[ProWebAddict]

Ok...the copying merchant thread is closed but now I know exactly who it is because my content that I wrote is on there as well.

I don't like to curse but WTF is up with the copy and paste job?? I didn't even notice it and thank you sfcom for bringing it up.

Ok, I have to take a deep breath and maintain professionalism.

I'll give it until Monday.

[BurgerBoy]

What you need is a nice cold glass of iced tea.

Don't let this make you sick.

Clam down and get rid of them. It's not worth it to end up having a stroke from it.

Or, you can drink what I'm drinking in my signature.

[ProWebAddict]

I need something more than that...maybe with a shot of vodka.

It's one thing when it could have been an accident but this wasn't an accident "oops I bought some stolen content."

If it was just one person then ok maybe...but no.

[BurgerBoy]

Sue Them.

[Trust]

So what is it. Content from your affiliate sites copied to the merchant site or to the OPM affiliate manager site or one of their own affiliate sites? I think I know who it is too.

[Rolet]

copied to the merchant site as available and approved content for ALL affiliates

[ProWebAddict]

It's so funny that I was so animate about knowing who it was because I'd never want to work with anyone like that. What a shock to find my own stuff on there.

[Haiko de Poel, Jr.]

Screenshots of google cache and other proof, for Monday.

[Hardaka]

Originally Posted by ProWebAddict

Ok...the copying merchant thread is closed but now I know exactly who it is because my content that I wrote is on there as well.

I don't like to curse but WTF is up with the copy and paste job?? I didn't even notice it and thank you sfcom for bringing it up.

Ok, I have to take a deep breath and maintain professionalism.

I'll give it until Monday.

I PM'ed to ask sfcom who it was, but seeing you post this, I'm pretty positive I know who now, because I had the same thing happen to me yesterday. Well I caught it yesterday (and the OPM fixed it), and with the relaunch of the page, I checked google and it has C&P jobs from other affiliates too (I alerted him, after I think he went to bed).

I don't want to post the name out of the slight chance it's someone different, but if you'd be willing to PM me the name, I can tell you why the page turned out how it did if it's the same merchant.

[sfcom]

Originally Posted by BurgerBoy

Or, you can drink what I'm drinking in my signature.

Gimme 2 of those.

-sfcom

[TrishaLyn]

Sonofa... I'm totally in shock that it's happened to two people - not a random one person mea culpa.

Tsk tsk

[BurgerBoy]

OK - here they are.

[Jorge - JRami]

Closed too quick just when I was typing the thread was closed.

However some already 'may' jump to conclusions and I was asked a little while ago if it could be JRami, so to clear any suspicions for others, No was not JRami, as we never give any content from any affiliate to either another affiliate or to any merchant, 'ever', so in my case would be impossible to be me, and that would be very wrong.

[Hardaka]

Originally Posted by TrishaLyn

Sonofa... I'm totally in shock that it's happened to two people - not a random one person mea culpa.

Tsk tsk

If it's who I think it is, it also happened to someone else. Be four people total, me included.

Edit: It was done in house by someone the merchant hired. The OPM was shocked the guy was that big of an idiot to copy me. Seems he is in for another shock.

Edit 2: It is the same merchant. So that's what happened.

[TrishaLyn]

Man what a springtime bummer... how many people are required for a class-action suit? Might be something to keep in the back of your mind for those affected. If there's 4 on this forum, how many more total ya know?

[Hardaka]

Originally Posted by Rolet

copied to the merchant site as available and approved content for ALL affiliates

Plus the guy hired to make that content, didn't bother to remove the "click here" from the affiliate content, although no links included. Would be rather funny if it wasn't really sad. Hopefully once the OPM finds out, he'll clear it all up like he did for me.

And the merchant can kick the guy's ass they hired to make the content.

[TrishaLyn]

Originally Posted by Hardaka

And the merchant can kick the guy's ass they hired to make the content.

Yeah if they hired this guy just to create content and then he blatantly plagiarized from anywhere, they should be fired immediately. I wonder if this was a freelancer? I've heard of freelance copywriters doing things similar to this and trying to get paid for it on a contractual basis.

Not that it matters - it's still effed up.

[sfcom]

Just "spoke" with the OPM, so expect an announcement soon.

-sfcom

[Geno Prussakov]

Originally Posted by Jorge - JRami

Closed too quick just when I was typing the thread was closed.

