I have to tell you that - despite my new year's 'wish' to laugh more and moan less - today I have to moan about two things in particular.
But first I'll show you a winter bouquet ....
at this time of year, there isn't enough happening in the garden here to make beautiful bouquets from scratch, but there's plenty to use as 'padding' for a few bought flowers.
Yesterday at my local florist I found a small bunch of tiny white rose stems and another small bunch of fantastic old fashioned double roses. Alone they would have looked a little glum, but I knew that in the garden the ivy was covered with its black winter berries, and I have a huge winter verbena in fragrant bloom
I arranged the whole lot in a dark metal container filled with
florists foam and placed it in the light of a lamp on top of the piano.
I know that the roses won't last for many days, but the ensemble
brightens my dining room this winter weekend.
And now to my moan ......
My little blog is being
Despite the Blogger protection, some of this spam still gets through, and all the anon comments drop into my spam mail box then have to be cleared out ....
life is just too short for this sort of rubbish ...
so today I beg your patience, as I activate the word verification on my comment box. This will allow real people to leave comments, even under 'anonymous' or 'unknown', but should stop the spam.
I plan to leave this in place for a while then take it out again and see if they've gone away .... hmmm...
And finally, my second moan of the day is directed at the person who is copy/pasting my blog content onto their blog. A word of explanation for my regular readers : complete blog posts from MFCH are being stolen and reposted on another blog, including pictures, giveaways, news on our cottage etc!!
"I'm not revealing your blog name here, I don't see why I should give you any free publicity, but my message to you is clear : Neither Blogger, nor myself, nor any of the other four blogs you are scraping are happy with what you are doing!
You have been reported to Blogger so I guess your days are counted, but really?! What you are doing can't even be fun. Your blog would be way more successful with its own original content"
I found out about this plagiarism because another affected blogger kindly got in touch with me. If you want to understand more about how this works and what you can do to fight back, then I recommend you read this excellent article over at Between Naps on the Porch.
And on that irate note my friends, I leave you with pictures of my bouquet
and my best wishes for this January weekend.
Posts
To accentuate the positive and minimize the negative, I will focus only on your flowers. I didn't know ivy had black winter berries . They are beautiful set against the roses. My few winter flowers don't last long, but I so need the look of fresh flowers on the table each day.
ReplyDeleteFirst, your Winter Bouquet is absolutely beautiful. Your flower arrangement skills are outstanding. That said, I think the "Pirate Blogs" run in cycles. While I cannot understand what would motivate someone to do this, I suppose there must be some secondary gain to be had. I have no problem with word verification. I turned mine off on my little blog several different times and had to turn it back on, it was not pretty. As in all populations, the bloggers come in all shapes, sizes and mentalities. I hope that Blogger can follow through and put a stop to this problem. In the meantime, I share your angst and thank you for a lovely presentation on your blog, it brightens my day!
ReplyDeleteSharon- this is an epidemic on Blogger. Not only spam email but "referrer spam bombing" that renders any attempt to find out how many are reading one's blog by looking at stats futile. Many of these sites are Russian or Ukrainian. And do not even get me stated on the various stats such as "Zombie" etc. I have a small gardening blog on Wordpress, and it has none of these problems. I do not think Google cares. All they want to do is throw you to the advertisers. They claim all this Spam is harmless and not to click on through to the sites, but I wonder-
ReplyDeleteI hope your weekend gets you clear of these irritations. As for us, we are under a flood watch here!
I am a new Reader to your blog, and enjoy it very much. I hope you rid of the inconsiderate people once and for all.
ReplyDeleteThink of all the people who appreciate and enjoy the time you spend sharing your posts with us! Thank you and enjoy your weekend.
Sincerely,
Kathleen
I am really very sorry for you for the attacks by the anonymous hackers, sincerely hope they will disappear asap.I generally do not make the trouble with my pelargonias for the winter, so every year after the first frost I just cut them off in the flower boxes and fill the boxes with the extra collected and cut ivies and thuja leaves for the winter season.As not to be swept by the wind I simple boud them to the box by a nice red or wight ribbon till spring.
ReplyDeleteLove from thw wintery cold Plain in Hungary Dorka www.dorottyaudvar.co.hu
Wow, Sharon. I cannot understand why someone would copy another's entire content. I have heard mention of this practice before. I have never landed on one of the bad bloggers. If I did, I would call them out!
ReplyDeleteAs your blog audience grow large, you are wise to use caution.
