Ever had something valuable stolen from you? I have and I’m going tell you about it today. It’s no picnic. Stealing Ain’t Nice. No it ain’t.
Yeah I said ain’t. Said it on purpose.
Not good grammar? I know that too.
Know how I know?
Because I grew up the youngest of five, tortured my older siblings for years in that obnoxious Ramona Quimby sing-song possessed by only the brattiest of little sisters: me.
Don’t say ‘ain’t’.
Your mother will faint.
Your father will fall
In a bucket of paint.
Your sister will cry.
Your brother will die.
And your dog will call the FBI.
So don’t – say – ain’t.
Yeah, I did that. And if for some unequivocal reason my siblings don’t remember, there’s a name for that too. It’s called repression. (All you English teachers are cringing about now.)
Back to stealing. I recently had something valuable stolen from me and it’s really thrown me for a loop. I’ll tell you about it.
But first, I’ve mentioned stealing on the blog before. It’s not as if I gave a sermon on the ten commandments or anything. I just recalled that our large and shapely evergreen tree was stolen from our front yard one year right around Christmas time. Yep, a thief came and chopped it down while we were out Christmas shopping. Guess he needed a Christmas tree? We come home and all that’s left is a fresh tree stump, large muddy bootprints and a dirty black comb in the snow.
I told ya: Stealing Ain’t Nice.
My dad tells the story of he and my mom riding on a ferry many years ago. Someone on that ferry stole their tennis rackets. I honestly don’t remember all the details, but my dad realized the only way off the boat was the exit ramp. And tennis racquets don’t exactly fit in your back pocket. The story goes that my dad planted himself at the exit ramp of the ferry and the thief eventually came to get off the boat with the tennis racquets in hand. The fun part of the story is, my dad apparently accosted the thief, reclaimed the tennis racquets. I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall for that one.
Stealing Ain’t Nice.
Another stealing story comes to mind… Some years back, my parents, who happen to live off the beaten path in a country farmhouse, weren’t home. A thief broke in, stole some valuable (also of great sentimental value) jewelry that belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. First off, it’s quite a violation to have your home broken into to begin with. But then to have your family heirlooms stolen. Heartbreaking. They filed a police report, and the missing jewelry never surfaced. Months later, my mom gets a call from the local police station. They have a woman addicted to drugs in custody who claims she stole the jewelry. Took it to a pawn shop months ago. Had it melted down for cash. Ouch. And here’s the kicker. In time, my mother makes a visit to the jail. Introduces herself to the girl who stole the jewelry. Reaches out to the girl, tells her the Story about true forgiveness. Tells her she forgives her. Now that’s grace my friends. That’s my mama.
So I told you I had something valuable stolen from me recently. It’s actually connected to this blog. Here’s a little background. Blogger friends will understand, others might not. So here goes. Blogs earn revenue from their sites in various ways, but a primary one is advertising. The more traffic and page views seen, the more advertising impressions seen. Bloggers receive compensation from advertisers based on the number of advertising impressions viewed. So the more pages viewed = more income.
Some of you know my most popular post to date on this site is the Brick Street Chocolate Cake recipe. It’s had thousands of page views and literally helps pay our grocery bills. It’s also a darn good chocolate cake if I do say so myself. A few months ago just for kicks, I googled the words Brick Street Chocolate Cake, just to see where it fell in the Google rankings. My site had the top couple spots, no surprise. But third down on the list, I see my chocolate cake photo, but with another website’s URL. So I click in to the site and am dismayed to find my exact recipe, my personal story, my very words and even my pictures published as their own. My blood pressure rises: my copyright logo has been removed from my pictures and their logo photo-shopped in. My blog post was lifted. Stolen.
It’s disturbing to see your own hard work passed off as someone else’s. And for them to be profiting from it! (I also saw stolen recipes and copyrighted pictures from other sites/bloggers I know.) The site is in Romania, registered to a woman named Maria. I quickly become an expert on internet copyright law, send Maria a note that the post was illegally lifted from my site, give her twenty-four hours to remove it before I file a DMCA complaint. A DMCA complaint is how to deal with copyright infringement on the internet. Twenty-four hours pass and I still don’t hear back from Maria and my cake post is still live on her site.
