If you are a subscriber to my blog in Google Reader (or another reader) or an email subscriber, you will have noticed that a few days ago, I changed my feed to truncated, meaning that I’m showing part of my blog post, but not the entire post in my feed reader.
And you may have noticed all the hubbub in blogland the last week, as many bloggers that I personally know are also truncating their feeds for the same reasons.
I’ll tell you why I’ve decided to do it. It seems that the blogging landscape has changed a LOT in the last couple of years and now there are sites, called scraper sites, that go around blogland stealing feeds from blogs and publishing them as their own content and they are making money off of this stolen content.
Many of my blog friends and I have decided to take action against this practice and at least to slow it down, by not offering our full feed out there so that these scraper sites can just set up software to steal our content as soon as it is published.
My friend, Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch, has written a great article about blog scrapers and how it all works, so if you want more info, please read it there.
Susan also has found that if you read in Google Chrome, there is a feature you can download, Google Reader Inline, that once you load it on Chrome, you can click on the magnifying glass when reading a feed and it will bring up the entire feed, so this may be one way for you to still read in your reader and see the whole post. Susan explains that in this post.
I do realize that this may be a hardship for some of you reading. It will take a few extra seconds to click over to read the post. I do know that and I’m very sorry for the inconvenience. It’s not my intention to make things hard for my readers, but to protect ourselves from thievery, this seems to be the best thing to do at this time. Some bloggers have had more content stolen than others. This has been going on a long time and I’ve seen my posts stolen before, but now it seems to be a whole feed that is stolen and used. And that’s really not fair to all of us who take a lot of time with our blogs and work hard on our content, only to have it stolen word for word and posted on a scraper feature site. These sites are garnering lots of traffic even, but their practices are not ethical at all.
I’m going to monitor the feed situation and I am hoping that most of you will not unsubscribe, but will continue to follow my blog. I hate to lose any of you, but I know it will probably happen! I really do hate to do this, but we don’t want our content stolen either and this will at least help deter that. I’ve also added a note at the end of my posts as to where my content originates. Hopefully, these 2 measures will help keep my content from being used elsewhere.
If I find that this truncated feed is not working all that well, I may consider switching it back later. I’m going to give it a try for now and see how it works, so thanks for hanging with me!
I’m still trying to get it all figured out, so it may go back and forth for a few days until I can get the correct excerpts working on the feed and my blog. I want to show a paragraph and a picture on my feed, so then you can decide if you want to click over and read the whole post. I’m still tweaking that part and am working with plugins to make this happen and so far, I haven’t gotten it all worked out yet . You may see the whole feed up there right now, but just know that I plan to truncate very soon, but want to at least make it look good with a picture for all my readers!
Thank you ALL so much for following along on my journey all this time. I truly do appreciate each and every one of you out there who take the time to read and stop by and leave comments. It means the world to me.
I do hope you understand all of this and will stick with me! Thanks for the positive comments I’ve seen already and for the ones of you who aren’t happy about it, I’m sincerely sorry, but feel this is a business decision for all of us to make who do this blogging for a business.
Rhoda,no worries.I would go to the moon and back for your posts.i looks forward to them every single day!
You bloggers work MUCH to hard to not get the credit.
Loyal always,Mary Anne
P.S. I even have my brother hooked on your blog now.He saw your beautiful IKEA cabinets and has decided to do the same in his home.
Thanks for all the work you do to entertain us.
Call me “loyal”. 🙂 I don’t mind how many clicks I must make to read such an inspirational blog as yours! I don’t have a blog, but I love reading yours and thankyou for all you offer for our enjoyment!
Rhoda,
I have been reading your blog for the last 3 years. I find inspiration not only in decorating, but in a way to approach life and the tasks it throws at us.
I am so sorry that people have lowered themselves to steal blog content..but plagiarizing is nothing new…yet still despicable. I suppose they wouldn’t steal your blog content if it wasn’t as exceptional as we all know it to be.
I have no problem with the feed issue..I have you on favorites on my desktop and click in every day or every chance I get.
Just hoping your other readers realize that clicking and downloading to read your content is not as time consuming or labor intensive as one might think. My desktop is from 2002 and a hand-me down at that..and if I can read you anyone with a will to do so can.
Hang tight ..we love you and watching your journey through life and it’s surprises..the past couple of years..but we also love your decorating style and no nonsense approach to things.
What’s one more click!? I’d be willing to click TEN times to see your posts because I want to support you! Even on days when your post is to promote some product, I hop on over to your site because I am loyal reader and I know your metrics matter to your success. Do what you have to do to safeguard your hard work, it’s worth protecting!
Thank you Edith! That’s very sweet of you to say all that. I appreciate you loyal readers out there.
DITTO! Couldn’t have said it better. I too have all my Blog faves on my “favorites list” and run thru them daily. Takes me some time because I have alot of Faves, but I learn so much, and you all lift my spirits! Some are already truncated and I don’t mind a bit, even with my slow as molasses computer! Love Ya!
