Dear Beth in Houston,
It used to make me really mad when someone would plagiarize my blog. That someone could change the name of a restaurant, a city, a few friends and pass off what I had written as their own, well, I found it absolutely unfathomable.
It’s still unfathomable. But I’m not angry… so much as confused and really, really sad for you.
Your friends on myspace are really touched by your latest post, Azure and Coincidence. They should be touched. That post came right from the heart. My heart. In 2003. You didn’t even change the title of the post. Ballsy. Anyway, one of your friends was so touched he ratted you out. That guy has class. You should keep him around, spend more time with him and maybe pick up a few things. Like, a moral compass.
Seriously, borrowing a stranger’s emotional experiences and using it as your own is kinda pathetic. And icky. It’s like, wearing someone else’s underwear. Gross and twisted. But hey, I’d really rather send you a few pairs of panties from my laundry basket and feed your sick need that way. Sure beats watching you take credit for my writing.
You know, I guess I am still a little mad. But at least these days, I have fancy lawyers on my side. I knew selling out would come in handy.
Be well (and I mean that),
Heather
P.S. Same to you, Lauren in Tennessee. And Dawn in Belfast. And Mandy in North Carolina. And Juddita in Prague.
That is incredibly bizarre. Stealing someone’s BLOG? What on earth is the point of that???? Defeats the whole purpose of a ‘blog’!!! (Sorry, I’m just a stranger getting outraged on your behalf) And to put it on MYSPACE of all things? Ha. Even more pitiable.
Well, on the positive side, it meant that you got the chance to link back to a really well written piece of yours – thanks! Try and take it as flattery – all be it from a rather sad person…
It’s actually right there on my sidebar under Favorite Posts. I think that makes it even a little more ballsy. It may be flattery, but it is also so frustrating.
I hope you have a lot of panties, Fish. A technorati search of “Azure and Coincidence” shows that this particular post was also written by folks in Memphis and Prague. Yikes.
Ugh. Brando, these are things I do not like hearing. I mean, not because I really don’t want to go buy a whole new set of undies, but because that’s my **** out there! People are SO weird.
Don’t forget there are also bots out there that scour the internet for blog posts and post them back on to their own site to drive traffic and ad revenue. Of course, in this case, Beth’s actions sound far more personal and deliberate.
At least they aren’t stealing your photo yet.
(You know who have fancy lawyers? Book publishers. Yups. So go put all this stuff in a book and sell out in STYLE.)
Appalling, definitely. I wrote you a while back about that very post. Your original of course. Without question my favorite of yours. It reached me and touched me. Parts of it rang very true for me, and I am happy that someone shares my feelings. Props to you, O.F. (Original Fish)
Yeah. that doesnt work so much does it….
It is a beautiful post for sure… I agree it feels as if someone has stolen your underwear and is shaking her ass for all the world to see. Ick.
It’s awful when you put your heart out there and people take it for their own. I feel very sad for people who either have no conscience to discern right from wrong (or no morals to not care to discern that), or for people who lack the ability in knowledge to write their OWN experiences in their OWN words just as eloquently.
I had not had the honor of reading the original post until today’s link to it. I can see why it has been copied. It doesn’t make it right not AT ALL, But the original piece is a stunning work of digital expression. Thank YOU Fish for sharing it to begin with. I am sitting in a moments silence over it now because it was just that beautiful.
And for the person who copied (or those that do copy at all). Share your own experiences, don’t steal others… yours are just as precious and even more so in your OWN words.
Have a great day Fish
And so is this girl in Prague:
http://juddita.blogspot.com
I read a few of her posts and the one about crushes was so familiar; I know I read it on someone else’s blog in the past month or two. How pathetic.
Somehow, I find this incredibly disturbing. Especially the Memphis myspace girl who said it was something from a writing exercise. Appalling.
But I suppose that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Or something.
Sorry to the bearer of more bad news but apparently Mandy in North Carolina wrote “Girl, you’ll be woman” just a few days ago on her Space. Another example of great writing cheapened by some sad woman with no mind of her own.
wow. i find this freakishly disturbing. i’m sorry more people can’t think and feel for themselves…
Hey, c-monkey:
Would you mind sending me the link to that blog? iVillage’s lawyers are working on it. You can send the link to thisfish at gmail dot com.
