My Husband Googled Me Last Night

63 Responses to “My Husband Googled Me Last Night”

• Sotiris
  January 4th, 2009 at 9:55 am

  Plagiarism is the plague of Internet. Why would anyone steal your work to make money? Are they bored to sit down and write their own ideas? I think that you should report it to AC and take the thief down!

• Mark Bentley
  January 4th, 2009 at 10:23 am

  We sent an email to Associated Content right away. To be fair, that was late Saturday night, so I would not be surprised if it took until Monday to start sorting it out. I also posted it to my writer forums (http://tinyurl.com/9pkjcr) since I know Associated Content watches the feed on Twitter.

  The really annoying part is that since they created an account in Paula’s name it is likely going to be a lot more work to convince them to shut down the account. The dumb part is that I expect that we can get the account shut down before the thief makes a dime.

  I suspect that they created an account to try to avoid the issues that came up when someone noticed that someone posted Louie Jerome’s article on Bukisa under a totally different name(http://tinyurl.com/8vq7×8).

• Glynis Smy
  January 4th, 2009 at 10:52 am

  I think it is a good thing we are all beginning to gather together and highlight those who steal from us. I noted that Louie removed the majority of her work from Bukisa, what a shame her chances of earning are taken away because of this. Paula, I do hope you get it sorted out asap! Long may Mark Google you!! ;0

• Glynis Smy
  January 4th, 2009 at 10:58 am

  me again I stumbled this for you

• Hein Marais
  January 4th, 2009 at 11:22 am

  I saw the same thing on Associated Content stealing my name and content. Is there anything we can do about it?

• Paula Mitchell Bentley
  January 4th, 2009 at 11:46 am

  I’d recommend contacting Associated Content right away Hein. I expect that they’ll remove it once they know it’s not you. At least I hope so anyways.

  Everyone else, thanks for all of your support. This issue is really driving writers nuts and making people stop writing all together. You just begin to wonder if it’s really worth it at all and what you can do to protect yourself.

• Ursula Banteux
  January 4th, 2009 at 11:59 am

  I haven’t Googled my name in a while, but the last time I checked there were no problems. Except for an old image of myself that I haven’t been able to get rid of. There must be some way to contact AC and let them know what’s going on.

• Rana Sinha
  January 4th, 2009 at 2:49 pm

  Frightening and really annoying. I guess we all need to look after our own work, so that it’s not stolen. But then who’s got the time and energy to do that?

  Paula and Hein – Let’s hope you get the matter sorted out with AC.

• Ispellbad
  January 4th, 2009 at 3:27 pm

  This is wrong on so many levels what dose it take to think and write your own writings I hate these people nothing is safe not even you’re thoughts anymore very sad! Thank you i will try that google thing being a new writer I would be angry if my thoughts were stolen!

• eddiego65
  January 4th, 2009 at 6:58 pm

  This is really bad news. They are cashing on your name and articles. I hope AC will put an end to it. Thanks for the advice.

• Debra.
  January 4th, 2009 at 7:15 pm

  Since hearing about all the plagiarism going on, I googled my name and also came upon a stolen article of mine without my name. It’s a terrible thing but I think with people now bringing awareness to this it will certainly help our fight against these thieves!

  Thanks, Paula.

• Holly Sendy
  January 4th, 2009 at 9:08 pm

  Wow… I definitely need to google my name better to make sure I don’t have any of these issues. I have always googled it, but never looked real close at anything. I really hope that you are able to get everything sorted out!

• Ruby Hawk
  January 4th, 2009 at 9:27 pm

  I haven’t googled myself either but I will. It’s a terrible thing to steal someone’s hard work.I wish there was some way to stop it.

• Darlene McFarlane
  January 4th, 2009 at 10:30 pm

  I google myself often but never found my name on Associated Content until tonight after reading your message. Someone is using my name there and have posted 18 of my articles. lanne’s name was used with 10 of her articles and I found Louie’s name and 12 of her articles. I wrote to the owner of the site listing the URLs for each of my stolen articles on Associated Content and the Triond URLs. I sent a copy of the letter to Triond as well.

  This is the first time I have said anything about my work being stolen. I have found the odd article of mine occasionally on the internet and let them go but, this is too much. Something must be done about it.

• Alexa Anderson
  January 4th, 2009 at 10:59 pm

  Oh my gosh. I hope you get it taken care of soon. I haven’t Googled myself. I’m new here, but I have work plastered in other places.

• Brian Daniel Stankich
  January 4th, 2009 at 11:46 pm

  Paula, good due diligence. I write on AC and haven’t had any problems with them. Brian

• Yovita Siswati
  January 4th, 2009 at 11:58 pm

  Thanks for sharing Paula. Plagiarism is very shameful to do. I hope you can get AC to close down the account!