Sorry to hear this. I’ll continue to read your house updates, but I’ll miss your other posts. I read my blogs in Reader and I hate, hate, hate the clutter of having to open another window. Do what you have to do, but I wish there was a better solution.
Thanks to the majority of you for the support, I really appreciate it. Again, this might not be permanent, I’m trying it out to see how it might work out.
Hi Rhoda,
I don’t usually comment but wanted to chime in to say that I will continue to read your blog! I enjoy your blog so much and an extra click is no problem for me. I don’t have a blog but completely support all of you bloggers protecting yourselves from these scrapers!
Xo,
Charlotte
Do whatever you need to do to protect your content. I’ll find you wherever you are! I’m sure I’m among a *few* readers who you couldn’t lose if you tried! 🙂
Rhoda, I don’t mind going to a little extra effort to read your blog. You are totally worth it! You do whatever you need to do…
Okay, I am only slightly confused because my address bar shows “Reader” inside a grey box on the far right side, and I have always had to click at the bottom of a partial post to be able to read everything you have posted. Will this change for me? I use mainly my iPad to read, so it is through Safari’s browser.
Hey, Lori, it must be different on an iPad, I’m not sure, but if you are seeing partial already, then nothing will change for you. Thanks for reading!
Hi Rhoda, I, too, use GoogleReader to read my favorite blogs. I understand why you are truncating your posts and I am okay with it. Clicking over isn’t such a big deal for me.
AWESOME! Thank you. Now I will have to chech it on my computer because I use Firefox as opposed to Internet Explorer.
I say do what you have to do. People will either click over, like I do, or not and be done with it. Either way you as a very small business person has to do what you have to do in order to protect your content.
I am an artist so I totally understand and if people don’t have half a second to click to read your post then they are just as lazy as the thieves out there stealing you content.
And that’s what’s happening, thievery, is happening to the small business person. Unless you are someone who is in that position then of course, you might not understand and complain about the injustice. But if someone was stealing your words because they are TOO LAZY to be creative and it was affecting your business, you might feel differently about it.
Do what you have to do Rhoda. You might get more readers because of this, you never know. People come and go…just like the wind 🙂
I am also one of your regular readers even though I don’t have a blog myself. This is the first time I have left you a comment too, but I just want to say a HUGE thank you for all the work that you put into your blog. I believe that you are truly grateful for each one of your readers and the fact that it helps you to be able to do this full-time makes us want to support you back. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to visit here, and I can’t wait for your weekly updates on your home renovations. It seems that the majority of us will follow you no matter what. I am not all that computer savvy, but read your blog almost daily from a list of my favourites – I don’t know if it helps you or not when someone subscribes – but I just have in case it does. Enjoy your Sunday. Chris (a loyal uk reader)
Chris, thank you for saying that because I truly am grateful for ALL of you out there who take time out of your day to spend it with me. It means so much & has allowed me to be able to do what I do for a living. It does help bloggers too when readers click over to read “live” on our blogs. All of that is counted in advertising stats. But, I just want to say that part did not enter into the decision to do this by me and my friends. It just seemed that it was time to take action to try to protect our content. We all worried that we might lose readers as a result & I’m grateful for the support from my loyals!
I do not use google reader… I just go to the Blog and read it. I like it all on the full screen. I do subscribe to you but even then…I click and go straight to your blog. It is just ALL BETTER for my gettin’ old eyes!! Do what you have to do… times are a changin’ !! I am hearing more and more of this blog stealing … so very sad! YOU were my first blog and I am not going anywhere… I feel like a friend…who has a cup of coffee with you every day. ~Nancy from OHIO
Rhoda I have been a reader for several years, I do read in Google Reader but then I click on the blog in a new page so this doesnt seem to be a big deal to me..some people are funny, whats one more click. Anyway, its a shame that technology, as great as it is, is also as bad as it is. Shame on people stealing other peoples content..I know how hard you and many other ‘bigtime’ bloggers work on your posts. Me myself, meh. No one’s going to steal anything of mine I am sure:) But do what you need to do, I will follow wherever!
Barb
Have followed your blog and Susan’s for years. Love both but hate truncated feeds. I use a tablet and it does make it harder when trying catch up while in the airport and travelling or trying to sneak a peek before a meeting. Just throwing in my opinion.
Still a loyal fan.
Hi Rhoda,
I completely agree with bloggers protecting their content. I know how much work it must be to get a blog post ready with the content and the pictures. I am sure that most of your readers will understand. I always read your posts following your journey with your new house. An extra click is no big deal to me.
Love your blog…always look forward to what’s going on in your Reno and in other homes you feature. Stayin with ya girl…good luck!
Maybe I’m missing something here, but what’s the issue with having to click over? Honestly, if a reader leaves because of that I think they eventually would leave for some other reason. Loyalty seems to be a rare virtue. Like it or not, you’re stuck with me.
Thank you Doreen! That’s great, I’ll be happy to be stuck with you. 🙂 I agree, clicking is not that big a deal.