realweenie

Stop Thief

If you are a real estate or mortgage blogger please check this site to see if it has any of your content on it:
ireference(dot)org

Looks like there was a problem with some "previous blog hosts"  Gee I hope I didn't cause any problems. :)

If any readers out there are getting the impression that I hate plagerism you are correct.  Vendors are always trying to sell me something.  Here is an idea for a great new product.  Splogs use my feed to draw content off of my blog and populate their own blogs with it.  The RSS feed makes content theft easier that ever before.  I can go into "uncommon uses" in feedburner and see where my content is going.  I would love it if I could just click a button and disconnect the feed.

I could change my feed so that it just feeds an excerpt but I don't want to.  Feed excerpts are annoying and I will lose subscribers if I go that route.

How to Have fun with a thief

Just for fun I changed some file names and uploaded some new pictures.  The blog that is stealing my content is proudly displaying this as part of a post.  My own blog still has the real pictures, I just changed the file names.  Hate to give a thief traffic but take a peek:  http://ireference.org/real-estate/minnesota/20071206/sculptures/

This one was fun too:  http://ireference.org/real-estate/minnesota/20071209/writers-block/

Have a great day and don't even think about taking my stuff. :)

Prostitution on the Internet

This is one of those very rare times when I won’t include  a picture with my post.

I do admire the way the Active Rain network supports freedom of speech.  On the other hand I wouldn’t want my local content right out there with posts like this one:Indian Escort

There really isn’t a need for me to say more.  The post has been flagged by members of the network but it will most likely remain on the Rain.

The post was taken down about an hour after I wrote this.  Jonathan Washburn of Active Rain stopped by to say Hah!

Jon, I took a screen print

(Click on print to make it larger)

Thanks for taking it down.  It was posted at 2:30 this morning.  It was up until this post was written.  There has to be a way to monitor the network without inhibiting freedom of speech.  The post was flagged by members the first time I saw it early this morning, yet it remained up.

Something to Think About

I found this cartoon a couple of weeks ago and used it as part of a Friday post.  I mostly have fun on my blog on Friday becasue it makes me happy.  I don't really have a reason for having fun the other six days but I can make one up if needed.

Lets imagine that is is possible to become well known in some circles becasue of a blog.  Let me tell you a few of the things that might happen next.  Not sure how I know this but lets assume that I do and take it from there.

One thing that happens is that people, I think they are people, plagiarize entire blog posts, and put them on web sites that advertise their goods and services or on sites that just sell ads.  They use my content to make money, which is just wrong, even if they do give a link back.  I know this is a common problem but it seems to be getting worse.

I send out cease and desist emails, with a warning, giving them two to four hours to remove the material, depending upon what kind of a mood I am in, and inform them that if it isn't gone, I will be taking screen shots and writing a post about it.  My reasoning is that if they are using my name and content to sell products to the real estate community I can just as easily use my name and content to make them look really bad. So far my tactics are working, the posts are quickly removed, which is good becasue I don't always keep my word on the two to four hour thing.  Unfortunately I keep finding my content on  web sites and I am looking for a better solution so people get the message, leave my content alone.

The other thing that happens is my name and face are used to sell products, services or even for recruiting.  They don't ask my permission and I end up endorsing things that I would never endorse or recommend.  I do not own most of the material being used this way and have not yet figured out how to get my name off the sites.  I used to just leave it be but have decided that I don't want my name associated in any way with anything that I don't agree with. Personal choice, nothing more, but I made it and I don't think I will be changing my mind any time soon.

One company has decided to take responsibility for my successes and use them for advertising, which I find facinating because they have never asked me or even talked to me for that matter, and have nothing to do with any successes that I have had.  I find myself out there on one of the worst examples of a blog that I have ever seen, endorsing blogging. I am also promoting products and services on the site that I think are close to craptastic, but who knows they might work for some.

My face is posted on websites and blogs against my wishes.  If anyone wants to have their face plastered all over the internet my advice is to ask people not to take pictures and ask that they not be posted on the internet.  Asking people not to take picutres just about guarantees that anyone with a camera and internet access will take your picture and post it.  The worse the picture is, the more places it will be posted.   

My face does belong to me and I choose not to use it for marketing for obvious reasons, that I won't share, becasue I am not talking about it publicly.    The face belongs to me but the photos were taken by others and do not belong to me.  I don't have any control over how or where they are used, or what they are used for.  I never understood that by starting a blog or getting a real estate license I was giving the world my permission to use my picture.

