Did you like if someone copy your work?

[Llamalord]

Well if they need to steal content to keep their readers then their site would be worth anything

[liowkc]

I guess the internet's need for constant content update and new contents sort of force people to take the easy out and be a copycat instead. It is sad but also the reality.

[titaniumhijau]

Originally Posted by Llamalord

Well if they need to steal content to keep their readers then their site would be worth anything

Maybe. But if i already seen that content or topic at others site or blog and we see that again 100% same. What do you will think that time? Bored and feel that owner really lazy to create his own content right?

[bindass]

Copying other's work is really a cheap and mean activity...but as all says you aren't a thief till you caught..... but still i am against of this activity.....

[hwang]

Nowadays it's like almost impossible to protect your own proprietary content. Eventually it will sure end up somewhere being copied or either someone else will spin it and create their own version.

[A-NAT]

Obviously most of us are upset when and if someone were to blatantly copy and paste our contributions. But there are a couple other aspects of this that I would consider.

#1 - Depending on the nature of the discussion or the subject of the article, my post may not be all that original and unique. So while I would prefer people putting things in their own words, I also understand that there are others who share the same opinion as mine and simply are not as good at expressing it. That doesn't mean I have to like their stealing my content but it is something I consider.

#2 - It is a relative issue. If I were writing for a internationally or nationally published magazine and earning the respect of my readers, then I would be quite livid if someone stole my content and claimed to be the author. However in an open forum or a non-paying scenario I would take it with a grain of salt.

#3 - I don't see on the other hand how it is that difficult with today's technology, to establish who is the author of an article or a post. For instance after I post this comment a date and time will be connected to it. If it were to reappear some where else under another name it would be easy to prove that. Especially of there is the ability to comment on that person's post. You could simply provide the readers of your post along with the documentation that proves you originated the post. And that would make the "copier" look pretty silly and incredulous.

[hwang]

Ok. point number 3. Let's say you have a blog registered under wordpress. You found an article on another blog which is very interesting and well written similar with your niche. The date posted is 23 Jan 2008, so what you do is, you copy the content, find a blog post in your own wordpress blog with earlier date, maybe 11 Dec 2007, amend the blog post and copy the whole content which you find and replace it to the blog post. Abracadabra... Even technology has its loophole.

[A-NAT]

Great point hwang on the magical date switcharoo.

I am no computer whiz but if push came to shove a simple you could physically prove when an item was or wasn't written.

However as far as I understand there hasn't been a courtroom example or precedent of using a computer hard drive as evidence.

But nonetheless in the context of our discussion you are absolutely right. Anyone can fabricate a date of origin without much effort. I overlooked that in my previous comments.

[hwang]

Ok. Let's not spread this around.
Anyway, I forgot one thing, if it appears in google cache for the page, then it's traceable but once the cache is also updated with the new copied content, then there's nothing left to prove anything.

[A-NAT]

I was thinking of more of internal computer traces if push came to shove. I usually save copies of my good stuff in my document files.

[hwang]

But that doesn't mean people out there in the internet will recognize that the content belongs to yours and you are the one who wrote it. Once it gets published, it is open to copying by others who can simply claim is theirs.

[A-NAT]

Yes you are correct. I was talking more about if a scenario presented itself that it was important to prove the date of origin.

Overall you are at the mercy of people's honesty and dignity. The honor system.

I don't get worked up about it unless it was an extremely important article to me. But even then you have to say "oh well am I surprised that there are losers in this world?"