

Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

hristopher & Stephanie, It is a shame....other blog sites like E-Blogger WILL take action, Wordpress doesn't.

Annie, Nothing...it IS frustrating when they allow other to violate laws.

Jeff & Grace, I haven't heard back from 3 emails. Doesn't seem I can do anything about this.

Rich, I too believed Wordpress was good but they're not just taking my articles from there...they are coming from EZines and SelfGrowth and my other Wordpress blog. I do have a problem with this because they do nothing and my hard work comes off as someone else's writing. As for AR, at least I can put Copyscape on here--and we can put our names on our photos. I agree that Wordpress is a good site but twice in one week? They shouldn't allow this, it's against their own terms of service.

Margaret, It's a good site to help come up but you run the risk of someone taking your posts -- and embedding car dealerships (or whatever they like) into them.

Jan 29, 2009 12:29 AM

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