• lanne
  January 5th, 2009 at 12:12 am

  I just got finished sending AC an long e-mail about my work being there. Whoever the lazy thief is, seems to be preying off of the Triond writers. But because they are using so many of our names and what has to be a single paypal address, they shouldn`t be too hard to find. Lets hope anyway.

• Patrick Bernauw
  January 5th, 2009 at 2:17 am

  This is awful!… Gonna Google me right away!

• Juhls
  January 5th, 2009 at 3:46 am

  Craziness!! That is horrible that someone plagarized your articles… I hope you can work with AC to get the issue resolved and expose the plagarizer.

  I hope 2009 finds you and your writing safe.

• Maria Blazz
  January 5th, 2009 at 3:54 am

  What if someone copy your work but not your name? It’s almost impossible to find it out, except if you google every article’s title or paragraph. Have you thought about this?

• Maria Blazz
  January 5th, 2009 at 3:56 am

  BTW, thanks Paula for sharing your experience with the Triond community.

• JK Kristie
  January 5th, 2009 at 6:09 am

  Thanks for the warning. I’m going to google myself, too.

• Betty Carew
  January 5th, 2009 at 7:57 am

  WOW I did’t know this could happen so easily. Sorry that this happened to you and sorrier that there is low life out there that would do such a thing!

• Darlene McFarlane
  January 5th, 2009 at 10:33 am

  I just finished writing a note to the imposter who has used my name on Associated Content. I copied it to all 18 to the comment area of my stolen articles. After browsing the AC site, it looks like there could be hundreds of plagairized content taken from Triond members. They have set up accounts in our names in order to steal from us. It is plain to see that a block needs to be set for Triond pages to keep others from making money with our work.

  This is very disheartening and if something can’t be done by Triond I am seriously thinking of closing my account here.

  Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

  The real Darlene McFarlane

• Christy Tuller
  January 5th, 2009 at 10:58 am

  I am sorry I haven’t been here for a few days! I have heard a bit about people having their work stolen and it infuriates me! I will be making a point of googling myself again on a regular basis just to be sure. I admit I post other writer’s work on my blog but everything is with permission and links back to the original article as well as the author’s profile. I hope you get everything sorted out very soon!
  Best wishes,
  Christy

• Paula Mitchell Bentley
  January 5th, 2009 at 11:09 am

  Thanks for all your support everyone. As of Jan. 5, Associated Content has not removed my work from their site. I am hoping that this issue is addressed soon by them. Hopefully before this jerkwad gets paid. Triond is aware of the theft but I’m not sure that this is really Triond’s issue. It is up to Associated Content to ensure that the work being published on their site is original and not just a copy of someone else’s work. Both this site and Bukisa do not check for originality like Triond does.
  Darlene, I haven’t been able to find you on AC. Leaving nasty comments is a great idea because I’m not really sure what else we can do. I encourage everyone to post nasty comments to these AC impostors. I’m off to do so now.

• Darlene McFarlane
  January 5th, 2009 at 1:43 pm

  I thought you would like to read the reply letter I got from Associated Content as it pretains to anyone on Triond who has had the same problem.

  Darlene McFarlene:

  Thank you for contacting us. The user has been banned from participation, and the CP page claiming your identity has been removed from our site. We appreciate your assistance.

  We would like to make you aware that Associated Content is an open content network. Associated Content enables everyone to sign up and publish their content and then distribute that content to engaged audiences through its website (www.associatedcontent.com). Further, every user on our site must sign a contract with us claiming their identity. In this case, it is apparent that your identity has been misused. We have removed this user from participating on our site and apologize for any inconvenience. If other users on Triond.com identify that their identities have been misused on our web site, please have them contact us immediately.

  Regards,

  Designated Agent

  associatedcontent.com

• Mark Bentley
  January 5th, 2009 at 1:59 pm

  As of mid Monday, Associated Content has marked the author as “This Content Producer is inactive”. So, once we complained, they were pretty quick to shut it down (the next regular working day).

  I also got the exact same email as Darlene from Associated Content regarding Paula’s articles.

  I must admit that I was a little annoyed at their solution of “we told them to go away and shunned them” method of handling it. Unless you do something more active, I see no reason why these people would not try again.

  I would recommend that authors periodically check for their articles and most of these sites are pretty good about taking it down if you tell them.

  By the way, Triond is one of the few sites that has a proactive way to avoid publishing stolen work (if they don’t allow you to publish previously published works, then it is probably not stolen).

• Paula Mitchell Bentley
  January 5th, 2009 at 2:32 pm

  I received the exact same email from Associated Content that Darlene posted above. I just submitted an article to update this article. I’m guessing it will be published tomorrow. I’d suggest that everyone check this site for their work and email them to have it removed immediately.

