I'm not sure why I'm still so frazzled by the whole episode. Perhaps because this blog is my one thing. It's my original space. I created it. I sprinkle in some photos, add a little bit of humor, a few tablespoons of honesty, and a heaping cup of love. It may sound completely lame, lofty and unreasonable, but I want my blog to be something. I don't have a definition in mind necessarily, I just know I want you to want to come here. I want you to feel interested, excited and like you've made a new friend when you visit this blog. Because that is how I feel when I visit many of you. I don't want to let what happened on Wednesday get in the way of any of this, or change the core of who I am---I tend to be very trusting. And trustworthy.
I'm not going to change, but I am going to be more careful. Here's what you can do to protect yourself. I confess I haven't had the time to extensively research these methods, but you may notice some new buttons/banners at the top of my page. I encourage you to check out:
Jill over at Hurstburst also emailed me and suggested I check out Live Writer, which is a free download from Microsoft. She wrote a post about it a while back and she talks about watermarking her photos. I think I may steer clear from photos for a while, but when I'm ready to try again I'm going to do it her way. Read her post about it here.
Thank you all again for everything. For commenting, sharing links, emailing, posting, tweeting, and getting the word out. I appreciate it all more than you can possibly know. Ultimately, we all have to watch our own backs, but we should also be looking out for each other.
I love my blog, I love writing, and I love you. I'm not letting go of what I love. I'm holding on for dear life.
38 comments:
I'm sorry it's been so rough! I can't even imagine.
Hi Erin, Today is a new day. A day to feel good, and that is my one wish for you and yours, feel good! Venture outside and unwind, that's what I am going to do, let some small concerns loose into the wind, give them their freedom and gain yours at the same time.
Be well, stay well. Spread some happiness.
Secretia
I took up copyrighting my stuff quite a while back. You never know what kind of desperate people are out there trying to take a big ol' bite of your stuff. Good for you!
After reading your Wednesday post I headed over to my free copyright and copyrighted my own blog. I love your blog and I like coming here. I don't plan on going anywhere.
Looking forward to the cat letting go....miss your sense of humor!
Hi Erin, love the post today, you are so welcome, I'm so glad I was able to lend a hand at getting the word out. I think we have all learned a lot here and thank you for doing a post to share what you have learned about protecting blog material.
Tomorrow is a new day and I'm looking forward to many more enjoying your blog :)
I love your blog and always look forward to your posts. Your blog is already something. I hope this won't continue to get to you because the worst thing to do is to let the few nasty people in the world overwhelm and ruin what is good. :0)
Wow, just hopped over here from The Peach Tart, so happy I did. Sorry that happened to you but thanks for the great advice to the rest of us. Consider me a follower from hence forth!
Thanks for posting this. First thing I did after I read it was protect my blog! Thank you!!
And I love your blog. I don't stop by often because I'm busy with kids and dogs and laundry and dishes and vacuuming, etc. But when I'm reading blogs, yours is one I love to catch up on!
Hugs to you. Thanks for the first link. I didn't have that one and it is excellent!
Hang in there, girlie. The cat cannot keep you down for long!!
In mountain biking, there is a lot of falling. A lot. I've had some pretty scary falls. To the point where i would freak out over the basics of riding. But i took a deep breath and got through it.
Stuff happens, and likely this may not be the last time this happens to you (or that i fall off my bike).
Don't let this person take your space away from you. Do what you can to protect yourself. And definitely don't stop writing.
Be well
Oh Erin I am so sorry this has been so rough on you. But it is totally understandable how upset this incident has made you - it was pictures of your children that this lady was taking and claiming as her own.
Rest assured your blog is a wonderful example of what really good blogging is all about - writing about life as you see it with honesty and humor. Which is why you have so many followers who appreciate that that is what you do and do so well.
As you say, we can all learn from this. We all just need to be aware that there are some risks and guard against them - so thanks to you and the research you are doing we can all benefit.
People are always going to want to come and read your blog and I already feel I have made a new friend. I look forward to reading your posts in the future.
Big hugs to you Erin. After what happened to you I added the myfreecopyright to my blog and will be adding watermarks of all pictures of my kid.
I don't get it. Maybe I'm naive, but why would someone do that? Especially the photo of your kids? Was she trying to pass them off as her own? I'm suprised she set blog to private, think of how much traffic she'd be getting now...
Also, what does copywriting your blog do? I mean, what happens to Missy if she steals something now?
I didn't even want to be on the computer today- had to do a quick work related thing, then checked that my scheduled post came up and then.... well, had to check your blog! Shhh- didn't look (nor will I) at anyone elses this weekend. You have been so on my mind! Thanks for the update Erin and try to keep your chin up, girl. It's a rough go I'm sure and it's the most bizarre disturbing scenario. We all are rooting for you and have your back and we all agree YOU DO have something special here. Even if you can't quite get the pulse of what it is. Even if we, your readers, can't fully put it into words. You have something here and that's why we are drawn to you (even on Easter!!!!). No matter what else she has stolen, she will never be able to steal the magic involved with what you do here away from you.