Next I track down the site’s internet web host, contact them, let them know they are hosting a site with illegal content. Normally, a web host will investigate and shut down a site until stolen copyrighted material is removed. So I find the Romanian web host, translate a long message with the details into Romanian, send it along.
This is what I hear back:
“Buna ziua,
Conform legilor in vigoare, fara o hotarare judecatoresca, nu putem sa stergem acest continut, cu ce va putem ajuta este sa trimitem mai departa solicitarea dvs clientului nostru.”
Which translates to:
“Hello, According to current laws, without a court decision, we can not delete this content, what can help is to send your request to our client further.”
The upshot of all this is, that the DMCA laws protecting copyright infringements on the web are for the USA and extend to some, but not all other countries. And not Romania. So I currently lose a significant portion of my web traffic and income every single day to this Romanian web site and will probably continue to for years to come.
And there’s nothing I can do about it.
The frustrating thing is that in the future, Maria (and likely others) can come in and steal more of my work any time. And I can’t stop them.
There are worse things than being stolen from.
I’m reminded of the story of the famous southern golfer who’d just won a large tournament and the grand $5000 prize. Upon leaving the tournament, a teary lady approaches, tells him about her only child, a six year old little boy with stage 4 cancer who desperately needs financing for an experimental treatment to save his life. Can he help? Right then and there, the kind golfer signs over his winnings, and the grateful woman hurries off.
One of his golfing buddies comes racing over. “Please tell me you didn’t just give that woman money.”
“Actually I did,” replies the famous golfer. “Her little boy is dying of cancer and she needs the money for an experimental treatment to save his life.”
Says his friend: “I’ve seen that lady at several tournaments. She doesn’t have a son with cancer. She’s a scammer.”
The famous golfer exhales slowly. “Thank you my friend, for that excellent news. What a relief to know there is one less little boy in the world dying of cancer.”
Friends, the point is, when I think long and hard about it: character matters. It’s part of our identity. Affects us and affects others. And if I had to choose between the two, I’d rather be stolen from, than be the thief.
*UPDATE 4/5/16 – After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the status of my post over on the Romanian site changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I’m so appreciative, and it means a great deal to me. It is a positive example of “community-policing” on the web. My e-mails and the law did nothing, but you readers made it happen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. XO allie
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Karla @SmallTownRambler says
Shame on Maria! I find that so irritating because I know all the hard work that goes into blog content. I am going to share the heck out of your Brick Street Chocolate Cake because that’s something I can do to help keep you up there in searches…I hope others will join me! How heartbroken your mother must have been about her jewelry and what a forgiving and gracious way she responded to it. My Grandmother had her wedding rings stolen from her luggage during a flight back from a cruise. It was heartbreaking because my Grandfather had just died months before and we all knew the cruise with her girlfriends would be just what she needed after all that she had been through. That trip became salt in the wound. Like your family jewelry that was stolen, it only has a minimal value to the thief that’s short-lived, but when it has so many memories attached to it, it’s priceless to the family.
Allie says
Dear Karla, thank you SO much for your kind comment, and for caring. I also appreciated your separate e-mail which I have not yet been able to answer. I am working my way through these comments, because I want everyone to know the good news of what happened. (Copying and pasting the following for the sake of time.) “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So I feel like this is the best possible outcome considering the situation, and an example of how community-policing on the web can be a positive thing. So grateful for the readers here. I am so sorry to hear about your Grandmother’s rings. Just terrible. I can only imagine how she felt. They just can’t ever be replaced. Truly heartbreaking. Well friend, I hope you have a good week and that it’s warmer where you are. (It’s been snowing and acting like winter around here.)
Jean says
So sorry this happened to you and that you must continue to deal with it in the future. It can be a nasty world out there. Want you to know, though, how much I enjoy your blog. Thanks!
Allie says
Jean, thank you so much for your kind comment and dropping by. Wanted you to know the good news of what happened on Saturday night asap. (Copying and pasting here for the sake of time.) “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So I am beyond happy with this outcome. And yes, will unfortunately have to deal with things like this again, apparently it is the nature of the business. Have a great week Jean!