Your winter berries and blooms are quite lovely!
~Lynne
w/L.
I am so sorry you are dealing with all of this wretchedness, Sharon. I daresay the stealing content is related to the spam though somehow.
ReplyDeleteFunny how even the nicest things are clouded by dishonesty and ill will.
This world isn't a shiny place, but, God willing, it shall shine again in Righteous Light.
I am so sorry that inconsiderate people are causing you blog problems. I read and enjoy your blog everyday and hope you don't go away! Thank you for your time and for sharing so many beautiful parts of France and your life. The flowers posted today are beautiful! Thank you for bringing such joy during the sometimes dreary month of January. You are a SUPERB flower arranger! I envy and admire your talent.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Melody
WHU WOULD ANYONE SPENT TIME STILLING SOMEONE ELSE CONTENT? BUT I GUESS, I CAN RELTAE TO THIS WHEN MY FURNITURE DESIGNS ARE BEING STOLEN BY MASS MARKET MANUFACTURERS...I WAS REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT RESTORATION HARDWARE WAS SUED AND LOST... KNOCK OFF, ORIGINAL CONTENTS ARE SUCH A TARGET...
ReplyDeleteYOUR BOUQUET IS SO BEAUTIFUL, IT WILL CERTAINLY CHEER UP THE DAY.
Ditto, Your arrangement is beautiful. I have trouble uploading photos to my blog now. I have to upload them through Picassa. I've been thinking of changing to Word Press myself. I am getting lots of spam, too. Don't know what to do an dit isn't fun dealing with it. xo Jenny
ReplyDeleteI think everyone on blogger have this problem of uploading photos to their blogs. I don't know what they have done, but if you access your blog and edit it through either Chrome OR Firefox, you have no problem. In fact Firefox is a lot better allowing you to upload several photos at the same time and very quickly.
DeleteI love the flowers, and thought I'd pass on a trick for making roses last longer. When you buy them and cut the stems to place them in the arrangements, cut them "underwater" in a bucket. That way the rose sucks up water instead of air, and you don't get droopy heads quite as quickly.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your complaints - I've heard that a lot of bloggers are struggling with that problem. I hope you get it fixed soon!
I've been reading your blog for a couple of months but hadn't left a comment yet. Your flowers are beautiful. And your rant was kind. I hope the one stealing will stop. Please know that I enjoy France from your perspective here in the States. Your lovely pictures and stories make me smile. One last thing, I made bunting to hang for Christmas because I saw your post with the bunting on the Christmas tree. I enjoyed the post of your friend's Christmas decorations. Have a wonderful weekend! Belinda
ReplyDeleteOh boy....been there too. I CANNOT STAND those anon. comments either and I am getting tons of them lately also. VERY annoying!! I tried for a few days to only take comments with with names and email addresses (no anon comments) then 2 days later switched back and it temporarily halted it but sure enough a few days later they were back....very very annoying.
ReplyDeleteAND I found out that two people had stolen my entire blog too, right down to my contest announcements,etc.....I was furious AND felt very violated. Reported it right away to Blogger and from what I have been told it takes a long time for them to get around to it as i guess they have so many issues they are dealing with on a daily basis. Its unreal and definitely shakes you up a bit. Sorry you are going through it..if you come up with a magical solution for either, please let us know!!
On a sidenote...GORGEOUS flowers....are you sure you arent' a floral designer:)
beautiful flowers and arrangement, very annoying that you are having problems, there are some people who just have to spoil things, take care janex
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI live in the states in North Carolina, and I've been a follower on your blog for over a year. I keep meaning to introduce myself but never seem to get around to it. I'm sorry about your problems with Blogger and identity/content theft. My blog is VERY small compared to yours, but I still think I have good content, and I've been having the same problem for months. For a while, I had pornography sites linking to my blog. REALLY???? Then it was some sort of vampire and zombie sites. Right after the new year in 2013, I've been having the same sort of anonymous comments wanting me to visit their websites. The messages are written in poor English and never make much sense. It's extremely annoying.
I doubt that anyone is stealing my content because I'm just too small (I've been blogging almost two years). But some of our more successful bloggers over here have experienced your same problem and wrote about it last year. Susan at "Between Naps on the Porch" had been having her content stolen for almost four years! It truly is criminal! I hope you get it all resolved.
