Copy Cat Bloggers

I've had this conversation with a few fellow bloggers. Every once in a while we may borrow an idea or picture or two from some blogger and use these on a post. Usually we admit the 'pilfering' by courteously emailing the pilfered and thanking them for their contribution. Done with a touch of humility and bragadacio, we are able to spark the admiration and gratitude of said pilferee. In fact, quite often I'll just write a post called "Seen on the Blogosphere" and let other bloggers do my entertaining for me.

But what can one do when one's blog has been copied? Not word for word, perhaps. But what if one strolls through the blogosphere to find a newly minted blog that looks and feels like yours, from the choice of template right down to the subject matter, add ons, site meters, and blog rolls you are using?

I was quite flattered at first. Now I am becoming stinking mad. It has taken a year of hard work to find my voice and audience (no, I am not talking about this blog). Reluctantly I will be transferring my other blog to a new look and format. This will be an enormous undertaking, as I will have to migrate nearly 300 posts and approximately 500 researched links one at a time to a new platform. I also risk losing my audience, since my old blog sits on Google's first or second search page. My new blog's URL will not enjoy such a prominent placement for a long while.

So, for you copy cats out there - stop leeching off other people's ideas. You may be within the boundaries of copyright laws, but you're still sucking us original and creative people dry.

Leave us alone already!