Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Copy cat

I've been wondering about how to introduce my new identity as a Wisconsinite to the internets at large. It feels as though moving to this random midwestern state is reason enough to start writing again.


After all, who doesn't want to hear about the escapades of two Canadians in imperial measurement land!

Like me trying to order turkey in grams with the deli counter worker looking quizzically at me when I declare "Two hundred, please."
Or the Duke ordering a half-gallon of beer to go from a pub not realizing how much a half-gallon really was, and thus getting wasted out of a sense of obligation to his already purchased jug of beer.

Also, apparently Americans don't know what a garburator is. And laugh at Canadians who say it.

(BTW, it's a garbage disposal.)

But, amidst my contemplation about how exactly to jump back into the land of anonymous self-disclosure... someone pulled me back in.

Apparently someone still likes me enough to read me... and to plagiarize me.

Not even a real post, mind you. Just my "About Me" section. You know that little thing in the left hand corner babbling about neologisms and staring in people's windows? Yeah, that one.

NOT this one:


Thank you, anonymous commenter, for pointing this one out.

Anyways, it turns out that our friend Katie (she of the surely soon to be defunct Mommy Outnumbered) is quite heavy handed at the copy and pasting. My random googling turned up at least 10+ people she'd ripped off (including the freaking Bloggess- come on, how's that going to go unnoticed?). By the angry comments on her website, it looks like there's a ton more.

I remember these mini-scandals back when I was a little more entrenched in the blogging scene. People were rightfully pretty incensed about others stealing their words, especially in blatant disregard of copyright statements. This woman took it even a step further-- she copied someone's post mourning her dead mother, and another about a woman's child who had recently passed away. You've got to wonder about the motivation to try to almost usurp someone's identity like that. That's no longer about just getting lots of complimentary emails swooning about how witty you are. That's trying to gain unwarranted sympathy from someone else's pain.

But, hey, we apparently both like dogs with cones on our heads. So there's that!

20 comments:

choochoo said...

Holy crap.... To steal posts like that, she must have some pretty deep psychological issues. Why is this blog even allowed to stay up? Surely she must have been flagged about a gazillion times. Then again, maybe it's just as well that people know where/what she is. She's no doubt just start another blog and keep right at it. At the very least ppl know she's a fake on -that- blog.

nuttycow said...

On the plus side, you're interesting enough to be copied :)

Arielle said...

That is totally ridiculous. I went over to her blog and you're right - every comment on every post that I looked at is someone telling her that the post was plagiarized. Insane. At least it got you to come back, though! =)

Anonymous said...

Who does this?!?! Seriously, this actually takes more time and mental effort than actually sitting down and writing your own words. I just don't get it.

Ant said...

I was going to suggest that this might be a spam-bot of some kind, but upon reading the blog maybe it could be defended as some kind of copy-cat art project.

However, the fact she left out the 27 years old PhD student bit suggest she is just on the make. It is flattering in a weird way.

This you back properly?

Sheila said...

Wow! Why on earth would someone do that? Are they bored, psychotic, what? I just don't get it and I would be TOTALLY ticked off if someone copied anything from my site!

Anonymous said...

wow! holy shit! I can't believe someone would do that. What for? Weird! I know, I still owe you an email.

Anne said...

I still can't believe this.
On a different note, where in Wisconsin are you???

Jessica (Bayjb) said...

AHHHHHH I'm so excited you're in the States and in Wisconsin. I can imagine the non-metric adjustment is a challenge. I have to admit, your stories of it did crack me up. We need to talk about meeting half way one time for a weekend or coming up to your city. I love it!

ablog said...

Welcome back to the bloggy world. I've heard about the whole plagerizing thing with blogs, but I've never understood it (or had to worry muuch since I'm only 25% witty). Wisconson, huh?

Ashalah said...

First, So happy to see you back in my reader! Second, I giggled a little bit about the half-gallon of beer and the garbulator ;)

THIRD, WTF is wrong with people? I hate plagiarizers. I was plagiarized once (her entire blog was made up of an un-chronological sequence of my blog posts. Her friends were the ones who ratted her out and found me when they thought something was off.) and it's a horrible feeling. It sucks you have to deal with it but it seems everyone knows she's a fake. Hopefully she'll be taken down too!

K.Pete said...

omgosh - the nerve of some people!!! What a pathetic life she must lead if she needs to steal others' stories!!!

Mega said...

I can't wait to visit you! And I know how you feel about getting ripped off. I have noticed my schtick stolen before. I don't care, meh.

eric1313 said...

Jaw drops with a smack!

Damn! And there i was thinking that perfectly original people were safe from this type of thing. For the most part, of course...

AT least there's not a whole lot of crappy poetry thieves out there, so maybe... Maybe... I might be safe? Hmmmmm... better try and get my stuff published (if that's possible) before someone else does.

eric1313 said...

OK, full moon, insomnia ensues, checked out that blog (in lieu of simply 'taking your word for it')...

Words like "shameless" or "thief" or "plagiarizer" just do not cut it.

"Narcissist" and "chronic liar" or simply "sick" are much more to the point and completely within your realm of expertise.

It would not shock me to find out that that person does not have children, it would not shock me to find out that that person is actually not even a woman.

Brett said...

How come she is still there, there must be enough information to get the blog stopped!

J said...

Have you reported her? I'm looking at her site now, and I'm interested to know what else she plagiarized.

eric1313 said...

Looks like she made her blog private!

Anyway, got your note and responded. Was glad to log onto the comp and read your words once more!

Gabriel said...

Hello, I'm from Brazil and I am using the google translator to talk to you, and wanted to help me following my blog or is there only just entered the link

http://grockclub.blogspot.com/

but do not forget, in Portuguese I advise you to use google translator too
Your blog is cool, or like me by saying Brazil - Teu blog tá sinistro

Unknown said...

You're such a good writer...maybe that person wanted to be like you...Oh! those kind of people who boldly copy others' work/writings really exist huh! how disappointing...