Moving to something more cheerful, your bouquet today is just lovely -- makes me wish for a better flower garden. I laughed out loud at your previous post about the two chicken thieves. :-D I'm in love with that adorable Ghetto; I'm a lifelong terrier lover. We have a Scottish Terrier (or Terrorist) as my husband calls him, and he really keeps life interesting. He's the third Scottie I've had in my lifetime. I even sent a link for your chicken story to my parents. :)
Sorry for the long comment; I think your story really hit a hot button with a lot of us who work hard at our blogging. One thing you might try is truncating your blogs. Several of the bloggers are doing that now because supposedly it's more trouble for these devices to scrape your blog when you do that. I notice your photos are watermarked, which is also a good safeguard. I recently started truncating my posts because I felt like I might as well do what I can to discourage problems.
Good luck getting this resolved and best wishes in 2013!
Denise
I had over 100 spam comments this a.m. on my blog, a real pain.
ReplyDeleteI tried the word verification and it does help.
At least I got to see beautiful flowers this a.m.!
xo
I also have a tiny blog, and I've noticed an increase spam comments in the past few weeks. I can't imagine the junk you have to wade through now.
ReplyDeleteDear Sharon
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts follow all the above, I too decided to start a blog this year after many months of contemplation. It never ceases to amaze me how people will not pay for your time or efforts but are very happy to copy???? such as happened many at time with flowers and soft furnishings I have produced.
Your blog is so lovely and truly inspirational, I am sure I will never have a fraction of followers that you but please keep going. Beth
Thank you for your original, captivating blog that is a delight to read on every post. Today's floral bouquet is breathtakingly beautiful and reminds me of all the flower arrangements I've seen throughout France every time I've been. MFCH transports me to France each and every time.
ReplyDeleteSadly, this world has unscrupulous people in all walks of life and in every locale. Dealing with them is frustrating and emotionally draining. By focusing on what is good and bright, my spirits are uplifted even when distressed by such people and events. Thank you for providing a beautiful blog that brightens my day on a regular basis. Beautiful floral bouquets are one way I combat negative emotions and thoughts.
Humor is another way I use to overcome depressive situations. Once again, MFCH is a source of delightful humor. Not brash, vulgar, harsh, juvenile, angry, dare I say "trashy" humor, but wholesome, honest, finding the joy in everyday living, humor. The post 'shocking news!' was such a joy to read.
Thank you, Sharon, for sharing your extraordinary talents with the world. We need people like you in all areas of our lives. For every unscrupulous person who misuses you, there are thousands of us whose lives are enriched by you.
Judith
My blog gets spam too but being a much smaller blog I am not inundated. How did you discover that someone was stealing your content? Please do a post on this so we can all tighten up our security. I am so sorry for your troubles
ReplyDeleteThe spam is horrible and blogger's spam protection can't always catch it because it starts off like regular comments...at least in my case. I understand. I am sorry for the plaigerism that haunts you as well...Hope it gets cleared up. I love your blog and it gives a light heart all day.
ReplyDeleteNancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
Hopefully, word verification will take care of it. Every once in a while I'll get SPAM, and when I do I temporarily turn the word verification back on. It usually solves the problem fairly quickly.
ReplyDeleteAs for the person that's outright stealing your posts, at least they've got the Blogger Attack Dogs biting at their rear ends now. (Let's hope Blogger has attack dogs for this kind of thing). I hope you have a happy weekend with no more moans. (I have a moan or two of my own. Family-related. Sigh... such is life I guess).
Kristin
Word verification is fine with me. I understand its necessity. I don't understand spammers and the havoc they take pleasure in causing. It's like high-tech vandalism to me. A dear friend is in charge of the local chamber of commerce. Imagine her sadness when she noticed hackers had added a link to an advertisement for viagra in the Google search for her website. It took forever to get it removed.
ReplyDeleteSharon, I'm sorry to hear about the person ripping off you and other bloggers. I hope you can rip their naughty little fingers off! Secondly, your bouquet is gorgeous - the idea that anything would be blooming now (here in Canada) makes me sigh with envy. Thirdly, I'll take Gibson so you won't have any further chicken problems - you can keep the little terror!
ReplyDeleteCathy
I hate spammers! I am a small blog so don't have a huge problem, but still... I am very sorry you have to go back to word verification. I know lots of people don't like to bother with it. And as for stealing content, I have one woman who I know steals my ideas, designs and words. I cannot get over it. I have been watching her for awhile and have noticed that she steals content from other bloggers as well. Brat. But mostly thief.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers are beautiful, Sharon. I hope you are able to enjoy your weekend despite all the blog problems. I get tons of that anonymous spam everyday too - when I had the word verification I didn't have any, so may go back to that unfortunately. Btw - I love your stories about your gorgeous yet mischievous dogs! xxoo
ReplyDeleteYour bouquet is beautiful...! and those double roses are gorgeous...
