Though a good portion of my writing is for Web-based publications, I (knock on wood) have yet to have any of my work misappropriated. That is, taken and posted without my consent or otherwise plagiarised.
I can almost hear the laughter. Do I check every site every day? No. Do I have some sort of ESP that would let me know if my work was lifted? No. Can I really feel secure that I'm not being ripped off? Actually, yes.
I know that nothing on the Web it 100% certain, but I've minimised my chances of missing inappropriate posts of my work with a variety of Google Alerts. These little messages let me know when my work pops up on the Web without needing to shed blood, sweat or tears all day every day trying to keep my writing safe.
As per the excellent advice of Jeanne Dininni (author of Writer's Notes) in her article Google Alerts Can Help You Detect Misuse or Abuse of Your Work I simply enter titles, bylines and search terms unique to my articles and viola, when something goes live I'm notified.
Try it, I have a feeling you'll like it.
Good luck!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
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3 comments:
Beth,
Thanks so much for the links! Appreciate them both! Google Alerts are the best thing that's happened to online writing in a long time! So glad you've been able to use this great tool for protecting the integrity of your work!
Take care, and Happy Easter!
Jeanne
Good one! I just added this to my list of search tips. It's also useful if you're interested in news about a certain celebrity or topic.
Jeanne - Thank YOU. Your excellent advice has been much appreciated!
Susan - Thanks! I actually have a variety set up on topics that I think might make good articles. Very useful on those days you're running on empty! ;)
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