ON BLOG PLAGIARISM CONTINUED

TECHNOLOGY MARCHES ON...

This post continues  yesterday`s discussion on blog plagiarism.

Zoli's Blog points out this ad for Blog-zilla and Ping-Kong web-based software, that according to their web-site enables the following:

1. Auto-post and manage tons of content across more than one blog.
2. Add unique articles custom-tailored to every blog you are running.
3. Take any content or article and have Blog-zilla manipulate, randomize, or merge text based on your rules.
4. Grab keyword-related RSS feeds and auto-post directly to all your blogs.
5. Blend content, articles and RSS into numerous topic-matched blog entries.
6. Write or republish one article and direct Blog-zilla to auto-generate dozens more based on your original.
7. Never steal content, instead generate your own and let Blog-zilla hatch unlimited variations all customized to each blog's target audience. (maybe you should read that again!)
8. Save hours of time.
9. Maintain dozens of blogs.
10. Multiply your content intelligently.
11. Blow fire in the face of your competition :-)
12. and have targeted visitors flocking to your blogs and sites.
13. ... oh, did we mention make more money from sales, affiliate programs and contextual ads like Google's Adsense?

These features of course have legitimate uses, like any tool and/or technology.  The publishers of Blog-zilla emphasize that the software is NOT designed for malicious, spamming, and plagiarized services, but for legitimate management of multiple blog sites by publishers.   

The publisher apparently makes an effort to make sure only "good" users are permitted to buy the software through screening, which is commendable.

The recent discussions on blog plagiarism and spamming discussions on the web, or posts by bloggers like Fred Wilson on "Really Simple Stealing", BusinessWeek/Blogspotting, Mark Pincus, and others point to an environment that increasingly needs vigilance by the blogging community at large. 

Over time, there may be other developers and/or vendors of software who are not as particular as the above-mentioned publisher. 

As Albert Einstein said:

The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one.

We can uncomfortably say the same thing about "good" web technologies like RSS et al.
The key reason is not that this is as important as atomic energy...but because it endangers the possibility of more robust economic models and businesses emerging out of this blogging thing.

As Sweaty Blog makes it painfully clear in this post, the economics are already threadbare for individual blogs. 

The promise is in larger blog businesses, and we're in the early days of experimentation of all types.

P.S.  See the comment from the publisher of the software outlining their policies below.

Comments

[Cole]

From personal experience on both ends, I know that this sucks.

My day job is internet marketing, and this kind of thing raises the cost-per-acquisition, makes my job harder, and makes it harder to get new customers when newspapers report that the industry is "suffocating" from thieves.

From the flip position of having paid some bills by blogging already, this points out to me that "bad" things such as this just create more opportunity for professional and semi-professional blogging. Now there is a premium on being able to trust a blog link that you click on. Your brand name and more importantly your reputation will triple in value as this situation worsens.

At the same time, the only higher cost or barrier to entry into the blog business is being a stand up person willing to constantly produce amazing content. It will still be $5/month to run a blog on typepad or even free on blogger so this doesn't do anything but make it more profitable for those who take it seriously.

[Dan Hollings]

I appreciate your interest and concern over Blog-zilla, however, I might recommend you re-read the description of Blog-zilla again (http://blog-zilla.com) and not the ANTI-SPAM notice "Spammers Beware" clearly published on the site.

In addition, please review our strict ANTI-DUPLICATION, ANTI-SCRAPE, ANTI-CONTENT STEALING policy. Blog-zilla is NOT a spam or thieving tool. Blog-zilla has ZERO cabability to "harvesting content from various sites"... that is absolutely the OPOSITE of Blog-zilla's phylosopy (and capability). Blog-zilla also can NOT be used to create wastelands of blog-farms. Blog-zilla can add an RSS feed to original content to enhance that content, but Blog-zill users can NOT post RSS only as a substitute for original content. There are systems out there that do all this "evil" stuff. Blog-zilla is not one of them.