Thanks!
That sucks, Fish. I just don’t understand why anyone would do this. What do they have to gain from it?
Really, really sad in my opinion.
Best of luck to you and your team of lawyers!
ps- You rock and I just spent the last week reading through your archives instead of working at work!
There’s almost nothing as pleasant as watching a team of highly-paid lawyers go after someone who really, really deserves it. I’m delighted to say I speak from experience here, but then I’m not as nice a person as you.
Sent link… get ‘em Fish.
Lex, I’m glad you think I’m too nice to get *some* sort of enjoyment out of the legal shark feeding. Let’s just have you go on thinkin’ that.
hey fish. juddita in prague not only seems to have stolen your azure and coincidence post (which was exquisitely beautiful, i must say) but your girl on girl one too – i totally remembered reading that before, and then found it on your blog. go get ‘em!
WHOA!!! juddita also stole fish’s “genius, right?” post (it’s the first one on juddita’s blog page), as well as “find me no find” and “the way we deal.” unfreakinbelievable.
Fish, don’t forget about Kristina in Florida! Go to google blog search and google some of your titles. You will be shocked all the more!
First time poster, long time reader.
You are a terrific writer. You brighten my day and remind me of how beautiful life is. Thank you.
I don’t have the talent with the written word like you do but I’d never consider stealing someone’s words. You’re exactly right, it’s like wearing someone’s used underwear.
Make them pay!
If you guys send me the links to my gmail (thisfish), I can pass them on to iVillage.
Juddita also stole from:
Sorry … your links are messing things up. I had to remove them.
That is so lame. And you are right, sad. Losers.
More plagiarists…. I’m emailling two links to you.
That’s pretty crazy. I started searching myself, and found that you have a lot of devoted fans behind you! You’d at least think when she said “borrowed” she could have said from whom.
That is so sad someone would steal someones work and not give them credit. I have myspace and I am also addicted you your blog and Grrl Genious. I will admit that I posted a blog Grrl Genious put out on my page, but I gave her full credit and even explained a little about her before the story. She also told everyone to send that to all their Grrl Genious’s. I give credit where credit is due. I could never write like you girls do. You go girl! Get ‘em Fish!
This makes me sick. The whole point of a blog is to express your emotional conflicts and desires. Why would someone steal that?
I used to post poetry online and had someone steal it and turn it in. Luckiy it was to a prof that I had writing relationship with and he already knew my work.
I feel for you and am very sorry that you are having to feel this betrayed/molested…
PS. I hope the lawyers get them!
This is trully appalling. I did some searching of my own, and found the same blog in this web address. Apparently written by someone named Kristina, in Panama city Florida. The girl in Prague also stole a post called Girl on Girl from you.
I’m so sorry that this is happening to you!!!!!!!!
It’s really creepy that someone would take the experiences of another and claim them as their own. Get your own freakin’ identity!!!
I never write comments. I’m supposed to be working! However…That’s unreal, and creepy, and slightly predatory…
I guess, just think…would you rather be the one who is stolen from or the one who had to steal?
I’ve tried to remember that ever since someone stole my choreography. Intellectual property! But I had not way to litigate. You go, girl, and get them for the rest of us!
People think that because it’s “webbed,” that it doesn’t count, and feel free to steal creative pieces, blog posts, whatever they want. They don’t think that there’s a chance there might be one reader who reads both sites. Dummies. Sorry it happened to you, fish. If you *do* decide to take the high road, the rest of us will enjoy the feeding for you. (lol)
Wow. Thats really the only thought that comes to mind. Granted, I told people about your blog in mine, but how could someone think to steal it as their own? There is no sense to that.
Good for you, go get ‘em! I feel really bad for them, that they must copy you. Granted youre a fine writer, but its your own feelings and life. Are people really that pathetic? Their own lives hold nothing for them?
Wow. Good luck! and I’m sorry that you have to endure this frustration.
I’m sorry this happens, it’s pretty shady. But congrats on being the classy one who did not include a link to those who stole from you.