ReplyDeleteGood riddance to spammers and plagiarists...
~ Terri
Your arrangement is lovely! And - Why on earth would someone copy another blog?
ReplyDeleteThat seems so stupid to me.
I hope you have a beautiful and happy weekend.
Sincerely,
Miranda
SF Bay Area
I Love, love, love the flower arrangement. A Winter's feast for the eyes! Sorry to hear that people are stealing your content.
ReplyDeleteyour winter bouquet is beyond beautiful, on the other note, just wondering if you are using Google Chrome. Come by my blog and check out my current post on Troubleshooting. It could be that this info will help. Debra
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful blog which I look forward to reading every day. I'm so sorry you are having problems with spammers and pirates. Please know that their ugliness doesn't detract from the loveliness you add to the world.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon!
ReplyDeleteI am SO SORRY to hear about your content being copied and pasted...that is unimaginable. I so hope this stops for you and I am new to your sight. Votre maison est splendide! Anita
What a beautiful home and site you have! Just signed up to follow~blessings~melissa
ReplyDeleteDare I say... time for Wordpress, Sharon...:) xv
ReplyDeleteSharon, I am so sorry to hear about your blogging woes! Loved your pretty arrangement in today's post. When you get down and out, look at that pretty arrangement to cheer you up! :) Thank you for being such an awesome blogger!
ReplyDeleteSharon, I know you don't like to moan, but really, this is important..there are lots of new bloggers who might not understand. I don't have that many followers, but I do operate 4 online news sites and I am beyond belief the ridiculous amount of as you call it...rubbish...that comes in. It is so annoying. I cannot believe that someone would actually think they could pull off a thing like that. I love your blog and am happy to enter a verification code if it will help you.
ReplyDeleteon to the good...what a very lovely bouquet...so pretty!
A pox on the bad blogger! I echo another comment in wondering how you discovered your content was being stolen. Doesn't it make you wonder what kind of people get satisfaction from such unscrupulous behaviour?
ReplyDeleteYour winter bouquet is lovely, a bright note on a winter's day.
Well the flowers are absolutely beautiful! as for the spam - I can relate, as for the blogger burglar - that's simply dreadful -
ReplyDeleteMary x
How annoying ... and flowers do help.
ReplyDeleteFondly,
Glenda
I feel for you, Sharon. I have gone back and forth using Word Verification because of spam. You're smart to use it for now. I know of a popular blogger who had her blog hacked into. She had over 4000 followers and had to start from scratch. Just today I had 2 bloggers receive mail, supposedly from me but it looked too suspicious to open. I really hope we can stay safe until this ends.
ReplyDeleteYour roses are lovely, you make the most beautiful arrangements!
XO,
Jane
Your winter flower arrangement is simply stunning and such a lovely way to brighten a winter day.
ReplyDeleteAs for someone stealing your blog content, it's unbelievable what some people will do. They obviously have no morals, no standards and certainly no self respect. I hope the thief is removed from blogger circles a.s.a.p.
Word verification, totally understand your need to do this.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and take care,
Anne xx
Gorgeous bouquet!
ReplyDeleteThe spammers do seem to be in high volume lately!
And the pirate blogger...oh that is just disgusting! You are the third victim of this that I know of. I'm not even sure what the point would be...so silly. I hope they are removed soon.
How outrageous!! Plagiarism is terrible at the best of times ... but to lift the entire post!! As a new blogger, I know how this must infuriate you. Hopefully this person is removed quickly... Your flowers are beautiful... and from a very hot Australia, I envy the cold winter days you are probably experiencing. Jennyxxx
ReplyDeleteWow, that is terrible. How did you know they were stealing your material? Dianntha
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you are being bothered by both spammers AND unscrupulous bloggers, I hope it all goes away soon. Despite that, you have assembled an absolutely gorgeous bouquet that was just sheer pleasure to look at, thank you! It made today's dreary weather more bearable!
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I love about your blog is all your original material; especially all your original photos! It seems so many blogs don't take the time to take original photos but use photos already found on the web. Thank you for all the effort you put into making your blog a pleasure to read. To put a positive spin on it; they must think your content is first rate to be stealing it! Sort of a backwards compliment, I guess! Still sucks though.
