Deb Trotter, Cowboy's Sweetheart

You learn a little more about them every day … those unscrupulous Blog Bandits or Cyber Thieves, lurking in the shadows of the internet, waiting patiently for the opportunity to steal your name, your business, your artwork – or maybe all three.

I know a number of artists, photographers, designers, consultants, and blog experts who have had their work stolen … only to resurface somewhere else under someone else’s name.

And the problem isn’t restricted to artwork or writing. Complete websites and blogs are being copied and republished using a domain or blog name that already exists.

Let’s say an artist closes her blog at Typepad or Blogger and moves her ‘new’ blog to another platform like Wordpress. In less than a minute her old blog, blog name, and content are snatched up by Slick Bot Bart – who now benefits from her traffic and reputation.

What’s to stop the thief from adding porn to her former blog? Or what’s to keep Sneaky Spider Sal, who has finally figured out the artist’s password, from stealing her identity?

Nothing. Absolutely, positively Nothing.

This disgusting ploy is even happening from one Wordpress blog to another. Can you top that?

Heck, it’s even happened to me and my art – me, who diligently checks copyblogger, hoping to cut those seedy varmints off at the pass before they are able to make off with everything I own. I have a slew of special programs to help me keep track of Bots, Spiders, and Crawlers. I set photoshop to automatically mark my work, and officially register my work with the US Copyright Office.

Yet last year I discovered 33 different people were copying my art and selling it on jewelry, collage sheets, and prints. The offenders had even replaced my © Deb Trotter, Cowboy’s Sweetheart signature with their own name (or alias).

It would help if all the blogging platforms would at least attempt to keep track of their users and send them a warning notice after the blogger closes down his/her site. Not everyone out there is savvy to the dangers of the ‘virtual world.’

I kept my Typepad account and name when I moved to Wordpress. It’s worth the small fee I have to pay each month just to keep my name and my brand out of the ‘available’ category. But even that wise move may not save me from the Blog-Cyber Bandits.

When I created the tongue in cheek piece you see at the top of this post, I was inspired by the original Wanted poster for The Wild Bunch (also known as the ‘Hole in the Wall Gang‘). Butch and Sundance had no idea how effective such a campaign could be.

Too bad we can’t deal with these culprits the way folks did in the Old West. Place a bounty on the outlaws’ heads, offer a reward, and print & post the flyers everywhere we can think of. Then we wait until some lawman or bounty hunter rides into town with the criminals so they can be brought to justice.

I’d like to be a part of the Lynch Mob waiting for the bad guys.

Remember that old saying, “Hanging’s too good fer ‘em” ?

I want that T-shirt!

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© Persnickety Friday is now a regular feature of Deb Trotter’s “Cowboy’s Sweetheart” blog. If you’re feeling a bit ornery yourself and would like to be a guest author on © Persnickety Friday, leave a comment indicating your idea & contact information. Or go to the Contact form at the top of this page to send me an email.

Persnickety

1. definition:  fussy about small details; requiring painstaking care; snobbish – or having the aloof attitude of a snob
2. synonyms:  opinionated; irritable; ornery; fussy

Friday

1. definition: the best day of the week!
   

Posted in Art and Life, Blogs for Artists, Photography, Photoshop, Western Cowgirl Art | No Comments »

Everyone has a bullet to dodge on Thanksgiving Day.

You may not recognize holiday stress a ‘bullet,’ but in Cowgirl-Cowboy lingo, that’s what it is. And every single bullet can prevent Thanksgiving from being what it is supposed to be:  a warm & fuzzy holiday.

Thanksgiving Bullets come in many sizes – from downright tiny (irritating, but manageable) to massive (painful, and almost impossible to ‘remove’ without damage). Here are the bullets you should avoid and how to stop them …

1. The Family Bullet

For some of us, the bullet is a member of our family:  the snooty aunt, who makes depricating comments about the lumps in the gravy … or your Dad, who drinks just a bit too much wine with that Thanksgiving turkey and says things he doesn’t really mean. The Family Bullet is a deadly weapon, but you’re pretty familiar with its dangers. Have a good sense of humor when it comes your way.

2. The Stress Bullet

Stress is a pretty nasty bullet too. I’ve been shot by this rascal one too many times. As a die-hard Cowboy might say, “Okay. You asked fer it!” And before you know it, you’re full of lead. Silly, stupid lead, because the Stress Bullet is something YOU shoot at YOURSELF. Here’s how it goes …

You don’t have time to get your Christmas tree up and decorated. Maybe you don’t have enough silverware, or you’re missing a coffee cup in that service for eight. You forgot to pick up the wine, or you realize you’re out of butter. Out of butter on Thanksgiving? Say it isn’t so!

But guess what? Most of the time no one really cares about everything being perfect but YOU. So there is no excuse for being shot by stress. Let it go.

3. The Five Pound Bullet

We can’t leave out the Five Pound Bullet. It’s actually the food itself. You heard me, pardner. The turkey & dressing with gravy.  The cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin pie. You eat just a little bit of everything, and you’re dead before you know it. (Must have been that extra helping of sweet potato casserole you couldn’t resist.)

I learned long ago how to avoid the Five Pound Bullet when a good friend reminded me of two things:  1. If you feel that bad afterward, it’s not worth the taste … and 2. It’s not a crime to throw away leftovers!

4. The Guilt Bullet

Finally, we have the Guilt Bullet, the one forged from tradition. You live on one side of the country, and your family lives on the other – so your parents are spending their Thanksgiving alone for the very first time (What kind of daughter AM I?” you ask yourself.) Or you try to break with tradition … this year you’ve decided to make ham instead of turkey and forgo the broccoli casserole. Your son goes to the buffet to fill his plate and exclaims, “What? NO TURKEY?” And even YOU recognize that it’s just not the same.

Congratulations. You’ve just been shot through the heart. The Guilt Bullet is the one I have had the most trouble dodging. But I’m getting better at it.

This week not one of those four Thanksgiving Bullets can ‘locate’ me anymore. I have mastered the art of the ‘dodge.’ Here’s how I choose to do it …

1. Family Bullet … I invite friends to join us. We all share stories about each of our families and traditions. They bring food to share. And life is good.

2. Stress Bullet … I don’t worry anymore about whether we eat off of fine china or paper plates. If I happen to get the Christmas tree up, great. If not, big deal. And the stress is all but gone.

3. Five Pound Bullet … I don’t pile on the food anymore. By the time I have sampled a tiny bit of everything I’m full. No more “staving children in China” (remember that?Five Pound Bullets!

4.  Guilt Bullet … I make my own traditions while assuring my family that I will respect theirs. A phone call to my relatives in North Carolina helps keep this bullet at bay. Guilt now is in the same category as leftovers … it’s okay to toss it in the trash.

As for you, my friend … dodge those bullets and ENJOY your Thanksgiving!

I plan on doing the same.

Happy Trails!

Tags: Holidays
Posted in Art and Life, Blogs for Artists, Digital Art, Food and Drink, Holidays, Western Cowgirl Art | 2 Comments »