Yvette Couser says
I’m speechless (at least as far as clean language goes).
Allie says
Hi Yvette, thanks for your comment. Wanted you to know the good news and I am copying and pasting this in for the sake of time. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.”
Mandi Korn says
Being an artist myself, I have dealt with copyright issues time and time again. its almost like nothing is sacred anymore, and sadly the internet makes stealing other peoples, art, I will say, so much easier. I feel like if you look up a recipe, any recipe, there are various versions of it, and sadly, like in your case, the exact same recipe, and there is nothing you can do about it. Morals are non existent anymore, because you are just words on the internet, faceless crimes are on the rise, because we are all becoming cowards. I live in fear of any of my photography being stolen, even if I put a watermark on it, any good photographer can remove it, if they want to put in the time. I have to let that fear go and share my art and just hope for the best in people. I am sorry that she has stolen your recipe, your post……something that is profitable for your family. Sadly there is a catch 22 when you have a food blog, you want to share recipes with the world, you know others will make it…..but you and I both know, that most will not link things back to you, or steal it outright. Art, just like food is repeatable……and the internet makes us all faceless criminals.
Allie says
Dear Mandi, thanks so much for your thoughtful comments. I really appreciate your dropping by and caring. That means a lot. The interesting thing about recipes on the web is that there is not a copyright on recipes per se. The recipe itself (list of ingredients) is apparently not copyrightable, but the way in which you combine them (directions) and also your stories, words and pictures that are part of the post are copyrighted. So it is slightly different than artwork. I hope no one ever steals your beautiful photographs, Mandi. It really is a terrible feeling to discover. Because just like my words and pictures, your photos are very personal. They are from your perspective and no one else in the world can do them quite like you do. So I did want you to know this good news, and I am copying and pasting for the sake of time: “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” I’m happy about this outcome and so thankful for the readers here. I hope you have a wonderful week! Hi to Boo.
Clarke Ryder says
Fascinating piece this early rainy Saturday. Some comments:
1. I don’t remember the “ain’t” story, but I don’t remember much of anything else, either.
2. I remember the Christmas tree story, and as pastor and long-time friend Pastor Phil often says, like the golfer in your piece, I’d rather be the victim than the thief.
3. The tennis racket story is basically true. It involved a single, highly distinguishable, gorgeous laminated wood racket your mother received as teenage birthday gift (a “few” years earlier). I raced forward in the line leaving the ferry, saw the racket, and grabbed it from the perpetrator who put up no resistance.
4. The jewelry story is essentially true. Something like $12,000 worth of antique jewelry was melted down to finance $250 worth of illicit drugs.
5. Your chocolate cake story, while sad, is but a grain of sand on the veritable beach of cyber thefts that are going on today. China,for one, is stealing hundreds of billions of intellectual property from the US every year.
All of which underscores your premise: Stealing ain’t nice. love, dad
Allie says
Hi Dad, I’m glad you could confirm my stories today are “basically” true. You did teach me to speak truth. (Also not to steal.) xo
Allie says
Hi Dad – just wanted to update you about what happened late Saturday night, I knew you would want to know. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So good news this time around Dad, though likely it will happen again. It is the nature of this business. xo
Meghan @ The Twin Cedars says
Excellent post! Definitely puts things into perspective. Only wish it hadn’t happened to you or any others.
Allie says
Hi Meghan, thank you SO much for your comment and for caring. It is amazing how the compassion from other bloggers was such a comfort to me. Because you know how much time and effort it takes to publish a good post. So thank you so much for dropping by. Some interesting developments happened late Saturday night and I wanted you to know. (I’m copying and pasting here for the sake of time.) “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So I felt like this was the best outcome I could have possibly wished for and very grateful. So interesting to see how the community-policing of the web worked. I had contacted the site several times myself, also the web host and nothing happens. Then just hours after I publish the post here, things change. Your Twin Cedars is absolutely stunning Meghan, I hope I get to visit someday. Have a great week!
Aly ~ Cooking In Stilettos says
I am so so sorry that you are dealing with this and, like others suggested, I’m going to share the heck out of that gorgeously rich looking chocolate cake. Now I’m craving cake for breakfast :). As for Maria and her site – I have faith that karma will smack her.