However some already 'may' jump to conclusions and I was asked a little while ago if it could be JRami, so to clear any suspicions for others, No was not JRami, as we never give any content from any affiliate to either another affiliate or to any merchant 'ever'...

It is not about Jorge, nor any other OPM. Both threads are about one of the programs I manage.

The way things look at this stage tell me that what happened was that the people hired to put together "unique" and "useful" content to tell more about the merchant and the product just Googled the name of the merchant (there is no need an OPM to disclose any well-optimized affiliate website) and scraped the content off other websites. I was presented with this content as original merchant content, and never thought I need to check all affiliate sites prior to posting the link to this page here on ABestWeb.

As soon as I have found out about these two threads, I phoned 3 people from the merchant's web-development group (had to leave messages on their cell phones), demanding for them to take all of that page's content down, and replace it by their own original content.

Comparing that text to all affiliates websites would've been quite a task, but from now on I will know better than trust anyone.......

My apologies before everyone who got 'quoted' on that page. This is simply unacceptable. I apologize for not going the extra step to doubt.

Geno

[sfcom]

Originally Posted by Geno Prussakov

As soon as I have found out about these two threads, I phoned 3 people from the merchant's web-development group (had to leave messages on their cell phones), demanding for them to take all of that page's content down, and replace it by their own original content.

Guess it's my turn. To be honest here, that looks like a real slap on the wrist to me. Can they be trusted now that they have already copied from other sites? If the dog eats the hens, you shoot the dog. You don't go out and buy more hens and keep the same dog, right?

-sfcom

[HardwareGeek]

dude I charge 50,000 for people to copy my content I'm a start including reprint links on my site for each article because it's becoming a business for me.

I recomend you all do the same on pages with original content.

[Geno Prussakov]

Originally Posted by sfcom

Guess it's my turn. To be honest here, that looks like a real slap on the wrist to me. Can they be trusted now that they have already copied from other sites?

I hear you, sfcom; and it's not an easy situation. However, when you say "they", it seems that you are implying the merchant. It is important to emphasize that the job was outsourced, and neither the merchant, nor the OPM had any intention to cheat affiliates. You know me (and even them, by their history here at ABW) better than this.

G.

[MichaelColey]

Outsourcing doesn't relieve any responsibility. The merchant paid someone else to do it. They are just as responsible as the person/company they outsourced it to. You (not directed at Geno, but to the merchant and in general) must supervise what others do on your behalf.

[sfcom]

Originally Posted by Geno Prussakov

I hear you, sfcom. However, when you say "they", it seems that you are implying the merchant. It is important to emphasize that the job was outsourced, and neither the merchant, nor the OPM had any intention to cheat affiliates. You know me (and even them, by their history here at ABW) better than this.

G.

I am not implying anything about the merchant.

Partial quote via my PM to you earlier: "They have a good name and a great BBB record"

Basically I only speak about what I can prove. That is my content was taken. Also, now I know my content was taken by someone that either you or the merchant outsourced according to your reply in this thread.

When I speak of the dog...I am talking of whoever the work was outsourced to. So just outsource it again, even if to someone different?

-sfcom

EDIT: looking back on it now, I see where the confusion was. I thought the "merchant's web-development group" was outsourced and you called them to redo the content they originally did.

[knight01]

Clearly a mistake was made by Geno. He admits he should have gone farther to verify the uniqueness of the content.

Clearly a mistake was made by the merchant by outsourcing what should have been a simple task for them to do in-house and probably working with a 'low bidder' type.

Clearly the outsourced person or company didn't live up to their end of the agreement to provide original content and should get the lions share of the blame.

There is enough blame to go around with all involved... except with those affiliates that were scraped.

I don't believe Geno did this intentionally for the simple fact he wouldn't have called attention to the copied content in another thread that the affiliates that were harmed would surely have seen. I don't think the company did this intentionally as I think they are simply clueless on what they needed and how it was being provided. I do think the outsource person/company did this as a way to make a few bucks fast and easy.

I hope Geno and the merchant find a way to 'make amends' to those that scraped/copied and re-build the trust they previously had. Knowing Geno, that is already in the works.

It appears to be a series of very unfortunate incidents that came together to form a perfect storm in affiliate marketing.

And not that it helps those of you who were copied... but consider that your content was good enough to be found in the search engines and considered valuable enough to be added to the merchants website. I saw it at the merchants site, you people do some d@mn good work.


edited to add: SFcom posted while I was writing this, it appears any confusion about Geno or the merchant is cleared up.