Some random thoughts...

[reviews_and_ramblings]

I don't do rates (it's like a statement, I don't do drugs, I don't drink...). I always hate scheme and similar, my Italian teacher in highschool, after fighting for years to force me to plan my writing before starting them, surrendered and let me do as I wanted; I wrote from scratch, I still do, without almost editing it... It's like I'm, you can't change me, and so, how can I summarize what I wrote with a rate?

And above all, I don't believe in rate since they are "cold": I can read a book today, and since I'm in a fool mood, I can hate or love it, and maybe next week I will change my mind. Same as you: a book for me is wonderful since touch something in me, and for you is boring, since that same spot wasn't touched.

I'm not a reviewer, I studied Economics at College, not English or Literature! I'm a reader, and I read what I like, so please, don't take offense if I don't like a book, I believe that I have never said that a book was bad, only maybe that I didn't understand it or that it left me unaffected. And I'm not a writer or an editor, so I'm not nursing the secret idea to publish a book... I have some stories that swirling in my mind, but I'm not good enough to write them, and so they will stay in my mind.

English is not my language, so I can't judge if a book is grammatically good or not, and I don't want to... I write what as a book left me, cold, happy, sad, and I believe that you can understand it from what I write. It's not like I love every book I read, but if I write a post, probably there is something in the book that pushed me to finish it: and since I have in this moment more than 400 books in my reading list, if a book managed to catch my attention for enough time for me to finish it, then it means that I like it. For the "love" verb, the book has to be very good.

Don't try to involve me in fights, I don't like them; and don't believe that I can't fight, I can, but this is my sand box and I do as I want here. But I love confrontation, so don't worry if you want to leave "nasty" comments, if they have a sense, even if bad, probably I will reply to them.

And if you heavily lift from my LiveJournal and take the credit for my work, could at least don't gloat over how good you are? Ask you to at least put a link would be too much... I love when people link me, one of the happiest moment is when I discover that someone notice my little sand box and say something. I don't pretend that you ask me nothing, don't get me wrong, it's part of the pleasure of life, and an happy surprise, when I find something of unexptected, but I hate when something I spent time to prepare get apparently unnoticed to discover that raised a sandstorm somewhere else.

Comments

[valkovalin.livejournal.com]

Oh, I should add that what I've suggested about handling content theft does work internationally.

That last part I suggested about contacting advertising sponsors got quick results from a South Africa site.

Exception: communist countries where there isn't a concept of private ownership -- I'm still not quite sure what to do in that situation. Best of luck on your situation.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I notice a lot of site that are only a container of lifted post from other site. I really don't understand why they exist, since I don't believe that people really read them. Elisa

Containers of lifted posts from other sites.

[valkovalin.livejournal.com]

Yes! This describes that South Africa example that I mentioned to you.

These sites exist only to run advertising all over their sidebars and collect ad revenue. But they need to increase their website traffic if they want to make any money from visitors clicking on links, or from visitors looking at the pages (page-exposure revenue).

So these sites just steal content from everywhere and post it, regardless of its meaning or context or relevance. The site owners hope that web traffic will come in from people using search engines to search on popular terms. It's a way to steal and make money.

It's so pernicious! With those type of sites, you defend yourself and your content by threatening to strike back where it will hurt them most: their ad revenue. Email them and explain that you will contact all of their advertising sponsors and inform the sponsors of their content theft unless they remove all of your stolen content within a 24-hour period. It gets results.

Now I'm off to post a link to your site on mine! Best, Val

Re: Containers of lifted posts from other sites.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Now I understand how they work. Usually I ignore them, but if they gain money from it, probably next time I will do something. I recently refuse to post an ad banner on my site, since I don't write post to gain money, but I don't want that other gain on my work. Elisa