Allie says
Hey thanks Aly, I know you understand this kind of thing and I sure hope it hasn’t happened to you. Sadly I’m hearing it’s happening to more and more bloggers out there. But I have some good news and I’m copying and pasting it here for the sake of time. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months, since January!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” I think this is the best outcome I could have wished for. Thank you for your nice comment, for caring and for sharing the cake. That means a lot to me. I hope you have a wonderful week!
Aunt Pinkie says
Oh, Allie-how frustrating and maddeningly! I HOPE Maria suffers from a huge conscience! So sorry!
Allie says
Hi Aunt P – just wanted you to know what happened with all this. Copying and pasting for the sake of time: “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” I am happy with this outcome and thank you for caring. XO
Barbara Child says
So sorry about this! It sure is a sign of the times. But not to be able to get any follow through from authorities makes it all the more frustrating. Perhaps Maria will read this blog and have a guilty conscience.
Allie says
Thank you Barbara, some good news came out of all this and I wanted you to know. Copying and pasting for the sake of time. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” I don’t know if Maria felt guilty or not, but I hope so. xo
nancy mcmahan says
I can’t repeat what I am thinking. What is wrong with people. I went right to the site and wrote them a note. Made me feel a little better anyway. Anyway to know who her advertisers are. I will write a note to each of them. I don’t blog but so many do and they work hard doing it. So sorry Allie.
Allie says
Dear Nan, I am so appreciative of your comment and also contacting the site. You will be especially interested to hear what happened. (I am copying and pasting here for the sake of time.) “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So thank you dear Nan, for caring and for doing something. It makes such a difference to me and my family and hopefully will deter them from stealing from others in the future. I hope you have a wonderful week my friend!
Leslie says
Grrrh! That gets my hackles up. Not that I know what a hackle is. I will pray something good comes from this. ?
Allie says
Yeah, my hackles were up too my friend. But here’s the good news that happened over the weekend: “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” I am grateful for how this turned out and thanks for the prayers. They were definitely answered, and QUICKLY!
Leslie says
YEAH!!! Thank you Lord!
Barb Ruka says
I own a bed and breakfast inn. About 10-12 years ago, I found that another bed and breakfast inn had stolen my text from my website. Word for word, but different pictures. I immediately contacted my webmaster (who designed my site) and was very savvy in these matters and he contacted the webmaster of that site. He told him to remove it immediately. That guy said he had to first talk to his client. In the meantime, my webmaster somehow put script on the offending site that this was a copyrighted stolen website, etc. Don’t ask me how he did that. Eventually the site was removed, but it took awhile. In the meantime, anyone who went to that site, saw the warning. So what I’m suggesting is get someone who is very good at web stuff and maybe he can put a warning on too. Good luck. It makes you sick to see what is going on out there!
Allie says
Hi Barb, it was so nice to hear from you and thank you for taking the time to comment and give me some suggestions. I cannot even BELIEVE that your entire site was lifted by another B & B. It just defies everything that is right and true, and is so incredibly bold. You must have been ticked. I am so glad your webmaster is experienced and was able to handle it in this way. I seriously considered your idea all day long and was in the process of perhaps setting it in motion, when some good news happened. So I’m copying and pasting what happened so you are in the loop. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” To me, this is a very positive outcome of community policing that was far more effective than international law or me trying to contact the site owner on my own. So thanks so much for caring Barb, it means a great deal to me. I have no doubt this kind of thing will happen again because that is the nature of this business I am learning. But at least this time around, there was justice and I hope the same for so many others who are out there dealing with it. Your B & B is absolutely gorgeous!!! It is just so beautiful and the marshland is breathtaking. I might actually be in Wisconsin this summer, as a very dear cousin of mine is getting married and if I can work it out to go, I will. She is in the Mequon area. Thanks again Barb, your thoughts and comments were invaluable and may be needed again in the future. Hopefully not though!
Christina | Christina's Cucina says
I am so sorry to read this, Allie, but I know that there are SO many sites like this. I too have experienced this, and it is just the most infuriating feeling. I hope something can eventually be done to shut down these thieves. I am sure that that site is ONLY filled with stolen content.