If anyone wants to use my name or face to endorse a product, which of course they don't, they could contact me, and who knows, for a small fee I might just go along with it.  I think I will include this post with my next cease and desist email, along with a price list.  I am also considering skipping the cease and desist part and just taking the screen shots and writing the posts, or maybe I should just send a bill and let them keep going.

This entire post is of course hypothetical, but it does show that I have a vivid imagination and can at least imagine what it must be like to be a well known blogger, in some circles. 

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Consumers can be weenies

Found on Trulia by Maureen Francis

      

I flagged immediately.  I think I flagged more than once if that is possible.  Unfortunately, Tyrone is from Michigan. - Yesterday, 18:25                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 (0)                                                                                                                                                                                                                   (0)                                                                                                                                                                                                                Flag

Maureen Fran…                           Real Estate Pro                           Answers (188) Questions (31)

 

Blog Wars

Un-Social Networking

By:  Larry Cragun

There is a lot of talk and type about social networking. There are a lot of business models looking to monetize the concept. Cool.

What about the un-social networking? Is there a way to monetize that? There must be. Why do I assume such a thing?

It exists is why.

I approach this real estate blogging adventure with a clear vision of a few things. For example, I know I am a little fish in a big pond.  I know that some read me and continue, and some read me and don't come back.

I know I like my ideas. I know others won't and if I am good, some will. I know I can build my real estate practice doing what I am doing. It brings in plenty of business. If it does more than that, great. I know I can teach others to do what I am doing.

I know I wasn't on the Inman top blogger panel. I know I wasn't a hero at their show. I know I loved the show anyway and got my money's worth. Kathleen was there and did too. Someone I think important said I should have been on one of the panels. I am not so sure of that. I liked the compliment though.

I know I hosted The Carnival of Real Estate Monday. I know I liked it. I know some who didn't. I know I didn't do it for 100% approval. I hope some enjoyed it. If not, OK, I tried.

What I don't get and want to address is the un-social networking that I see spewing and growing. I propose you take a look at reality. Your little blog can never match the traffic of Googles, eBay, or the like. If you feel all puffed up about how good you are, go get a price from the buyers. Home.com's parent is buying. Give them a call if you want fair market value.

I see three ways of behaving. 1- Be a leader or follow the practice of making nice.

2- Do your own thing and let others do the same.

3- Be puffed up, join or build a gang of allies that go bully others around. Set the standard of the obviously needed and untapped un-social networking concept.

I like the first two options, either works for me. How about you? Which camp are you in?

Thanks Larry. 

Blogging Coaches

Most people don't know this but SPAM was invented, and is produced right here in Minnesota.  Thanks to Hormel in Austin, MN.  A processed meat product unrelated to weenie's may seem inappropriate for this blog disguised as a hot dog stand.  I get it but as both of my readers know it like to be creative.  At least this time the graphic is related to the post.

I got an unsolicited email today and  thought I would share some of the details of it because I am thinking every agent in North America got the same email.

A blogging coach sent out a note about a free training session.  Nice, I guess the price is right.  He included a kind of testimonial from a blogger who claims that after 6 weeks of blogging he generated 3 sales.   Blogs mostly don't work that way, but I guess they can.

The coaching is free because they want you to try their blog platform, which I can't find any examples of or links to in the email.  A business blog is a business blog, Real estate professionals need the same tools as any other small business owner.  Try Wordpress, typepad or blogger, they have been around for awhile and have large groups of users who complain if something doesn't work right and constantly ask for new features. They want to keep ahead of the competition so they keep it all running nice and smooth and add features, often before anyone asks.  My blogs are on typepad, which means they are not free.  I am worth every penny of the $149.00 a year subscription I pay and more. 

Please think before buying a special product for Realtors, in most cases they are dumbed down attempts at blog platforms that don't work very well.  If you need a blog and can't set it up yourself there are people who will do it for you.  Don't buy into the idea that real estate blogs are different and that it takes a community.  It takes a committed blogger who has something to say.

Writing a business blog is not one of those get rich quick ideas where a person can just do it right and get business as a result.  The email was like all of the other magical seminars, tapes, books and systems that are the secret to success with links to the typical gaudy, cheesy web site, that serves to remind us all of what poor web design and 1980's style marketing looks like, and  leads agents to believe that they can be as rich as Bill Gates in a short period of time by buying a product.  Bill had to work for his dough, and it took time and persistence and a few failures.