ReplyDeleteGosh, your winter bouquet is just gorgeous! I wish I could say my yard yielded as lovely "filler" as yours does for your purchased flowers! Happy Weekend!
The way you've arranged your flowers is stunning, really beautiful. I get a few of those weird spam messages from odd websites too, but not as many as you do. It is terrible that someone is stealing your blog post and pictures... how did you find out about that? I can't imagine the pleasure anyone could get from using another bloggers content....
ReplyDeleteIncredible !
Hope you get to the bottom of it soon...Ciao for now, Mary
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers, ugly spammers. I guess I'm lucky I have so few readers! I must say I have no idea how to even check to see if content is being reported.i must say I have real trouble reading some of the verification symbols.
You have such beautiful arrangements. This one is simply lovely. Thank you for posting it. It brightened up my Winter day!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain with spammers. I hope you new method works. Your blog is such a joy to read and look at. I am grateful you take the time to share your home and creativity with your readers.
As for someone stealing your content, that is shocking! I agree that creating original content would be so much more interesting.
Susan
Beautiful floral arrangement!! You are so very talented!
ReplyDeleteHope the stolen blog mess clears up for you! Maybe it's a back-handed compliment to your wonderful work! Sorry to see your frustration, though.
Thank you for your daily gift of cheer and inspiration!
Mary-Ann
Tampa, FL
Thank you for the most amazing pictures. Its sunny in my part of the world but flowers are so beautiful anytime, anywhere.
ReplyDeleteHope the trouble gets sorted out soon.
Hi Sharon, I've been blogging for about a year now and {knock on wood} have not experienced of this nasty activity. I am so sorry to hear that this kind of thing goes on. The blogging community is generally a very kind and supportive group and it saddens me that a few bad apples have to disrupt the nice vibe. I hope the word verification helps.
ReplyDeleteYour bouquet is lovely. Here in the pacific northwest, (it's been 25 degrees during the day all week!) nothing grows in the winter so I bring flowers in.. to keep my spirits up.
Enjoy your weekend.
leslie
..experienced and OF this..!! My eyes are tired!
DeleteFlowers always cheer me up too. Sorry to read of your woes, I hope the actions you took remedy all the mess.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of your weekend
Sharon, your blog is beautiful. I love it. Thanks for sharing your stunning winter bouquet--you always inspire me to be more creative around my house.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about your blog problems. I'm glad you're implementing the word verification. Would comment moderating be another level of protection? I have also heard that Wordpress is better protected.
Keep posting, in spite of the difficulties. You have so many fans who adore you!
Yes well it takes all sorts - even people who "cheat" seem to get some sort of "kick" from plagiarism . What a shame and a nuisance as it causes so much more work at your end. Your flower arrangement is lovely and would have to make you feel better when you look at it. I have no problem filling in the word verification to keep your blog safe.
ReplyDeleteI am very sorry to hear that there are some people who do not want to make their own blog, but rather copy somebody else's work.
ReplyDeleteI have been following your blog for a few months now, and I really enjoy it. I am sorry to hear you have such problems with thiefs and spam etc. Really annoying.
On the bright sight, the flowers are really beautyful!
kind regards,
Hi, Sharon:
ReplyDeleteI receive your posts in my mailbox and love them. I'm a small blogger, in bloggers as well, and have had no problems. What have I done? I have had words verification since the beginning, and I must approve the comments. This means a little more work, but stops spammers. I don't allow publicity, I fight spam.
I've tried Wrodpress before and love Bloggers better. I don't think that changing to Wordpress would be the solution, since the same could happen there if you don't programm words verification and comments approval. I hope that helps, and that this someone stealing your content is caught and banned.
Happy New Year 2013!
I have also noticed that some pictures are copied in an other blog (and not only from your one). What a shame. If somebody is not creative enough or is a good writer (like me) just enjoy reading and get inspirations from the "Best". I am so sorry for you but unfortunately we live in a world where too many can have access to your privacy.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that our digital world is full of malicious idiots who just want to ruin everything for us. I have a very small blog on blogger too, and I have fewer followers than you (hardly any) and I get malicious spam. This type of spam is machine generated, they send spiders/crawlers out to target blogs/emails etc. where there is no protection. It's automated. The only way to get rid of it is to have as much protection as you can on your blog.