Same thing applies to a lesser degree for the big sites that copy videos from smaller bloggers and take all their traffic from them. It’s truly terrible. Good luck and I hope Maria gets shut down!
Allie says
Hi Christina, thanks for taking the time to comment here. I know you understand and feel my pain, and it’s a terrible feeling to discover your work on someone else’s site as their own, I am sorry it has happened to you also. I’m hearing from more and more bloggers that this is happening to them too. I would honestly feel so guilty stealing someone else’s work that I would not be able to sleep at night. So some good news came out of all this which makes me so glad that I had posted here on the blog about what was going on. I am copying and pasting for the sake of time. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So I am thankful and realize that community-policing on the web was more effective than me, international laws, web internet hosts, etc. I hope you have a great week and thanks for being a good friend. I am thankful for you. xo
Denise Q. says
“And if I had to choose between the two, I’d rather be stolen from, than be the thief”. That is such a wonderful way to look at it and way nicer then what I was thinking. I’m so sorry this happened to you. I don’t know how that thief can sleep at night.
Allie says
Thanks for caring my friend and your kind words. Truthfully I did think some other things that I didn’t write here. But I’ve had time over the last few months to deal with my emotions over this. I do have some good news and am pasting it here for you, just for the sake of time. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So yay and double yay!!
Tracy says
Oh Allie! I am so, so sorry about this!! I am also sorry about your family jewelry and your poor little tree stolen right from your yard! But this…. Here you are working so extremely hard for your family and someone steals your big ticket item!!! Stealing infuriates me! I asked you a few weeks back about the blog as I was heading out the door and you had a funny look on your face and said I’ll tell you about it sometime. I have been wondering ever since! I had no idea!!! I can’t understand how people can steal from others. They have no idea the ramifications of their actions, or maybe they do…. I once had a pumpkin stolen from the front step and smashed in the street. That was just heartbreaking for my little boys who went on a hayride on a farm and picked out their favorite. We’re going to carve it the next day. I was so mad!! And they were so sad!! When people steal cell phones or tablets, yes there is a lot of info and contacts they lose but their are pictures!!! Dear family pictures they may not have down loaded yet. Wedding, birthday, brand new baby pictures that you can never get back. Heartless!!! Absolutely heartless, is what stealing is! Once again I am so very sorry about what this woman did to you but most of all I admire how you look at it! Love you!!
Allie says
Hello my friend, thank you for these kind comments and for caring. There is so much truth to what you say. I think about i-phones and i-pads and how terrible it is to steal such a thing. Photos and communication cannot be replaced and I know people don’t think of that as they are grabbing something htat doesn’t belong to them. Stealing is just plain selfish. We too had a lovely carved pumpkin stolen from our front steps and smashed. It was heartbreaking for my kids who had worked so hard on it. You want to say to the person who did it, really? Do you feel good about yourself being destructive with what is precious to someone else? I know people just think in the moment, not the long term ramifications. So I wanted you to know this excellent news Tracy, and I am copying and pasting here for the sake of time. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So yay, some justice this time around and hope it doesn’t happen again any time soon. XO
Susie Mandel says
Amen to that last statement, Allie. I don’t know how thieves can look in the mirror from day to day, but they do and they start justifying it to themselves. I’m so very sorry about your recipe, blog post, and identity theft…just plain stinks. Your sweet Mom knows the right way to go about this, but it is oh so hard! I’m still hoping you can get some justice out of this.
Allie says
Hello Susie, hope you are well today. Thank you for this comment and for caring. Means a great deal to me. I wanted you to know ASAP the good news that happened over the weekend. (I am copying and pasting for the sake of time here.) “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” I am truly thrilled with this outcome, though I realize this kind of thing will probably happen over and over. It’s apparently just the nature of the industry. Crazy world we live in.
Susan says
So sorry this happened to you! Thank you for your blog and all your hard work that goes into each submission!
Allie says
Hi Susan, thank you so much for caring and taking the time to make your kind comment here last Saturday. There has been a very interesting development that took place and I wanted you to know the good news. I’m copying and pasting the following for the sake of time. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So this is such a positive outcome this time around and I’m truly grateful. Have a wonderful week Susan!
