Update:
Thanks to the excellent Margaret and Crystal at the DWG (The Derbyshire Writers Guild who are also hosted by Austen.com) for their immediate actions in contacting the domain host and convincing him to comply with my requests. I know of this through their correspondence and not from the domain host who has not deigned to contact me directly. So Gentle Readers, I feel like free woman again and am so greatful for your outpouring of support. Huzzah!
Gentle Readers:
To all my legitimate readers of my blog through my RSS feed I thank you for your continued patronage and apologize for the change in format today from full post to summary only. The new format is not my first preference but my only immediate option. Unfortunately, the use of my posts by Austen dot com Blog without my consent has forced my hand.
I spend considerable time and effort to create the best possible posts I can to promote the reading of Jane Austen’s original novels and her modern day interpretations. It is not my goal to make money from this blog so why should someone else profit from my efforts and skills through thievery? If this was an occasional offense I might over look it, but they have consistently used my posts for over four months on their commercial blog that is packed with Google ads and other unsuspecting news feeds on Jane Austen. They have never contributed an original post to their blog. Everything is lifted from me and news feeds. Why I am the only blog that they chose to hijack is a mystery since I am far from being the most famous or heavily visited. I have asked them politely several times to stop to no avail. I am now taking more aggressive measures.
Please do not visit them because of this announcement. It will only make them richer. Just about everything you have seen here for the last four months you will find there, so there is no point.
My profuse apologies to my readers who actually click through and visit me here. I’m so sorry you have to see this, but it is the only way to inform everyone.
Cheers, Laurel Ann
© 2010 Laurel Ann Nattress
Austenprose 
Oh Laurel Ann…I am so sorry! That is horrendously wrong and just plain rude. I will continue to read no matter what and hopefully you can find a way to stop them. It seems if they were true Austen fans they would have written at least some of their own material and so I must assume they are Austen vultures simply looking for a dime.
Again so sorry you have to deal with this theft!
Courtney
Stiletto Storytime
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This is a total misuse of the purpose of an RSS feed. You can tell Terry isn’t a Janeite, because this is NOT WHAT JANE WOULD DO.
Didn’t he try to hire you to blog for him, Laurel Ann? And you said no, so he just takes your work instead.
I feel sorry for the DWG people, because they are not responsible for this and their site is being tarred by association.
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Yes Mags – Jane would never steal someone else’s work and put it in her book as her own. NEVER, nor would any honest person.
Yes, he did ask me to run his Austen.com blog last year and I declined because at the time I was running this blog, co-blogging with Vic on Jane Austen Today and it was way more than I could take on – and – who would want to create stuff for someone else for free? Why would anyone want to create a blog and have someone else run it? Only answer is SEO and Google payments. So now he lifts my intellectual property for free and I am running his blog after all. This is malicious and unethical and I want everyone to know how angry I am. He is making money off of me and Jane through the news feeds and not contributing anything new to the JA community.
I rarely speak out for myself – but this in unethical and abusive. Jane deserves better, and darn if he is going to abuse her and get away with it.
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I feel terrible for you, Laurel Ann… =( I’ve never visited that site, so that’s good news at least.
I’ll send all the zombies, sea monsters, mummies, and the Iron Man their way and see how they cope with that! Hi-ya!!! ;P
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I can’t say I’ve ever visited them and I never will. Jane Austen nor the zombies wouldnt approve of such behavior.
I must say you’re my favorite Austen blog. Your reviews and posts are great fun. Glad you are still about and look forward to more fun Austen times!
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That’s just awful…so sorry you are having to deal with this mess!
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So sorry to hear that this has been happening. I hope it’s straightened out soon; your posts are some of the best!
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I’m on team Laurel Ann!
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Me, too!
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Oh, I so sorry to hear this. What an irritating mess to have to deal with.
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I support you 100% Laurel Ann! If you need any help (or support) with this ridiculous issue let me know.
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Awful, and what a terrible feeling. What is this person thinking!
I admire how you have handled the situation! I hope it stops…
~Lauren
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Laurel Ann, I’m so sorry! I’ve had trouble with bottom-feeders stealing my site’s content, too. It’s so discouraging to share our enthusiasm for Jane Austen, only to have that trust violated by these thieves.
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In reality, what can one do? Aside from the steps taken?
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Thank you to everyone for your kind words of support. I have sent a cease and desist requests to the bottom-feeder as Heather L. so aptly calls them, and we shall see. At the very least, they on longer have my full posts by RSS and it is far less enticing to readers. Forgot to mention that they conveniently stripped out my blog name and link from the post and left my name so it appears like I am a contributor.
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Oh Laurel Ann that is really really….well….it’s just wrong and awful and lousy isn’t it!? And it totally is not fair that someone would stoop so low.
I hope you can get them stopped.