ReplyDeleteNow about your thief. It is copyright theft to steal someone's content. If you know who they are you can comment on their blog (if you want) to say that you will take legal action for copyright theft against EU copyright law if they don't stop. You can indeed report them to the copyright licensing agencies (in whatever country you are). Hope blogger will do something for you.
I love your gorgeous winter bouquet and I wish you a wonderful Sunday. In the UK we have a lovely cold sunny morning.
Oh, the spam?.....
ReplyDeleteAs I may have told you, Sharon?....
Dominique Browning and Frances Mayes (both pals of mine, so I get the inside scoop, more or less) have both had to shut down their very-successful blogs (they're both well-known writers, with a large audience) precisely because of the spam. Frances simply doesn't have the TIME to go through all of that stuffand delete, no matter how much she enjoys interacting with her readers. Dominique had the worst problem I've heard of; until I told her, she had no idea that someone/thing was going back, retrospectively, and absolutely filling the comments section with all sorts of really foul/vile (and my standards for being offended are, for better or worse, pretty high) pornographic "responses".
Both women had to simply shut down for a while before implementing the advice of friends who were more tech-savvy. The good news is that both were able to solve the problem within 2 or so weeks.
If you wouldlike, I'll give you their private email addresses, and you can contact them regarding what they did.
Both resorted to implementing the word-verification business (which is hell on anyone, like me, who wears bifocals, but that's just too bad). It seems to have worked for both of them.
Best of luck to you in this world, where it often seems folks can't simply leave a good thing alone,
David Terry
www.davidterryart.com
I am so sorry about your problem. It is very disturbing to have people so lacking in ethics. They have to be nihilistic to steal at this level. Especially when your blog is based on the beauty of life.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, your bouquet is simply breathtaking!!! Love looking at photos of gorgeous fresh flowers in the dead of winter- reminds me that spring is just around the corner : )
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have a much smaller blog than yours, but I do get quite a lot of spam. But, because my blog is on Word Press and protected by Akismet, I never see them unless I acutally go to my spam folder and clean it out! Word Press does a fantastic job of catching all of the spam- thousands caught, and only 1 that was actually a legit email address! Of course, that does not help with the matter of cutting and pasting your content- that is actually criminal and absolutely ridiulous! I am wondering what their gain is by doing such a thing? Please don't think about ending this blog because of the terrible actions of others- we would miss our almost-daily fix of the beautiful images of France that you post!!!
hi Sharon, every day after dinner I sit and open your email & I love your pictures and stories [flowers are beautiful].I only hope these idiots don't stop you from doing what you love keep positive xxpam
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flower arrangement. It brightened my day.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear you're being targeted with spam mail & comments and worst of all having your blog content stolen and reproduced somewhere else. I've been following, enjoying and having a good time with your blog, your wonderful sense of humor and good taste for a couple of years now and completely understand the need of word verification.
Let's hope blogger finds a way to stop this soon.
Love your posts, please keep on with them.
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI get the same spam on my blog, of course. Sometimes I click on their site and write them a very friendly note asking them to stop. Sometimes they do. Other times I copy and paste their spam back to them a few quick times in a row and that sometimes does the trick. And when I'm feeling like you were when you wrote this, I swear at them via email...which makes me feel better if nothing else. Most times, of course, I ignore and delete and eventually they go away. Good luck to you. And pretty flowers!!
Julie
I could not agree with you more, honestly it really is so flippant to use your original content...I know how it irritate me if someone uses my original images, cropped my name at the bottom off and not give credit even after being notified. I attended a talk on the issue of copy and it was said that being copied is the greatest form of flatter and suggest that you are on the right path...but really, what satisfaction is there in out right "stealing" someone elses hard work and making it your's
ReplyDeleteOn the rare occasion that I have used a image where the source is unknown to me, I am happy if someone tells me the source. in 3 years it has happened twice and I happily share the correct info. I know that you also, like myself, share mostly your own images if not all the time! as for the spam,...really is becoming a issue Blogger should look into!
your flowers are BEAUTIFUL and inspiring. thank you for sharing
lovely day to you
Bisous
Colette x
Gracias por el dato y suerte!
ReplyDeleteWhat an exquisite arrangement!- I enjoy your blog so much and am so shocked to hear that someone would have the audacity to blatantly plagiarize your content! I'm new to blogging and haven't had to deal with these issues yet- but will use this as a cautionary tale- and kudos for calling out the copycat, even if not by name- maybe their conscience will get the best of them.