Karen Espalin says
That stinks!
I’m so sorry. Do you get enough international traffic that it would not be worth limiting your site to USA only?
Daily, I am saddened by what people do. It is what happens when people, a community, a country etc. remove God from everything.
Hugs,
Karen
Allie says
Thanks so much for your nice comment Karen. A high percentage of my traffic is outside the USA, so it would really cut down my income significantly to limit to USA only. But it was a great thought and something I may have to consider if things keep happening like this. But here’s some good news and I wanted to let you know asap. (I am copying and pasting for the sake of time.) “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim all day Saturday. And while I don’t know what was said, it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So I consider this excellent news and a victory, and evidence that community “policing” can still have a positive outcome, even on the internet.
I hope you and your boys have a great week friend, with all those adorable new little bucklings, Karen. Enjoy!
Linda Jenkins says
Allie, I can’t believe this has happened to you and that there is no recourse. I know how hard you have worked on these blogs and what a leap of faith this attempt was. I had no idea this was possible, nor that our internet laws don’t apply to all countries. It is a very sad time in our society when people stoop to stealing. I am reminded of Colleen’s story this week. I think the suggestion to perhaps try to limit your site to the USA. I pray that something can and will be done. I’ll never understand why some of these bad things happen to such good people. I have to believe that God will multiply your USA readers and bless you financially as well. I am so stunned by this that I am at a loss for words. Love, hugs, and blessings to you.
Allie says
Dear Linda, Thanks so much for caring about this, it means a lot to me. It’s kind of crazy, but some good things came out of publishing the story on the stealing story on the blog and I want to share it with you here. I’m copying a response I sent to another reader just for the sake of time. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim, and I don’t know exactly what was said, but it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So there you have it, and it is too bad it happened in the first place and sadly, it probably will happen again. But at least this time it has a somewhat positive outcome. Thank you so much for your comment my friend, and all the love!!! Love you back.
Carina says
Dear Allie, I am so sorry that you are going through this and can only echo the dismay expressed in the previous comments. I’d heard, sadly, that people stole content from blogs, but I didn’t realize thiefs were becoming so blatant, stealing the entire post and pictures, too. In today’s world, it seems like copyright laws are becoming increasingly difficult to uphold, so it is good that you are sharing this experience with your readers so that we are aware and can actively support your blog.
Your mother sounds like she has a heart of gold, forgiving the thief and talking to her personally. That act of forgiveness may well have helped turn that thief’s life around. I love that your dad got the racket back, and added his comment here.
It’s heartbreaking that there are people out there whose conscience is numb. I can’t understand it. In some cases, maybe it is their circumstances that make them that way. But I think, in the end, you said it best. I wouldn’t want to be that thief, I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes.
You take care, Allie. Be extra kind to yourself. XOXO
Allie says
Hello friend Carina, thank you so much for this comment! Can’t tell you how much I appreciate your caring. I know you understand how much work it takes to produce a post, and so it’s amazing to me that there are people in the world who have no conscience about just lifting content and representing it as their own. I am cutting and pasting a response I sent to someone else for the sake of time because I want you to know the good news. “After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” last Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim, and I don’t know exactly what was said, but it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you.” So anyway friend, this story has a positive outcome and I am so appreciative to the readers here. I hope you are having a wonderful week Carina, it is very cold here and we have had lots of snow. I am so ready for spring. xo
Carina says
Yay!!! Not about the cold 😉 but about the link back and acknowledgement!! Yay!!
Carina says
*Oops*thieves! I guess that’s how I spell things past midnight!
Toni says
This very cake is in the oven as I sit here and read this. So sad! Can we spam her site and insist she take it down or would that only pay her more for her thievery? Love your blog and this delicious cake recipe!!