• MJPatrick
  January 5th, 2009 at 2:40 pm

  I think that is too bad. Thanks for the info. I send you message in your inbox.

• Kalaiselvan
  January 5th, 2009 at 3:43 pm

  Let me google Myself…

• Jenny Heart
  January 5th, 2009 at 3:55 pm

  We’re by nature trusting people, wanting to believe the best in people, Thanks for making us all aware that not everyone can be trusted. Great piece!

• Abdul Sabour Ayoubi
  January 5th, 2009 at 6:35 pm

  A great article that tackles the core issue of writers. Thanks the information.

• Mary Contrary
  January 5th, 2009 at 8:26 pm

  Thanks for letting us know about all this! Your hard work and efforts will hopefully payoff for all of us!

• Armywriter
  January 5th, 2009 at 9:14 pm

  How about that. Good job by Mark. I think that this should be an important article in the Triond stream right now as well as everywhere on the internet. First hand experience is really an eye opener. Glad to see that AC did something about it. I think that they probably need a better system of verifying the people and the articles that are being submitted.

• HatedNation
  January 5th, 2009 at 10:38 pm

  Thanks for the good info! I hope our Triond network will continue to stick together and help to limit this issue.

• HatedNation
  January 5th, 2009 at 10:40 pm

  Thanks for the good info! I hope our Triond network will continue to stick together and help to limit this issue.

• Dee Gold
  January 5th, 2009 at 10:56 pm

  Can’t believe some people will be that sneaky.Thanks for sharing this!

• Liane Schmidt
  January 5th, 2009 at 11:10 pm

  Thank you with all my heart for sharing this important article.

  Blessings.

  Sincerely,

  -Liane Schmidt.

• QueenZee
  January 6th, 2009 at 12:13 am

  It’s really sad and scary to hear that people can be so low. The highlight of it all is that they can only get so far. If they are so pitiful that they have to steal work, it’s only a matter of time before people realize their lack of talent as well. Everything done in the dark comes to light, so do not be discouraged at all. Keep up the good work, and don’t stop writing!

• Michele Cameron Drew
  January 6th, 2009 at 2:39 am

  Sorry Paula, I know what you’re going through. I’m pretty sure you read my recent article on plagiarism and promotion. This is a good write. I wish these people would just stop doing this and find something else to do. Anyway, if anyone finds my name on associated content, my user name should match as I do have an account there that hasn’t been posted to yet. If I do decide to use it, I will keep an eye out for phony trionders. Thanks for keeping us all informed and again, great write!

  -M

• numismatic
  January 6th, 2009 at 4:31 am

  Well this can happen but what can you do, just remember people who do stuff like this it will come back on them in one way or another I remember a guy telling me he stole 50 dollars and two weeks later he was thinking about the situation and when he went to get into his car the next morning someone robbed him whiloe walking to his car.

  I thought to myself some of the people in America are really getting to the point of no return.

  Just remember they will get what they deserve might not be now, nor something you might see but it will happen.

• j
  January 6th, 2009 at 5:56 am

  well, never use your real name to publish your work honey. if they don’t have your real name then they don’t know how to name themselves so it can be plagarized. also change ur name once in awhile so you can catch people. alwys use a pen name so people don’t steal ur identity

• Reilley
  January 6th, 2009 at 8:43 am

  I wrote a poem about plagiarism after some personal experience.

  http://www.authspot.com/Poetry/Thief-of-Words.322761

• Louie Jerome
  January 6th, 2009 at 9:14 am

  Thanks for the information and thanks to Darlene too. I have identified a second account on AC using my name and my work. I have an account there but it now shows that I have two. I have contected AC about this and informed Triond.

• Kim Buck
  January 6th, 2009 at 10:49 am

  Thanks for the info…guess I’ll be googling myself!

• misssophia
  January 6th, 2009 at 1:57 pm

  That is shocking! So cheeky of who ever that person was who stole your work.
  I hope you sorted it out.
  Now I am off to go google myself!!!

• MariaLinda
  January 6th, 2009 at 3:10 pm

  If you are a gmailer, you can use Alerts to keep you updated on articles about you and those written by you.

• SimonR
  January 6th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

  I often go one step further and Google myself – I’ve even got to the point of having a Google Alert on my name. I tend to come up once a week, perhaps more, for things I’ve written and published myself (which is as it should be) and it means I can keep an daily eye on anyone using my stuff without my say-so.

  Simon

• MassterGee
  January 6th, 2009 at 5:25 pm

  If you care so much, then copy some HTML into your article to make right-clicking and/or copying your article be blocked. It’s not that hard, and it will save Triond some time with this so called “block” some seem to want implemented to keep their writings their own.