There was only one thing that bothered me about the email. (hard to tell by reading this)  I could not find a blog for the coach or the agent who is having phenomenal success after six weeks.  I asked Google for help and found some blogs, they have short posts on Active Rain that don't seem to be getting any traffic or comments.  Active Rain which is a free social network for real estate professionals, is a great place to meet people, practice and learn, but not a substitute for a business blog unless real estate professionals are your target market.

If the coach is so good why is he sending me spam?  He would get my attention and respect much more quickly with a blog, using the product he is trying to sell rather than an email.  Does he understand web 2.0 or did someone get him excited about "dripping on leads"?

I would suggest that persons who are looking for coaching do a little checking up on the coach. 
Do a little research.   The group of people in the real estate industry who have had success with real estate blogs as far as making money, as opposed to getting traffic, high technorati ratings, winning carnivals and awards is very small, so small that I think I know most  of them.  Of that small group of successful real estate bloggers I would suspect that even a smaller number would have the ability or the desire to coach other agents.  A successful coach does not have to be in the real estate industry but it helps if they understand the business, what it takes to attract buyers and sellers and how we work.

Sales do not come from blogs, appointments come from blogs.  There are many steps between the time someone contacts the real estate blogger and the time a sale is made.  Even the best agent does not get a closed sale from each appointment. Blogs take hard work, persistence, consistency, imagination and maybe even a little talent which is exactly why most agents give up or never start because there is no get rich quick by writing blog posts.

Our first Link on the Weenie roll

Congratulations to the Real Estate News blog,   I think I spelled that wrong it should have been splog.  They steal content from industry leaders like Nickie Rothwell: http://www.GetStaged2Sell.com  Paste it on the blog and sell ads.

I was not planning on using the Weenie roll for splogs and may have to create a separate category.   I hate to give this slime ball more traffic but if you are a real estate blogger you may want to see if you can find your own content on it.

Read what Nickie has to say :

Website and/or Blog Content Theft-What to do When the Culprit is Crafty?

Nickie gets and aplogy - sort of

Maxim New real estate webmaster

Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1

Re: Question Regarding Content Theft

---

"Nickie
Hello, i am an owner of this splog theredlionbozeat(.)com.
Nickie, I am really sorry that I couldn’t react as fast, as you left a comment at my page. I was not in city an that moment. Now, you can see, there is no web site on this domain.
I am not going to make a discussion about morality, it`s buissnes. And understanding that grabbing content is not good I m usually stop it on the first notice. It is my guilt that I missed your post. I`m sorry!!!

Few tips for possible future  cases:

The bad news

1. The low can`t help you in this case. Because, I live in Russia, my server is in Prague (and it is special hosting resistible for abuse), and you, as I understood, live in USA.
2. Google Adsens will ask you a lot of documents, to approve that your have copywrites for this content. So it`s not working idea, too.

The  good news!

1. PR is not depending from content.
2. My programmer grab your content from your RSS feed, not using proxy, so the easiest way to stop it – is to find IP address  of the grabbing server in your server logs (you can ask your hoster to help) and just deny it.
3. Most of the content grabbers will stop it on your first ask. 

So? for possible future  incidents, I can advise you to focus on last two.

I`m realy sorry! Thousand of apologies !

PS
And sorry for my awful  English."

Cake with your hot dog?

I like winnie the pooh.  So what?  I recently wrote a post on the Active Rain network, a social network for real estate professionals that I belong to.  I used this graphic in a tongue in cheek post I wrote to announce my anniversary as an Active Rain member for: 253 days, 10 hours, 5 minutes and 45 seconds Or 8 months, 10 days, 10 hours, 5 minutes, 21,895,545 seconds.
    * 21,895,545 seconds
    * 364,925 minutes (rounded down)
    * 6082 hours (rounded down)
    * 36 weeks (rounded down)

I suggested that I would write a book about my time on the rain: "Blogger Boardman the Early seconds" "with the gold star, and the other half of my face on the cover. The book goes from my first second all the way to my 22 millionth.  It is simply gripping" 

I ended up having to sensor my post because some of my fellow rainers found it to be in questionable taste.  As everyone knows my taste is impeccable, especially when it comes to cake, and hot dog stands.

Most children would be delighted with such a cake, and it is an actual child's birthday cake. I  censored the picture because I was headed out of town and  out of blackberry range and I would have been unable to respond to comments or delete the post if it caused too much trouble.    Leaving unmonitored posts on a network of that magnitude is just wrong.

Censoring the cake was the worst thing I could have done.  Now everyone wants to know what the original looked like.  I guess I can post anything I want to on this, my bad blog cleverly disguised as a hot dog stand but designed to be a weapon of mass destruction.