I’ve fallen in love with your blog, I miss it on days it doesn’t show up. I’m so very sorry about the “simple” people who couldn’t come up with their own exeperiences and tried to pull yours off for their own. Good luck!
P.S. I’m not sure if you are from Utah but if you are…Hello from a fellow Utahn.
It’s sad that someone would steal your words/experience/feelings and try to pass them off as their own. But then again, people never cease to amaze me. I joke with my friends that I haven’t had an original thought since 1994 – but I’ve never plagiarized someone’s work. Thankfully this is not something I’ll personally have to worry about – my writing is mediocre, at best
I had no idea people did this. Appalling.
Hey Fish…I can’t believe you’re running into all these blog-stealers! I once quoted a bit of your “Genius, right?” post, but left a link to your site and didn’t paste the whole thing there. I hope your lawyers tell them what’s what and that they’re mortified for lack of ability to have any morsel of independent thought!
Check this one out:
http://pixydust1984.blogspot.com/
This disgusts me. I’m addicted to your blog and I can not imagine how violated you feel. I’m an engineering student and I know how violated I would feel if someone stole my ideas. It’s the same thing. It’s not only the stolen panties, but them breaking in, taking them, and putting pictures of them all over the internet….Go get ‘em for the rest of the “designers” of the world!
I just started blogging and can’t even imagine taking someone else’s personal stories for my own. That just means they have nothing better to do with their lives and time. Takes a good set of balls if you ask me…I do enjoy reading your stories…so keep ‘em coming.
I’d be so pissed if I were you too. Obviously some people would love to write about things the way you do. So instead of working at it themselves or taking classes they just steal your stuff? WTF!! So Pathetic
oh, ew, again? I remember when a bunch of people all on the same weird, really lame blog publishing tool were doing this, too, and all your fans, myself included, flamed the hell out of them.
It just sucks, there’s no way around that. But think of it this way: in The Squid and the Whale, Walt plays “Hey You” by Pink Floyd at a talent show and passes it off as his own song. His defense when busted is “I felt as if I could have written it, so the fact that some one else already had was coincidental” or something to that effect. Your work resonates so strongly with so many people, they use your words to express themselves (if I recall, one of those plagiarists last time was a man living in South Africa – different gender, different life, but he still related to your words enough to rip them off). Sad, but much sadder for all of them than for you, some one who actually has the ability to compellingly articulate her feelings. And a team of lawyers well-versed in internet copyright law.
Good luck!!
Is it really borrowing if you never asked permission??? Juddita’s says “borrowed” — you need to ask someone before you borrow, otherwise it’s just stealing!
Sorry about the dumbsh*t’s who steal your wonderful writing!
I look forward to it everyday.
Fish,
I smile and shake my head. I agree plagiarism is a crime against society, true, but “unfathomable”? Maybe I’m just jaded but c’mon… there are always going to be people who see something they can take and do it. Sure, there is a special place in hell for the people who stole your voice, and the pennies from the change jar at the corner market and the guy who swiped my ss number but don’t tell me you had no idea that people could be so evil. And these are only the people who were lazy enough to keep your title. Have faith in karma Fish, I predict most of the plagiarists you’ve uncovered, and many you haven’t, will stub their toes, hard, in the coming days. (count your blessings you aren’t a high-school English teacher, it would break your heart)
Ugh, I am so disgusted by these people, its so pathetic and sad that either they are that stupid or that uninteresting that they have to steal from your posts. What a bunch of bitches!
Incredibly lame. And sad.
Copyscape is a pretty good site for catching that kind of evil doing.
I didn’t know people stole from blogs. From what I read, blogs are an individuals experiences told to a large audience. Why would anyone want to steal your memories. Well, I’m glad she was turned in and I’m glad you’re taking action! Good luck on your diet too. You seem skinnier to me in my eyes!
Stupid bitch in Prauge has stolen SEVERAL of your posts. I suppose there really isn’t much of a copy-right law for blog spaces since no one really makes money off them, right?
That’s really too bad though. I’ve considered starting my own blog, but the idea of someone stealing my words and feelings makes me ill. I just don’t think I’d hanle it as well.