• Paula Mitchell Bentley
  January 6th, 2009 at 7:13 pm

  I have not suggested that Triond is responsible to ensure writer’s articles are being blocked in any way. I don’t think this has anything to do with Triond itself. I know it’s easy to make it so you can’t right click to copy but virtually anybody can get around that. I find it hard to believe that you wrote “if you care so much” … wouldn’t you care if someone stole your work, your identity?

• valli
  January 6th, 2009 at 8:08 pm

  It is really annoying. Thank you very much for the information.

• Madison Parker
  January 6th, 2009 at 8:34 pm

  Interesting article. When I read it, I Googled myself, (my pen name) and found that I had taken some amazing photos that aren’t mine!
  I’m a fledgling photog, really amateur, and one of the photos I had used for an article and clearly accredited the photographer. I don’t want credit for someone else’s work, but if someone clicks on the picture, they will be taken to my hub where the photo clearly states the photographer’s name and link. I actually tried to fix it; good luck there unless it’s porn!
  I relate to how you feel; at least they used your name but it’s still not okay.

  Madison

• Jackie Stroud Painter
  January 6th, 2009 at 11:57 pm

  You know that I wrote an article on the same thing and not nearly anyone saw my work but I see that everyone comes to this artilce. Thanks for sticking it to me.

• Melody Arcamo Lagrimas
  January 7th, 2009 at 2:26 am

  Thanks for this info. Will have to do it soon too. Happy New Year!

• Paula Mitchell Bentley
  January 7th, 2009 at 8:07 am

  Um, sorry Jackie if I stepped on your toes. I didn’t know you had written a similar article. It’s always so hard to know whether something is going to be popular or not.

• Alexiandria M Michaels
  January 7th, 2009 at 8:22 am

  Thank you for this article. I didn’t know that this was happening.

• nutuba
  January 7th, 2009 at 9:00 am

  Thanks for the tip.

• Adam Henry Sears
  January 7th, 2009 at 9:18 pm

  I have dealt with my own share of plagiarism, so I know how frustrating it can be. It just infuriated me to bits to know that someone had stolen my work and attached their name to it. No thanks to the ones who stole it, I was the one accused of plagiarism. Accused of plagiarizing my own work!! How dumb is that? It’s one thing to have something stolen from you, it’s quite another to be the one accused of stealing it. That happened to me twice while I was in school. I know one way to have the proof is to have a hard copy mailed to yourself, That way the date is on an unopened envelope. Anyway, that’s my cent’s worth. Thanks for sharing.

• T Gallagher
  January 31st, 2009 at 9:56 am

  I am new to Triond, and am in the process of learning submission and writing tips from users. Until I read this article I was so assured that my work would be safe. How naive of me! I just Googled my name and found that while there are others with my same first and last name, I was astonished to find another woman with the gift of writing. However, she writes romance novels. I DO NOT. Don’t read them either. Her picture is different as well.

  Hearing about the problem on AC was disturbing to say the least. They do have a zero tolerance policy about plagiarism.

  I have a couple of crafts patterns copyrighted that were stolen from me. I found out at a “craft fair” (nickname for a flea market) that my patterns were being made for commerical sale. Even when I told the thief face to face to stop all I got was laughter. The facilitator of the even was less amused when I threatened to sue her for allowing copyright theft. She shut the booth down and provided the name and address of the theif. I reported the thief to the authorities whom I thought would be all over the pirate. Surprise! I found out the hard way that as the copyright holder, it’s my responsibility to exercise due diligence and find out all those who steal my work, report the theft to the authorities, get a lawyer (my expense) and sue. The craft fair facilitator did her legal part by shutting the booth down. The rest (and expense) was up to me.

  I want NO ONE stealing my work. While the internet makes it easier to make a living as a writer, it also unfortunately acts as a cover for these lazy low lifes who steal work and identities. Like the fire ants of the south, we shut down one mound and sure enough, they’ll pop up somewhere else. They seem to know we would have a hard time tracking them down and taking them to court. All we can do is keep careful watch over our work. Believe me, I will.

  Sad to say, but if these thugs are so energetic that they can steal, how come they can’t use thier energy or creativity to write their own articles?

  Since I write for several sites, I’ll make sure that my work isn’t showing up under someone else’s name.

  Thank you so much for the heads up and I’m glad you were able to get the thief shut down.

• Mark Bentley
  February 5th, 2009 at 5:21 pm

  If you are at all concerned about this, then I would also suggest reading Maria Blazz’s article “http://www.webupon.com/Services/How-to-Know-If-Your-Content-is-Being-Stolen.492693″. While Maria was researching her article, she found someone who was publishing my articles. When I looked further, I found a dozen articles from Paula and I were published on this one site (some several times). Currently, I am trying to get them to stop…

• Lucas Dié
  March 19th, 2009 at 8:19 am

  and in an odd way it is a great compliment to you all who are plagiarized

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