Perhaps you jumped to some conclusions without thoroughly understanding or perhaps some erroneous rumors are being posted here and there. No problem, I'll try to clear up the misconceptions here...

All Blog-zilla users go through a qualification survey to eliminate potential spammers. Blog-zilla takes only original content and personalizes that original content for target audiences. Much like a quality email management system personalizes each email to its targeted reader. Blog-zilla hates spammers. All users are also taught how to use the system for honest high quality content purposes. System abusers will be terminated if discovered abusing Blogizilla's capabilities. For those wondering how I know this, I'm Dan Hollings the creator and owner http://danhollings.com

I invite anyone interested in Blog-zilla's policy and philosophy to read the Blog-zilla license agreement and rules.

http://blog-zilla.com/blog-zilla_policy.html

Every user is screened, spammers are eliminated, and Blog-zilla users are taught proper blogging concepts. Original and authorized content only.

A few highlights of the Blog-zilla user policy:

*** You may not use Blog-zilla in any manner which jeopardizes it's functionality or reflects negatively upon it's reputation as a legitimate multi-blogging tool for ORIGINAL or AUTHORIZED content. If someone else holds the content copyright, do not use Blog-zilla to post or manipulate that content without permission.

*** Blog-zilla may be used in conjunction with contextual ads (like Adsense), paid ads, banners, affiliate programs and other e-commerce endeavors, but only if you follow strictly the policies of the ad or affiliate provider.

*** Blog-zilla is not a content scraper, content duplicator, or content stealing system. If any attempt to use Blog-zilla as such is detected, you're history.

*** Blog-zilla can be used to post RSS feeds to multiple blogs, but if you are not also posting other quality content, your account can be terminated.

If you would like to look at the quality of content Blog-zilla is capable of posting, go to:

100 Blogs by Blog-zilla Multi-blogger Dan Hollings
These are quality articles written to sincerely help their target audience:
http://blog-zilla.com/100_marketing_tip_blogs.html

TagCloud of 100 Blogs
Here we have a TagCloud summary of all 100 Blogs:
http://www.blog-zilla.com/tagcloud.html

More additional about Blog-zilla:
http://www.Blog-zilla.com

Blog-zilla in the news:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb260055.php

Blog-zilla has a long waiting list currently and screening of subscribers has started. Screen consists of an indepth survey on what the potential subscriber plans to use Blog-zilla for and where their content is from. Next, if accepted, each subscriber goes into a trial period (cost is $1) and while users evaluate Blog-zilla, Blog-zilla evaluates the subscriber by monitoring their posts and observing their participation in weekly conference call training classes. The classes are key, so as to teach people how to use Blog-zilla constructively and how be "good internet citizens" that is, how to give true value and quality targeted content to your audience.

Sorry for such a long post. I only want readers to know, Blog-zilla wears a white hat :-) Spammers, cheats and bottom feeders are NOT welcomed at Blog-zilla.com

[Imran Aziz]

Blog-Zilla is a spaming software. Nothing else. What if some corporate starts updating like 1000 blogs in that way? Won't Walmart burry down every one who dare speaks against them in 200th pages of search results?

Please sign a petition

http://www.petitiononline.com/H810282/petition.html

We'll forward it to BBB. Dan Hollings works often to take advantage of people caught up in scams like Quixtar, amways etc. and may be they try blog-zilla. Who knows?

[Adam Butler]

I totally agree with what you're saying. I wish more people felt this way and took the time to express themselves. Keep up the great work.

Adam Butler
http://www.quixtarcenter.com

[Mary Anne Martin]

This blog posting was of great use in learning new information and also in exchanging our views.
Thank you.
Mary Anne Martin
http://www.quixtarcenter.com

[Andrea Jasperson]

This blog posting was of great use in learning new information and also in exchanging our views. Thank you.

Andrea Jasperson
http://www.quixtarcenter.com