I know there's nuance to this. Responses that they do give are usually vapid, no insight into the process or the journey. Just platitudes and false modesty for the most part (or even more heinous, a follow up pitch of some sort).
This hits hard. I see the same post that gets 1,000 likes from a 20k+ creator get stolen by someone smaller, and it only gets 1 or 2 likes. It’s a tiny dopamine hit that completely lacks substance.
I’ve recently experimented with making well thought out comments, just like you suggest. I found an unintended 'side effect': engaging deeply with others actually inspired me to write more interesting notes myself! LOL
I still have a lot to learn, and truthfully, I’m not sure I’d even notice if my work was stolen yet. It’s not something I’m worried about right now, but given your perspective, maybe I should be?
The effort you put into meaningful comments often generate the momentum for expanding into something that you can build on. We're not in isolation. We all have shared experiences from different angles. Steal like an artist!
I should have added something else to this article about my position -- it's not worth it to chase down these people. Flagging them is about the farthest you'd want to go.
Be a source. You will be stolen from. Your ideas can be repurposed. Your voice can be replicated...but only in that instance. Pursue crafting your message that is rooted from yourself. Ultimately, you will be imitated, never duplicated.
Yes, I have seen a lot of people spend a lot of effort in calling out other people for "their work" and it didn't look good for them, especially when the work was arguing over wasn't much of a unique idea. This was in the gaming community where the logical and most powerful choices in the deck they had constructed for Hearthstone were finite. In other words, sometimes original content is just a good idea and a lot of people might have been thinking or doing the same thing. In this case, making good content with your original thought and the way you present it is the difference. Thanks for the follow up and enjoy New Year's Eve!
Sad that so-called writers are void of original thought and must "steal" others' words to feel and seek accomplishment. I know it happens, but counteracting it by commenting on another's work makes sense. Not the reason I generally comment, but perhaps I will do more of it. Thanks, Vince.
Yeah, it's just one of the many things that you can do to make it harder to steal. It will still happen, but just raising the bar in effort can go a long way so that only the most persistent ones will shuck that oyster. 🤣
And of course, commenting isn't meant to be a means to an end, it's just one of the perks for it that I was pointing out.
For you, I'd say enjoy sharing your travels and continue to share your insights. There's a special place for those who would steal your stories and claim they've been there!
Well I mean, you could...but then people will stop sticking their hand out. 😁
I'm just sad that there are people out there who feel that this short-term solution for whatever situation they have in life is sustainable. It seems rather empty to me to have to outsource the effort. If you are a writer, you are a communicator. That connection comes from a place that took years to nurture and grow, thousands of moments, millions of electrical signals -- a lifetime of thoughts.
And there's a regurgitator that simulates all of that now.
The people who are stealing don't care about being writers. They care about scamming. Unfortunately, scammers have always been around and always will be.
But I like your ideas of making sure to communicate with as many people as you can, especially with those who take the time to comment on your work. It's something I learned a long time ago, and it definitely helps build trust, which is sorely needed these days!
I'm glad you enjoyed reading my article, Christina! I wrote this piece because of your last one about plagiarism. That and other writers have discussed it a lot across all the platforms we've travelled over the past few years.
I just thought I had written enough to add my two cents to this, and the only thing I could think about was how to make it obscenely annoying for the laziest ones.
I know it's not possible to be entirely theft-proof, but it makes for great entertainment if/when they get caught. Like I said here, this was the lowest hanging fruit that I came up with. The other stuff that I'll add for tactics will be fairly obvious.
Solid.
Thanks, Maryan!
I know there's nuance to this. Responses that they do give are usually vapid, no insight into the process or the journey. Just platitudes and false modesty for the most part (or even more heinous, a follow up pitch of some sort).
This hits hard. I see the same post that gets 1,000 likes from a 20k+ creator get stolen by someone smaller, and it only gets 1 or 2 likes. It’s a tiny dopamine hit that completely lacks substance.
I’ve recently experimented with making well thought out comments, just like you suggest. I found an unintended 'side effect': engaging deeply with others actually inspired me to write more interesting notes myself! LOL
I still have a lot to learn, and truthfully, I’m not sure I’d even notice if my work was stolen yet. It’s not something I’m worried about right now, but given your perspective, maybe I should be?
That's exactly the point, though, isn't it?
The effort you put into meaningful comments often generate the momentum for expanding into something that you can build on. We're not in isolation. We all have shared experiences from different angles. Steal like an artist!
I should have added something else to this article about my position -- it's not worth it to chase down these people. Flagging them is about the farthest you'd want to go.
Be a source. You will be stolen from. Your ideas can be repurposed. Your voice can be replicated...but only in that instance. Pursue crafting your message that is rooted from yourself. Ultimately, you will be imitated, never duplicated.
Yes, I have seen a lot of people spend a lot of effort in calling out other people for "their work" and it didn't look good for them, especially when the work was arguing over wasn't much of a unique idea. This was in the gaming community where the logical and most powerful choices in the deck they had constructed for Hearthstone were finite. In other words, sometimes original content is just a good idea and a lot of people might have been thinking or doing the same thing. In this case, making good content with your original thought and the way you present it is the difference. Thanks for the follow up and enjoy New Year's Eve!
Sad that so-called writers are void of original thought and must "steal" others' words to feel and seek accomplishment. I know it happens, but counteracting it by commenting on another's work makes sense. Not the reason I generally comment, but perhaps I will do more of it. Thanks, Vince.
Yeah, it's just one of the many things that you can do to make it harder to steal. It will still happen, but just raising the bar in effort can go a long way so that only the most persistent ones will shuck that oyster. 🤣
And of course, commenting isn't meant to be a means to an end, it's just one of the perks for it that I was pointing out.
For you, I'd say enjoy sharing your travels and continue to share your insights. There's a special place for those who would steal your stories and claim they've been there!
Well I mean, you could...but then people will stop sticking their hand out. 😁
I'm just sad that there are people out there who feel that this short-term solution for whatever situation they have in life is sustainable. It seems rather empty to me to have to outsource the effort. If you are a writer, you are a communicator. That connection comes from a place that took years to nurture and grow, thousands of moments, millions of electrical signals -- a lifetime of thoughts.
And there's a regurgitator that simulates all of that now.
The irony is lost on those who abuse AI.
The people who are stealing don't care about being writers. They care about scamming. Unfortunately, scammers have always been around and always will be.
But I like your ideas of making sure to communicate with as many people as you can, especially with those who take the time to comment on your work. It's something I learned a long time ago, and it definitely helps build trust, which is sorely needed these days!
Love this thoughtful piece, Vince.
I'm glad you enjoyed reading my article, Christina! I wrote this piece because of your last one about plagiarism. That and other writers have discussed it a lot across all the platforms we've travelled over the past few years.
I just thought I had written enough to add my two cents to this, and the only thing I could think about was how to make it obscenely annoying for the laziest ones.
I know it's not possible to be entirely theft-proof, but it makes for great entertainment if/when they get caught. Like I said here, this was the lowest hanging fruit that I came up with. The other stuff that I'll add for tactics will be fairly obvious.