ReplyDeleteSharon, I have never posted a comment but have followed your blog daily for quite a while. It is one of the bright spots in my day to read your post. I live in the USA (Arkansas) and immensely enjoy learning a bit about how daily life is half way around the world. I love your blog (great fans of Gibson and Ghetto) and hate that some evil person is stealing from your wonderful blog. I am sorry there are such people on our earth. Keep up the beautiful original post. You brighten so many people's lives and that outweighs the bad out there.
ReplyDeleteI am like Cindy. Don't usually post comments but I LOVE seeing your pics. It is a breath of fresh air for me here in New Jersey! (I am a westie owner as well, so I get tickled every time you post a pic of that french westie :) So sorry to hear of your troubles. I am getting bombarded with fake FedEx spams and finally called them today to resolve the problem. I can't imagine how annoying it is to have that junk interfere with your blog. Hope things get better soon!
ReplyDeleteI understand your frustration!I'm not a BLOGGER but do have alittle site and I too get the SPAM .It is a headache and I can understand your frustration especially if someone has been taking your stuff and posting it as theirs!I have been meaning to ask you how you put your name on your photos too but now I doubt you will share that!I do understand!I thought you were very eloquent and FAIR in what you posted today!GOOD JOB!I just love your flower arrangements.........you have a real talent!
ReplyDeleteYou are the second blogger today that I see is having content stolen from them. While it is such a shame, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they say. I went to catch up with Fashion is My Muse after the holidays, and it has ended, so sad. Please keep blogging. Take Vicki Archer's suggestion...it is time for WordPress. Cathy C.
ReplyDeleteOh dear Sharon, I'm so sorry this has happened to you and your beautiful blog. What a shame! Some people never cease to amaze me on their viciousness these days. This is not within my understanding. I have been wanting to start another blog of other interests even though I have a blog that is connected to my website. So far I have not had much spam but I don't get the enormous hits you do. I'm rethinking my process now so I have learned something from what you've experience.
ReplyDeleteYour bouquet is gorgeous. You have such a way about you, your arranging and your photos. I am so fortunate to have have you and your bright spot into my life dear Sharon. Thank YOU!
Your flower arrangement is beautiful! I hope putting a CAPTCHA on will solve your spam problem. Every time someone uses reCAPTCHA they are actually digitizing a book or newspaper, so while it is an inconvenience, it is translating a scanned image of a page to text. So some good comes from it. Sorry to hear about someone taking your content too. I hope you can get them to stop quickly.
ReplyDeleteOh,mein Gott sind die Blumen schon,
ReplyDeleteEin hauch von Frühling.
Bei uns in Berlin ist es Kalt und liegt etwas Schnee.
Ganz liebe Grüße von
Chabby
Sharon, I'm so terribly sorry you are having the blog problems. You are doing something to benefit us and yourself with your wonderful blog; why does somebody else always have to come in and ruin a good thing? What a worry for you. Do whatever you need to, to protect your content and privacy. We readers will adjust.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to add that I have no problem with word verification. Also, I don't have my own blog but have noticed that our computer is running into problems although we have mega virus protection. My whole system shuts down on certain blogs. My husband wants me to quit blogging altogether because he says my fave sites are probably infected. This is a dilemma for me because I do love to visit blogs like yours. So, my blogging future is sort of up in the air right now. We're still investigating on the homefront. It's troubling.
ReplyDeleteDear Sharon ... I'm a relatively new following of your beautiful blog. I can't tell you how many smiles you've brought me. Thank you for all you do. I'm so sorry for the difficulties you're presently experiencing, and I, too, feel the way you're handling them is not only appropriate and necessary, but extremely kind.
ReplyDeleteYour bouquet has certainly brightened my day. We have snow everywhere here and the only color that remains is the green of the pines. Thank you!
I am so sorry you have to deal with this. Your posts are always a bright spot in my day and I enjoy reading each of them. Thank you for all of the time you put into making this a great blog. I hope this does not discourage you from all you do to make this such a great post. Your winter bouquet is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteTake care--Julia Ryan
I am so sorry to hear about the horrible theft of your blog...i do not understand why people feel they must do this, steal from others and say it is theirs...,,i hooe the one doing this has been caught and dealt with....suek
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers and hopefully help with a much better outcome with our blogs in 2013. I have also experiences loads of spam in the last month. It's exploaded my spam box and spilled over into comments on my blog as well. Then this last month of real comments has dissapeared as well. Sigh...finding a better way to protect my blog continues.