People getting alittle carried away on those other blogs… telling someone to commit suicide… wow, thats harsh.
Hmmm…well, I agree that’s harsh. But I’ve got nothing to do with that.
wait. correct me if i am wrong but isn’t the entry “girl on girl” from here to? because it sounds super fimiliar
I just went to the Prague-girl’s blog, and saw that she can’t even plagerize correctly. Check it: she changes the gender to “brother” in her version, but then forgets and leaves in the “she”…
“Years ago, I witnessed the birth of my brother and my heart froze the moment she inhaled her first breath and exhaled his first cry…”
Ha! Idiot!
there are a lot more weirdos out there than we realize. no sane person would steal another’s thoughts like that. so bizarre!!
I’ve noticed that juditta isn’t just taking your posts….she’s “borrowing” sober in the city’s too and for some reason I’ve seen some of her other posts too….mainly cosmo’s bedroom blog. isn’t that copyrighted?
wow! That’s amazing and sad indeed. It’s like you’re the Angelina Jolie of the Internet. I’ve heard of this happening before..and they copied someone’s baby sonogram, which was eerie. I say, sue her ass.
Well, Fish, it’s certainly caused a stir: One of the top search items on Technorati.com are the words “Azure and Coincidence”. It was a great post. I’m just shocked at the audacity of these people.
I just started blogging and there’s NO way I would steal someone’s work. I mean, what’s the point? This is just so disturbing. There are so many freaks in the world. I’m glad you outed them. Go Fish!
Heather- Oops. Guess I better stop stealing your work now that you are on the war path. Doen’t matter, no one ever really believed I had a vagina anyways. -gregg
Juddita wrote borrowed at the bottom of Azure and Coincidence. Was that after she got caught?
Kinda strange that people feel the need to steal blogs. I never realized I’m one of the few who just writes about my boring day and pretends like others are amused.
Keep doin what you do, and don’t let ‘em get you down. We all know you’re the original.
So this is leaving me really perplexed.
1. Why would you steal another blog? I’m truly dumbfounded. My daily musings are necessarily interesting, but I don’t feel the need to take someone’s entries and post them as my own. That’s just…well, weird.
2. How did you know they plagerized? First I would never think someone would plagerize a blog…like I said, just plain strange. Second, I wouldn’t even know where to begin to find that out. Guess I’m not as web savvy as I thought.
Maybe take it as a compliment…you stuff is good. Makes me think of where I am, was and want to be…
That’s so bizarre. Why on earth would anyone want to copy someone else’s post and pass off as their own? The whole point of having a blog is so that you can express all the emotions bottled up inside you.
Oh and yeah, I would be pissed too.
I’m sorry; this has happened to me as well. It gets very painful when people stoop as low as to steal your words, images, and your boyfriend –someone stole images of my boyfriend and I and then wrote their own stories… Very odd, I know.
Often a reader but never posted before. Finally moved to comment…just clicked on link in “Comments” to Juddita’s blog out of morbid curiosity and found that even her latest post is stolen from you!!! Really creepy. People need to get a life. Literally. Literally…literally! Sorry this is happening to you.
What next passing off the transcripts of Big Brother as your own life. Strange people out there…
…what’s wrong in wearing other people’s underwear??…as long as they’re used, i see no problem LOL
I don’t understand why you would want to live someone else’s life stories. Fish, your blog inspires me to go out live my life my way!!!!
Oooh, Fish! Don’t forget that Bickford Randoms chick in Cali. I found at LEAST 8-10 of my postings in her blog.
She never responded to my emails, but one-by-one, they kept coming down. I haven’t seen update from her in a while — maybe because her OWN life really isn’t all that interesting.
Good looking out, fellow Blogger!
You are amazing.
I just read this an immediately went over to the asshole’s site and left a few choice words.
WHO DOES THAT? It’s like THE lamest thing I’ve ever seen in the blogging world.
You’re an original and you always will be. Plus you’re beautiful inside and out.
F them.
LOVE you.
In reading one of the plagiarists, I see that they DID mention at the end that it was “borrowed.”
