I know I’ve been trying to find the words to write on a subject matter close to my heart. I’m not succeeding. In part, I suffer from TMS syndrome: too much sermon. Every preacher makes this mistake on occasion—they preach a great sermon that should have been a sermon series. It’s as if we’re on speed and feel the need to cram a lifetime’s worth, or at least a month’s worth, of information into one 12 minute sermon afraid we might not get another chance at making our point. If preachers did speed, that is.
But, I’ve also been derailed in the past day. I’m finding it difficult to focus on writing about abundance when I’m reeling. The ugly side of the blogosphere reared its Cerberus head last night, and bit me in the ass. OUCH! I’m going to spare you the particulars—in part because it involves the crafting world and that crowd looks all lovely dovey on the surface but when one of their own is “threatened” (Or in this case called out for stealing!) they can slip into “group think” without a thought… and then the hate starts flying. I’m not so interested in being the subject of such vile, considering my backside is still smarting from the first bite!
The bottom line (oh, bad, bad pun Wende!) is that a blogger, uh, reproduced a design of mine and passed it off as her own on her blog. No, “Hey, saw this at evidently, thought I’d try it myself…” Nope! Instead, she presented the idea as her own and now has hundreds of comments from rabid fans telling her how smart and funny and wonderful and amazing… and now I’m hurling…and crafty she is. Hundreds of comments.
Obviously, this is no ordinary small time blogger. No, this is a member of the crafting pantheon. She has a book deal. An agent. A press person. I’m sure Julia Roberts will play her in the made for TV movie if Lifetime ever gets around to filming her halcyon days somewhere in pastoral America. I just wonder where her lawyer is? It is only a matter of time before she is selling my design. And laughably, she will sell out in a few hours charging 3 times what I do. The injustice of it doesn’t escape me. But I suspect it hasn’t occurred to her.
This is not the first time I’ve seen myself on her blog. In fact, I’ve had friends comment how much of what I do seems to show up, “elsewhere”. But this is the first time where it’s obvious. I even know where she got the info… I was stupid enough to comment about the project on a mutual friend’s blog. Oh. My. I don’t think it’s blatant plagiarism. I suspect she and I are on similar wavelengths. We possess a similar world view—so, it’s not all that unusual that we’d be talking about, creating, crafting, and blogging on similar plane once in awhile. There is just one difference, besides our geographical locations—I would never take her work and pass it off as my own.
It’s that simple.
To say that I’m stunned is to only begin to express my frustration. I’m wondering exactly how thin the ethical line is that most of these crafty bloggers tout. Trust me, I couldn’t get away with pulling the same stunt in my world. And the only conclusion I come to is this: “thou shalt not plagiarize” doesn’t apply if you’ve got an agent. Trees that are cut down in the forest do not make a sound if the lumberjack who fells them has a 3 volume book deal with Random House.
Anyhow, as you can imagine, I’ll need to simmer down a bit—gain a bit of composure before I start writing about those lovely November themes. A big thank you to IZ and Kathleen, who have patiently listened to me rant and cry and lament and make more of this than I probably should. Coffee, raspberry crumble bars, and good conversation have been balm for my soul. Thank you… and somebody pass the Bactine.
Oh geez. I’ve been wondering why you haven’t been twittering. Sorry you’ve been caught up in this crap. I can’t imagine anyone throwing hate at you.
And pssssst……who is it? Tell me.
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Yeah, I won’t break that easily. Nice try. I’m on to your wily ways. 😀 ~W
((((((((((hugs))))))))))))
That is the suckiest. 🙁 I hope you get the red out soon. NOT FAIR!!!
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No, not fair. But from what I’m hearing via the grapevine… I’m not alone. Which makes me sad and weirdly comforted. Apparently, misery does indeed love company. ~W
To the bad bloggers: BOO…HISS!!! To you: *big hugs*.
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Thank you! 😀 ~W
I wish I knew what to tell you. I wish I knew an attorney with big, sharp teeth. Sometimes people suck.
I am sending you a case of Bactine. In the care package you will also find a certain blogger’s address, a map, driving directions, a case of toilet paper, some rotten produce and instructions on performing a proper ceremonial rain dance. You can take it from there.
Besides, isn’t it time Boy Wonder learned the fine art of TP’ing?
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Oh, sure, corrupt my child. Sadly, the airfare involved for such a venture would be exorbitant. I’d rather fly to Hawaii. Know anyone in Hawaii who’s wronged me? 😀 Hee… ~W
I’m going to have to cut a bitch, aren’t I?