However I just read this article posted on NPR radio about spam and Pharma and how big the business is . Most of the spam on my site is Russian and as this report shows that is were the spam is coming from here is a link to the article.
Hope this helps our friends in blogland to atleast see where it's coming from because it's making us all pretty cranky.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/01/11/168967999/black-market-pharmacies-and-the-big-business-of-spam
Bette
One thing I know for sure, whenever I'll stop by for a little respite from everyday cares and so forth, there will be something cheerful, useful, wonderful and beautiful to cheer me up. Cheers for the wonderful winter bouquet. It is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry to hear about what's going on with your blog. What a pain for you spending precious time on these type of unwanted problems. This is a beautiful site and does so much good for those of us who love your style, panache and flair.
xx Amelia
Dear Sharon, I understand because the same has been happening with my site. I just hate to add comment moderation or word verification, as I know how much time it takes to visit our blog friends! We'll see..
ReplyDeleteThe floral arrangement is gorgeous!
xoxo
Karena
2013 Artists Series
Sorry Sharon...you know they say the imitation is the best form of flattery but in your case this isn't just imitation....but when you are as good as you are and your blog is BEAUTIFUL to read and view...you have become a target. I love the bouquet and I hope it all goes away and gets better.
ReplyDeleteRita
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI would like a print of your boquet! I would put it on top of my piano and pretend it was really there! It is so gorgeous....LOVE the berries from your Ivy, and all of it I love. I arrange flowers but I rarely get florwes to arrange in the winter..I don't think I ever have actually. Now and then I receive a bouquet from my hubby or a friend, but I think I will follow your example and get myself some flawers in the winter! So sad that you are having these difficulties. I have had no problems with my blog, but have only been doing it a few months. None of my work or pictures is worth copying, but I did start to put my blog name on them...don't know if that is important for me or not, but I will do it anyway. I love your blog! And hope the diseased persons bothering you will get a REAL life of their own.
Hearts to you,
Betsy
Your winter bouquet is fantastic. I just behan a new blog yesterday because the old server (overblog) had a new device where people could "repost" your post on their own blog without even asking you! I have no idea why they thought it was a good idea!!!
ReplyDeleteI love tour winter bouquet
ReplyDeleteRoberta
Sharon - I completely understand the word verification. I'm thinking of doing it myself as I am tired of all the spam I get. As to the stealing, that is horrible. That won't happen to me as you need to have something good enough to steal ;). But I hope karma kicks your thief in the ass! J
ReplyDeleteI love the bouquet--all my favorite colors together. But sorry about the spam. I always leave anonymous comments because I do not have any of the other accounts needed to do anything else. Please continue to allow legitimate anonymous resposes.
ReplyDeleteAwesome flowers...so pretty!! Great post and superb blog...keep posting more!!
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I would like to know who he/she is that is thieving your content. I think we (your loyal readers/friends) could let him/her know what we think about that kind of behavior....I respect your decision to take the high road, though...
ReplyDeleteTotally supportive of the spam protection, I see no need to remove it ever, I have no problem with it, and if it saves you annoyance it is a pleasure!
Anyway, I am truly sorry you are having these troubles and I want you to know how much I, as well as many others, appreciate the time and effort you put into your blog, it is the one blog I read EVERY day and it makes such a difference to me. Thank you so much for putting up with the troublesome parts of it to bring us all this spot of light and beauty in whatever kind of day we are having otherwise.......like, today, I'm having a dreary day too, but as always your blog makes me feel so much better. Best to you every day!
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteHow sad someone can't use their own words and feel comfortable steeling from others.
On the spam issue, I am with Wordpress.com and have not had any spam but I do moderate comments to my blog. My only complaint with the word recognition is that sometimes it's almost illegible but I'd install if I had your issues.
What a bummer and totally moan-worthy.
Karen
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI was a wicker repair expert with an antique restoration biz for 6 years. I did all the types of repair. I have caned couches and curved chairs. You can recane beds, but will need to practice on chairs first. I would think that some of the upholstered beds you are seeing are probably caned underneath.It is expensive to repair and a caned antique may be rotten and wear and end up back in the barn to be repaired.
Love From Texas, Pip
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ReplyDeleteI arranged the whole lot in a dark metal container filled with florists foam and placed it in the light of a lamp on top of the piano. I know that the roses won't last for many days, but the ensemble brightens my dining room this winter weekend.
ReplyDelete