“Life may not be replete with the moments that pause your soul, the vivid memories of which cause your heart beat differently, or make it hard to swallow. And all the better. Much of the beauty of those moments lies in their rarity — in the awe of being in the right place, at the right time, a partaker in coincidence. And in finding a reason to believe in fate.
°borrowed”
I just went to One Lost Girl…aka Juddita in Prague. She tried to make it about her brother’s birth but look at this,
-Years ago, I witnessed the birth of my brother and my heart froze the moment “she” inhaled “her” first breath and exhaled “his” first cry.-
WHAT A FREAKING IDIOT!!!!!
Your “girl you’ll be a woman” post struck a deep cord with me and I posted part of it on a MySpace blog, but all credit was given where credit is due. I read this post yesterday and can’t believe the number of comments about additional thievery since then. Fish, you’re a great story-teller and I enjoy stopping by every couple days to catch up. I’m so sorry that this is happening to you, but I’m glad that you have people who can take care of it for you. Keep up the good work and don’t be discouraged; some of us wouldn’t be able to get through a day at work without your color. Just remember, they’re stealing it for a reason…it’s good sh*t!
She’s stealing from the Bedroom Blog too? I know the Bedroom Blogger. She’s gonna be pissssed.
Fish….long time reader, first time poster here…..After reading this post, it reminded me of something:
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
Great post. It’s so cool to see all these readers rallying around you. There’s so little copyright protection for bloggers, and this army of readers is the answer…
Yeah, what is it with this? I just don’t get this trend.
Dude, the Robert Service Memorial Penitentiary for Internet Trolls is pretty full up, but I’m sure we could squeeze a few more in. The overcrowding just means it’ll take a little longer for the mosquitoes to bleed ‘em dry.
Sorry this happened again, but well, I’m a little jealous. I’ll neve rwrite well enough to inspire people to plagerize.
Creepy.
But a sincere form of flattery? (flattering??)
[I had a college roommate who used my underwear when her clean underwear ran out....EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW]
Grrl Genius here, a fellow blogger on iVillage. I love your blog, read it all the time and felt I had to post a comment on this topic.
This horrifying plagerism doesn’t surprise me in the least. My live-in boyfriend wrote a column once called “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter” which became a bestselling book, and then he turned it into a hit TV show, now in syndication.
And yet, THOUSANDS of people have posted that column on their websites, claiming to have written it. It happened as recently as last week. They add extra more simple rules, they ruin his jokes, they get irate when they are contacted and told they may reprint the original column, ALL THE HAVE TO DO is credit the actual author.
People feel like if it’s on the internet that it must have emerged from the internet itself, and thus it belongs to them.
Thank you SO MUCH for speaking out so forcefully against internet plagerism. It’s imoral and illegal and unethical and will give you zits, big cysty ones. Seriously.
Plagiarize, people. It’s spelled, plagiarize.
Jeez louise. That is pathetic. But are you a touch flattered that they wanted to steal from you?
Wow! That’s letting them have it! I’d love to hear how the lawyers handle it.
I am a pastoral counselor, and a writer.
I rarely need an attorney but have them on retainer. The upside is you have a unique gift and talent. Obviously the imitators got caught. Your imitators don’t have your talent and won’t succeed. However, use your attorneys and follow their advise. It is akin to having your innermost being violated.
This has got to be the saddest thing i’ve ever heard. We may not have the same chances in life. We may not even have any special talent – but to steal someone else’s words as their own, to make up for their own deficiencies? Pathetic!
Mark,
Both spellings of “plagiarize” (or “plagiarise” are acceptable. One is a little more acceptable to the north and across the Atlantic. Cheers!
All of Juditta in Prague’s posts made prior to May 22 and after May 31st are gone now, Poof! as though they’d never been.
Chalk one up for the pit-bull lawyers, whether they were yours, iVillage’s ot Blogspot’s.
Keep us up to date on what happens, fish… I’m sorry you have had to go through this but please know you have a lot of support. xx
Seriously, borrowing a strangerâs emotional experiences and using it as your own is kinda pathetic.
It is not kinda pathetic…it is pathetic.
High drama…America, I gotta get back there some day…
juddita just deleted her blog. good riddance.