Just let me at’er!
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As entertaining as that would be… and considering your way with words, it would be… I’m going to pass on the temptation to get even. But THANK YOU. The thought of revenge is as far as I’m going to allow myself to go. But I have these images of doing a West Side Story spoof about Crafters. Y’all flashing crochet hooks for knives. Makes me giggle. 😀 ~W
Geez. What, is this going around this month or WHAT? It is a strange combination of 2 worlds, this blog thing…for sure.
I had a fantastic discaussion with a very dear friend just yesterday about this topic (let’s just say ‘copying’)…and she said something very smart. Well, her husband did…as we we in the throes of wallowing and anger and flabbergastration. He said, “Yes, but *!* cannot replace you. They can take and make and say and whatever, but they will not replace you… and we all want YOU, not her, and YOUR stuff your stories your language…YOU. Not her. That has to be enough in this case.”
Sorry for the long comment, but I am feeling your pain.
There are a lot of people out there who love YOU.
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Sweetie, thank you for your words. It breaks my heart to know that this happened to you, too. That it’s the same person makes me question her publisher’s due diligence. We could start our own club… print t-shirts. I even have a clever quip for it… 😉 ~W
huh… well that bites.
I saw two of my designs show up in a magazine in the Same Article. No mention of me… or to me. I haven’t said anything because they made small changes and this is a Very Popular Magazine.. But it still makes me sad inside. All I would have wanted was a little aknowledgement.
email me who it is… I wanna leave a snarky comment. ” hey didn’t I see this on Evidently?
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Oh, Bethany. That just STINKS. I think it would be even worse to see it in print. (And I know that’s where this is headed, so I think I’ll NOT buy her book… or look at it in the store… or stalk it on Amazon.) I think you hit the nail on the head here… it’s about acknowledgment. This doesn’t honor your creativity or your humanity. Perhaps I’m too black and white about this, but I really feel taking from another blogger and not giving props is tantamount to stealing. Not just the item, but a little bit of that person’s humanity too. Because they cease to be a person to you, but a “source” for ideas. I’ve always said people can take, and do, and modify—just source back. CLEARLY, it’s time for a Muse’s Union. We should go on strike, darling.
And that you’re willing to defend me… is more than enough. I’m all good. Thank you! 😀 ~W
Wende,
Where are your designs? I was looking for them on your site. I am so sorry to hear about this.
~Kim
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Kimberly, the post in question was put up months ago–and it’s more of a case of an idea and execution being taken. If I go into particulars, then it will be come VERY obvious who I’m talking about—and I needed to vent my frustration… not start a flame war in the comments sections of our blogs. 😀 I’m trying to take the peaceful way out of this, while still honoring how I feel about it. ~W
You sell it first, and I will buy it. The trick to avoid getting copied is to produce crap…written or otherwise. It’s worked for me for all of my years. Can you give up your creative, clever ways and do that?
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Heh… that reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon… I have it saved around here somewhere… if I find it, I’ll send it along. I don’t think I can post it for copyright issues… I think. I’ll see. ANYHOW, that’s funny. And it made my day. 😀 ~W
Heh – put out crap – that’s funny. Well, I suppose it is proof that @#$@Q$ Q%$Q$# has taste in that they copied you. What’s disgusting is that they’ve copied other people’s ideas and claimed them as their own too. Where’s the the Buddha in that? Oh well, I hear karma can be a bitch…
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I think that might be what gets me most. I suppose, as a person of faith, I fall down too–and I probably don’t live up to my own convictions like I should. I’m working on snagging the “log” out of my eye… but dang, this doesn’t feel like a “splinter in my neighbor’s eye” to me. It feels like a freakin’ forest. …. trying not to judge. Not succeeding. ~W
Well…it’s nice to “not judge” but gheeze honey…it’s so darned unfair (yes, sometimes my motto) when you yourself are the honest kind of person who would not think of doing something like this…it totally stings. A good friend of mine went into a large movie studio with a cute idea for a movie…a zeebra who ran horse races and won! He had the script written and everything…they decided to pass…They made the movie anyway, and he had nary a leg to stand on…the movie? Racing Stripes…
I also learned years ago (ahem) in college, that if you change a design just a mere 20%…guess what? It’s yours…nice eh?
At any rate, all unfairness aside, I am so sorry to hear about this…I would think that from your own archives, you could produce the date you made your design and actually have a leg to stand on, if you wanted to pursue the matter…which would probably be costly and not make you feel vindicated…
It was Martha Stewart wasn’t it?