Mel xx
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Wow, I’m so sorry to hear this. You have my full support, of COURSE…it takes so much to write and do so much on behalf of Janeites that it’s heartbreaking to see your work just get stolen and misused by people purporting to be of “the community.” :(
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So sorry to hear that. I usually read your blog posts through the RSS feed, but it’ll be no problem to click trough to the site.
I was tempted to look at that site just to see how it looked, but as you rightly say it will only boost his stats and income, so I’ll pass.
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Dear Laurel,
Its a despicable world sometimes. I’ve been the victim of this appalling practise on my old and new blogs so I do entirely sympathise with your feelings and actions.
Since I’ve taken quite aggressive action it has ceased somewhat so Ill email you with the details.
Chin up old bean ;-) Lets hope this adverse publicity will stop this particular miscreant from continuing.
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I totally sympathize – he does need to support his site somehow but he’s not being ethical about it. How come he can’t take “no” for a final answer? Sheesh.
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He asked me to oversee the blog for him last year and I said no, but he has not co-opted my blog as he has yours. So, in a way this is a back-handed compliment, LA.
Still, what nerve. I went over to the site, and yours are the only fully featured posts. In addition, he does not give you credit, nor do the posts lead to your blog. Which makes him a plagiarist. What a world we live in.
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Laurel,
I’m sorry that you have to deal with this. This is so wrong!
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That’s just wrong on so many levels. I’m angry with you and for you, Laurel Ann. ((HUGS))
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How dare they? How very thick of them! It is inevitable. There are people like them – no guilt, no apologies. You have taken the best actions LA. We understand everything.
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What a leech! I think you may have to borrow Mags’ cluebat and swing that talentless toad a good one.
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Laurel, I am seething over this. Is there anything we, your gentle readers, can do to stop this thief, expose him, whatever? If so, I’m first in line.
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Well this just sucks! What a sleazy weasel that guys is! Thanks for doing what you do and all your hard work real Janeites! I’m so sorry to hear about all this trouble you are having. Thanks for getting the word out about this pig. May Janeite Justice prevail!
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I’m so very sorry to hear about this. It’s heartbreaking that people work so hard on their own content, only to have someone take it and use it for their own. This sort of thing happens far too often on the internet. Is there any way to contact the host provider to complain about this? Best wishes, and good luck with this.
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I’m joining in the chorus of indignation. Still, as Vic points out, this is a testament to the excellence of your site, though a compliment I am sure you could do without. I love your posts; keep up the good work!
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I have never been to that site and now, never will. Your site is the only one not blocked at work and I enjoy it every day you write something new.
Keep up the fight!
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Dear Laurel Ann,
I’m with you and I think your RSS readers cannot only understand the measure taken but also appreciate it is better to come here directly whenever they can.
True Janeites know better and respect not only copyrights but the all the effort behind other fellows’ contributions in the net.
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Laurel Ann,
Thats awful. I was going to suggest a C&D as well.
Did he think you wouldn’t notice? An to make it seem as though you were a contributor, that’s despicable.
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I’m sorry to hear this, Laurel Ann. =( I will gladly click through to your posts in future. I can’t imagine anyone not understanding – I do hope you can get this guy stopped!
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Well, that blows. In a way, it’s sort of a compliment that your posts are getting lifted and posted elsewhere. But to make money off of your content via banner ads — that’s despicable.
Don’t worry, I didn’t visit the other site (and I never have). I don’t want them making money from my click. ;)
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Bravo! Justice and truth reign! Congrats on the success of your campaign to save the honor of Austenprose!
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So saddened and angry to hear about this. I know how much work goes into maintaining high-quality blogs/sites like Austenprose, and it angers me to hear about someone so blatantly and brazenly plagiarizing and stealing. I haven’t seen the website in question, nor will I be visiting it. I don’t know how ads work but I feel like the more of us that click through to the website, the less appeals like this one actually work.
Glad that you’ve been able to somewhat resolve the situation, but I’m still sorry you had to go through it in the first place. :(
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Three cheers for Margaret and Crystal at DWG!
The fourth wave of women’s power… in the murky waters of cyberspace. Janeites unite! =)
I’m glad this got resolved for you, Laurel Ann.
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I saw yoiur tweet about this a few days ago and wondered who was responsible. Congratulations on finding a way to stop them – it is well worth the format change. I second your huzzah.
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Hi Laurel Ann, I’ve just seen this report. As a true lady, you deserve better. Thankyou to our Janeites for the warning to stay away from a parasite.
That guy is no gentleman, probably in the zombies league. ;-)
Glad it came out well for you. Another huzzah !
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Laural Ann,
Can you use a sofware like copyscape, I think, that will let you know if you article has been posted elsewhere without your consent? Not sure if this software/plug-in really works, but it may be worth a try.
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