Now, I’m clearly not completely anonymous, but I try to keep things a little simple.  Sure, I know exactly how this guy got [...]]]> I was in the middle of writing another post when my cell phone rang with an unknown number.  I answered, and it was someone asking questions about a blog post.  On this blog.

Now, I’m clearly not completely anonymous, but I try to keep things a little simple.  Sure, I know exactly how this guy got my information.  But I’m very very uncomfortable with the fact that he called me trying to get me to promote his blog (at least, that’s what I think he wanted), and I told him so before hanging up.

I’m really thrown by this.  It was just a little phone call, but I feel like my personal world has suddenly been invaded.

I think I may have to make some decisions about my blogging future.

Today was supposed to be my day off (I work 9 hour days and get a day off every pay period) but I switched it this week. So I was on my way to the metro this morning with a magazine to read on the ride when I passed the stand [...]]]> Well, I’m internet famous anyway.

Today was supposed to be my day off (I work 9 hour days and get a day off every pay period) but I switched it this week. So I was on my way to the metro this morning with a magazine to read on the ride when I passed the stand for the Express, one of the free local papers. I wasn’t going to get one because I had a magazine, but then turned back and grabbed one. On Friday, the paper has Samurai Sudoku and I save them for my mom.  Yes, I realize I could just buy her a book, but this is free.  Frugal, see?

So I’m flipping through the paper and get to the page of blog quotes. One is about taxes. And then I catch the name of the blog. It’s my blog!  My brief post about tax day was quoted! 

And then I realize that I’m an “anonymous” blogger and I can’t share this with anyone.  So DC area bloggers and readers - take note!  Check me out in the Express! 

So I guess this is the good thing about working today, even though it means no three day weekend for me.  If I hadn’t gone to work, I wouldn’t have picked up a paper and my fame would have gone unnoticed.

I realize that my anonymity is tenuous at best.  If someone wanted to find out my information, it wouldn’t be too hard.  But I guess I’m not worried about strangers knowing who I am.  I don’t want my coworkers and friends and family to know who I am and what I’m writing about.  Mainly my coworkers, to be honest.  While we do work for the government and thus know exactly what the others make, that’s very different from knowing someone’s financial situation.  For example,  I have one coworker who makes exactly what I make (we received our last promotion on the same day, so we’re on the same track).  But she also has mortgage and major student loan payments.  So while we make the same amount, our situations are very different.

Either way, I’m going to enjoy my fame and clip the quote from the paper and save it somewhere.  Great start to a Friday!

“He got accussed of plagiarism!”

“Oh no! What kind of evidence do they have? Did he just phrase something a lot like a published piece?”

“No! He just put some quotes in his introduction that he [...]]]> A friend of mine is in graduate school and was telling me about the horrible thing that happened to her friend.

“He got accussed of plagiarism!”

“Oh no! What kind of evidence do they have? Did he just phrase something a lot like a published piece?”

“No! He just put some quotes in his introduction that he found in this blog. It wasn’t like it was published in a book or anything.”

At this point, my sympathy for this guy vanished. “Did he cite his source?”

“No, it was just a blog. It’s not like he’s stealing from anyone.”

Except for the blogger, of course. Now, my friend doesn’t know about this blog. She knows I have a rarely updated running blog, but there’s definitely nothing theft worthy there. While I don’t make a fortune from this blog (with using half my revenue for Kiva loans, I don’t even cover my costs), some people do make a living from their blogs. Would this guy’s plagiarism have hurt the blogger? Probably not. If the paper were being submitted for an academic journal, I suppose it’s possible. If nothing else, a proper citation could lead to increased traffic for the blogger. Either way, the potential for harm isn’t the point. The point is that by this point, people should realize that the blog is a legitimate form of publication and should be taken seriously. There are ways to cite papers to websites. To do otherwise is just stealing.

I admit, I find bits and pieces from my blog on other websites and it is frustrating. Someday, I will put on my lawyer pants and write some cease and desist letters.

But I trudged in to work and pulled three names out of a hat (or used random.org’s random number generator) to [...]]]> I’m so sick of this snow.  I’m sure the rest of the city is sick of it as well, and hey, we’ve managed to blow our snow removal budget already and it’s only February!  Awesome.

But I trudged in to work and pulled three names out of a hat (or used random.org’s random number generator) to find the winners of SHOO, Jimmy Choo!  Congrats to Alicia, Sofia, and Jennifer.  Watch your inboxes for e-mails for more info!

H1N1 has hit my office pretty hard, and while I’m still healthy (for now!), there have been a lot of people out of the office, which means a lot of work for those of us still standing.  Not that I’m complaining about being healthy, of course. 

So with work, [...]]]> Sorry for the lackluster posts this week folks.

H1N1 has hit my office pretty hard, and while I’m still healthy (for now!), there have been a lot of people out of the office, which means a lot of work for those of us still standing.  Not that I’m complaining about being healthy, of course. 

So with work, keeping up with a running schedule, and trying to eat well and get enough rest so that I can at least try to ward off any illness circling the office, blogging has fallen by the wayside.

From a blogger standpoint, this is something I already do.  I haven’t written [...]]]> So as you have probably read, starting December 1st, the F.T.C. is requiring bloggers to disclose any gifts or money they receive for reviews.  Of course, there are a number of bloggers who are upset about it.  Personally, I’m delighted to read this.

From a blogger standpoint, this is something I already do.  I haven’t written any reviews for pay, because I don’t like them.  Even if I’m writing a paid review of something I love, if I’m paid for it, you the reader have no idea whether or not I’m being truthful or I’m writing a glowing review because of the check I will get for it.  And if I review something I’ve received, as part of my deal with BlogHer, I can’t keep it – so I give it away to you.  Everyone wins. 

To me, it’s not worth lying just to make a few bucks.  And if someone wants me to review something, they have to accept that if I hate it, I’m going to be honest about that. 

But I am absolutely delighted to know that starting soon, other bloggers will be required to reveal when they’re being paid for a review.  When I’m thinking about a purchase or trying to learn about new products, I often do a websearch to see what others are saying about it.  Sometimes, it’s very easy to spot the paid reviews.  Other times, it’s not so clear. 

Now, that’s not to say that paid reviews are bad.  A lot of reviews are done because a company will send their product to a blogger to try out.  That makes perfect sense to me, but is considered a compensated review by this new ruling.  And I want the blogger to tell me that they got the product for free – that they hadn’t heard of it, but hey, were willing to try it out.  I don’t know that it changes how I view the review – especially if it’s not a completely glowing review.  I just think that full disclosure is always the best bet.