When you write and blog online, you must protect your online content. Sometimes you run into creeps who like to cut and paste your content. Special is what I call them. People who steal your content and create it into something it isn’t are the losers.
First, since I have been in this blogging gig for so long, let me give you a few facts about how to protect your online content.
- People who steal online content are stalkers.
- People like this are playing a game with you. Only their disturbed minds know why.
- They take part of what you write and attempt to copy it, but you can change it on your blog.
- Technically, you still own the intellectual rights because, well, you created it.
- Finally, you can report them to Google.
Second, writing is really subjective. No matter who writes it, they color the content from the perspective they have. If creeps cut and paste it for you to view, they are simply trying to scare you. Honestly, they have nothing except some words.
As long as you don’t tell the world online where you are at the moment, you are fine. They will move on to someone else.
With that in mind, let me tell you how to protect your online content.
Keep your online content safe
While many things can be done to keep thieves from your content, it does not 100% guarantee that some of them won’t try it. Yet, protecting your content and even your blog is completely worth the effort.
Keep copies of your content
One of the things I notice is that when you blog online in several places, you truly forget where you published what. That is until you see your content almost word for word on someone else’s blog.
Even if you blog somewhere else, like for a guest post, or on a large blogging website community like Medium, keep copies of your words on a Google or Word document. This way, you have a record and can always check if you see your work on someone else’s blog.
Get perspective
As I said in the introduction to this post, keep in mind, if you blog on a topic you know a ton about, chances are someone who steals will take only a small portion of what you wrote. Plus, they simply slime themselves when they keep stealing people’s content.
Is it wrong? Yep. But, you might ask yourself, “What sort of person steals from someone else?” Someone who cannot write steals from other people. Then ask yourself if it is really worth going after them.
Plan for the fact that they will try to hide it
I know it seems so high school, but really if they make it obvious to everyone else, then they will be caught. They will get blacklisted by Google and shunned by the online community they are in. In other words, all you simply need to do is edit your work and improve it.
Their cover-up with either be obvious to others, or they will move on to someone else. The thing about liars and criminals is that they will usually get caught. Just keep your copies and document your personal work across the Internet to protect your online content.
Report their theft
While you may not be able to report someone stealing your online content, you can report it to Google. Why Google? Well, because they are the largest search engine online. Give them copies and links of your personal content attached to your blog or website to prove it.
Second, if you find the link on social media, you can also report it to them as well. So, if you find it on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, report any links to stolen content to those individuals.
Ignore it
Even if you have a hard time letting go of things people did to you, this still may be an option. Think about it. What is the one thing a narcissist wants? Attention. If you completely disarm their criminal attempts to steal from you by refusing to play their game, then you win, not them.
Remember it is your content
It doesn’t matter what the psychopath says, the content, came from you, your mind, and your hard work. Even if others cut and paste it from your blog or book, you win because the content belongs to you. You simply protect your content by writing even more of the same. While it seems like a big deal at first, later, it won’t be, because you are building an awesome blog and your hard work will show.
I admit, that sometimes it is hard to see the forest through the trees, but when you build your blog and a brand, it remains yours and yours alone. Your work may intersect with other people online, but the truth of the matter is that just like no one can re-create you, they won’t be able to re-create your blog.
Just keep on blogging!
