Yesterday, as I was searching for fresh information on theme parks in Europe, I stumbled upon an old article of mine on the same topic (journalists always recycle their articles, fresh food costs a lot, and newspapers tend to get what they pay for). The problem is that my article was found in a blog, signed by its owner. It was identical from the first to the last word. The article had originally been published in a Greek travel magazine more than 5 years ago and now here it was, all the words I used to like back then and me being clever and ewwww. Except that it was supposedly written by that blogger.
The funniest thing is that this was a travel blog, the proud owner of which is a writer who has written some travel books too and has revealed his real name to the world. He is so confident of his copy-pasting abilities that he has published an interview where he is both the interviewer and the interviewee. This interview baffled me. He has posted it instead of an "about me" paragraph. In it, he asks himself questions (like we all do) and he answers, starting his sentences with phrases we use in actual conversation, when we need to buy time to think, like: "Erm, that’s a difficult question" or "I honestly don’t know what to say" or "Look…" and "Let me think about that for a minute". Hey, take your time, it’s not as if you are wasting anybody else’s.
Shame on me for having sent him a polite but threatening email (if he can hesitate answering his own questions, I can be polite AND threatening can’t I?) asking him to take the article down (in order to rewrite it for another publication, yes, got a problem? It was MINE). Eventually, he took it down, without answering my email though.
I had to call Blondie and leave a message on her answering machine when I read the following in his lengthy interview with himself:
"What is the purpose of this blog? (Jekyll asks)
This blog is a compilation of all my articles that have been published in the Press…"(Hyde answers)
and further down:
"What is the most important moment of your career?
I’d say that it is the acceptance of my work and its public estimation, this is always the most important moment. All that combined with the challenge of the next step. "
I am a filthy viper for saying that but I think you forgot to thank your mother and your fans.
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:43 am
I can’t believe that!! How disgusting!! ARGHHH I’m so furious.
The nerve of that man…argh, I could kill him right now! It must feel so uncomfortable finding something like that
Recycling your own articles has to be done, we can’t be machines of originality…
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:44 am
How do you actually find out when someone has stolen your material or “splogged” you? I’m glad you knew how to deal with it, I wouldn’t have known how…ciao
November 23rd, 2007 at 4:17 am
OHH Chloe, you are such a bada@#. i love it.
what a ……….!! of a man.
btw, i think i need that picture framed in my living room. yes. can i steal it? LOL. just kidding. but i love love love it.
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:27 am
The “dialogue” with himself is the funniest thing i’ve ever read! Did you know about a politician who used to send flowers to himself?
Have fun and a lovely weekend!
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:18 pm
You are marvelous.
I love you
Jeanne ^j^
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:22 pm
If you were going to send a comment to Chloe what would you say to her?
What do you mean by that question?
Exactly what it is!
Oh, heavens! Right! Of course! Well…I would probably comment on how entertaining the idea of interviewing yourself is.
That’s it?
No. You didn’t let me finish. I’m also surprised and amused by the fact that he asks himself questions he doesn’t know how to answer. What a loonie!
I’m glad you stood up for yourself.
Me too!
Me three!!
Who invited you? Where did you come from?
-Glad Guy
PS-I hope I don’t end up with crutches in my mailbox this Christmas.
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:25 pm
I’m not so sure how nice I would have been about that. It makes me angry.
But I had to comment on that picture! You always take beautiful shots, and this is just one more to add to my faves! Just stunning.
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:33 pm
i don’t know if you’ve read and/or seen the harry potter series, but there’s a character in one of the early books named gilderoy lockhart. this chap you’ve discovered sounds like lockhart could have been based off of him.
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:16 pm
That’s pathetic. Stealing someone else’s words shows so little respect for the craft that it makes me sick.
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:59 pm
damn bloggers ;P not only he’s a thief ; he’s a moron.
November 24th, 2007 at 5:25 am
Brilliant photo, sorry to hear about your troubles.
November 24th, 2007 at 10:20 am
The guy’s an idiot, plain and simple.
November 24th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Wow, plagiarism is the worse writing crime EVER isn’t it? Blatant word for word plagiarism.. *tut tut!*
I’m glad you caught him. It’s a bit kind of you not to out his name on your blog though..
November 25th, 2007 at 2:05 am
Excellent!
November 25th, 2007 at 5:31 am
Bloody cheek. Good stuff, Chloe!
November 25th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Chloe … You’ve been tagged - and honored - Visit my blog for details.
All the best,
R
November 26th, 2007 at 4:04 am
He sounds like an incredible jackass. Sorry to hear about the cituation…though I think I would search the rest of his old blog posts for more of your old material.
November 26th, 2007 at 4:59 am
My reaction would have included:
-pissed off
-flattered
-back to pissed off
-followed by a call to anyone who ever published his work to report him as a plagiarist skank.
Now tell us his (I am assuming male) URL so we can all have words with him!
(or at least secretly go and look at his blog)
November 27th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Wow. Have you heard about plagiarism software? My niece works for the online University of Phoenix and has this software. It brings up plagiarized content in red. She showed me a paper that was almost 40% plagiarized material. Some people!