Blog Content Theft Answers
Blog content theft was always going to be a big issue. The utility of deploying search advertising only amplifies the problem by enabling plagerists and thieves to remarket content within their own commercial framework. I’m not talking about inserting the odd paragraph or extrapolating content in a different context – I’m talking about making off with a bloggers content in its entirety. So what to do?
I’m not sure but here are some thoughts that need qualifying and more discussion:
- Make all content available under Creative Commons and then work to enforce it.
- Collectively we lobby Google and Yahoo to protect IP by taking action against those who abuse it. Based on Google’s intent to do pretty much the same with books this would appear to be unlikely to work.
- Support the evolution new tools like Copyscape into IP-address blocking tools that enable you to start to protect content by stopping those addresses from coming to your site. I know this won’t really work now, but we need to spur and encourage technology innovation here.
- Collectively harrass the thieves. Lets create a black-list and make people aware of their infringements on our IP.
Part of me also says that the ecosystem depends on sharing – and sharing of content implies a certain amount of recycling of content. But it is wrong when that occurs without any new contextual framing, linking or value add to the orginal content creator. It’s worse than plagerism – it is theft.
What these companies are missing is the opportunity to grow the ecosystem and participate. They are parasites. And that’s the shame of it. If they had engaged guys like Steve and established a working commercial relationship, they’d probably be able to build wildly successful businesses. Instead they add no value and alienate the marketplace. Reflecting that, probably the best thing we could do is ignore them and let them rot.
Blog + Wiki =?
Interesting conversation on what happens when you cross a blog and a wiki. You get a bliki. Martin has an interesting definition of what a bliki is.
Techorati Updates Ping Site…
Technorati has updated their ping site so it will give you a little more info on your blog. Stowe has a pretty picture.
Wikilibel
CNet follows through on it’s earlier story regarding “editorial” issues at Wikipedia – this time looking at the libel angle. At the end of the day though, Wikipedia appears safe from claims:
Thanks to section 230 of the Federal Communications Decency Act (CDA), which became law in 1996, Wikipedia is most likely safe from legal liability for libel, regardless of how long an inaccurate article stays on the site. That’s because it is a service provider as opposed to a publisher such as Salon.com or CNN.com.
This is also the same for a TypePad – but it isn’t the same for an individual blogger.
Squidoo
The Squidoo Beta is up and running – probably has been for yonks – but I just saw it today. It’s pretty cool. Unfiltered, it seems to be like well moderated zones in which a “lensmaster” throws light on a particular topic.
This could have a pretty neat application inside large enterprises that are interested in non-heirachical communications. Where, say, an evangelist can drive a dialogue and throw light on a topic.
Here are couple of my fave lenses:
