This week's Friend Friday topic deals with copycats, blogger rights and giving credit where it's due.
1. What are the "unwritten rules" about copying content that we bloggers should all abide by?
Flat-out copying? Don't do it.
2. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. But when is a post imitation and when is it copying?
It's copying when you haven't made the idea your own. In this context, I see imitation as deriving inspiration from an existing concept.
3. Taking another blogger's idea (perhaps for an outfit, or DIY tutorial) is pretty common in the blogging world. Do you think it is necessary to credit the original source?
If you base your work upon something exceptionally creative and original and don't credit it, it's going to leave a sour taste in everyone's mouth. Your readers will know (or eventually find out) where you got the idea from and if it's uncredited, it'll make it difficult for them to trust you. You'll probably have a bad conscience about it too. The point is, crediting is awesome. If you're in a dilemma whether to credit or not, go for it. This is also the reason I have a love/hate relationship with Tumblr - it's full of amazing photos, but no one credits their sources. When I want to repost them, I have to credit Tumblr as the source which makes me feel blah.
4. How have you improved your blog by comparing it to other bloggers? Have you made changes due to something you have seen others doing?
I think most (if not all) of our blog changes stem from observing other blogs and bloggers. For example, we all started facebooking and tweeting because others were doing it. Not to mention that I find other blogs and what they're discussing a big source of inspiration for my own work.
5. Have you ever had one of your posts copied by another blogger or publication? How did you handle the situation?
No.
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Check out other bloggers' answers on ModlyChic!
a very interesting post Eva! i totally agree with crediting others, even when someone's post gives me inspiration to write something about something, i still credit them. people appreciate being given credit and you are right, it leaves bad taste in one's mouth if it is not done.
unfortunately, i had a couple of trolls following me (incidentally, really unoriginal but nasty bloggers) who were slagging me off, and based on me giving inspiration credit to others a few times, they were saying i am stealing others ideas and have nothing original to say. as laughable as it was (one instance was me crediting a blogger who was saying how much she loves smoking for the inspiration for me to write a post about how I quit smoking, having been a passionate smoker before, so genuinely, they were simple inspiration-credits) still i can understand how nasty people on the net can make you feel bad about even rightfully crediting, and how people may be scared or ashamed of it, so they just don't say anything.
but i think it is really important to foster civilised and nice behaviour on the net, because it is all to easy to misbehave, and nothing other than peer pressure can maintain a decent code of behaviour, and that includes theft of intellectual property.
i had my whole posts copied and published by others under their name, photos stolen and used as avatars, on photoblogs even entered in a couple of competitions (without my consent and under someone else's name) so i know all to well how troublesome theft on the internet can be :(
Yes, crediting is awesome. Even if my inspiration comes from a post on Facebook, I give credit. You're right, when in doubt give credit.
eva, i have been reading always always, i can't believe you still link me, you are so lovely! I'm sorry, i hope you are fine. i just had to figure an awfull lot.
ps: you one of my favorite fashion journalists still
xo
L.
I figured you had to figure out some things, so I didn't want to bother you, especially because I knew you'd come back.
Of course, you're still one of my favorite photographers/bloggers/brilliant people.
Everyone at tumblr gets their pictures from somewhere, what I really don't understand is why is it so hard to add the credit. There is a separate place for the source link, even.
You know what's even worse? When people reblog your photos and delete the credit. *FUMING*
AGREED. That is just plain rude.
I honestly feel like bloggers want too much attention. In this world anything is hardly original. If you did a DIY on ripped jeans, it's been done a million times I don't feel like I have to credit you on that. (Not that I'm taking anyone's DIY ideas because I don't do those) But, if a blogger copied a picture from online and expects credit, that's crazy!