Is this another one, or one already posted?
http://chuckiepat.blogspot.com/2006/06/indigos.html
Man, they love ya fish. Someone left a comment too!
Hi, I’m an infrequent reader of your blog. I don’t remember how I stumbled across it, but it’s been in my favorites for a while and I read whenever I get a chance. I guess people just envy your lifestyle and your talented ability to write. That really, really sucks that they just flat out stole your entries, though…
Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I enjoy reading your blog and I for one am quite content with my life, and I wouldn’t dream of stealing someone else’s. Hope you have a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend.
Take care.
This bites. Hard to believe that people will stoop to such levels. Hopefully, now that they have been caught–it will all cease.
I believed what people are saying but until I saw one of the posts … let’s just say, I was floored! I have a blog as well that only my friends can read but I would literally cut someone if they took my words.
I wonder if this also happened to other popular bloggers out there?
Has anyone checked out the brighter than sunshine comments? There’s a new one that rips us all. Here’s a direct quote: “But the Fish fans have a few traits in common with Fish: they are hypocritical, condescending, judgemental assholes, who have determined that if you dont agree with them and Fish, or find the crap that Fish publishes to be future Pulitzer Prize winning writing, then you are a fool, a moron, a hate monger, etc”
I don’t consider myself hypocritical, judgmental or an asshole, but hey, he’s entitled to an opinion.
Ally
oh geez, I hope nobody gives that asswipe that Ally is referring to the satisfication of a response.
Fish, you must have the thickest skin not to let stuff like that get to you. I certainly do not follow this blog to read how you, as buddy puts it “wipe your own ass”, but because of the quality of your writing. It’s witty, and it engenders empathy BECAUSE we all go through similar things and it’s nice to see how you put it into words.
It’s like saying, “why is seinfeld so popular, he only talks about stuff that happens to everybody…”
I always thought blogs were pretty self-indulgent. People in desperate need of attention. But to plaigarize someone else’s self indulgence is pretty lame. Now, your example of self-indulgence is actually really good so don’t take it as an insult. I like your blog and I hate blogs. Sue their asses off.
I am stunned.
Not so much at the plagiarism – yeah that sucks. Whatever.
What stuns me is how vicious everyone is. You obviously lead terribly average nondescript lives if something as inconsequential as this gets you so worked up.
Get your priorities in order, better still, why not direct your energy towards something that is IMPORTANT.
Sarah, you must not work in a creative field, or you would realize that theft of intellectual property, such as plagiarism, IS IMPORTANT.
If you owned a store, and someone stole an item from it, would you call the bystanders who jumped on the thief and got your stolen property back “vicious”?
Yeah, didn’t think so.
Oh self-righteous Sarah, I just bet if someone took what was yours and claiming it as their own, you’d be pretty worked up about it. How would you feel if what you think is important to you is slammed as unimportant? How condescending of you to think that the commentors “lives are so terribly average nonsdescript” just because they are supporting someone they care for. Geez, I would hate to have you for a friend.
It’s a bit of a storm in a teacup.
Imitation is the most sincerest form of flattery, as they say Fish. As long as you continue to write so beautifully then unfortunately I think you will get other occurences of this. I have only one word to describe these acts of plagiarism: pathetic.
Please don’t let this discourage you from writing. You are so talented and so many of us appreciate the pieces you share with us.
So… What happened?? Did you get the suckers?
It has nothing to do with being self righteous and everything to do with being able to place one’s self into a greater perspective. It is a blog. That is all. Someone pinched a couple of paragraphs – yeah that’s weird and a bit creepy, but it’s not the end of the world and certainly not worthy of the hysteria afforded to it. And for the record, Lydia and Carrie, I do have creative hobbies (which is exactly what a blog is) and several members of my family are professionals in creative fields (both artists and writers who DO derive their living from it) however we are well grounded enough to know that what we do is not important in the grand scheme of things and none would carry on like this under the same circumstances. My current project is going towards helping victims of natural disaster and I could never kid myself that my ego is more important than their lives. Perhaps you should get away from the computer and take a look at what is really important in this world. And a blog isn’t.
Brava Sarah. Your earlier post made me reconsider the time and angst I was putting into this. Thanks.