The Thrill of Victory...Maybe

BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by BLOG ANTAGONIST, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit BLOGS ARE STUPID to enjoy this content LEGALLY.

Well I'll be damned. (Yes, literally, but right now I'm speaking figuratively).

Bitacle is no longer scraping my feed. They have not removed the content they have already pirated, but my last three posts are absent. Usually, a post is snagged within about 3 minutes of publication on Blogger. So the fact that three days have gone by since the last raping scraping is encouraging. It may mean that he has deleted my feed from his automated system.

Could it be that easy? I don't know. What I do know, is that if one searches for my blog on Bitacle, one is immediately confronted by text stating that the website one is surfing is illegally stealing content from me for financial gain. Not only is it displayed in the main entry, but the two teaser boxes linking to previous and subsequent posts at the bottom of the main text box.

To whit:



Word is spreading (thank you blogosphere) and people aren't stupid. They are realizing that anybody is a target for these bottom feeders. A lot of people are taking action, and I believe it is going to make a difference.

But if your feed is being scraped, and you're posting a disclaimer at the BOTTOM of your posts, it's somewhat ineffectual. Nobody will see it if they are casually browsing Bitacle. And even an interested and committed reader won't see it until they've already read your pilfered content on the site that pilfered it. This is particularly true if you've set your feeds to display only excerpts.

Yes, the disclaimer is obtrusive and annoying. But if it means Jesus and those of his ilk are thwarted, I'm okay with seeing it plastered on every blog from here to kingdom come.

Also, I've noticed that many of the buttons and graphics are not appearing on Bitacle. I don't know why some display and some don't, but if you relying on a graphic only to alert readers to stolen content, you may want to add some text as well. I do think eye catching buttons and graphics command attention, and do a great job of making of making bloggers and blog readers aware of the problem, so by all means, continue using them.

If you're fortunate enough to have escaped being scraped, don't assume you are "safe". Be vigilant, stay informed and keep abreast of the latest information.

StopBitacle.Org and Plagiarism Today are both great places to get the most current news about the issue and Lorelle VanFossen regularly posts about splogging in general on her site. Her archives are chock full of useful information and resources as well. If you haven't gotten a Creative Commons license, do so. It costs nothing and can help protect you if your content is stolen. Copyscape is another helpful tool.

If you are new to blogging, or considering starting a blog, be aware of which blog host sites offer protection from scraping. I know that Typepad and Wordpress are working to combat the problem with plug-ins. To my knowledge, they are currently the only ones doing so. If you choose to publish a feed, (there are legitimate aggregators out there like Bloglines, Blogatrithm and Technorati) set it to display only excerpts of your original text.

None of these things alone will make you immune to being scraped, plagiarized, splogged or ripped off. But used together they can minimize the likelihood, and give you some recourse should it occur.

We can do this. We are doing this. Rock on Blogosphere.