May you find peace and a bit of relaxation this weekend :)
I am so sorry that this happened to you... especially that it involved your children.
You know how I feel about this, so I'll just leave it at that.
Great post today,
thanks for sharing all the links. Will be watermarking all my photos from now on!!!
My thoughts are with you.
Hope you manage to have a wonderful Easter with your family.
((hugs to you))
xoxo
Good for you!
Happy Easter!
Someone broke into my house and stole a few things. It wasn’t that I lost something to creeps, but that I felt violated. My secure place had been entered without my permission. But the thing is, and it is with you too, IT WASN’T MY FAULT. Do not let that sad, lonesome bitch ruin what you have. I love stopping by and reading your stuff. You are one of my fav and I have missed you. To hell with it all, full speed ahead.
It's just so hard to fathom that it even happened, isn't it? I mean...why? But, I'm terribly sorry.
What about that photo at the bottom of your blog of the girls? Can you watermark that one?
OH Erin...I hope you are catching your breathe. Thanks for the links...going to look into the copyright thing (though I am NO WHERE near the AWESOME writer you are!)....and I did start watermarking my photos after your incident...but using Photoshop Elements after I created my own watermark.
Hope you get to back to that spunky writing soon - WE ALL MISS YOU!
love ya
LE
I totally understand you being sort of tongue tied right now.
She took pictures of your BABIES for goodness sake!
I love you and your writing, so I hope you won't stop!
I can't imagine how I would have felt though, if someone stole pictures of my daughters. That is absolutely obscene.
I write my blogs with Windows Live Writer, and I love it! It is so much easier to me. I haven't watermarked my photos, but I'm going to start, as I did see that function on there.
Happy Easter! (or whatever you celebrate:)
Do not leave us for if you do I will eat my cell phone
Don't let some weirdo silence you..then she wins!
I can't stop thinking about it! I wonder why someone would post a picture of another person's kids? It doesn't make any sense. My husband thinks it's someone that wants to have a blog for writing references, doesn't have time or want to spend the effort actually writing it, so they steal all of this material. I can't wrap my brain around it.
I can totally understand how you'd be a little blocked up over all of this. I had a hard time writing for a week after someone called me "insipid" in a forum!
I hope you're back on track soon. Thanks to for the free copyright link. I did that right away!
I'm really sorry. People have stolen my photos or my writing a bunch of times in the past. The trauma's still there. I hope all the protective measures you've taken work for good :) Big hug.
I am sure you are having a hard time!! I can't even wrap my mind around this whole thing!! She lost because with her blog set to private she can't get any new followers. I think she will be back in a different form...
I can imagine you feel like a person who had had their house broken into. It is your stuff..and they have taken a piece of you. I totally get it! And I am totally going to take you up on your suggestions. That person is sick!!
Ah hell, don't let it shake you. Not anymore anyway. There's nothing you can do to make it "unhappen." I think it's actually great that we learned a few things with this. One, you CAN be trusting...just that it's of the people you've built relationships with in this strange and wonderful land. Two, we need to be a bit more careful, and just realize that their are some pretty desperate people out there. Three, and one of my favorite...there are some really REALLY awesome bloggers out here willing to stand up for one of "their own." It's a wonderful thing, and at least we have that!! So, in my book...we win.
I'm watermarking my photos from now on!!!
I, too, love writing!!
Gosh Erin. I am truly bummed that this happened to you. Call me if you want to vent!
I was informed the other day of THREE sites that had complete posts of mine copied on theirs...one with pics....and it made me sick to think about it. I'm sorry you've had to go through this, that there is someone out there that is doing this.
I'm going to be watermarking all my pics from now on, and will check out those copyright sites!
So crazy! I definitely going to check out those links!
Found your blog through Alyssa and was stunned that someone would steal pictures of your children and pass them off as their own. Also totally freaked me out! I'm sorry that you've had to deal with all this, but thank you for talking about it and for sharing the different links for copyright protection. I've already set up my freecopyright and am going to work on watermarking my photos (once i figure out how).
By the way, you have a very cute blog!
There's no shame in being frazzled. I would have been too if I were in your position! And especially someone taking photos of your children...that takes creepy to a whole different level.
You know I've got your back if you ever need anything! xoxo
I am still so upset for you. I don't know what I would do if I were you. I think yo handled the whole thing so graciously. I enjoy coming here and hope to read a million more posts! :-)
You were really violated in a way. I don't blame you for being jumpy. I love your Blog and hate it that someone was stupid enough to potentially tarnish it for you.
You'll work through this and be back. Don't let her stop you! We would all miss you so!
You have every right to be antsy about writing, but I'm glad that you are! Thank you for taking the time to not only tell your story, but help others prevent it from happening to them (US)! You are awesome for doing that!
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