Something happened to me this week that really took me by surprise but made me stop and think. An online acquaintenance of mine borrowed an article I had written and posted it on her blog as her own. Needless to say, I was shocked to see my article on her site with no credit given to me, and I felt violated, not unlike how I felt when my home was robbed many years ago. Not only that, her business is in direct competition with mine, so I saw that as a double slap in the face. Im certain that I was not meant to see that blog, but alas, the online community is really not as vast as it appears to be! I feel compelled to write about this because I have a feeling my situation is all too common. Articles are a dime-a-dozen on the net, and whats stopping anyone from taking something they did not write and posting it on their site or blog as their own? Nothing! Nothing but INTEGRIY, I guess. Those of us who own our own businesses work so hard to promote them and the competition is fierce. Writing does not come easily to everyone, and those of us to do write do so with effort and time invested. So please, if you see something that you love and you want to use it, please, please ask for permission. Very often, writers are willing to allow their work to be used if proper credit is given. Just ask. Or better yet, write your own article and allow others to use it.its a great feeling! |