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Seriously, I worship Martha so much, I’d be so jazzed she stole from me… and I’d be telling the world about it. Heh. 😀 That’s sad, huh?
20% OMG. You’re kidding me. See, in my world… words are words. And 20% would mean FLUNKING OUT. Sheesh. I’m in shock.
What’s really kind of sad, is to realize that someone I admired enough to have on my links list and read is, uh, a fraud. Joy. Some judge of character I am, huh?
In other news… which I should blog about, really, I’m kinda worked up that my Doctor refused to call me overweight today. REFUSED. Um. AND some care nearly crashed into ours today, out of the blue, just merged into our land and into us. Is there some weird astral thing going on that I should be made aware of… because, people are just whack today! 😀 ~W
It is amazing what some people will do to to look as creative as you and my you are really really good. And NO one can take, borrow or steal that from you. Hang in there it might get better, remember some people wind up hanging them selves with the rope the stole from another. It may well come bite her in the butt and she will be begging you for a little bactine.
Hugs
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I’m breathing. It’s all good really—I just needed to be able to say, “This is wrong.” I’ve given up hope that the other person can or will acknowledge that. It’s good enough for me to speak my own truth. It doesn’t hurt to have my friends offering to “cut” someone. Heh. Laugh riot, this lot! ~W
holy crap.
yeah, i get the whole “universal knowledge” thing but you know what? copying is copying.
and what kind of loser totally copies others like that? she (i presume she’s a “she”) must have very low self esteem to have to copy others. and that makes me feel a little bad for her.
for a mili-second. then it royally pisses me off.
i don’t create as often as i’d like, but at least when i create it’s *my* creation.
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I’ve been victim of the “universal” knowledge thing too often. Where I’ve had this fabu idea only to long onto someone’s site and see I was beaten to the punch by about 2 days. Case in point, I now have a stash of vintage embroidery hoops that I have NO idea what to do with. I was collecting a bunch to paint and decorate with cool papers and then sell in my store… and uh, Bethany did it before me. Hers are really cool—and even though I thought about it, and started doing it before she blogged about it… it’s still her idea. I can’t bring myself to do the project, because she’s on my links list for a reason, and I respect her! But if I did, I’d write her and say, “Hey gonna do this, what do you think?” And you can sure as heck bet I’d be tipping my hat to her if I blogged about it.
But, I totally agree with you: copying is copying. I have NO issues with people taking an idea… man, take it down to the exact stitch… I don’t care. But admit where you got the idea. Right? Which reminds me… remember in the late 80’s when Cutex created the “Nail-polish pen”… Yeah, they STOLE that from me, and I’d like my props now. 😀
PS–thanks for the support. ~W
I respect that.
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I knew you would! ~W
Well, you already know that I’m not crafty, so no one steals a word or idea from me. But it would make me furious if anyone did. All these things we do, whether words or crafts, are extensions of ourselves; they would be stealing our ideas and a little bit of our souls, tied up in our creativity! And you are NOT overweight. When I met you, I was amazed by how elegant, beautiful and classic you are.(because of all the stuff you had told me–negative self-talk!) Do you not realize that you are impressive, girl?
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Heh… I wrote a post entirely for you, Margaret. You and my doctor seem to be on the same page. But, the CDC doesn’t agree. You are very kind… and thank you for the words of encouragement. 😀 ~W
OK….so this copy-crafter steals on a regular basis? Pony up who she is so I can avoid her like the plague, intentionally and on purpose. Feel free to send it to me via private email and I promise to delete it, burn it and toss the message out. Really.
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“Copy-crafter” oh. my. You slay me, really, you do. 😀 ~W
I had no idea you were dealing with blog crap, too. So sorry to hear about this thief.
Your portrayal of the craft blog community is hysterical, and sadly, spot-on.
And can I have Karan’s e-mail address? I must contact her about something… 🙂
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I know, the craft world looks so sweet on the surface. Someone should do a mock-u-mentary: Craft Confidential. Heh. 😀 ~W
🙁 Seeing as how I’m just getting into the whole craft world as is my daughter (I mean I’ve been doing them for years, but with her talent, we may start an etsy store, maybe) shouldn’t you email ME and divulge who we should avoid as well? We’ll burn the email, too! Promise!
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Y’all are relentless. 😀 And you should start and etsy store. 😀 Let me know when you do, I’ll swing by and check it all out. 😀 And, did you know that there are several people selling their baked goods on etsy too? 😀 ~W