Allie says
Hey thanks for the kind words my friend, how was the cake? 🙂 As far as spamming her site, after I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” on Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox to the brim, and I don’t know exactly what was said, but it was EFFECTIVE! So I’m very grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you. 🙂 I so appreciate you dropping by and for caring. XO
Toni says
So glad to hear this news! The cake was delicious!! And has been every time 🙂 I think I’ve already made it four times since you shared the recipe!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Oh, Allie, I feel your pain!!! I had my content lifted and did the SAME exact thing you did. And I got the same exact response from the blog owner – crickets. What I did was leave a comment on the site in capital letters saying the content and pictures were mine and listed my web site url. Of course it was deleted, so I just copied and pasted it back in the comments daily. 🙂
However, once my pictures were stolen and put on someones instagram account. I sent that person a email and they wrote me back a long, b#(&&y email. They did delete the photo though. 😉
It is totally irritating and down right WRONG that someone can steal AND PROFIT from our hard work without repercussions. My heart goes out to you girlfriend. Hugs and lots of love your way, my dear! xoxo
P.S. Your Mother sounds like one classy lady! <3
Allie says
Thanks so much Cheyanne, honestly it’s comforting to know I’m not the only one who has gone through this. Unless you publish on a blog, you really can’t know all the time/work that goes in behind the scenes. It’s not just creating the content, it’s hours spent sharing it out there so that others can find it on social media, etc. And when someone just piggybacks on your hard work, it’s extremely frustrating. So here’s the good news. After I published this piece “Stealing Ain’t Nice” on Saturday, late Saturday night the post over in Romania changed from being a stolen post, to a syndicated post that links back to me for the recipe. The picture still has their logo photo-shopped in. But I have no doubt the kind readers here filled that website’s mailbox and I don’t know exactly what was said, but it was EFFECTIVE! So I am grateful for that and it was like the readers here got something done in a few hours that I’d been trying to take care of for months!! I am so appreciative, I can’t even tell you. Yeah, my mom’s got a real heart, that’s the truth. Sorry to hear of your stolen work also, and unfortunately these are unpleasant things that go along with this industry. Have a wonderful day my friend!!! xo
Marilyn Sylvester says
Well I was absolutely appalled reading this (just today as I have been ridiculously busy this week). I’m so glad this has been resolved. I am making your mac&cheese recipe which is the best! I will refer to your online recipe as I’m making it, and give out your cards to those who will most definately ask for the recipe after eating it.
BARBARA SAYS says
Allie,
I’m so sorry to be late in response to last weeks blog, I read it but the time seemed to evaporate, with many things occupying my time, just failed to answer!! I couldn’t imagine or comprehend the vastness of the situation or complexity in fixing it. It’s so difficult to grasp the audacity and utterly disregard another has for someone else’s property, but suppose just reading the local paper, we see these types of things all the time! I prayed about the situation, as many others had, and admired your determination re/ what, where, and how to handle it. God had a hand in this, and ultimately led you to an answer from friends aghast at the the dilemma before you. Thank you God for providing for our every need. May He go before and light the way, leading you onward, confident in His ALMIGHTY POWER!! Love youXOXOXO
Allie says
Hey Miss Barbara, it was so good to hear from you my friend. And I so appreciate your thoughts and prayers. It is maddening to have to deal with these kind of issues, I thought I was just going to write stories and cook, bake and take pictures. HA. But I’m very grateful things are now resolved. Love you back. And hugs to C too. XOXO
Allie says
Hi Marilyn, thanks a bunch. I’m grateful it’s taken care of, that’s for sure. That mac & cheese recipe is something else. I think you’ve made it more than I have. HA HA. As a matter of fact, I know that’s true!!! Thank you for sharing that recipe around! Delish!!!
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
Oh Allie – I am so sorry you had to go through all this! But, I am glad that this was resolved finally and she linked back to you! BTW – I adore that last quote – simply love it!
Your mom passed her grace onto you my friend and that grace shone through through this whole ordeal.
XX
Allie says
Dear Shashi, your kind words made me teary. Thanks for caring and being so supportive. I look forward to meeting you in person one day, and I have no doubt that will happen in time. If nothing else, with the two of us, we know the eats will be good. No, very good. HA HA. Have a super rest of the week my friend. XO
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
Great article Allie! This came out when I was in Europe. I like how you start out with so many tangible things that non-bloggers can relate to. I don’t think they equate “free” and available internet recipes to stealing. BTW, the tree story tops them all. We have an apricot tree and when we first moved onto our house, the tree was skinned of each and every apricot, green, ripe or otherwise. It was so infuriating! Glad you’re getting link backs now!